A suburethral sling device and method for treating female urinary stress incontinence which is anatomically configured to implant into the lower abdomen of a female in a manner providing support to mid-urethral and bladder neck sphincteric continence sites with the sling defining in part, mesh and tissue remodeling portions. The sling is deployed via a sling transfer instrument having distal and proximal ends with the instrument comprising in part a progressively curved shaft portion positioned between the distal and proximal ends. An insertion handle of the transfer instrument is secured to the curved metal shaft section guiding the shaft tip through the tissues of the abdomen in an anterior/posterior direction as well as a cephalad/caudad direction.

The suburethral sling technique for treatment of stress urinary incontinence has become the preferred treatment because the long term results are better in most cases than other treatment methods. The classic pubovaginal sling technique utilizes rectus fascia from the patient as the sling material for support of the urethra. The morbidity of rectus fascia pubovaginal sling procedures has caused surgeons to utilize alternative materials. Permanent non-absorbable materials have been deployed in one such alternative but have resulted in erosions of the synthetic material into the urethra and vagina. Also, infections of the sling have had serious complications because of the material being treated as a "foreign body".
Cadaveric tissue has been used in an effort to avoid the problem of "foreign body" reactions resulting in infections and erosions. However, cadaveric fascia and cadaveric dermis have not had the same results as tissue derived from the patient at the time of surgery. Cadaveric fascia is a tissue remodeling material. That is, the human body recognizes the tissue as a familiar material and biochemically breaks down the tissue and rebuilds it as its own tissue. Unfortunately, during the breaking down period of the cadaveric tissue, the tissue strength often fails rendering support of the urethra inadequate. Consequently, the urethra "falls" back down and the sling fails. Remodeling tissue needs to have additional strength during the time of remodeling in order to avoid failure of the material due to material weakness. Once remodeling has occurred, the tissue is strong enough to provide a good result for a long time.
Biodegradable materials such as polylactate are available that are degraded by the body slowly over 18 months to 30 months. These materials can be made into a mesh to support the tissue remodeling materials through the period of remodeling. This leaves normal body tissue supporting the urethra that has resulted from the remodeling process. The biodegradable sling material such as polylactate is absorbed by the body and there is no "foreign body" to create erosions and infections.
Deployment of the current sling devices utilize complicated sling transfer instruments that cannot be well controlled by the surgeon. This has resulted in serious complications including perforation of bowel as well as injury to major arteries and veins causing death in young women who are otherwise healthy having a simple surgical procedure. It is critical that the sling transfer instrument be simplified and better control of the instrument be provided to the surgeon.
As the urethra prolapses or "falls down" resulting in loss of bladder control, the entire vaginal wall also prolapses or "falls down". Current sling procedures do not provide any support for the anterior vaginal wall. One of the most common causes of re-operation after current sling procedures is a cystocele repair to repair the anterior vaginal prolapse that should progressively worsened after the sling placement. Current slings are not designed to repair the anterior vaginal wall at the same time the support of the urethra is done. A sling is needed that supports the entire functional urethra as well as the base of the bladder to prevent progression of vaginal prolapse.
The normal woman when in the standing has the urethra in a position that the axis through the urethra is 15 degrees to 35 degrees off a true vertical position. The pubic bone has an axis of about 45 degrees off a true vertical position. This makes the angle or the axis of the pubis and the angle of the axis of the urethra about 70 degrees to 90 degrees. The base of the bladder as it attaches to the urethra has a posterior angle of 90 degrees to 115 degrees. The contoured sling is designed to restore the urethro-vesical angle and to restore the axis of the urethra.
Deployment of contemporary sling devices utilize complicated sling transfer instruments that cannot be well controlled by the surgeon. This has resulted in serious complications including perforation of bowel as well as injury to major arteries and veins causing death in young women who are otherwise healthy having a simple surgical procedure. In keeping with the teachings of the instant invention, it is critical that a sling transfer instrument be simplified to allow enhanced instrument control by the surgeon.
Given the deficiencies of the contemporary art and the enhancement teachings of the instant invention, it is an object of the instant invention to provide a tubular mesh sling for incontinence which eliminates urethral obstruction and voiding difficulties associated with slings and tapes of the contemporary art.
It is another object of the instant invention to provide an incontinence solution which avoids the morbidity associated with rectus fascia tissue transplanted from the abdomen to the vagina of a patient and the long term durability deficiencies of cadaveric tissue as used in the contemporary art.
It is a further object of the instant invention to provide an incontinence solution which avoids the numerous and serious complications from intra-operative injury to organs in the pelvis.
It is yet another object of the instant invention to avoid paravaginal dissection required of surgical instruments and methodologies associated with the contemporary art.
A further object of the instant invention is to provide an incontinence solution which is embodied as a sling design conforming to the anatomical variations of the urethra of women who have urinary incontinence.
A yet further object of the instant invention is to provide a knit mesh pubovaginal sling which conforms to the anatomy of the urethra and anterior vaginal wall when the anatomy of a patient is distorted by urethral prolapse or previous vaginal surgery.
Another object of the instant invention is to present a mesh sling embodiment in a component structure that has an anterior surface which attaches to the vaginal wall adjacent to the urethra and a posterior surface which attaches to the vaginal mucosa.
An additional object of the instant invention is to provide an incontinence solution in a mesh sling form which avoids buckling due to opposing forces of the vaginal wall and vaginal mucosa on the sling.
A further object of the instant invention is to provide a mesh sling which has an anterior and posterioral layer which provides greater tensile strength compared to tape mesh slings of the contemporary art.
Yet another object of the instant invention is to provide a mesh sling design which demonstrates a significant degree of elasticity of the sling material.
A further object of the instant invention is to provide a tubular mesh sling which embodies a dual continence design and can be positioned to support both the mid-urethra and bladder neck sphincteric continence sites.
Another object of the instant invention is to provide a sling comprised in part of tissue remodeling material where sufficient support is provided to tissue remodeling material during biochemical breakdown of the tissue and rebuilding.
Another object of the instant invention is to provide a sling which is comprised of biodegradable materials and tissue remodeling materials.
A further object of the present invention is to disclose and teach a sling transfer instrument which allows enhanced sling deployment control by a surgeon.
Another object of the instant invention is to teach a method and apparatus for sling deployment utilizing either suprapubic, transvaginal or obturator fossa deployment methodologies.
A further object of the instant invention is an anterior vaginal sling that restores anatomical support to both the mid-urethral continence sphincteric function and the bladder neck continence sphincteric function.
Another object of the instant invention is an anterior vaginal sling that restores the anatomical relationship of the urinary bladder to the urethral by providing confluent support to the base of the bladder and the proximal urethra.
A further object of the instant invention includes an anterior vaginal sling that is contoured to restore the normal anatomical position of the mid-urethra, the proximal urethra, the bladder neck, and the base of the bladder which not only restores the normal continence sphincteric function of the urethra but also restores normal bladder function relative to the urethra.
Yet another object of the invention provides an anterior vaginal sling composed of biodegradable mesh or non-biodegradable mesh in any non-proprietary weave configuration.
An object of the instant invention provides an anterior vaginal sling design using biodegradable mesh reinforced tissue remodeling material with the biodegradable mesh combined with tissue remodeling material to provide tensile strength for the tissue remodeling material during an interval of tissue weakness due to the process of remodeling. The biodegradable material can be layered, stranded, or randomly combined with tissue remodeling materials.
Still yet, another object of the instant invention provides a sling transfer instrument that has a progressively curved shaft portion and a sharply curved tip that allows the instrument to be passed through the retropubic space with a reduced risk of organ perforation.
Further, an object of the instant invention provides the sling has supporting ribs throughout the distal part of each end of the sling to secure the sling to surrounding tissues and to allow for sling tension adjustment.
Another object of the instant invention includes a biodegradable tab which is located at the middle of the sling and extends through the vaginal mucosa postoperatively to allow loosening of the sling tension postoperatively if necessary.
A further object of the instant invention provides that the distal segment of each end of the sling is left in place postoperatively to allow tightening of sling tension if necessary. An attachable handle is used postoperatively for sling tension adjustment.
Yet another object of the present invention provides a spring design sling tension adjustment instrument that is used intra operatively to insure proper sling tension.
A further object of the present invention provides an extended embodiment of the sling that is used to provide support to the proximal segment of the anterior vagina to support cystocele repair.
An additional object of the present invention provide that the sling transfer instruments are designed with a luminous coating for easy identification during cystoscopy should perforation of the bladder occur.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a sling transfer instrument with detachable insertion handle designed to provide maximum control to the surgeon of the instrument tip to avoid organ perforation. Finger grips and a specially designed thumb control feature of the handle provides accuracy of tip placement.
An alternative object of the present invention provides that the embodiment of the sling transfer instrument design is used for placement from a suprapubic position through the prevesical space into the vagina. The sling is attached to the tip of the instrument and transferred to the suprapubic position.

