The invention is based upon the recognition that intrinsic sorption rates of adsorbent materials have a significant impact upon process performance. In a preferred embodiment an adsorption process uses an adsorbent zone comprising an adsorbent selected from the group consisting of A-zeolite, Y-zeolite, NaX, mixed cation X-zeolite, LiX having a SiO2/Al2O3silica/alumina ratio of less than 3.0, chabazite, mordenite, clinoptilolite, silica-alumina, alumina, silica, titanium silicates and mixtures thereof, wherein the adsorbent has a mass transfer coefficient for nitrogen of kN2xe2x89xa712 sxe2x88x921 and an intrinsic diffusivity for N2, when measured at 1.5 bar and 300K, of Dpxe2x89xa73.5xc3x9710xe2x88x926 m2/s. Other embodiments include the development of process parameters around which such materials should be used and methods of making such materials.

The invention relates to pressure swing adsorption processes and more particularly to PSA processes for the production of high purity oxygen (e.g. oxygen having a purity of 90-95 vol. % O2). More particularly, the invention is directed towards increasing the adsorbent productivity while reducing the O2 product cost.
There has been significant development of the various PSA, VSA and VPSA methods for air separation over the past thirty years, with major advances occurring during the last decade. Commercialization of these processes and continued extension of the production range can be attributed primarily to improvements in the adsorbents and process cycles, with advances in adsorber design contributing to a lesser degree. Highly exchanged lithium molecular sieve adsorbents, as illustrated by Chao in U.S. Pat. No. 4,859,217, are representative of advanced adsorbents for oxygen production. Advanced adsorbents of the types mentioned above are the result of improvements in equilibrium properties.
Improving process efficiency and reducing the cost of the light component product can be accomplished by decreasing the amount of adsorbent required and by increasing the product recovery. The former is generally expressed in terms of bed size factor (BSF) in lbs adsorbent/TPDO (ton per day of contained O2), while the latter is simply the fraction of light component (i.e. oxygen) in the feed (i.e. air) that is captured as product. Improvement in adsorbents and reduction in cycle time are two primary methods of reducing BSF.
While shorter cycles lead to shorter beds and higher adsorbent utilization, product recovery generally suffers unless adsorption rate is increased. This phenomena can be ideally characterized in terms of the size of the mass transfer zone (MTZ), i.e. the mass transfer zone becomes an increasing fraction of the adsorbent bed as the bed depth decreases. Since the adsorbent utilization with respect to the heavy component (e.g. nitrogen) is much lower in the MTZ than in the equilibrium zone, working capacity declines as this fraction increases.
The effect of particle size upon the size of the MTZ is conceptually straightforward in a single long adsorption step where a contaminant in relatively low concentration is removed from the feed stream on the basis of its higher equilibrium affinity to the adsorbent. When the adsorbate/adsorbent combination is characterized by a favorable isotherm, a steady state transfer zone is envisioned that moves through the adsorber at a constant speed. Distinct equilibrium and mass transfer zones can be identified in the process. Under such conditions, and when the resistance to mass transfer is dominated by intraparticle pore diffusion, it has long been recognized that reducing the adsorbent particle size results in higher adsorption rates and smaller mass transfer zones. Unfortunately, pressure drop across the adsorbent bed increases with decreasing particle size and leads to difficulty in particle retention in the bed and an increased tendency for fluidization.
This ideal concept becomes blurred when the isotherms are unfavorable and/or the mass transfer zone is continuously developing or spreading throughout the adsorption step. Adding the remaining minimum steps of depressurization, desorption and pressurization to create a complete adsorption process cycle further complicates the behavior and character of the mass transfer zone. Nevertheless, the idealized concept of the MTZ has been applied in the prior art as a basis to affect improvements in process performance.
Jain (U.S. Pat. No. 5,232,474) discloses improving adsorbent utilization by decreasing the adsorbent volume and/or increasing the product purity, wherein the removal of H2O and CO2 prior to cryogenic air separation is described using a pressure swing adsorption (PSA) process. The adsorber is configured entirely with alumina or with layers of alumina and 13X molecular sieve adsorbents. Smaller particles (0.4 mm to 1.8 mm) are used to achieve a smaller bed volume.
Umekawa (JP Appl. No. 59004415) shows a lower pressure drop and smaller adsorber for air purification by using a deep layer of large particles (3.2 mm) followed by a shallow layer of small particles (1.6 mm) of the same adsorbent. The bed size and pressure drop of this layered configuration are lower than for beds constructed either of all 3.2 mm or all 1.6 mm particles. The 1.6 mm particles occupy only a small fraction (low concentration part) of the mass transfer zone in the layered configuration.
Miller (U.S. Pat. No. 4,964,888) has suggested using larger particles ( greater than 14 mesh or 1.41 mm) in the equilibrium zone and small particles ( less than 14 mesh) in the mass transfer zone. This reduces the size of the MTZ while minimizing the excessive pressure drop increase that would occur if only small particles were used in both zones. Cyclic adsorption process times greater than 30 s are indicated.
Garrett (UK Pat. Appl. GB 2 300 577) discloses an adsorption apparatus containing particles in the size range between 6 mesh (3.36 mm) and 12 mesh (1.68 mm) deployed in either discrete layers or as a gradient of sizes with the largest particles located near the feed inlet and the smallest particles located downstream near the outlet of the adsorber in both configurations.
Very small adsorbent particles (0.1 mm to 0.8 mm) are necessary for the fast cycles and high specific pressure drop that characterize a special class of processes known as rapid pressure swing adsorption (RPSA). Typical RPSA processes have very short feed steps (often less than 1.0 s) operating at high feed velocities, include a flow suspension step following the feed step and generally have total cycle times less than 20 s (often less than 10 s). The behavior of the adsorption step is far removed from the idealized MTZ concept described above. In fact, the working portion of the bed is primarily a mass transfer zone with only a relatively small equilibrium zone (in equilibrium with the feed conditions) in RPSA. A major portion of the adsorber is in equilibrium with the product and provides the function of product storage. The high pressure drop (on the order of 12 psi/ft)/short cycle combination is necessary to establish an optimum permeability and internal purging of the bed which operates continuously to generate product.
RPSA air separation processes using 5A molecular sieve have been described by Jones et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 4,194,892) for single beds and by Earls et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 4,194,891) for multiple beds. Jones has also suggested RPSA for C2H4/N2, H2/CH4, H2/CO and H2/CO/CO2/CH4 separations using a variety of adsorbents. The RPSA system is generally simpler mechanically than conventional PSA systems, but conventional PSA processes typically have lower power, better bed utilization and higher product recovery.
In somewhat of a departure from the original RPSA processes, Sircar (U.S. Pat. No. 5,071,449) discloses a process associated with a segmented configuration of adsorbent layers contained in a single cylindrical vessel. One or more pairs of adsorbent layers are arranged such that the product ends of each layer in a given pair face each other. The two separate layers of the pair operate out of phase with each other in the cycle. The intent is for a portion of the product from one layer to purge the opposing layerxe2x80x94the purge fraction controlled by either a physical constriction placed between the layers and/or by the total pressure drop across a layer (ranging from 200 psig to 3 psig). Particles in the size range of 0.2 mm to 1.0 mm, total cycle times of 6 s to 60 s, adsorbent layer depths of 6 inches to 48 inches and feed flow rates of one to 100 lbmoles/hr/ft2 are broadly specified. An optional bimodal particle size distribution is suggested to reduce interparticle void volume. The process is claimed to be applicable to air separation, drying, and H2/CH4, H2/CO and H2/CO/CO2/CH4 separations.
Alpay et al. (Chem. Eng. Sci., 1994) studied the effects of feed pressure, cycle time, feed step time/cycle time ratio and product delivery rate in RPSA air separation for several ranges of particle sizes (0.15 mm to 0.71 mm) of 5A molecular sieve. His study showed that process performance was limited when adsorbent particles were either too small or too large. This was because ineffective pressure swing, low permeability and high mass transfer resistance (due to axial dispersion) were limiting at the lower end of particle size range, while high mass transfer resistance became limiting due to the size of the particles at the larger end of the particle size spectrum. Alpay found maximum separation effectiveness (maximum O2 purity and adsorbent productivity) for particles in the size range of 0.2 mm to 0.4 mm.
RPSA is clearly a special and distinct class of adsorption processes. The most distinguishing features of RPSA compared to conventional PSA can be described with respect to air separation for O2 production. The pressure drop per unit bed length is an order of magnitude or more larger and the particle diameter of the adsorbent is usually less than 0.5 mm in RPSA. Total cycle times are typically shorter and the process steps are different in RPSA. Of these contrasting features, pressure drop and particle size constitute the major differences.
Other patents suggest the use of small particles in conventional PSA processes. Armond et al. (UK Pat. Appl. GB 2 091 121) discloses a superatmospheric PSA process for air separation in which short cycles (xe2x89xa645 s) are combined with small particles (0.4 mm to 3.0 mm) to reduce the process power and the size of the adsorbent beds. Oxygen of 90% purity is produced under the preferred cycle times of 15 s to 30 s and particle sizes of 0.5 mm to 1.2 mm.
Hirooka et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,122,164) describes 6, 8 and 10-step VPSA processes for separating air to produce O2. While the main thrust of this patent is the cycle configuration and detailed operation of the various cycle steps to improve yield and productivity, Hirooka et al. utilize small particles to achieve faster cycles. A broad particle range is specified (8xc3x9735 US mesh or 0.5 mm to 2.38 mm), but 12xc3x9720 US mesh or 0.8 mm to 1.7 mm is preferred. Half-cycle times of 25 s to 30 s are indicated (total cycle times of 50 s to 60 s).
Hay et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,176,721) also disclose smaller particles to produce shorter cycles, preferably in air separation. A vertical vessel with horizontal flow across the adsorbent is depicted. Broad range characteristics include particles less than 1.7 mm diameter, cycle times between 20 s-60 s and pressure drop across the adsorbent less than 200 mb (2.85 psig).
An alternative configuration includes an upstream portion of the adsorbent bed with particles of size greater than 1.7 mm, in which case the particle fraction smaller than 1.7 mm comprises 30% to 70% of the total adsorbent mass. The aspect ratio of the bed (largest frontal length to bed depth ratio) is specified to be between 1.5 and 3.0. Small particle fraction alternatives of 0.8 mm to 1.5 mm and 0.4 mm to 1.7 mm are also given, as well as adsorbent pressure drop as low as 50 mbar (0.7 psig).
Wankat (CRC Press, 1986; Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., 1987) describes a concept that he terms xe2x80x9cintensificationxe2x80x9d whereby decreased particle diameter is employed to produce shorter columns and faster cycles. By non-dimensionalizing the governing mass balance equations for the adsorption process, a set of scaling rules are suggested which preserve the performance of the process in terms of product recovery, purity and pressure drop while increasing the adsorbent productivity. These theoretical results are based upon the similarity of dynamic adsorption behavior (at the same dimensionless times and column locations). The similarity concept presumes an idealized constant pattern MTZ, with the length of the mass transfer zone (LMTZ) directly proportional to the square of the particle diameter when pore diffusion is controlling. Furthermore, decreasing LMTZ increases the fraction of bed utilized. Wankat indicates that increasing (L/LMTZ) beyond a value of two to three, where L is the bed depth, results in minimal improvement in the fractional bed utilization. A layer of small-size particles placed on top of a layer of large-size particles is also suggested as a way to sharpen the mass transfer front. Some of the practical limitations to smaller scale and faster operation have been noted and include fluidization, column end effects, wall channeling and particle size distribution. The intensification concept was later extended to include non-isothermal and non-linear equilibrium effects in PSA processes by Rota and Wankat (AIChE J., 1990).
Moreau et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,672,195) has suggested higher porosity in zeolites to achieve improved O2 yield and throughput in PSA air separation. A preferred porosity range of 0.38 to 0.60 is claimed in conjunction with a minimum rate coefficient. Moreau et al. state that commercially available zeolites are not suitable for their invention since porosity is lower than 0.36.
Lu et al.(Sep. Sci. Technol. 27, 1857-1874 (1992); Ind. Eng. Chem. Res. 32: 2740-2751 (1993)) have investigated the effects of intraparticle forced convection upon pressurization and blowdown steps in PSA processes. Intraparticle forced convection augments macropore diffusion in large-pore adsorbents where the local pressure drop across the particle is high and where the pores extend completely through the particle. The higher intraparticle permeability is associated with high particle porosity, e.g. porosities (xcex5p)=0.7 and 0.595.
It is therefore an object of the invention to increase efficiency, reduce cost and extend the production range of high performance adsorption processes for the separation of gases.
It is a further object of the invention to increase efficiency, reduce cost and extend the production range of high performance adsorption processes for production of oxygen.
The invention is based upon the recognition that intrinsic sorption rates, in particular the effective macropore diffusivity, of adsorbent materials have a significant impact upon process performance. In a preferred embodiment an adsorption process uses an adsorbent zone comprising an adsorbent selected from the group consisting of A-zeolite, Y-zeolite, NaX, mixed cation X-zeolite, LiX having a SiO2/Al2O3 ratio of less than 2.30, chabazite, mordenite, clinoptilolite, silica-alumina, alumina, silica, titanium silicates and mixtures thereof, wherein said adsorbent has a mass transfer coefficient for nitrogen of kN2xe2x89xa712 s31 and an intrinsic diffusivity for N2, when measured at 1.5 bar and 300K, of Dpxe2x89xa73.5xc3x9710xe2x88x926m2/s. Other preferred embodiments include the development of process parameters around which such materials should be used and preferred methods for increasing effective diffusivity.