Surgical instrument for treating female urinary stress incontinence


A concrete finishing trowel comprising at least one rotor which is mounted on a frame and is provided with a rotatably driven shaft and several blades that are mounted on the driven shaft. A blade deflection mechanism moves the blades on a path that deviates from a circular path relative to the drive shaft.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a concrete finishing power trowel.
2. Description of the Related Art
Such a power trowel is used predominantly for finishing concrete surfaces, in particular floors, as long as the concrete has not yet hardened. In practice, in addition to manually guided power trowels, ride-on power trowels have proved useful, in which an operator can sit on the device itself and drive it over the concrete that is to be smoothed. In addition to the increased comfort, this makes it possible to avoid leaving footprints on the still-soft concrete surface. Also, in a riding power trowel the weight of the operator sitting on the device provides additional support for its smoothing function.
A power trowel is standardly made up of a frame in which a drive mechanism is housed. The drive drives a rotor, or, in the case of riding power trowels, at least two rotors, each rotor having a drive shaft that is driven by the drive; rotor blades are attached to each drive shaft. The rotor blades extend essentially horizontally, so that the device as a whole sits with the rotor blades on the concrete surface that is to be smoothed. The rotor blades are set into rotation by the drive, and sweep over the surface that is to be smoothed. Because the pitch angle of the rotor blades relative to the drive shaft that bears them can be set, it is possible to achieve a differential pressure effect. Thus, the operator can first cause the rotor blades to sweep over the fresh concrete surface with a relatively flat attack angle and low rotational speed, whereas shortly before the end of the hardening process a higher local pressure, with a significantly steeper attack angle, can be applied to the surface in order to polish it. The setting of the attack angle of the individual rotor blades takes place with the aid of a known blade adjustment device, with which the operator can influence the setting of the rotor blade e.g. via a setting crank.
FIG. 1 shows such a power trowel, as is also known from U.S. Pat. No. 6,368,016 B1. This is a riding power trowel, shown in a schematic perspective view.
On a frame designated 1 as a whole, a seat 2 is situated on which an operator or driver can be seated. Under seat 2 there is situated a drive (not shown), e.g. an internal combustion engine, to which fuel can be supplied via a filling connector 3.
Underneath frame 1, two rotors 4, 5 can be seen. Rotors 4, 5 each have a drive shaft 6 and a plurality of blades 7 (in FIG. 1, each rotor has four blades). Rotors 4, 5 are driven by the drive so as to rotate in opposite directions.
Around rotors 4, 5, a safety cage 8 made up of a plurality of bearing and plate elements is situated in order to prevent accidental intervention in the rotor area, or to prevent driving over the feet of a person standing near the power trowel.
The various possibilities for setting the attack angle of blades 7 are described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,368,016 B1, so that description in more detail is not necessary here.
As is shown, blades 7 are moved rotationally with drive shaft 6 that bears them, so that blades 7 execute a circular movement relative both to drive shaft 6 and also to the surface (concrete surface) that is to be compacted.
In the corners of rooms, there is the problem that blades 7 cannot penetrate all the way into the corner, but rather leave a large area unsmoothed. This area must then be post-processed by hand, which can result in poorer quality of the surface smoothness, and in general entails an increased operating expense.


Hydraulic device for directional control of a vehicle using a single lever. The device includes a hydraulic manipulator (1) with four outlets, forward/reverse and right/left. A selection device (4) with four selectors (5) in a bridge is connected to the manipulator, and the outputs are connected to four motors for reverse-left, forward-left and reverse-right and forward-right control of the running components of the vehicle. A slide valve (7) with two positions, respectively one with direct connections and one with crossed connections, is inserted into the two feed lines of the motors (6 AVG, 6 AVD or respectively 6 ARG, 6 ARD). A control input (10) of the slide valve is connected to the FORWARD and REVERSE outputs of the manipulator, by virtue of which the control of the vehicle remains fully ergonomic, including for a rotation of the vehicle about a central vertical axis.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 1A, a device of this type conventionally comprises a hydraulic manipulator 1 with four hydraulic outlets, respectively denoted by AV for the forward movement control, AR for the reverse movement control, D for the right movement control and G for the left movement control. The manipulator 1 includes four hydraulic pressure reducers 3, respectively denoted by 3 AV, 3 AR, 3 D and 3 G, the outputs of which constitute the four aforementioned outlets of the manipulator 1 and which are furthermore connected to a common pressurized-fluid input P and a common return-to-reservoir output T. The four reducers 3 are arranged in a cross, associated in pairs with two substantially perpendicular directions FORWARD/REVERSE and RIGHT/LEFT, and are in general operated mechanically, via respective sliding tappets (not shown), with the aid of a single oscillating cam (not shown) with a central neutral position N, to which a single actuation lever 2 is attached (FIG. 1A).
A selection device 4 is functionally associated with the manipulator 1 and includes four selectors 5, arranged in a bridge, the pairwise opposite vertices of which are respectively connected to the four outlets AV and AR, on the one hand, and D and G, on the other hand, of the manipulator. The four selectors are respectively denoted by 5 AVG, 5 AVD, 5 ARG and 5 ARD (FIG. 1).
In the conventional set-up adopted usually to date, the respective outputs of the four selectors 5 are connected directly to four variable-capacity motors 6 for directional control of the vehicle, which are denoted respectively by 6 ARG, 6 AVG, for the left running-component control, and 6 ARD and 6 AVD, for the right running-component control, as represented in FIG. 1.
The manipulator is installed ergonomically in the vehicle, that is to say the movement of the actuation lever 2 coincides with the direction of movement desired for the vehicle: the AV/AR movement direction of the lever 2 coincides approximately with the longitudinal axis of the vehicle, and the D/G direction coincides approximately with the transverse axis of the vehicle.
However, a directional control thus arranged according to the prior art does not allow control of a pure rotation of the vehicle about a central vertical axis. Indeed, such pure rotation of the vehicle about a central vertical axis (or counter-rotation) without forward or reverse movement, should be controlled by movement of the lever 2 in just the G direction, for a counter-rotation to the left, or in just the D direction, for a counter-rotation to the right, without any movement of the lever towards AV or towards AR.
However, referring to the hydraulic diagram in FIG. 1, it is seen that moving the lever 2 just to the left, for example, causes simultaneous opening of the two selectors 5 AVG and S ARG, which transmit the same hydraulic signal to the motors 6 ARG and 6 AVG, while the motors 6 ARG and 6 AVG remain inactivated. The result of this is that the forward and reverse two running components on the left-hand side are controlled simultaneously with the same intensity, and under this condition the vehicle does not move. The same would be true with movement of the lever 2 to the right.
For this single counter-rotation control, one solution could consist in crossing the feeds of the motors 6 ARG and 6 ARD, and arranging that the selector 5 ARG is then connected to the motor 6 ARD and that the selector 5 ARD is connected to the motor 6 ARG; then, in the case of, for example, moving the lever 2 to the left, the two selectors 5 AVG and 5 ARG would be simultaneously opened and would respectively control the motors 6 AVG and 6 ARD; the vehicle would then start to turn on itself in a pure rotation about its central axis. However, this rotation would then take place to the right, moreover with all the reverse controls being inverted at the same time. This would result for the driver in a difficulty from the ergonomic point of view, since the direction of the rotation performed by the vehicle would no longer correspond to the direction of movement of the lever.

Hydraulic directional-control device with single lever for vehicle


The present invention is an improved material and method for use for providing diffuse transflectance of light. By employing an expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) comprising a microstructure of polymeric nodes and fibrils, the material of the present invention demonstrates exceptional diffuse reflectivity and transmission of light across a wide spectrum of ultraviolet, visible, and infrared light. Additionally, the material of the present invention provides many properties that have been previously unavailable in highly diffuse transflective material, including a high degree of malleability, moldability and flexibility, and effective reflectivity even at relatively thin cross-sections.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to surfaces used to reflect and transmit light, and particularly to materials that reflect and transmit even diffusion of light energy from or through their surfaces.
2. Description of Related Art
Special light reflectant surfaces are used in a variety of applications requiring light energy to be close to completely reflected while providing an even distribution of light from the surface. While good mirrored surfaces can provide nearly perfect reflectivity of visible light, the light energy exiting these surfaces does so only at an angle equal to the incident angle of light contact. For many applications it is important that light be reflected with an even distribution of light from the surface. This latter property is referred to as diffuse or "lambertian" reflectance. For instance, projection screens, such as those used for slide or motion picture presentations, must provide both high reflectivity and a light diffusion/distribution over a sufficiently wide field so as to provide a clear image to most of an audience. Many reflectant screens employ a coating of glass beads or similar material as a reflectant aid to provide excellent reflectivity over a defined projection field (e.g., approximately 20.degree. from a center line), with significantly diminished reflectivity outside of the defined projection field. These screens provide very good viewing within the defined field, and are less prone to interference from stray light sources other than the primary light source aimed perpendicular to the screen. In order to provide better viewing to a wider defined field, matte-finished screens are effective at providing a more even light distribution to an entire audience. Although hardly critical for most projection screen applications in darkened rooms, in either instance it is important that the screen absorb or transmit as little light as possible so as to assure maximum reflective image to the audience.
Reflectivity is far more critical in many other applications. For instance, displays used in electronic equipment (e.g., instrument panels, portable computer screens, liquid crystal displays (LCDs), etc.), whether relying on supplemental lights (e.g., backlight) or merely ambient light, require very good diffuse reflectant back surfaces to maximize image quality. Reflectivity is particularly critical with backlighted displays in battery powered equipment, where better reflectivity is directly related to smaller required light sources and resulting lower power demands.
Even more demanding applications for highly reflective materials are in casings used in laser or optical test equipment construction. Since the efficiency of such equipment is directly dependent upon its ability to effectively process light energy, it is critical that the equipment be constructed with material that has extremely high reflectivity and excellent diffusion properties.
Contrastly, there are a variety of applications where it is preferred to provide effective light transmittance through a material. Examples of these applications include some diffusion filters, rear projection screens, transflective displays, etc. With most materials which reflect and transmit light there is also an absorption component. In cases where both reflectance and transmittance are needed concurrently, absorption of light energy is undesired because it results in wasted light energy.
In the case of rear projection screens, the screen is positioned in between the light source and the audience. These screens trade-off reflectance for transmittance while maintaining a high level of diffusivity. Once again, to maximize the light energy output, it is important that the screen material absorb the lowest amount of light possible.
Another application where a trade off of reflectance for transmittance is desired is in certain avionic transflective LCD displays. These transflective (both reflective and transmittive) displays employ a reflector that supplies light to an LCD display using ambient light. In this case, where ambient light is insufficient to light the LCD display, a backlight is used. This backlight supplies light through the reflector; hence, the reflector must have both reflectance and transmittance properties. Under these conditions, both diffuse reflectance and diffuse transmittance are desired while absorption of light is not desired.
Another application of where diffuse reflective materials are employed is as a diffuser in solar collectors or photovoltaic cells. Since solar-driven devices such as these generally use sunlight in the range of 300 to 2200 nm, the diffuse nature and low absorption of the present invention are particularly suitable. As is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,571,448, issued to A. M. Barnett, a photovoltaic cell can have increased efficiency by providing a diffuse textured reflective back surface. In these applications, it would appear desirable to provide a material that can further increase reflection efficiency over the entire solar spectrum of 300 to 2200 nm.
Due to the many different applications that exist for reflectant materials, it is not surprising that there are many different commercially available products with a variety of diffuse reflective properties. Until the present invention, the best material known with excellent diffuse reflectivity was that described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,912,720 and sold under the trademark SPECTRALON by Labsphere, Inc., North Sutton, N.H. This material comprises lightly packed granules of polytetrafluoroethylene that has a void volume of about 30 to 50% and is sintered into a relatively hard cohesive block so as to maintain such void volume. Using the techniques taught by U.S. Pat. No. 4,912,720, it is asserted that exceptionally high diffuse visible light reflectance characteristics can be achieved With this material, with reflectance over previously available reflectant material increasing from 97% to better than 99%.
Despite the reported advantages of SPECTRALON material, it is considered quite deficient in many respects. First, this product is a relatively hard block of material that must be carefully carved or machined to desired shapes and dimensions. This severely limits how and where this material can be used and greatly increases the cost of using this material in many applications, especially where non-planar shapes are desired. Therefore, where a pliable material is desired in various light reflective applications, it is clear that the SPECTRALON material is not capable of supplying such a property. Furthermore, the additional machining process provides yet another source for contamination that can be detrimental to its reflective properties.
Second, the SPECTRALON material is apparently limited, both structurally and in its ability to reflect light, to a relatively thick minimum depth (i.e., a thickness of greater than 4 mm). Again, this serves to limit where and how this material can be used. Moreover, this limitation tends needlessly to increase both the amount of material required for a given application as well as the weight of the material required for such application.
Third, the SPECTRALON material is apparently relatively expensive to manufacture and purchase. These costs are only increased by the material's difficulty in processing into the final shape from the hard form (i.e., excessive amounts of material may have to be machined away and discarded during production) and its minimum thickness requirements. As a result, the SPECTRALON material is too expensive to be used in many applications that might otherwise benefit from its reflective properties.
Fourth, although SPECTRALON has high diffuse reflective properties, it is contemplated that even better performance may be possible in this regard. For instance, the SPECTRALON material has very good reflective properties for visible light up to a near IR range (i.e., from 300 to 1800 nm), the reflectivity of this material diminishes dramatically above 1800 nm. Moreover, it is believed that even better reflective performance might be possible even in the visible light range where SPECTRALON material delivers its best performance.
Another material which is commonly used as both a diffuse reflector and transflector is barium sulfate. Barium sulfate is applied in a powder form on various substrates, such as metal or glass, to address specific reflectance or transflectance needs. While it does provide relatively good optical properties, barium sulfate is difficult to apply evenly and tends to flake off in end use applications, especially where vibration and or abrasion are present.
It is accordingly a primary purpose of the present invention to provide an improved highly light diffuse material and method of use that can perform as well or better than existing diffuse reflective or transflective materials and has better handling characteristics.
This and other purposes of the present invention will become evident from review of the following specification.

High light diffusive and low light absorbent material and method for making and using same


A matrix electrode structural display element driving unit is provided with a display panel in which electrodes are arranged in a matrix pattern, and a signal electrode driving circuit and a scanning electrode driving circuit for driving the display panel. A latch pulse signal LPX to be inputted to the signal electrode driving circuit and a latch pulse signal LPY to be inputted to the scanning electrode driving circuit are used as signals with different waveforms. Since a conventional general driving IC is used, a unit, where a level of an applied voltage to a display element is changed twice during one selecting period, can be obtained at a low price.

As shown in FIG. 7, for example, a general liquid crystal display element driving unit, which drives a liquid crystal display element as a matrix electrode structural display element by means of multiplex driving method, is arranged so as to have a display panel 101, where signal electrodes X.sub.1 through X.sub.M and scanning electrodes Y.sub.1 through Y.sub.N are disposed in a matrix-like pattern and liquid crystal display elements are respectively connected to intersection portions of the signal electrodes X.sub.1 through X.sub.M and the scanning electrodes Y.sub.1 through Y.sub.N, a signal electrode driving circuit 102 for driving the signal electrodes X.sub.1 through X.sub.M and a scanning electrode driving circuit 103 for driving the scanning electrodes Y.sub.1 through Y.sub.N.
Signal electrode side liquid crystal driving ICs (Integrated Circuit) 105, which apply a prescribed voltage according to display to the signal electrodes X.sub.1 through X.sub.M, are provided to a signal electrode side substrate 104 of the signal electrode driving circuit 102, and scanning electrode side liquid crystal driving ICs 107, which line-sequentially apply a fixed voltage to the scanning electrodes Y.sub.1 through Y.sub.N are provided to a scanning electrode side substrate 106 of the scanning electrode driving circuit 103. A liquid crystal display element applied voltage, which is voltage difference between liquid crystal driving voltages outputted from the signal electrode side liquid crystal driving ICs 105 and the scanning electrode side liquid crystal driving ICs 107, is applied to each liquid crystal display element of the display panel 101.
In other words, in the signal electrode driving circuit 102, when input signals (LP, SCLK, FR and Data), logical circuit voltages (VCC and GND) and liquid crystal driving voltages (V0, V2, V3 and V5) are inputted from a control section 110 to the signal electrode side liquid crystal driving ICs 105 through the signal electrode side substrate 104 as an external input interface, one of the four kinds of the above liquid crystal driving voltages is applied to the signal electrodes X1 through XM from the signal electrode side liquid crystal driving IC 105.
In addition, in the scanning electrode driving circuit 103, when input signals (FP, LP and FR), logical circuit voltages (VCC and GND) and liquid crystal driving voltages (V0, V1, V4 and V5) are inputted from the control section, not shown, to the scanning electrode side liquid crystal driving ICs 107 through the scanning electrode side substrate 106 as an external input interface, one of the two kinds of the liquid crystal driving voltages for selection in the four kinds of the liquid crystal driving voltages is selectively applied to selected lines of the scanning electrodes Y.sub.1 through Y.sub.N, and one of the two kinds of the liquid crystal driving voltages for non-selection is selectively applied to non-selected lines.
The signal electrode side liquid crystal driving IC 105 has functions, for example, shown in FIG. 3 which is an explanatory drawing of the present invention. In other words, in the signal electrode side liquid crystal driving IC 105, after the inputted Data signal are successively stored from a position according to the right or left end of the display panel 101 at timing shown in FIG. 8, namely, timing that the inputted Data signal is synchronized with the shift clock signal SCLK after the latch pulse signal LP is changed from High level (ie. "H") to Low level (ie. "L"). When the latch pulse signal LP is again changed from "H" to "L", the Data signal stored in the signal electrode side liquid crystal driving IC 105 is latched. Then, the liquid crystal driving voltages are selectively outputted according to the combination of the latched Data signal (ie. latched Data) and the switching signal FR which is an input signal to be inputted to the signal electrode driving circuit 102.
In addition, the scanning electrode side liquid crystal driving IC 107 has functions shown in FIG. 4 which is an explanatory drawing of the present invention, for example. In other words, the scanning electrode side liquid crystal driving IC 107 selectively outputs the liquid crystal driving voltage according to the combination of the switching signal FR to be inputted and the Data signal from the shift register, not shown, provided to the scanning electrode side liquid crystal driving IC 107 (ie. shift register Data). When the frame pulse signal FP to be inputted to the scanning electrode side liquid crystal driving IC 107 is at "H" and the latch pulse signal LP is changed from "H" to "L", only the shift register Data on the first line are at "H" and the shift register Data on the other lines are at "L". Meanwhile, when the frame pulse signal FP is at "L" and the latch pulse signal LP is changed from "H" to "L", in the case where the shift register Data on the (m-1)-numbered line are at "H" before the changing, only the shift register Data on the m-numbered line are at "H" and the shift register Data on the other lines are at "L" after the changing.
The latch pulse signal LP to be inputted to the signal electrode driving circuit 102 is the same as the latch pulse signal LP to be inputted to the scanning electrode driving circuit 103, and the switching signals FR to be inputted to the signal electrode driving circuit 102 is the same as the switching signal FR to be inputted to the scanning electrode driving circuit 103.
The following describes a relationship between a liquid crystal applied voltage waveform observed from one picture element X.sub.j -Y.sub.i in the display panel 101 shown in FIG. 7 and the input signal from the external interface on reference to a timing chart of FIG. 9. Here, the waveforms on the right and left sides of the drawing show examples of two different kinds of waveforms. Moreover, the timing chart of FIG. 8 and the upper timing chart of FIG. 9 are the same.
The drawing shows examples of waveforms of, from the above, an external interface input signal, the latched data which are obtained by latching the external interface inputted signal by the latch pulse signal LP, namely, the X.sub.j line Data. Hereafter, the drawing shows accomplished waveforms of output voltages from the signal electrode side liquid crystal driving IC 105 and the scanning electrode side liquid crystal driving IC 107 according to the above examples of the waveforms and in the case where the line Y.sub.i is selected as the line of the scanning electrode, and a waveform of an applied voltage to the one picture element X.sub.j -Y.sub.i on the display panel 101 (waveform of the matrix electrode structural display element applied voltage) which is the final result of the waveforms of the output voltages.
However, as shown in FIG. 9, according to the waveform of the applied voltage to the one picture element X.sub.j -Y.sub.i on the display panel 101, in the above conventional liquid crystal display element driving unit, a change in the level of the voltage which can be applied to one line during one selecting period is limited to once. The selecting period is a period of time for determining by a level of a voltage to be applied as to whether a liquid crystal display element on a certain line is made in an "ON state" or "OFF state", and the selecting period for one line is obtained such that one frame pulse signal FP period which is a time for displaying one image is divided by a number of latch pulse signals LP during one frame pulse signal FP period (a scanning electrode-side latch pulse signal LPY instead of the latch pulse signal LP in an arrangement of the present invention mentioned later).
Incidentally, in order to switch the level of the voltage, which is changed according to the Data signal, twice or more during one selecting period, it is necessary to arrange the signal electrode side liquid crystal driving IC so that it is capable of changing contents of the latched data, which can be primarily changed only when the latch pulse signal LP is changed from "H" to "L", at arbitrary timing by inputting not only the input control signals (Data signal, etc.) shown in FIG. 7 but also another control signal from the outside.
Therefore, since development of a new driving IC is required, the conventional driving ICs cannot be utilized, and since such development requires time, costs of producing units increase.