What is described is a method and a system for executing work orders. A first request for receiving a progress information on a work order is generated. A degree of violation between the work order and the progress information is calculated by comparing the work order and the progress information. A tolerance violation status is determined based upon the degree of violation. A second request is generated for receiving a content for the work order to resolve the tolerance violation status. The work order is updated based the content.

A collaboration system provides collaboration of business objectives in a supply chain network. Collaboration systems enable users to collaborate in the creation of documents and other electronic records. Collaboration technologies deliver the functionality for many entities to enhance common deliverable information. Such collaboration systems include telephone, e-mail, synchronous conferencing, instant messaging, faxing, voice mails, video conferencing, and the like. Collaboration tools facilitate and manage group activities. Examples of collaborative tools include electronic calendars, work flow systems, knowledge management, project management, online documents and the like.
Existing collaboration systems enable exchange of information between two or more entities such as suppliers and customers and altering one or more components of business process. Examples of business processes include development of an idea, creation of a design, outsourced production or the like. Suppliers and customers may want to closely integrate and co-ordinate with each other for a product development and production. The collaboration system helps entities integrate their business process and create additional value through integration. There is a need for the entities to react in sufficient time on components in a business process that are missing or products whose yield is low. Therefore, a system is required for providing a difference between an actual product specification and a required production process specification In addition, the system must enable the entities to negotiate on the specification and reach an agreement based upon the negotiation.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Method and system for executing work orders


A method for forming and the structure of a strained vertical channel of a field effect transistor, a field effect transistor and CMOS circuitry is described incorporating a drain, body and source region on a sidewall of a vertical single crystal semiconductor structure wherein a hetero-junction is formed between the source and body of the transistor, wherein the source region and channel are independently lattice strained with respect to the body region and wherein the drain region contains a carbon doped region to prevent the diffusion of dopants (boron) into the body. The invention reduces the problem of leakage current from the source region via the hetero-junction and lattice strain while independently permitting lattice strain in the channel region for increased mobility via choice of the semiconductor materials.