Matrix electrode structural display element driving unit


A medical cauterization snare assembly with a tubular member, an electrically conductive cauterization loop ejectable from a distal end of the tubular member, and a capture pouch also ejectable from the distal end of the tubular member. The pouch is attached to an auxiliary loop which has a size larger than that of the cauterization loop. Alternatively, the tubular member is formed at its distal end with a first port or opening and in a distal end portion with a second port or opening spaced from the first port or opening. The two ports or openings both face in a distal direction (i.e., away from the user). The cauterization loop is alternately ejectable from and retractable into the first port or opening, while the capture pouch is separately ejectable from the second port or opening. Alternatively, the capture pouch is attached to the cauterization loop, to only a proximal portion of the loop to divide the loop's area into a proximal section covered by the pouch and an open or uncovered distal section.

In a conventional endoscopic snare operation, an endoscope is inserted into an internal cavity of a patient, e.g., into the colon, and is used to locate abnormal tissue growths such as polyps in the internal cavity. Upon the locating of a polyp or other growth which is to be removed, a wire extending through a tube in the biopsy channel of the endoscope is slid in the distal direction so that a cauterization loop connected to the wire is ejected from the distal end of the tube and the endoscope. The loop and the endoscope are manipulated from outside of the patient to pass the loop over the polyp or growth. The wire is then withdrawn in the proximal direction to tighten the loop around a base region or neck of the polyp. Once the loop is in contact with the base region of the polyp, an electrical current is conducted through the loop via the wire. Generally, as the loop is closed about the base region of the polyp, electrical current is transmitted through the narrowed organic tissues and thereby generates therein heat sufficiently great to cut and cauterize.
Once a polyp is severed by such a snare cauterization technique, it frequently becomes difficult to capture the polyp and retrieve it from the patient. Sometimes the cauterization loop is used in an effort to ensnare the polyp. Other capture techniques involve the use of forceps or the application of suction. In using forceps, the snare cauterization tube is removed from the biopsy channel of the endoscope and replaced with the forceps. In using suction, a vacuum is applied via a suction channel of the endoscope.
No matter which specific technique is used, the polyp frequently escapes from the capturing instrumentality and falls away into the colon (or other cavity). Especially in cases where the polyp is large, the effort and time expended in retrieving the severed polyp may rival or even exceed the effort and time required to locate and sever the polyp. In some cases, the endoscope must be removed without the polyp and the patient given an enema in an attempt to flush out the polyp from the colon.
Furthermore, there are numerous cases where a severed polyp is never recovered. Sometimes, the polyp is macerated during the retrieval attempt. In all such cases, the pathologist is unable to determine whether the polyp contains carcinoma in situ (localized) or infiltrative carcinoma (spread). The patient must then undergo a colon resection, sometimes unnecessarily.
In any event, the manipulations necessary to remove a severed polyp generally increase the trauma to the patient, the expense of the surgery and the hospitalization time. There is now a long-felt need to improve the snare cauterization technique to facilitate the capture and retrieval of severed polyps.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,201,740 to Nakao et al. provides a solution to the above-described problems in polyp removal. Pursuant to the disclosure of that patent, snare cauterization operations are performed with a surgical instrument assembly comprising a tubular sheath member carrying a metallic cauterization loop and a metal wire operatively connected to the loop, the wire passing longitudinally through the sheath. An electrical supply is operatively connectable to the wire, while a flexible web member is connected to the loop to form a capture pocket, the loop defining a mouth opening of the pocket. During use of the snare cauterization loop, the web member is passed over and substantially surrounds a polyp. The pocket captures the polyp at the same time that the cauterization loop is energized to effectuate a severing of the polyp.
This cauterization snare assembly with attached pocket is a substantial advance over conventional polyp removal techniques. However, the snare assembly is generally useful for collecting only one polyp from a patient. Owing to the cumulative heating of the points of attachment of the capture pouch to the cauterization loop, the capture pouch can be separated from the cauterization loop after polyp capture has occurred. Thus, where the patient has multiple polyps, multiple cauterization snare assemblies must be used.

Medical cauterization snare assembly and associated methodology


Recombinant Bordetella pertussis strains derived from parent strain Tohama are provided. The new strains are obtained by homologous recombination using a allelic exchange vector pSS4245, which allows the replacement of sections of the bacterial chromosome without leaving any accessory mutations. The segment encoding PT subunit S1 is replaced to introduce two mutations causing inactivation of the toxic activity of PT. This strain can be further modified to express increased amounts of rPT and/or PRN. A second copy of the ptx cluster of the five PT structural genes of the ptx-ptl operon with their promoter and the ptl terminator and containing the above mutations can be inserted elsewhere on the chromosome. In addition, a second copy of the PRN gene can be inserted on the chromosome. In both cases, abandoned gene loci are selected as the insertion site to avoid the introduction of unwanted genetic alterations.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention describes the construction of recombinant Bordetella pertussis strains derived from a parent strain designated Tohama and using vector pSS4245 for integration of mutations and additional copies of genes.
2. Description of Related Art
Pertussis or whooping cough is a severe infant disease caused by Bordetella pertussis infection of the upper respiratory tract [1]. Vaccines have been available for decades, which consist of killed whole cells of B. pertussis. They are administered as trivalent Diphtheria-Tetanus-Pertussis combination or newer combinations providing also immunity against Hepatitis B and Haemophilus influenzae type b invasive disease [2]. The use of whole-cell vaccines has been reduced, discouraged or even banned in a few countries due to their questionable safety profile, which is due to high levels of endotoxin and other bacterial toxins associated with the killed whole cells [3, 4].
Acellular vaccines, named after the fact that they do not contain whole cells but only partially or extensively purified bacterial antigens, were introduced in Japan in 1981 [5]. The higher purity of the component antigens in acellular vaccines translated to an improved clinical safety profile. These vaccines were introduced in the mid-90s in industrialized countries after extensive field trials which demonstrated their safety and efficacy [6]. A broader introduction by WHO into the Expanded Program of Immunization was, however, hampered by the significantly higher cost of acellular vaccines.
A major virulence factor of B. pertussis is Pertussis Toxin (PT) [7, 8] and pertussis toxoid (PTd) is the principal antigen in acellular vaccines [8]. Unlike Diphtheria and Tetanus toxins, which can be inactivated by simple treatment with formaldehyde, PT proved more difficult to inactivate by chemical means [9]. Currently different inactivation processes are in use for commercial production. All have in common extensive denaturation of PT caused by the chemical treatment. Two candidate vaccines were explored using a genetically inactivated toxin (rPT) [10-12] and one of these candidates was included in a field efficacy trial [11-12].
Vaccines containing rPT are, however, not yet available.


An X-ray examination apparatus has an X-ray diagnostic assembly with a carrier having an X-ray source and a beam receiver disposed at opposite ends of the carrier, and a first coupling part connected to the carrier, a mobile base unit containing a plurality of components for operating said X-ray diagnostic assembly and having a second coupling part, and at least one support for stationary mounting in an examination room, having a third coupling part. The first coupling part of the carrier can be optionally connected to the second coupling part, for producing a mobile diagnostic apparatus, or to the third coupling part for producing a stationary diagnostic apparatus. When the first and third coupling parts are engaged and the X-ray diagnostic assembly is used as a stationary apparatus, the mobile base unit can be moved to the side, so that it does not hinder access to the stationary apparatus, but the components contained in the base unit remain connected to the X-ray diagnostic assembly.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to an X-ray examination apparatus of the type having an X-ray diagnostic assembly with a source of X-ray radiation and a beam receiver, attached opposite one another on a carrier provided with a coupling part which attaches the assembly to a mobile base unit that houses components required for the operation of the X-ray diagnostic assembly and to which the carrier is attached.
2. Description of the Prior Art
An X-ray examination apparatus of the above type is known and marketed e.g. by the Siemens company designated "SIREMOBIL 2000." Apparatuses of this type usually have a C-shaped carrier for the X-ray source and radiation receiver (detector), and are thus often referred to as C-arm X-ray devices. Due to their mobility, X-ray examination apparatuses of this sort are used mostly in operating rooms and treatment rooms, since their mobility makes it easy to move them to an operating table or treatment table, and to orient them as required relative to a patient lying on the operation table or treatment table.
The fact that accessibility to the patient is disturbed by the presence of the base unit, however, is often cited as a disadvantage of equipment of this sort.

X-ray examination apparatus convertible for mobile or stationary mounting


An image forming apparatus includes: a plurality of optical scanning parts that scan a photoconductor with light of plural colors to form an electrostatic latent image on the photoconductor based on print data; and a controller that, based on a first optical scanning part to which a horizontal synchronization signal is applied of the optical scanning parts, calculates an offset value for light-scan of a second optical scanning part of the optical scanning parts, and controls the optical scanning parts to scan the photoconductor with the light according to the calculated offset value.

1. Field of the Invention
An aspect of the present invention relates to an image forming apparatus and a signal synchronizing method thereof, and more particularly, to an image forming apparatus having a plurality of optical scanning parts for scanning a photoconductor with light, and a signal synchronizing method thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
An image forming apparatus forms a print image through various systems such as an inkjet system, an electrophotographic system or other systems known in the art. Of these systems, an image forming apparatus that employs the electrophotographic system forms an image on a recording medium through a paper feeder, an image forming part, a fixer, a paper discharger and so on.
Conventional image forming apparatuses form an electrostatic latent image on a photoconductor when an optical scanning part scans the photoconductor with light. Of the conventional image forming apparatuses, an image forming apparatus that is capable of forming an image with plural colors includes a plurality of optical scanning parts corresponding to the plural colors, each of which scans a photoconductor with light based on horizontal synchronization signals and video clock signals according to print data.
Such an image forming apparatus that is capable of forming the image with the plural colors corrects optical scanning points of different optical scanning parts based on a particular optical scanning part among the plurality of optical scanning parts. This is done in order to alleviate deviations in assembly process of the respective optical scanning parts. Thus, the plurality of optical scanning parts share one polygon mirror and scan the photoconductor with light according to the corrected optical scanning points based on horizontal synchronization signals applied to the corresponding optical scanning parts.
When the conventional image forming apparatus synchronizes video clocks and scans the photoconductors with light, if at a point of time when a horizontal synchronization signal is applied to one optical scanning part falls within non-image intervals, that is, not effective image intervals, of different optical scanning parts, it is possible to scan the photoconductor with light according to the corrected optical scanning points of time.
However, as shown in FIG. 1, if a first horizontal synchronization signal is applied in an effective image interval according to a second video clock, that is, if a horizontal synchronization signal is applied to an optical scanning part in an effective image interval in which another optical scanning part scans a photoconductor with light corresponding to an effective image, the effective image may not be correctly formed since a frequency is varied in order to re-align a direction in which the effective image is formed, as indicated by A in FIG. 1.

Image forming apparatus and signal synchronizing method thereof


Provided is a gas detection device that includes a gas sensor, a power supply circuit that applies voltage to the gas sensor, and a control circuit that determines whether a leak of gas is present. The power supply circuit includes a reset power source that generates a first voltage, and a detection power source that generates a detection voltage for measuring resistance of a metal-oxide layer of the gas sensor. When a value of a current flowing through the metal-oxide layer is a predetermined value ITH or greater, the reset power source applies the first voltage to the gas sensor to perform a reset of resetting the metal-oxide layer of the gas sensor to a high-resistance state, and the control circuit determines that a leak of gas is present, depending on a state in which the reset is performed after the reset is performed for the first time.

PTL 1 discloses a gas sensor that detects, as a change in a resistance value, a presence of gas containing hydrogen atoms (hydrogen-containing gas). The gas sensor includes a thin-film semiconductor layer on a substrate. The thin-film semiconductor layer includes, for example, metal oxides such as a tin oxide, a zinc oxide, a tungstic oxide, a titanium oxide, a ferric oxide, and a magnesium oxide. Hydrogen containing gas deoxidizes these metal oxides, and this causes a change in a resistance value of the gas sensor.

Gas detection device, gas detection system, fuel cell vehicle, and gas detection method


Among other embodiment, disclosed herein is a setting for a gem formed from a blank, comprising a base formed from the blank and a negative impression forced against one another, at least three prongs formed from the blank and the at least one negative impression being forced against one another so that the at least three prongs extended radially from the base in a substantially coplanar manner, each of the at least three prongs having an end distal to the base, where the distal ends are forced to substantially face each other, and at least one receptacle end, formed from forcing a solid against the at least one of the distal ends, and adapted to confine the gem between the distal ends. A related method is also disclosed.

The invention disclosed herein relates generally to settings for confining articles, such as gemstones and other similar articles. More specifically, the invention relates to one-piece setting constructions and a method of stamping and pressing one-piece settings.
Settings, also referred to as findings by those in the jewelry industry, may be used to confine a gemstone or other ornamental article. Traditionally, the setting comprises a base with a number of prongs extending angularly upward from the base, where the ends of the prongs are used to confine the gem. In a diamond ring, for example, the base of the setting mounts to the ring shank, and the prong ends of the setting confine the diamond. The number of prongs and their placement on the perimeter of the base is dependent on the size and shape of the gem. The prongs may be straight, V-shaped, or shaped otherwise. V-shaped prongs may be used as a receptacle for confining the gem between the prong ends distal to the base.
Traditionally, there have been two methods of forming metal settings in the jewelry industry: casting and impressing. Casting generally relates to a method wherein metal is poured into a negative impression of a setting to form a positive copy of the setting. By contrast, impressing generally relates to a method wherein metals blanks are die-stamped, pressed, cut, trimmed, and/or folded, etc. in order to obtain a positive copies of setting components for future assembly into the final setting.
Both of these methods have their disadvantages. For example, the structure of a casted setting has a relatively high degree of porosity, thereby causing the casted setting to be weak and brittle. This high degree of porosity is inherent to the metallurgical structure of the casted setting. In addition, casted settings require substantial amounts of labor after the setting is casted, because the surfaces of casted settings are rough and the edges are ill-defined. These aesthetically displeasing characteristics often require laser polishing and/or other detailed and expensive attention before the setting is marketable.
Impressing, on the other hand, traditionally comprises the use of dies and presses to die-stamp a plurality of shapeable pieces from blank metal pieces. To build a setting, each of these plurality of pieces would be formed into the shape of half of a ring, with a prong on both ends (a "prong pair"). The prong pairs are then attached at their middles to form the appearance, but not the structure, of a single base with multiple pairs of prongs. Impressing does not require the shaping of melted metal and thus yields a metal setting of relatively low porosity. In addition, the structure of impressed blank metal is stronger than that of cast metal. Blank metal can be cut to form well-defined edges with surfaces that are not brittle. This facilitates minimal polishing subsequent to the impressing process. There is significant loss of metal in producing casted setting, and there is a substantial decrease in the amount of metal lost in the die stamping process.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,800,574 ("'574 patent") discusses a setting and a method of making a setting having a conventional prong pair and a v-end prong pair. Each prong member has two prongs and is made from a single length of material. The V-end prong member is made by die pressing the material, blanking the material, and bending the material so that the V-ends face one another. The conventional prong member is attached to the central portion of a V-end prong member. Thus the '574 requires a minimum of two pieces of metal. It also requires the manual attachment of the metal pieces. U.S. Pat. No. 4,793,156 discloses further examples of settings that were formed utilizing the pressing, blanking, etc. of a plurality of metal pieces.
However, in the '574 patent, for example, the disclosed setting is not a unitary structure and still requires the step of attaching prong members together. This is an extremely cost-inefficient and labor-intensive method of forming metal settings. The attachment of prong members to each other requires that the prong members are soldered, jointed, or otherwise secured together. This requires the utilization of skilled tradesmen and, furthermore, may yield an aesthetically unpleasing setting, having superfluous solder, for example.
The present invention overcomes the collective disadvantages of both casting and impressing, and simultaneously embraces their collective advantages. Herein is disclosed a method of impressing a setting from as little as one piece of blank metal, thereby eliminating the cost-inefficiencies associated with attaching pieces, maintaining the high strength and relatively low porosity of impressed metal, and minimizing the possibility of sloppy, aesthetically unpleasing, soldering mistakes. Also disclosed is a method of impressing from a blank a setting having at least one receptacle end, such as a V-shaped receptacle end, for example. The method produces a setting, disclosed herein, that surpasses the prior art in terms of structure and method of manufacture.


The present invention relates to the field of computers, and disclosed are a method, device, and system for encrypting and decrypting an image. The method for encrypting an image includes: encrypting a preset size of header data of a to-be-encrypted image, and obtaining an encrypted data corresponding to the header data; determining a storage location for saving the encrypted data, saving the encrypted data in the storage location, and acquiring an offset for saving the encrypted data; and placing the encryption identifier and the offset in a storage area of the preset size of the to-be-encrypted image, so as to encrypt the to-be-encrypted image. The system includes: a device for encrypting an image and a device for decrypting an image. The present invention is capable of improving the speed and efficiency of encrypting and decrypting an image.