Silicon MOSFET scaling has become a major challenge in the semiconductor industry. Traditional techniques start to fail in reducing certain undesirable physical effects as device dimensions shrink down to the nanometer regime. For example, anti-punchthrough (APT) or halo implantation is used to reduce the short-channel effects (SCE). However, the abrupt doping profiles are difficult to achieve due to temperature enhanced diffusion, and these highly doped channels or pocket implant regions increase junction capacitance and band-to-band tunneling. It has been shown by S. Thompson, et al., in "MOS scaling: transistor challenges for the 21st century," Intel Technology Journal, Q3, 1998, that channel engineering can only decrease the circuit gate delay by ˜10% for a given technology, and it cannot provide channel length scaling for generation after generation that gate oxide and source/drain (S/D) junction depth scaling has provided.
With bandgap engineering, an important degree of freedom can be provided in the device design. The growth of high-quality tensile strained Si/SiGe and compressively strained SiGe/Si heterostructures by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE), various types of chemical vapor deposition (CVD), and/or ion implantation allows incorporation of bandgap engineering concepts into a mature silicon technology.
Bandgap engineering has been utilized to realize various types of heterojunction field effect transistors (HFETs). The most widely studied is the modulation doped field effect transistors (MODFET), in which a quantum well is used to confine the carriers in a lightly doped semiconductor (See K. Ismail, "Si/SiGe High-Speed Field-Effect Transistors", IEDM, Technology Digest, p. 509-512, 1995). Higher carrier mobility can be achieved due to reduced impurity scattering, reduced surface roughness scattering in the buried channel, and strained-induced mobility enhancement, if any, depending on the hetero material system employed. Derived from the same concept, various types of heterostructure CMOS devices have also been proposed and studied (See M. A. Armstong, et al., "Design of Si/SiGe Heterojunction Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor Transistors", IEDM Technology Digest, p. 761-764, 1995; S. Imai et al., "Si—SiGe Semiconductor Device and Method of Fabricating the Same", U.S. Pat. No. 5,847,419; and M. Kubo, et al., "Method of Forming HCMOS Devices with a Silicon-Germanium-Carbon compound Semiconductor Layer", U.S. Pat. No. 6,190,975, Feb. 20, 2001.) The advantage of these devices is the higher carrier mobility and hence high drive current and high speed. However, two prominent problems still remain in these planar devices: device scaling and control of short-channel effects.
In planar FET devices, the channel length is limited by lithography. This problem can be solved if the devices are fabricated in a vertical fashion, in which case the channel length is only determined by epitaxial techniques. Similarly, the diffusion problem of boron and phosphorus in the source/drain can be reduced by introducing thin SiGeC layers in the source/drain to achieve ultra scalable vertical transistors, as shown by Y. Ming, et al., in "25-nm p-Channel vertical MOSFET's with SiGeC source-drains", IEEE, Electron Device Letters, vol. 20, no. 6, 1999, and by H. Rücker et al., in "Dopant diffusion in C-doped Si and SiGe: physical model and experimental verification," IEDM, Technical Digest, p. 345-8, 1999.
As for short-channel effects, other than ultra-steep retrograded channel profiles and ultra-shallow source/drain junctions, silicon-on-insulator (SOI) has been used to control short-channel effects. However, SOI does not remove short-channel effects completely, and an inherent problem with SOI is the floating body effect. Another way to reduce the short-channel effect is to have a built-in energy barrier at the source/body junction, and in particular a barrier where the barrier height does not depend on the applied bias. The band offset provided by a heterojunction is very suitable in this case. A heterojunction MOSFET (HJMOSFET) has been proposed and studied by S. Hareland, et al., in "New structural approach for reducing punchthrough current in deep submicrometer MOSFETs and extending MOSFET scaling," IEEE Electronics Letters, vol. 29, no. 21, pp. 1894-1896, October 1993, and by X. D. Chen, et al., in "Vertical P-MOSFETS with heterojunction between source/drain and channel," Device Research Conference, Denver, June 2000.
A p-channel/n-channel, complementary vertical MISFET device and a specific application of such devices in dynamic random access memory (DRAM) are described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,920,088, No. 6,207,977, No. 5,963,800, and No. 5,914,504, respectively. A heterojunction is utilized at the source/channel junction in the vertical devices. Even though very short channels may be achieved and short-channel effects may be reduced, there is still a big drawback with such device structures. At the off state (i.e., zero bias at the gate and high bias at the drain), the hetero-barrier is useful in reducing the drain-induced barrier lowering (DIBL), bulk punchthrough and therefore, off-state leakage current. However, at the on state (i.e., high bias at the gate and drain), the built-in hetero-barrier becomes harmful to the drive current. This is because the hetero-barrier at the source/channel junction severely blocks the thermal emission of the carriers from the source into the channel. The only way for carrier injection is the quantum mechanical tunneling across the barrier, which becomes the bottleneck of the transport in the channel.
The so-called ballistic transport after crossing the barrier in the channel mentioned in these references will not occur due to strong surface roughness scattering. Therefore, the drive current in such devices is significantly reduced. Additionally, since a part of the source (close to the channel) of such a device is undoped, the drive current will be further reduced by high series resistance in the source. A detailed study has been performed by Q. Ouyang, et al., in "Two-Dimensional Bandgap Engineering in Novel pMOSFETs," SISPAD, Seattle September, 2000, and by X. D. Chen, et al., in "Vertical P-MOSFETS with heterojunction between source/drain and channel", Device Research Conference, Denver, June, 2000.
Recently, a lateral high mobility, buried, p-channel heterojunction transistor (HMHJT) has been proposed by Q. Ouyang, et al., in U.S. Pat. No. 6,319,799B1. A detailed simulation study has been performed by Q. Ouyang, et al., in "A Novel Si/SiGe Heterojunction pMOSFET with Reduced Short-Channel Effects and Enhanced Drive Current," IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices, 47 (10), 2000. The device has been realized using a vertical structure by Q. Ouyang, et al., in "Fabrication of a Novel Vertical pMOSFET with Enhanced Drive Current and Reduced Short-Channel Effects and Floating Body Effects", VLSI Symposium, Kyoto, June 2001. In this case, compressively strained SiGe on Si is used to realize a high performance pMOSFET. However, in order to realize circuits using complementary MOSFETs, a high-performance, vertical nMOSFET is also needed. In the present invention, we propose a heterojunction nMOSFET, which has low leakage and high drive current. Six embodiments are illustrated and the methods thereof are also described.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,285,088 describes a "High Electron Mobility Transistor". This device has a pair of semiconductor layers for source/drain electrodes consisting of a poly SiGe layer and a poly Si layer so as to form a partially projected "overhanging-shape" over the active area. In this case, the source/drain and the gate are self-aligned. However, it is a planar structure and still suffers from the short-channel effects.

Ultra scalable high speed heterojunction vertical n-channel MISFETs and methods thereof

International Business Machines Corporation


A method for music recommendation is provided using collaborative filtering methods while still managing to produce novel yet relevant items and by utilizing the long-tailed distribution of listening behavior of users, in which their playlists are biased towards a few songs while the rest of the songs, those in the long tail, have relatively low play counts. Also a link analysis method is applied to users with links between them to create an increasingly fine-grained approach in calculating weights for the recommended items. Results show that the method manages to include novel recommendations that are still relevant, and shows the potential for a new way of generating novel recommendations.

Up until the rapid development of the Internet and the evermore increasing number of connected users, only a few best-selling products had been prevalent in various markets. This was a natural occurrence due to the limited physical space available in the stores, in which it is sensible to stock popular items. The music market was no exception: retail stores focused their sales on popular albums from the Top 100 Billboard charts. As Brynjolfsson et al. correctly predicted, product sales would be less and less concentrated, the power of balance shifting from the few best-selling products to niche products that were previously difficult for consumers to discover [2].
Indeed, with the arrival of broadband connections, lower hardware costs, and popularity of high-storage media players, the online industry has grown rapidly in the recent years. Online music stores now offer songs to users ranging in the millions, the largest online stores currently offering over 14 million songs. This availability of non-popular items creates a niche market that, collectively, could rival or exceed sales of popular items, known as the Long Tail [1].
This Long Tail business model provides consumers with millions of items to choose from, something that was not possible with retail outlets. However, offering too many choices created a problem of information overload in which, paradoxically, "consumers were less satisfied, less confident, and more confused" [5]. The solution to information overload was recommendation systems, which would ultimately filter out unnecessary items and provide only those that were relevant to the user. Among the various kinds of recommendation systems, collaborative filtering is the most successful method and most widely used in commercial services [16]. This is because collaborative filtering can be applied independent of its domain, relatively easier to implement compared to content-based and hybrid algorithms, and provides the most relevant results to users.

SEOUL NATIONAL UNIVERSITY R&DB FOUNDATION


A low pressure combustion flame method for the production of nanophase powders, coatings and free-standing forms. The process involves controlled thermal decomposition of one or more metalorganic precursors in a flat-flame combustor unit in which both temperature distribution and gas phase residence time are uniform over the entire surface of the burner. It is this feature that makes the combustion flame reactor such a versatile tool for (1) high rate production of loosely agglomerated nanoparticle powders with controlled particle size and distribution, (2) uniform deposition of shape conformal nanophase coatings, and (3) net-shaped fabrication of nanocrystalline free-standing forms such as sheets, rings and drums. Applications for this new nanomaterials processing technology include electrical, thermal, optical, display, magnetic, catalytic, tribological and structural materials.