With the rapid development of the mobile terminal technologies, the mobile terminal is widely used by users. Accordingly, the information security of the mobile terminal obtains attention from the user. An image in the mobile terminal is one of the important materials of the user, and the user usually encrypts and decrypts an image to ensure the security of the image.
The prior art provides an encrypting and decrypting method, which specifically is: firstly, selecting, by a user, a to-be-encrypted image, and then, encrypting, by a mobile terminal through an encryption algorithm, the entire image selected by the user, so as obtain a encrypted data corresponding to the image; and when the image needs to be decrypted, decrypting, by the mobile terminal, the encrypted data corresponding to the image through an decryption algorithm, so as to obtain an reconstructed image, thereby decrypting the image
During the implementation of the present invention, the inventor finds that the prior art has at least the following problem:
In the prior art, the entire image needs to be encrypted and decrypted, and therefore, the speed for encrypting and decrypting an image is low and the efficiency is low in the prior art.

Method, device, and system for encrypting and decrypting image

TENCENT TECHNOLOGY (SHENZHEN) COMPANY LIMITED


A thin film transistor substrate is provided. The thin film transistor substrate includes a display area including a plurality of pixels, wherein the pixels are connected to gate lines and data lines, a gate driver connected to the gate lines, a plurality of data pads connected to the data lines, a plurality of dummy pattern parts formed of a same layer as the gate lines, and a non-display area in which the gate driver, data pads, and dummy pattern parts are disposed, and the dummy pattern parts are disposed in an area within the non-display area where the gate driver is not disposed, and one of the dummy pattern parts is disposed overlapping with the data pads.

1. Field of Disclosure
The present disclosure relates to a display device. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a thin film transistor substrate for reducing bubbles generated in a non-display area of the display device, and a method of manufacturing the thin film transistor substrate.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, various types of display devices have been developed. Examples of these display devices include liquid crystal display, organic light emitting display, electrowetting display, electrophoretic display, nano crystal display, and devices based on other types of display technologies.
In general, a display device includes a display area in which pixels are formed connected to gate lines and data lines are formed crossing the gate lines. The display device also includes a non-display area disposed in the vicinity of the display area.
Each pixel includes a thin film transistor. The thin film transistor is formed connected to a corresponding gate line and a corresponding data line. The thin film transistor receives a data voltage provided through the corresponding data line in response to a gate signal provided through the corresponding gate line. The pixel displays a gray scale corresponding to the data voltage provided to the thin film transistor.
During the manufacture of a display device, an annealing process is typically performed after the thin film transistors have been formed in the display area. The annealing process can remove defects in a semiconductor layer of the thin film transistors, and improve the electrical characteristics of the semiconductor layer.

Thin film transistor substrate, method of manufacturing the same and display device having the same


A photoelectric conversion device has pixels arranged in an array. Each pixel includes a light receiving region for converting light to signal charges and an insulation film formed on a surface of the light receiving region. Each pixel further includes transistors, including an amplifying transistor for amplifying the signal charges. A reflection prevention film is provided that has a refractive index higher than that of the insulation film and is arranged above the light receiving region, with the insulation film disposed between the reflection prevention film and the light receiving region. Film thicknesses of the insulation film and gate insulation films of the transistors are different from each other.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a solid state image pickup device, more particularly to a metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) type solid state image pickup device and a method for manufacturing the same.
2. Description of Related Art
Recently, demand for a photoelectric conversion device has rapidly increased as an image pickup device of a two-dimensional image input device of a digital still camera and a video cam recorder primarily, or as a one-dimensional image reading device of a facsimile and a scanner primarily.
A charge-coupled device (CCD) and a MOS type sensor are used as the photoelectric conversion devices for these uses. A complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) photoelectric conversion device has been put to practical use as a representative of the MOS type photoelectric conversion devices. FIG. 14 is a general circuit configuration diagram of a pixel carrying a CMOS sensor. In FIG. 14, a reference numeral 1 designates a photodiode. A reference numeral 2 designates a transfer MOS transistor for transferring signal charges generated by the photodiode 1. A reference numeral 3 designates a floating diffusion region (hereinafter referred to as "floating diffusion") for storing the transferred signal charges temporarily. A reference numeral 4 designates a resetting MOS transistor for resetting the floating diffusion 3 and the photodiode 1. A reference numeral 5 designates a selection MOS transistor for selecting an arbitrary row in an array. A reference numeral 6 designates a source follower MOS transistor for converting the signal charges of the floating diffusion 3 to a voltage to amplify the converted voltage by a source follower type amplifier. A reference numeral 7 designates a sense line, which is commonly used for one column to read pixel voltage signals. A reference numeral 8 designates a constant current source for flowing a constant current on the sense line 7.
It is needless to say that the present pixel circuit configuration can be applied to the present invention.
FIG. 15 is a schematic sectional view of a pixel carrying the conventional CMOS sensor. FIG. 15 especially shows a part composed of the photodiode 1 and the transfer MOS transistor 2 in FIG. 14. A reference numeral 11 designates an n type silicon substrate. A reference numeral 12 designates a P type well. A reference numeral 13a designates a gate oxide film of the MOS transistor 2. A reference numeral 13b designates a thin oxide film on a light receiving portion. A reference numeral 14 designates a gate electrode of the transfer MOS transistor 2. A reference numeral 15 designates an N type cathode of the photodiode 1. A reference numeral 16 designates a surface P type region for designing the photodiode 1 to have a buried structure. A reference numeral 17 designates a selection oxide film for isolating elements. A reference numeral 18 designates an N type high concentration region, which forms the floating diffusion 3 and is also the drain region of the transfer MOS transistor 2. A reference numeral 19 designates a silicon oxide film for insulating the gate electrode 14 from a metal first layer 21. A reference numeral 20 designates a contact plug. The reference numeral 21 designates the metal first layer. A reference numeral 22 designates an interlayer insulation film for insulating the metal first layer 21 from a metal second layer 23. The reference numeral 23 designates the metal second layer. A reference numeral 24 designates an interlayer insulation film for insulating the metal second layer 23 from a metal third layer 25. The reference numeral 25 designates the metal third layer. A reference numeral 26 designates a passivation film. In a color photoelectric conversion device, a not shown color filter layer, and further a not shown microlens for improving sensitivity are formed as upper layers of the passivation film 26. The light which has entered from the surface passes through an opening portion where the metal third layer 25 is not formed, and enters the photodiode. The light is absorbed in the N type cathode 15 or the P type well 12 to generate electron-hole pairs. Among them, the electrons are accumulated in the N type cathode 15.
Moreover, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-12822 discloses a solid state image pickup device including a plurality of pixels formed in a semiconductor substrate. The pixels severally include a light receiving portion and a diffusion region, to which signal charges are transferred from the light receiving portion. In the solid state image pickup device, a reflection prevention film is formed above the semiconductor substrate with an insulation film interposed between the reflection prevention film and the semiconductor substrate in the light receiving portion. The reflection prevention film is formed so as to avoid at least a part above the diffusion region.
However, a part of the incident light does not enter the photodiode owing to the optical reflection on the interface between the surface P type region 16 and the thin oxide film 13b on the photodiode. The loss of the reflection can be expressed by the following formula.(Nsi(λ)−Nsio2(λ))2/(Nsi(λ)+Nsio2(λ))2   (1)where Nsi(λ) designates the refraction index of silicon at the wavelength λ; Nsio2(λ) designates the refraction index of a silicon oxide film at the wavelength λ.
As apparent from the formula (1), the larger the difference of refraction indices of adjoining two films is, the larger the ratio of reflection is. In the cross section structure shown in FIG. 15, all of the interlayer insulation films 19, 22, 24 and 26 are silicon oxide films. A flattened resin having a refraction index close to the refraction indices of the silicon oxide films is formed on the passivation film 26. Consequently, the maximum loss is generated on the interface between silicon (Nsi=4 to 5) and a silicon oxide film (Nsio2=1.4 to 1.5). In a CMOS type photoelectric conversion device, the surface of silicon of a photodiode adjoins a silicon oxide film, and consequently the lowering of the sensitivity of the photodiode has been produced.
Next, the reasons why noises are large will be described.
There are fixed pattern noises and random noises in the noise components to be generated in a CMOS type sensor. Hereupon, the random noises are noticed among them. Because the noise components to be generated in the source follower MOS transistor 6 among the random noise components have outputs in proportion to the 1/f of a drive frequency f of the MOS transistor 6, the noise components are called as 1/f noises. It is said that the 1/f noises are generated because carriers are randomly charged and discharged at a trap level of the interface between silicon and a silicon oxide film of a MOS transistor (see FIG. 16). FIG. 16 is a sectional view of a MOS transistor for illustrating the 1/f noises. FIG. 16 exemplifies an NMOS transistor. The NMOS transistor includes a gate electrode 35 above a P type substrate 31 with a gate oxide film 36 between, and an N+ type source 32 and a drain 33, both formed on the surface of the transistor. Because channel electrons 34 to flow by the application of a voltage between the gate electrode 35 and the drain 33 are influenced by the charging and the discharging of charges at a trap 37 of the gate oxide film 36, drain currents randomly fluctuate at every operation. The fluctuation is the cause of the 1/f noises. Moreover, because the largeness of the noises is in inverse proportion to the size of the MOS transistor, the finer a pixel is, the larger the noises are. Because the other random noises and fixed pattern noises have been lowered by the improvement of design such as contrivances of a circuit and a device, the 1/f noises has occupied a large portion in the whole random noise components.