Materials with fine-scale microstructures have long been recognized to exhibit remarkable and technologically attractive properties. In the past decade, interest has been growing in a new class of materials that are composed of ultrafine grains or particles. A feature of such "nanostructured" materials (n-materials) is the high fraction of atoms that reside at the grain boundaries or interfaces in the materials which exerts a profound influence on properties. Although much of today's research activity in the n-materials field is focused on the preparation of n-powders and their consolidation into bulk parts, there is growing interest in the fabrication of coatings and free-standing forms. Furthermore, there is an urgent need to develop scalable processes for the economical production of all types of nanostructured materials. The present invention addresses this need.
Nanophase powders have been produced in experimental quantities for almost a decade. The prior art methods of producing nanophase powders, however, are limited in the capability to produce commercial quantities of powders. The production of commercial quantities of mixed element technically important refractory compounds such as SiC, WC, HfC, Si.sub.3 N.sub.4, ZrO.sub.2 and A1.sub.2 O.sub.3 and many other similar compounds has been especially difficult. Commercial quantities of these mixed element refractory nanophase powders have been produced by the thermal decomposition metalorganic precursors in either a combustion flame or plasma flame at ambient or near-ambient pressures. Production of nanophase powders by the combustion flame and plasma flame methods, however, have had the disadvantage of producing agglomerated powders. This agglomeration of nanophase particles is problematic in the fabrication of monolithic ceramic shapes for structural applications, where the bridging of agglomerated particles causes residual porosity in the sintered material, seriously limiting performance. The present invention overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art nanophase particle synthesis processes by providing a method for producing commercial quantities of mixed element nanophase ceramic powders without the presence of particle agglomerates through the controlled thermal decomposition of the metalorganic precursors in a low pressure environment.

Combustion flame synthesis of nanophase materials


The invention provides a method for producing a retinal tissue by (1) subjecting pluripotent stem cells to floating culture in a serum-free medium containing a substance inhibiting the Wnt signal pathway to form an aggregate of pluripotent stem cells, (2) subjecting the aggregate to floating culture in a serum-free medium containing a basement membrane preparation, and then (3) subjecting the aggregate to floating culture in a serum-containing medium. The invention also provides a method for producing an optic-cup-like structure, a method for producing a retinal pigment epithelium, and a method for producing a retinal layer-specific neural cell.

The central nervous system tissues such as the brain and retina have low regenerative capacity and damaged tissues scarcely recover spontaneously. Therefore, regenerative medicine that transplants cells differentiated from pluripotent stem cells for the treatment is expected to be the last card for overcoming intractable diseases. Furthermore, human-derived cells obtained by differentiation from pluripotent stem cells are considered to be able to accurately evaluate the effects of chemical substances on human, and the research and development toward application to toxicity evaluation of compounds and drug discovery are underway.
Retina is an important sensory tissue that receives light, converts it to electrical signals and, after information processing, conveys the information via axons to the visual center of the brain. Retina is largely made of two inside and outside epithelial tissues superimposed on top of each other. The inside is a neural retina that receives light and processes information, and contains more than one type of cell such as photoreceptor. The outside is a retinal pigment epithelium which is a monolayer cell sheet that supports the survival and function of the photoreceptors.
There have been known reports on the production of retinal layer-specific nerve cells constituting the neural retina (photoreceptors, horizontal cells, amacrine cells, ganglion cells and so on) from pluripotent stem cells (patent document 1). Furthermore, as a method for producing a three-dimensional retinal tissue from pluripotent stem cells, it is described that retinal progenitor tissue, optic-cup-like structure and multi-layer neural retinal tissue can be produced in vitro by forming homogeneous pluripotent stem cell aggregates in a serum-free medium and subjecting them to floating culture in the presence of a basement membrane preparation (non-patent document 1 and patent document 2).
On the other hand, a report on the production of retinal pigment epithelia by using pluripotent stem cells is also known (non-patent document 2). However, there is no report on the production of retinal pigment epithelia with high efficiency.

Methods for producing retinal tissue and retina-related cell


A closure with a locking mechanism, particularly developed for containers or packaging of fluid products with different consistencies, said closure provided with ergonomic lines which facilitate its handling and further provided with a locking mechanism consisting of a locking pin and a housing to protect the content of the container, safeguarding its properties for a longer period of time, and protecting the user during handling of said dispenser, is provided.

Closures designed for product containers are generally made from a fairly usual solution provided with a base with fixing means to the container body and with closing means usually made of hinged lids that seals the packaging content, preferably through the pressure applied on the dispensing closure base against the container body.
Other types of closures for product containers are made of two distinct elements, namely, a base fixed at the nozzle or at the opening of the container, provided with an axial pin and a movable actuator with a hole corresponding to the axial pin, said actuator capable of performing vertical movements releasing or closing the hole.
This type of closures provided with a base and an actuator has some important drawbacks that should be highlighted.
The majority of closures of this nature is not equipped with a locking mechanism, and its actuator is capable of sliding vertically within its extension, without any control device, as it may happen when said packaging is carried inside a handbag or backpack. Due to the presence of other objects and the displacement of the user, the packaging may have its actuator involuntarily displaced by any one of these objects inside the handbag, releasing the hole and leaking part of the product, then causing inconveniences for the user.
Some closures have some type of locking devices, however, those devices disclosed in the prior art are usually innocuous or inefficient for not executing properly their intrinsic functions, causing leaks of the packaging content particularly when such packaging is carried by the user, whether inside a handbag, backpack, suitcase, etc.
In view of this fact, the applicants of this invention patent, active in the industry and commerce of packaging delivery systems for fluid products, observed the precariousness of this type of protection and sealing provided by existing closures for fluid dispensers.
Document PI0601387-2, filed on Apr. 5, 2006, entitled "CAP AND OVERCAP SET FOR BOTTLES IN GENERAL WITH "PUSH AND PUSH" SYSTEM FOR OPENING AND CLOSING WITH EASY" was idealized so that the user holds the container using one hand, opening and closing it with the finger, provided with a cap (1) that is attached to the neck of the container (F), equipped with a cylindrical projection (2) followed by a conical projection (3) with small openings (4) for the output of the product; to which a spring (5) engages; over which a cylindrical ring (6) fits with an external surrounding tab (7) at the bottom, with a diameter reduction at the top (8), comprising external vertical projections (9) with the upper end, beveled (10) in two phases, which receive the coupling of the cylindrical button (11) having a toothed contour (12) on the inside edge of the bottom, an internal cylindrical projection (13) followed by another small cylindrical projection (14) with an upper central hole (15), and vertical external rods (16) properly arranged, all this assembly being overlapped by a cylindrical overcap (17) comprising internal ribs (18) and an upper central hole (19), followed by a cylindrical projection (20) containing inner rails (21) accompanied at the bottom by projections with a toothed lower end (22) interposed by vertical rails (23).
Document MU8600972-9, filed on 17 May 2006, entitled "CAP AND OVERCAP WITH "PUSH-PUSH" SYSTEM FOR OPENING AND CLOSING BOTTLES IN GENERAL", was designed to be opened and closed with the same hand that holds it, just with simple pressure movements carried out by one of the fingers, provided with a cover (1) that is attached to the neck of the container (F), equipped with an upper cylindrical projection (2) with a toothed ring (19) surrounding the outside of same, followed by another smaller cylindrical projection (3) at the center forming a recess (4), and a conical projection (9) equipped with small holes (10) for the product output, this cap (1) having also a sectioned disc projection (20) allowing a perfect coupling of the teeth (21) and the internal projections of the vertical rods (22) of the overcap (23), which is equipped with an inner central and circular opening (24), where the button (7) executes its ascent and descent movements, this button being equipped with a lower central cylindrical projection (6) and a small cylindrical projection (11) followed by a central hole (12) for the output of the liquid or paste product, its ascent and descent movements being activated by a spring(s) added to attach the external ring (15) through the teeth (16) next to the external surrounding frieze (13) supporting the lower edge (14) of the internal projections (17), whose teeth projections (18) articulate the movement of the same regarding the cap (1) over the toothed ring (19), and with regard to the cap (23) with the teeth (26) having a specific conformation, which provides a first step and a second step of movement present on the lower edge of the central internal cylindrical projection (25) that accompanies the circular central opening (24).
These devices execute their functions adequately unless they are exposed or displaced by the user inside a handbag, briefcase or backpack, when this occurs, the contents inside the product may leak at least partially.

Closure with lock mechanism for fluid products


A clipboard including a board having first and second surfaces, a clip integral with the first surface, and a plurality of recesses formed in the second surface, the recesses are adapted to receive one or more models.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to clipboards for holding papers and providing a writing surface and, more particularly, to a clipboard including an integral three dimension display.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
Clipboards, which provide a portable, solid flat surface suitable for writing or drawing and which incorporate a clip device to secure one or more pieces of paper to the flat surface, have been known for many years. Many attempts have been made to expand the basic function of the clipboard to include such features as a storage drawer which slides out from the bottom area of the clipboard in which can be stored pencils, erasers and any small drawing or writing aids desired.
Another advancement of the functionality of the clipboard is found in a design that incorporates slotted compartments machined into the lateral edges of the hard surface of the clipboard to accommodate drafting aids such as triangles, templates and squares. A clipboard tailored to police enforcement use which is transparent and bullet proof so that it may be held in front of the police officer as a protecting shield while, as an example, a ticket is being written is known. Still other designs further encompasses a handle cut into one side of the hard surface so that the clipboard can be more easily held securely. Other clipboard designs incorporate lamp assemblies, digital clocks, folding covers, and/or other storage areas.
However, prior art clipboards do not address the needs of persons who both require the basic functions of a clipboard and also use models or other three dimensional displays in conjunction with a clipboard. In other words, users of prior art clipboards, such as, for example, doctors on rounds interacting with patients, that may need to explain complex relationships or physical arrangements using a model or other display, must carry the model in addition to their clipboard.
Accordingly, a need exists for an improved clipboard and an improved means for transporting and displaying a three dimensional model.

Clipboard with an integral three dimensional display


A technique for manufacturing optical fixed attenuators in which two fibers are axially cojoined using fusion splicing. The spliced fibers are then captured in either a splice protection splint or cylindrical ferrule that can be housed in an optical adapter. In this process for producing the attenuator, the fusion splicing is preceded by a deformation of the mode field diameters of the ends of the fibers with the cleaning arc function of the splicing unit. The resulting attenuation of the splice is dependent on the amount of deformation of the fiber core and mode field diameter. Such a technique enables precision attenuation with very low wavelength dependent loss to be fabricated. The performance of Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing systems, as well as test facilities and individual optical components can be improved by the use of such attenuators.

(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to optical fixed attenuators that can be formed by axially joining the ends of two optical fibers by fusion splicing. The loss of the splice can be controlled which allows it to be used to attenuate the power of an optical signal in a transmission line. The present invention relates to the process and apparatus for producing this attenuator.
(2) Description of the Related Art
An optical communication network normally consists of multiple fiber lines in each of which one or more individual optical signals are transmitted. If more than one wavelength of light is used to transmit multiple signals through a single fiber, the technique is referred to as wavelength division multiplexing (WDM). Recently, WDM systems having in excess of 100 individual signals have been employed in order to increase the transmission capacity. Such systems require precise balance between the transmitted powers of the individual signals. Discrete optical fixed attenuators are the technology of choice for the purpose of balancing this transmitted power. Furthermore, the total optical signal power transmitted in one optical fiber has increased because the total optical power is the sum of the power contained in the various optical signals that are transmitted in that optical fiber. This can leave the system susceptible to signal degradations caused by nonlinear optical effects. Attenuators are installed in a transmission line to minimize or eliminate these effects.
Based on previous technologies, there are at least common five types of optical fixed attenuators as follows:
    1. An optical fixed attenuator in which two optical fibers are fusion spliced by a technique which controls the transverse core offset, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. H7-49422, H8-122531, H9-145928 and H10-123326;    2. An optical fixed attenuator representing an improvement on type (1) in which an additional electric discharge is applied to the fusion splice point, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2000-131625;    3. An optical fixed attenuator in which a different material having different light transmittances or a different fiber having different characteristics is inserted between two optical fibers, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. H7-104130, H10-133021 and H10-282341;    4. An optical fixed attenuator in which light absorbing transition metal ions (for example, Co2+) are doped in an optical fiber core; and    5. An optical fixed attenuator in which the forward distance during splicing of an optical fiber is controlled on a basis of a correlation that exists between the forward distance and splice loss, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. H11-305046.
However, each of the techniques for the producing the optical attenuator as described above has one or more of the following drawbacks:    Process 1: it is necessary to control the transverse optical fiber core offset between the optical fibers precisely in order to obtain the desired optical attenuation;    Process 2: the attenuator produced by this method has a high wavelength dependence.    Process 3: it is necessary to perform two splices in order to insert the different fiber type;    Process 4: it is necessary to dope the fiber with light absorbing transition metal ions in a high enough concentration in the optical fiber core in order to achieve the desired optical attenuation; and    Process 5: The attenuator produced by this method has a high wavelength dependence.

Optical fixed attenuator and process and apparatus for producing the same


An apparatus and method of making a thinwall guide catheter useful in delivery of therapeutic devices through a body vessel. The method comprises braiding a flat wire over the surface of a cylindrical core, placing a heat bondable polymer tube over the braid, surrounding the polymer tube with a heat shrink sleeve, heating the assembly to a temperature and for a time period sufficient to expand the core into braid interstices and bond the polymer tube to substantially only the outer surface of the braid and finally removing the heat shrink sleeve and core. The resulting guide catheter has approximately half the wall thickness of prior guide catheters and has excellent column stiffness and kink resistance.

Present guide catheters generally are formed as a three layer composite tube. A liner is utilized to provide a lubricious surface to aid in device passage through the lumen of the guide. The next layer is a braid material, typically a stainless steel round wire braid, which is positioned directly over the liner. An outer jacket encapsulates the braid and is bonded to the liner through braid interstices to create a monolithic structure from the three components. Typically a liner made in this manner is about 0.002 in. thick, the braid is 0.002 in. thick (0.004 at the crossovers) and the outer jacket thickness is dictated by the outside diameter of the catheter. Typical overall guide catheter wall thicknesses are about 0.010 in., providing a 0.086 in. diameter lumen on an about 0.106 in. catheter. Thinner guide catheter walls are desirable to provide maximum lumen diameter for passage of therapeutic devices.
Guide catheters are typically used in procedures such as percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) which are intended to reduce arterial build-up of cholesterol fats or atherosclerotic plaque. Typically a guidewire is steered through the vascular system to the site of therapy. A guiding catheter can then be advanced over the guidewire and finally a balloon catheter advanced within the guiding catheter over the guidewire. A thin wall on the guide catheter will permit passage of a balloon having greater diameter, as is often necessary or desirable.
A number of different catheters have been developed that use braided or coiled reinforcing strands embedded in a plastic wall. Typical of these are the catheter structures described by Truckai in U.S. Pat. No. 5,176,660, Samson in U.S. Pat. No. 4,516,972 and Jaraczewski in U.S. Pat. No. 4,817,613. While providing acceptable torque and column strength, these arrangements tend to show low kink resistance and have undesirably thick walls.
Thus, there is a continuing need for improvements in guide catheters having reduced wall thicknesses with resulting increased lumen diameters while providing improved stiffness and torque transfer characteristics and high kink resistance.


Metal cladding as jamb cover assemblies and mullion cover assemblies, for door frames and mullions, using extrusions as cladding over substrates. A jamb cover assembly includes a jamb plate, a nosing, and a nailing fin. The nailing fin extends from a distal side of the assembly. Accordingly, the frame can be secured in a rough opening of a building with the nosing assembled to the jamb plate, and using the nailing fin for the securement, without any assembly or disassembly of the frame at the construction site. Regarding the mullion cover assembly, first and second jamb plates are on opposing sides of a mullion substrate. A mullion nosing is assembled to the jamb plates, and bridges the jamb plates to join together the two jamb plates and the nosing, to provide complete overlayment of the outer surface of the mullion substrate and to space the front panel of the nosing from the outer surface of the substrate.

This invention pertains specifically to prefabricated and otherwise cladded metal door frames and mullions, using extrusions as cladding over frame substrate elements.
When installing a door frame into a door opening in a building, it is desirable to have a strong, durable frame which is either prefabricated or easily assembled on the construction site. Preferably, the frame can be assembled at an off-site manufacturing location. In the alternative, it is desirable to have frame elements which are easily assembled at the construction site.
In a typical construction project involving doors, door frames or mullions are fabricated by a frame or mullion fabricator, and shipped to a door assembler. The door assembler receives the frames and/or mullions as fabricated, and assembles e.g. the frames to respective door slabs. The slabs are also commonly purchased separately, from slab manufacturers. The door assembler adds the desired glass inset, if any, to the door slab, assembles the door slab to a selected door frame, and ships the thus assembled door, including frame and slab, to the construction site for installation on the building.
Typically, the basic frame is wood. The door assembler can easily up-grade the quality and value of the frame, and thus the quality and value of the door assembly, by installing cladding to the left, right, and top frame substrate members, thus to provide maintenance free, tough, and durable exterior surfaces to the frame.
In one set of known clad structures, a single extrusion is mounted to the substrate, providing covering on both the side surface of the substrate and over the outer surface of the substrate. Such extrusion typically provides interface structure on opposing surfaces of the substrate, whereby each extrusion is limited to the size of substrate with which such extrusion can be used.
In the alternative, a jamb plate cover is provided along a side surface of the substrate, but does not extend over the outer surface of the substrate. A separate nosing grips the jamb plate on a first surface of the substrate and grips the opposing surface of the substrate.
In an improvement in versatility of the cladding, over such structures, it is known to provide a jamb plate which has a main side panel which covers the side surface of the substrate and an outer panel which extends over the outer surface of the substrate. A nosing, such as in a brick mold profile or a window trim profile, is mounted to, and extends over, the outer panel of the jamb plate. The outer edge of the outer panel is coincident with the distal side of the nosing. The outer panel of the jamb plate is used to mount the cladding, and thus the door frame, to framing members of the building, by e.g. screws or other fasteners extending through the outer panel of the jamb plate. Accordingly, the nosing cannot be mounted on the jamb plate while the door frame is being mounted to the building.
Such configuration requires that the nosing be assembled to the jamb plate after the door frame is inserted into the rough opening and mounted to the building. By corollary, the nosing can be shipped to the construction site assembled to the jamb plates, whereupon the nosing must be disassembled from the jamb plates before the door frame can be installed on the building, and then reassembled to the door frame after the door frame has been installed. While such process provides for shipping of the nosing in an assembled configuration, disassembly at the construction site is required.
In an alternative process, the door frame is shipped to the job site without the nosing assembled to the frame. The nosing is shipped separately, though typically in the same shipment. This process saves the disassembly step at the construction site. However, the separate shipment of the nosing bears a risk of the nosing being mishandled, separated from the door frame, and lost, whereupon the installation job can be completed only by shipping an additional nosing to the job site. Another risk inherent in the above process is that a different style nosing will be shipped with the door frame, or that a different style nosing will be shipped as a replacement.
Thus, it is an object of the invention to provide a cladded door frame, including a jamb cover assembly on respective frame substrates, wherein the jamb cover assembly includes a jamb plate, a nosing, and a nailing fin, and wherein the nailing fin is so positioned with respect to the nosing that the door frame can be mounted and secured in a rough opening of a building while the jamb cover assembly is fully assembled to the respective frame substrates.
It is another objective to provide an elongate jamb plate wherein an outer panel, which overlies the outer surface of the respective jamb substrate, and which bears mounting structure for receiving a nosing thereon, is devoid of structure, outwardly of the mounting structure, for mounting the jamb plate to a framing member of a building to which the frame is to be mounted.
It is another object to provide a nosing for mounting on a jamb plate, wherein a nailing fin kerf is disposed on the nosing proximate a distal side of the nosing.
It is another object of the invention to provide, in combination, a jamb plate cooperating with a nosing wherein a mounting fin kerf is disposed in a region from proximate a distal side of the nosing to proximate a mounting structure on the jamb plate mounting the nosing and the jamb plate to each other.
Yet another object is to provide a pre-assembled door frame wherein a jamb cover assembly, comprising a jamb plate and a nosing, is mounted to one or more jamb substrates wherein a mounting fin extends outwardly beyond a distal side of the nosing thereby to enable mounting the jamb cover assembly to a framing member of a building while the nosing is mounted to the jamb plate.
Mullions can be up-graded in much the same manner of adding cladding to mullion substrates.
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a cladded mullion assembly wherein a mullion nosing is mounted to both first and second jamb plates, the jamb plates being mounted on opposing sides of the mullion substrate, and extending over the outer surface of the mullion substrate, and wherein the nosing is mounted to both of the jamb plates proximate the outer surface of the mullion substrate and thus bridges the jamb plates while covering the entire outer surface of the mullion substrate.
Still another objective is to provide a method of installing a door frame in a door opening in a building, including assembling the door frame assembly at an off-site location, transporting the door frame to the building site, and installing the frame in the building, including securing the mounting fin to building framing members while a respective nosing is installed on a respective jamb plate.


Certain embodiments of the present invention provide a deicer system for heating water within a fluid receptacle to prevent ice from forming. The system may include a main body configured to be positioned within the fluid receptacle, a heating element adapted to heat the water, wherein the heating element is supported by the main body, and a concealing cover that is configured to hide the main body the said heating element from view. The concealing cover has a larger axial envelope than the main body and the heating element. The concealing cover may be shaped as a naturally existing object.

Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to a system and method of deicing water within a receptacle, such as a pond, birdbath, or the like. More particularly, embodiments of the present invention relate to a system for covering a floating deicer so that the deicer itself is hidden from view above a water or ice line.
Heating or deicing systems have commonly been used to maintain unfrozen areas in fluids such as water. For example, deicing systems may be used in water tanks for livestock, fish ponds, and the like. Early deicers burned wood, coal, or gas while most deicers today are electric. A typical deicing system includes a heater coil. The heat from the coil is transferred to the fluid to keep the fluid from freezing. Electric deicers typically range from 1000 to 1500 watts and may include thermostats that are commonly used to turn the unit on or off in order to introduce heat into the fluid when freezing conditions exist.
Many property owners have ponds located within their property. During winter months in colder climates, the ponds tend to freeze over with ice. When the ponds freeze over, toxic gases are trapped under the ice and pose a hazard to fish living within the pond. If the frozen surface is not broken in order to allow toxic gases to escape, the water below the frozen surface may become overly concentrated with nitrates, for example. Thus, the ice typically is broken in order to allow the toxic gases to escape.
In order to gain access to water below the surface for various activities and provide a path for toxic gases to escape, the frozen surface of the water is typically broken, drilled, or the like, in order to provide an accessible path to the water below. However, conventional methods of providing access to the water are typically labor-intensive, time-consuming, and typically do not prevent subsequent freezing.
As an alternative to conventional methods, pond heaters may maintain an ice-free area within a body of water. However, typical pond heaters are expensive to operate because they operate between approximately 1000 and 1500 watts or more, and, as such, may be dangerous.
Deicers typically are one of three types: (1) floating deicers, wherein the heating element is suspended from a floatation device such that it operates near the surface of the fluid; (2) sinking deicers, wherein the deicer rests upon the bottom of the pond or tank, usually attached to a guard such that the heating element is not in direct contact with the bottom; or (3) drain plug deicers mounted through the drain hole in a livestock tank.
Floating deicers have been used for a number of years in fish ponds in order to keep a hole open in the ice during winter months to allow harmful gases to escape from the water. Such gases are often produced by decaying fish waste or foreign matter such as leaves. If not allowed to escape, the gases can build to toxic levels and kill the fish. Floating deicers typically employ a Styrofoam float in order to keep the unit at the water surface.
Many fish ponds are used for decorative purposes and may contain koi or other show fish. The ponds are typically designed to be aesthetically pleasing. However, deicers generally appear "industrial" and out of place within the pond, thereby detracting from the aesthetic qualities of the ponds.


Methods and systems for organizing, representing and processing polymeric sequence information, including biopolymeric sequence information such as DNA sequence information and related information are disclosed herein. Polymeric sequence and associated information may be represented using a plurality of data units, each of which includes one or more headers and a payload containing a representation of a segment of the polymeric sequence. Each header may include or be linked to a portion of the associated information.

Deoxyribonucleic acid ("DNA") sequencing is the process of determining the ordering of nucleotide bases (adenine (A), guanine (G), cytosine (C) and thymine (T)) in molecular DNA. Knowledge of DNA sequences is invaluable in basic biological research as well as in numerous applied fields such as, but not limited to, medicine, health, agriculture, livestock, population genetics, social networking, biotechnology, forensic science, security, and other areas of biology and life sciences.
Sequencing has been done since the 1970s, when academic researchers began using laborious methods based on two-dimensional chromatography. Due to the initial difficulties in sequencing in the early 1970s, the cost and speed could be measured in scientist years per nucleotide base as researchers set out to sequence the first restriction endonuclease site containing just a handful of bases.
Thirty years later, the entire 3.2 billion bases of the human genome have been sequenced, with a first complete draft of the human genome done at a cost of about three billion dollars. Since then sequencing costs have rapidly decreased. Today, many expect the cost of sequencing the human genome to be in the hundreds of dollars or less in the near future, with the results available in minutes, much like a routine blood test.
As the cost of sequencing the human genome continues to decrease, the number of individuals having their DNA sequenced for medical, as well as other purposes, will likely significantly increase. Currently, the nucleotide base sequence data collected from DNA sequencing operations are stored in multiple different formats in a number of different databases. Such databases also contain scientific information related to the DNA sequence data including, for example, information concerning single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), gene expression, copy number variations. Moreover, transcriptomic and proteomic data are also present in multiple formats in multiple databases. This renders it impractical to exchange and process the sources of DNA sequence data and related information collected in various locations, thereby hampering the potential for scientific discoveries and advancements.
Bioinformatic processing of DNA sequence data currently involves aligning lengthy strings of such sequence data and comparing them so as to identify sequence similarities. Although this process has been able to accommodate the processing of limited quantities of DNA sequence data, it is believed to be inadequate to handle the massive amounts of DNA sequence data expected to be generated in coming years using next-generation DNA sequencing machines. For example, processing of hundreds or thousands of complete human genome sequences using conventional approaches would not be practical in view of the enormous computational resources required by such approaches.