Photoelectric conversion device and camera using photoelectric conversion device


Video decoder and/or video encoder, configured to determine a set of search area location candidates in a reference picture of a video; match the set of search area location candidates with a current template area adjacent to a current block of a current picture to obtain a best matching search area location candidate; select, out of a search area positioned in the reference picture at the best matching search area location candidate, a set of one or more predictor blocks by matching the current template area against the search area; and predictively decode/encode the current block from/into a data stream based on the set of one or more predictor blocks.

Modern video coding standards like H.265/High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) use a block-based hybrid structure for video compression. In such an approach, a picture is partitioned into blocks of samples and each block can be either intra or inter predicted. While intra-picture prediction exploits the spatial redundancy between neighboring blocks inside a picture, inter-picture prediction utilizes the large amount of temporal redundancy between pictures [1]. The latter case uses motion compensated prediction (MCP), which assumes that for each block, a similar block can be found from a previously decoded picture [2], [3]. Reference picture is the general term used for the already decoded picture and the displacement of the similar block with respect to the current block is called the motion vector (MV). The encoder executes a search algorithm for finding the displaced block in the reference picture and the MV components in horizontal and vertical directions are calculated. Since transmitting the complete motion vector may use a large amount of bits, predictive coding of the motion vector is typically used in the recent standards [2], [3]. This technique exploits the correlation between the motion vector of the current block and those of the neighboring blocks.
Decoder-side motion vector derivation (DMVD) methods have gained interest among the researchers in recent years. In such an algorithm, the motion information is not sent to the decoder, but it is derived there using different techniques. Template matching is a commonly investigated method for DMVD [4]-[10]. Furthermore, one of the tools, named as pattern matched motion vector derivation (PMVD), studied by the Joint Video Exploration Team (JVET) for the future standard is a template matching based DMVD method [11]. Similar DMVD approaches were proposed for Versatile Video Coding (VVC) [12]. The drawback of such template matching methods for DMVD is the increase in decoder run-time due to the related search algorithm. The herein described invention is intended to address this issue.
Template matching (TM) is a texture synthesis technique used in digital image processing where an unknown part of an image is synthesized using the information available from the neighboring known area [13]. Template is the general term used for the known part of the image. Many research papers on template matching for inter prediction can be found in the literature, like [4]-[10]. Typically, the known samples present above and left of the current block are considered as the template. A match for this template is found from the reference frame using an error minimizing metric. The block associated with the matched template is the prediction samples for the current block. In order to limit the computational complexity from the search algorithm for the template match, a search window is used in conventional template matching methods.
The region-based template matching (RTM) was proposed for intra frame coding in [14]. The aforementioned research paper reported substantial decrease in the decoder run-time compared to a intra prediction method using conventional template matching. The uniqueness of RTM is the concept of search window partitioning. Conventional template matching restricts its search for the best template match within a window. The RTM method goes one step further by partitioning the search window into multiple regions. The borders of these regions are clearly defined and hence they can generate an independent prediction signal. The intra RTM finds three predictor blocks from each region and the final prediction is the average of the predictor samples. The encoder calculates the rate-distortion (RD) cost for each of the five regions and compares it with that of other intra modes. If the chosen mode is RTM, an index to identify the region is transmitted to the decoder. The decoder repeats the search algorithm only in the signaled region. Since the RTM method was reported to offer a good trade-off between coding efficiency and run-time for intra coding [14], the idea is extended to be applicable to inter frame coding in this paper.
Therefore, it is desired to get a concept which provides an improved predictive video coding and encoding concept using template matching. For example, same may, for a given computation complexity, result in an increased coding and encoding efficiency and/or a reduced run-time.

Video codec using template matching prediction


Removes undesirable camera rotation from a panoramic video. Video frames are mapped to a sphere and then projected to a forward-looking planar video. Camera tracking or other techniques are used to derive camera position and orientation in each frame. From the camera orientation, a correcting rotation is derived and is applied to the sphere onto which the panoramic video was mapped. Re-projecting video from the rotation-corrected sphere reduces or eliminates camera rotation artifacts from the panoramic video. Rotation may be re-introduced and other visual effects may be added to the stabilized video. May be utilized in 2D virtual reality and augmented reality displays. Depth may be accepted by the system for objects in the video and utilized to create 3D stereoscopic virtual reality and augmented reality displays.

1. Field of the Invention
One or more embodiments of the invention are related to the field of image processing. More particularly, but not by way of limitation, one or more embodiments of the invention enable a method to remove or otherwise alter camera rotation from or in a panoramic video to facilitate creation of 2D and 3D virtual reality experiences from the stabilized video, including addition of visual effects and depth.
2. Description of the Related Art
Methods for generating panoramic images from a series of images are known in the art. These methods stitch images together to form wide field of view composite images. These methods may also be applied to video, where videos captured by multiple cameras are stitched together to form panoramic videos.
The video capture process for panoramic video may introduce undesired artifacts. For example, camera motion during capture may create rotations, shaking, or other artifacts. Reducing or eliminating these artifacts is desirable in many applications. While techniques for stabilizing individual video captures are known in the art, these techniques may not be applied directly to panoramic video because of the complexity of process for integrating video streams into a panoramic video. Individually correcting each video is not sufficient to generate a corrected panoramic video. Artists may in some cases manually correct each individual frame of a panoramic video to reduce or eliminate artifacts, but these procedures are extremely time-consuming and labor intensive.
The addition of visual effects or depth to a non-stabilized video requires more time and produces lower quality virtual reality experiences in 2D and 3D.
For at least the limitations described above there is a need for a method for removing camera rotation from a panoramic video.

System and method for removing camera rotation from a panoramic video


The invention provides compositions and methods for inhibiting renal fibrosis.

Tubulointerstitial fibrosis is the final common pathway in late-stage renal disease. The pathogenesis of kidney fibrosis is characterized by overproduction and deposition of extracellular matrix (ECM), which ultimately leads to fibrotic lesions and tissue scarring. Renal interstitial fibroblasts are the principal effector cells that are responsible for ECM overproduction in the fibrotic kidney, and their activation is regarded as a key event in the pathogenesis of chronic renal fibrosis. Although the mechanism of myofibroblast activation and the fibrogenesis under various pathological conditions have not been completely understood, activation of multiple cytokines/growth factor receptors is involved in these processes.


A magnetic memory includes a magnetoresistive device and a load resistance unit. The magnetoresistive device has a first resistance state and a second resistance state and includes a first ferromagnetic layer and a second ferromagnetic layer. The load resistance unit is electrically connected to the magnetoresistive device. The load resistance unit is in a first state and a second state. Differential resistance of the load resistance unit at the second state is lower than differential resistance of the load resistance unit at the first state.

Magnetic random access memory (MRAM) is one type of magnetic memory. In MRAM, a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) device that has a tunneling magnetoresistive (TMR) effect is included in a data memory unit. Also, a semiconductor-integrated-circuit that uses a spin MOSFET in which a ferromagnet and a MOSFET are combined is known. In the case where the spin MOSFET is included in a logic gate, a reconfigurable logic circuit can be realized in which the logic gate can be modified by changing the magnetization state of the ferromagnet. Higher integration is desirable for such a magnetic memory and semiconductor-integrated-circuit.

Magnetic memory and semiconductor-integrated-circuit


Spinal apparatus is disclosed that includes reference structure spatially fixed relative to a plurality of pedicle screws that are mounted in adjacent vertebrae of a patient, and a device connected to the reference structure which is adapted to install an anterior spinal prosthesis, wherein the reference structure defines a spatial relationship between the anterior spinal prosthesis and a posterior spinal prosthesis attached to the pedicle screws.

A common procedure used for stabilizing the vertebral column is bracing adjacent vertebrae by connecting rigid or resilient connecting implants to anchor members such as pedicle screws. Rigid stabilization (fusion) of the spinal column can be disadvantageous due to migration of the problems to adjacent level in the spinal column. Dynamic stabilization provided by resilient implant on the other hand offer a possibility of reduced damage to the adjacent level. This is because it allows for motion preservation, near normal distribution of stress along the spine.
A common approach is an anterior approach which involves going through a patient's abdomen. This is a complex procedure often involving extensive vessel retraction among other difficulties. A posterior approach can alleviate some of these problems. The placement of implants in the disc space from a posterior lateral approach has been described that allows unilateral or bilateral disc space preparation and implant insertion to provide stability to the subject disc space.
However when a disc prosthesis is to be inserted either in conjunction with or subsequent to a procedure involving a spinal posterior prosthesis, involving the use of pedicular screws, there is a need to take into account the relative positioning of the disc prosthesis in relation to the posterior prosthesis in particular when at least one of them involves articulation and also in relationship to the vertebrae and disc morphology.

Inserting anterior and posterior spinal prostheses


The present invention concerns powders containing a pharmaceutical active substance and a combination of excipients comprising at least one 1,4 O-linked saccharose derivative selected from the compounds: 1,4 O-linked D-Gal-saccharose (lactosucrose), 1,4 O-linked D-Glu-saccharose (glucosyl sucrose), or 1,4 O-linked Glu-Glu-saccharose (maltosyl sucrose) in combination with at least one further excipient. The other excipient is preferably an amino acid, a peptide and/or a mono-, di- and/or oligosaccharide, wherein the oligosaccharide may be a second 1,4 O-linked saccharose derivative, provided that this is different from the first.