Method and systems for processing polymeric sequence data and related information


A tool box organizer is arranged to removably sit on top of a bottom tool box. The tool box organizer has a handle with a catch. The handle pivots so the catch locks on the bottom tool box.

Tool and tool accessory boxes (or cases, the terms being used interchangeably) are used to hold and organize all sorts of tools. such as screwdrivers, wrenches, hammers, etc., and small parts such as drill bits, fasteners, and nails. It is desirable to keep the accessories organized so that the user can easily locate the specific tool accessory for the particular purpose.
Tool accessories are commonly organized in individual compartments that are stored within the tool accessory case, and the case is secured with a latch to prevent the tool accessories from escaping the compartment. While a tool accessory case has the advantage of confining the tool accessory to the inner organizational compartment, the latch on the case may be difficult to open and close, particularly if the user is wearing work gloves or only has one hand available. Further, some latches are prone to open upon impact, such as when the case is dropped, allowing the tool accessories to escape the tool accessory case.


A device and method for making a peripheral device compliant with a power management standard, such as the USB standard, are described. The device includes a power management unit (PMU) and a timing unit. The PMU is coupled to a battery pack and to a processor of the peripheral device, and manages power allocated to the processor. The timing unit sends electrical signals to the input terminals of the PMU when the battery pack is connected to the peripheral device. The electrical signals activate the processor via the PMU. The timing unit sends the electrical signals before a configurable time from the time when the battery pack is connected to the peripheral device.

Peripheral devices, such as personal data assistants (PDAs), cell phones and printers, may be powered by internal means, typically by a connection to an internal battery pack, or by external means, such as by a connection to an AC power outlet or a host computer. Some peripheral devices can be powered by both internal and external means. For example, a PDA can be connected to a computer to draw power therefrom. Additionally, the PDA can have its own battery pack as a power supply. If the battery pack needs charging, the PDA can be connected to the computer for this purpose.
A convenient method to power a PDA in a mobile setting involves the use of a laptop computer. If the PDA is running low on batteries in the field, the PDA can be connected to a battery-operated laptop computer for powering. If an AC outlet is available, the computer can be plugged into the outlet and the PDA can be connected to the computer to power the PDA.
To make such a connection between a computer and a peripheral device, appropriate software, known as a device driver, is installed in both the computer and peripheral device to establish and manage the connection. Device drivers can be categorized according to the communication standard to which they adhere. One category of device drivers adheres to the standard known as Universal Serial Bus (USB). Device drivers that are USB compliant are convenient because many personal computers come with a plurality of USB ports.
Another convenient USB feature is that the standard allows for the distribution of electrical power to many peripheral devices. The USB standard allows the PC to automatically sense and deliver the required power to the various devices attached thereto.
In addition, USB "hot-swapping" obviates the need to shut down and restart the PC to attach or remove a peripheral device: the PC automatically detects the peripheral device and configures the necessary software. This feature is especially useful for users of multi-player games, as well laptop PC users who want to share peripheral devices.
Because of these and other advantages, devices and methods that ensure that a peripheral device is USB compliant without adversely interfering with the intended operation of the device are desirable.

Electronic device and method for initiating powering-up of a processor in the electronic device


Methods and apparatuses are described for an Intellectual Property (IP) Generator for estimating timing, area, and power characteristics of an electronic system design. The IP Generator receives a user-supplied file having data describing a configuration of an IP design having multiple levels of hierarchy. The IP Generator also receives user-supplied technology parameters and data-flow information. The IP generator correlates estimated timing, area, and power characteristics for each IP sub component based on the user supplied technology parameters, data-flow information and configuration parameters. The IP generator reports the timing, area, and power estimates to a user via a graphic user interface prior to a transformation of a Register Transfer Level (RTL) design into the gate-level circuit design.

In computer networks, internetworking, communications, integrated circuits, etc., where there is a need to communicate information, there may be interconnections established to facilitate the transfer of the information. Interconnects may provide the physical communication network between two agents such as agents of Intellectual Property (IP) blocks. When designing systems that comprise such IP blocks and interconnects, the physical layout of IP blocks and its corresponding interconnects typically occur after the design/architecture and simulation stages are complete. Such an approach can potentially require revisions to the original design and simulation stages if it is not physically possible to place the components in such a way as to properly represent the original design. For example, a System on a Chip design may require the placement of components in such a way that is not physically possible to connect the various IP blocks in the manner when the architectural design was generated for this System on a Chip. Thus, one design hierarchy description may be used during the front-end design process and then possibly manually re-organized into a different design hierarchy description for use in the back-end design process. Under the traditional approach, such a problem may not be noticed until after the design and simulation stages have completed. The design would then have to be revised as well as further simulation testing. This approach could drastically increase the overall timeline of a development project. Another approach may be needed, where the physical layout of components may be incorporated into the architectural design stage. Such an approach may catch potential design problems earlier on, such that revisions to the original design, additional simulation and regeneration of Netlists are avoided.

Various methods and apparatuses for estimating characteristics of an electronic systems design


The invention refers to a clock distortion detection method, and a clock distortion detector including a first input for receiving a first clock signal, a second input for receiving a second clock signal, and at least one mirror delay element.

In semi-conductor components, e.g. memory components such as DRAMs (DRAM=Dynamic Random Access Memory and/or dynamic read/write memory) based on CMOS technology, so-called clock signals are used for the chronological co-ordination of the processing and/or relaying of data.
Conventional semi-conductor components use a "single-ended" clock signal CLK, present on a single line, for this purpose.
The data may then for instance be processed/relayed at respective rising edges of the single-ended clock signal (or alternatively at respective falling edges of the single-ended clock signal).
Further, so-called DDR components, e.g. DDR-DRAMs (DDR-DRAM=double data rate DRAM and/or DRAM with a double data rate) are already well known.
In DDR-DRAMs—instead of one "single ended" clock signal CLK—two differential, inverse clock signals CLK and BCLK present on two separate lines are used.
Every time, for instance, when the first of the two clock signals changes e.g. from a logic "high" state (e.g. a high voltage level) to e.g. a logic "low" state (e.g. a low voltage level), the second clock signal—essentially simultaneously—changes its state from logic "low" to logic "high" (e.g. from a low to a high voltage level).
Conversely, whenever the first clock signal changes from a logic "low" state (e.g. from a low voltage level) to a logic "high" state (e.g. a high voltage level), the second clock signal (again essentially simultaneously) changes its state from logic "high" to logic "low" (e.g. from a high to a low voltage level).
With DDR-DRAMs, data may be processed/relayed both at respective rising, and at respective falling edges of the clock signals.
This means that data is processed/relayed more frequently and/or faster (more particularly, twice as frequently and/or twice as fast) with a DDR-DRAM using differential, inverse clock signals, than with a corresponding conventional DRAM using a "single ended" clock signal; in other words the data rate of DDR-DRAMs is twice as high as that of corresponding DRAMs.
In conventional systems, the respective single ended clock signal CLK (or the respective differential clock signals CLK, BCLK) are generated by a respective—external—clock generating device, and transmitted to the respective semi-conductor component(s), e.g. a DRAM, a DDR-DRAM, etc.
The respective component comprises a means, e.g. a respective DLL-circuit (DLL=Delay Locked Loop), for generating the respective—internal—clock signal(s) DQS (or DQS/BDQS) ("data strobe" signal(s)) out of the—external—clock signal(s) CLK (or CLK/BCLK) provided by the external clock generating device.
The—internally used—DQS- (or DQS-/BDQS-) signal(s) need to be synchronized with the—external—CLK- (or CLK-/BCLK-) signal(s), e.g., the falling and rising edges of the DQS- (or DQS-/BDQS-) signal(s) provided by the DLL-circuit should e.g. occur at the same time as respective falling and rising edges of the CLK- (or CLK-/BCLK-) signal(s) provided by the external clock generating device.
Problems might arise if—due to distortions—e.g. the time Th the CLK signal—when received by the respective component, e.g. DRAM/DDR-DRAM—is logic "high" (and the BCLK signal is logic "low") is longer than the time T1 the CLk signal is logic "low" (and the BCLK signal is logic "high"), or the other way round ("clock distortion").

Clock distortion detector using a synchronous mirror delay circuit


Provided are a transformer cooling apparatus and a transformer assembly including the same. The transformer cooling apparatus includes a first plate on which a transformer including a magnetic member and a coil is seated, a second plate disposed on a side of the first plate, the second plate being spaced apart from the first plate, and a coolant passage in which a coolant flows, the coolant passage being defined between the first plate and the second plate.

The present disclosure relates to a transformer cooling apparatus.
In general, a pole transformer is installed on an electric pole to transform a high voltage distributed from an electric power substation through a high tension cable into a predetermined voltage, thereby distributing the transformed voltage into homes or buildings.
Normal electric transformers are devices that convert an AC voltage or current by using electromagnetic induction. There are many different types of transformers such as power transformers connected to power transmission/distribution lines and coupling transformers used in electronic circuits.
Such a power transformer may step up or down a predetermined voltage that is applied into an AC circuit. However, electric power is not changed in spite of the step up or down of the voltage. The transformer has a structure in which a primary coil connected to a power source and a secondary coil connected to a load are wound around a core member, e.g., an iron core or ferrite core.
When power is applied into the primary coil so that a current flows, an electrical field is generated around the primary coil and the core member. Here, when the current supplied from the power source is changed according to a time, the electrical field may be changed in intensity. Thus, the electrical field may be transferred into the secondary coil through the core member to change the intensity of the electrical field passing through the secondary coil according to a time.
Also, an induced electromotive force may be generated in the secondary coil by electromagnetic induction, and thus, an induced current flows in the secondary coil.
The transformer may be connected to a converter provided in a power control device. The transformer may insulate a high voltage applied into the converter to convert the voltage. When the transformer operates, the transformer may generate a large amount of heat while power is applied into the coil to generate the electromagnetic induction.
According to the transformer or a mounting structure of the transformer, the heat generated in the transformer is not adequately dissipated to the outside of the converter or the power control device. Thus, the transformer may be overloaded. In addition, the transformer, the converter, or the power control device may malfunction to reduce reliability in operation.

Transformer cooling apparatus and transformer assembly including the same


Reversing the orientation of the processors in a dual-processor arrangement enables the overall length of the host bus to be reduced. In addition, less board layers may be required because the number of data and address/control bus crossovers is also reduced. Furthermore, the heat-dissipation surfaces of the processors may be aligned to face one another thereby forming a channel. This makes it more efficient to cool the processors because heat may be drawn away from each processor with a common fluid stream that can be propelled through the channel with a single fluid propeller.

Some computer systems incorporate multiple processors that run simultaneously on a common host bus. A host "chipset", which usually includes several host chips, is used for system control to connect (or "bridge") the processors to memory and various busses (e.g., PCI1, PCI2, IDE).
FIGS. 1A through 1C show dual-processor configurations with conventional host bus routing schemes. A host bus, which includes an address/control bus 8 and a data bus 9, interconnects processors 3 and chips 7 (from a host chipset) to one another. (Dashed lines 8 and darkened lines 9 generally represent bus routing paths for the address/control and data busses, respectively.) Each processor 3 has a contact grid which includes two rows of electrical contacts: A1-A121 and B1-B121. The electrical contacts are divided into an address/control section 4 and a data section 5. In turn, as is depicted in FIG. 1A and 1B with host chips 7 from an Intel 440FX.TM. chipset and an Intel Orion.TM. chipset, respectively, dedicated host chips, which connect either to the address/control bus 8 or to the data bus 9, are used with conventional dual-processor arrangements. The processors 3 are typically configured into a spaced-apart pair, with their contact grids oriented in the same direction. Between processors 3, host chips 7 are located proximate to their connected contact grid sections so as to minimize the data bus 9 and address/control bus 8.
As noted above, orienting the contact grids of a pair of processors in the same direction is conventional design. It appears that this design was chosen for two primary reasons.
First, it is logically somewhat simpler for a human designer to have two complex sets of contacts placed in a common orientation. The designer can count on the same pins being in the same location with no mental transformation required in planning the connections to both chips. That is, the array of data pins on each processor is aligned with the corresponding array on the other processor and individual pins are also aligned. Likewise, the arrays and the individual pins of the address/control sections are also aligned.
Second, as seen in FIGS. 1A and 1B, to the extent bus connections can run from the data section of one processor to the data section (or address/control section) of the other processor with only one or two connections to dedicated chips in between, the high level layout is easier to visualize.
However, improvements in chipset design have led to chipsets that incorporate multiple non-dedicated chips, which require connections to both the host data and host address/control busses. Unfortunately, as seen in FIG. 1C (with chips 5 from a Micron Samurai.TM. chipset) such chipsets cause bus routings to increase in length and become more congested, which results in multiple bus crossovers. Extra board layers may be needed to accommodate these crossovers. Moreover, longer bus traces not only consume excessive board space, but also increase noise problems that are associated with line reflections.
In addition, when dual processors are mounted in vertical packages (e.g., single edge cartridges) with their contact grids oriented in the same direction, their heat dissipation surfaces (along with associated heatsinks) will normally face the same direction. Cooling both heatsinks requires either a sufficiently wide fluid stream or two separate fluid streams to adequately encounter each processor's heatsink. Thus, excessive board space is consumed to accommodate a wide fluid propeller (or propellers) for generating such a fluid stream(s).
It will be evident that the conventional configuration of paired processors facing the same direction is just one possible choice. The processors could be placed in a variety of spacial configurations relative to each other, by selecting from all the different rotational, distance and angular options available. However, each selection has implications for thermal, mechanical, and electrical design.
Accordingly, what is needed in the art is a dual processor arrangement with improved host bus routings and an improved scheme for cooling the processors.

Reverse oriented processor configuration


A device including a drain, a channel, a floating gate, and a control gate. The channel surrounds the drain and has a channel area. The floating gate includes an active floating gate region that has an active floating gate region area. The control gate is coupled to the active floating gate region via a control capacitance, wherein the active floating gate region area is smaller than the channel area.

In inkjet printheads, fuse technology has been used in N-channel metal-oxide semiconductor (NMOS) chips. In these chips, fuses are selectively burned to program a bit. However, fuse technology and programming fuses in this way has drawbacks. Fuses are relatively large and can be unreliable. Also, burning fuses can damage the orifice layer of the inkjet during programming and, after a fuse is burned out, metal debris from the fuse can be drawn into the ink and cause blockage in the inkjet pen, resulting in poor quality printing.
In recent years, electronically programmable read-only memory (EPROM) devices have been developed. These EPROM devices include a conductive grid of rows and columns, without fuses. Instead, a memory cell is located at each row/column intersection. Each memory cell includes a transistor structure and two gates that are separated from each other by a thin dielectric layer. One of the gates is a floating gate and the other is a control gate or input gate. In an un-programmed memory cell, the floating gate has no charge, which causes the threshold voltage to be low. In a programmed memory cell, the floating gate is charged with electrons and the threshold voltage is higher. To program a memory cell, a programming voltage (e.g., 10 to 16 volts) is applied to the control gate and drain. The programming voltage draws excited electrons to the floating gate, thereby increasing the threshold voltage. A memory cell having a lower threshold voltage is one logic value and a memory cell having a higher threshold voltage is the other logic value.
To read the state of an EPROM cell, row and column select transistors are biased on in a series path of the EPROM cell. The resistance of the EPROM cell, which indicates the logic value of the EPROM cell, is read via the row and column select transistors. Higher EPROM resistances reduce signal to noise ratios and improve reliability.
For these and other reasons, a need exists for the present invention.

Device including active floating gate region area that is smaller than channel area

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


A dispenser assembly secures an object, such as a bottle of nail polish, within a tilting repository at an orientation and angle efficacious for accessing the object with one hand. Pressure applied to the repository tilts it to a desired angle for facilitated access and manipulation of the object. After the pressure is removed, the center of gravity for the repository and object is met, and the repository returns to its starting position prior to receiving the exerted force. A bracket portion provides a support for the assembly. Sidewalls that extend form a base in the bracket portion include slots. The repository portion includes rods that slide into the slots, thereby forming a cradle. The repository may then tilt in response to an exerted force applied to the object in the repository. A brace hinges up from the base to hold the repository at a desired angle.

The following background information may present examples of specific aspects of the prior art (e.g., without limitation, approaches, facts, or common wisdom) that, while expected to be helpful to further educate the reader as to additional aspects of the prior art, is not to be construed as limiting the present invention, or any embodiments thereof, to anything stated or implied therein or inferred thereupon.
The following is an example of a specific aspect in the prior art that, while expected to be helpful to further educate the reader as to additional aspects of the prior art, is not to be construed as limiting the present invention, or any embodiments thereof, to anything stated or implied therein or inferred thereupon. By way of educational background, another aspect of the prior art generally useful to be aware of is that nail polish is a lacquer applied to human finger or toe nails to decorate and protect the nail plate. Nail polish may include a refined version similar to the paint on vehicles.
Typically, a bottle is a rigid container