Active substances/active substance formulation formulated in aqueous solutions are in some cases subject to instabilities which can lead to reduced efficacy or bioactivity and increased toxicity or intolerance. This applies both to classical pharmaceutical agents and to active substances containing peptides or proteins. The stability of pharmaceutical active substances can be improved by a change in the structure (internally) or by the addition of suitable excipients (externally).
A common method of external stabilization of pharmaceutical active substances is the use of suitable excipients. Excipients which stabilize active substances can be roughly classified as follows: sugars and polyols, amino acids, amines, salts, polymers and tensides.
Sugars and polyols are frequently used as non-specific stabilizers. Their stabilizing effect is attributed mainly, in the case of biological active substances, to "preferential exclusion" (Xie and Timasheff, 1997a, Biophysical Chemistry, 64(1-3), 25-43; Xie and Timasheff, 1997b, Protein Science, 6(1), 211-221; Timasheff, 1993, Annual review of biophysics and biomolecular structure, 22, 67-97). With regard to the choice of sugars, in the case of biological active substances, reducing sugars are in most cases avoided.
Saccharose and trehalose, as non-reducing sugars, are used in preference. Further examples of suitable excipients are glucose, sorbitol and glycerol (Boctor and Mehta, 1992, Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, 44 (7), 600-3; Timasheff, 1993 (supra); Chang et al., 1993 Pharmaceutical Research, 10(10), 1478-83) and Mannitol (Hermann et al. 1996, Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, 9 (Formulation, Characterization, and Stability of Protein Drugs), 303-328; Chan et al. 1996 Pharmaceutical Research, 13 (5), 756-761). Furthermore, it is known that a wide variety of polymers have a stabilizing effect on pharmaceutical active substances, predominantly on proteins, for example, antibodies. Human serum albumin (HAS), which was frequently used in the past, has very good stabilizing and aggregation-inhibiting properties, but has since come to be regarded as unsuitable owing to its potential contamination with "blood-borne" pathogens. Among the polymers known so far, hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HP-β-CD) proves especially suitable, since it can safely be administered parenterally. Further examples are high-molecular dextrans (18 to 82 kD), PVP, heparin, gelatines of type A and B and hydroxyethyl starch (HES), heparin, dextran sulphate, polyphosphoric acid, poly-L-glutamic acid, poly-L-lysine.
Alongside sugars and polyols, amino acids can also be used as stabilizers, alone or in combination with other excipients. Amino acids are preferably used in the stabilization of proteins. For example, the addition of histidine, glycine, sodium aspartate (Na-Asp), glutamate and lysine hydrochloride (Lys-HCl) inhibits the aggregation of rhKGF in 10 mM sodium phosphate buffer (pH 7.0) together with 5% mannitol (Zhang et al., 1995 Biochemistry, 34 (27), 8631-41). The combination of amino acids and propylene glycol improves, for example, the structural stability of rhCNTF (Dix et al., 1995, Pharmaceutical Research (Supplement), 12, p.97). Lysine and arginine enhance the thermostability of IL-1R (increase in Tm), whereas glycine and alanine have a destabilizing effect (Remmele et al., 1998 Pharmaceutical Research, 15(2), 200-208).
Furthermore, the stability of pharmaceutical active substances is enhanced by various drying methods. However, drying is mostly performed in the presence of excipients which are intended to maintain the stability of the active substances and improve the properties of the dry powder. A decisive factor in stabilization by drying is the immobilization of the active substance in an amorphous matrix. The amorphous state has high viscosity with low molecular motility and low reactivity. Beneficial excipients must thus be capable of forming an amorphous matrix with the highest possible glass transition temperature, into which matrix the active substance is embedded. The choice of excipients thus depends particularly on their stabilization capacities. However, besides this, factors such as the pharmaceutical acceptability of the excipient and its influence on particle formation, dispersibility and flow property also play a decisive role, especially when spray-drying methods are being used.
Spray-drying represents an especially suitable method of enhancing the chemical and physical stability of peptide-/protein-type pharmaceutical active substances (Maa et al., 1998, Pharmaceutical Research, 15(5), 768-775). Especially in the area of pulmonary therapy, spray-drying is being increasingly used (U.S. Pat. No. 5,626,874; U.S. Pat. No. 5,972,388; Broadhead et al., 1994, J. Pharm. Pharmacol., 46(6), 458-467), since administration by inhalation now represents an alternative, even in the treatment of systemic diseases (WO 99/07340). It is a prerequisite that the mean particle size of the powder is in the range of 1-10 μm, preferably 1-7.5 μm, so that the particles can reach the deeper sections of the lungs and thus the bloodstream. The DE-A-179 22 07 gives an exemplary description of the preparation of such spray-dry particles. In the meantime a large number of methods for the preparation of such powders have been described (WO 95/31479; WO 96/09814; WO 96/32096; WO 96/32149; WO 97/41833; WO 97/44013; WO 98/16205; WO 98/31346; WO 99/66903; WO 00/10541; WO 01/13893; Maa et al., 1998, supra; Vidgrén et al., 1987, Int. J. Pharmaceutics, 35, 139-144; Niven et al., 1994, Pharmaceutical Research, 11(8), 1101-1109).
Also suitable as excipients are sugars and their alcohols (e.g. trehalose, lactose, saccharose or mannitol) and various polymers (Maa et al., 1997, Pharm. Development and Technology, 2(3), 213-223; Maa et al., 1998, supra; Dissertation Adler, 1998, University of Erlangen; Costantino et al., 1998, J. Pharm. Sci., 87(11), 1406-1411). However, the excipients chiefly used have various drawbacks. The addition of trehalose and mannitol, for example, has a detrimental effect on the flow properties of spray-dry formulations (C. Bosquillon et al., 2001, Journal of Controlled Release, 70(3), 329-339). Mannitol is additionally prone to recrystallization when the content is more than 20 per cent by weight (Costantino et al., 1998, supra), with the result that stabilizing effects decrease dramatically. Lactose, a frequently used excipient, certainly improves the flow properties of spray-dry formulations (C. Bosquillon et al., 2001, supra), but is problematic, especially in the formulation of peptide-/protein-containing active substances, since lactose can enter into destabilizing Maillard reactions with peptides/proteins, owing to its reducing property.
In the spray-drying of antibodies without the addition of stabilizers, the native secondary structure regularly develops as a result of dehydration, heat and shear and this leads to dramatic loss of bioactivity. Hydrophobic parts of the antibody, which were previously turned inward, turn outwards in this process. This occurs to a greater extent at the hydrophobic interfaces between the water droplets arising in the course of spray-drying and the air. In addition, antibodies within the aqueous phase aggregate to dimmers or aggregates of a high order. This aggregation is often irreversible. Furthermore, the high temperature at which the proteins are sprayed represents a critical parameter. As a result of the high input of energy there can be destabilization of the peptide bonds and denaturing of the antibody. Furthermore, aggregation of spray-dried antibodies occurs during storage of the powder. The residual water content in the powder, in particular, has negative effects in this regard. Protein aggregates are distinguished by reduced or absent biological activity and increased antigenicity.
Oligosaccharides known as Coupling Sugars with the main components maltosyl sucrose and glucosyl sucrose and lactosucrose are used in foodstuffs. They are used as fillers and dispersing agents together with sweeteners such as aspartame, as moderately sweet components in chewing gums, to stabilize trehalose syrups against crystallization or as so-called NDOs (non-digestible oligosaccharides). An improvement and stabilization of the sweetening quality of asparagyl peptides or of the sweet-sour ratio in drinks containing roughage and sweeteners is also known (US 2003/0059511, EP 1 223 175, DE 199 53 727). The use of oligosaccharides for the stabilization of suspensions of therapeutic proteins and fat or oil bases is also known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,489,577 and EP 0630 651. It is explained that without premixing with the oligosaccharides, with blending and kneading with the hydrophobic, semi-solid masses, the proteins would lose their activity. The stabilization potential during storage, in hydrophilic mixtures or in powders, is not mentioned in any way.
An object of the invention was to make available new excipients/mixtures of excipients for the preparation of pharmaceutical formulations. The corresponding formulations should be distinguished, inter alia, by good long-term stability.
A further object of the present invention was to provide new excipients/excipient mixtures for the preparation of dried pharmaceutical formulations. The corresponding powder-type pharmaceutical formulations should be distinguished by good long-term stability and, if possible, by inhalability.
A further object of the present invention was to provide new excipients/excipient mixtures for the preparation of peptide-/protein-containing pharmaceutical formulations, in particular for such as are produced by spray-drying. The corresponding peptide-/protein-containing pharmaceutical formulations should again be distinguished by good long-term stability and, if possible, by inhalability.
A further object of the present invention was to provide new excipients/excipient mixtures for preparing formulations of therapeutic antibodies or antibody derivatives, especially for those produced by spray-drying. The corresponding antibody-containing pharmaceutical formulations should again be distinguished by good long-term stability and, if possible, by inhalability.
A further object of the present invention was to provide appropriate pharmaceutical formulations for administration by inhalation, whether in the form of a dry powder, a propellent-gas-containing metered dose aerosol or a propellent-gas-free inhalation solution.
The objects forming the basis of the patent are achieved by the following embodiments and by the subject matter/methods disclosed in the patent claims.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Powder comprising new compositions of oligosaccharides and methods for their preparation

Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG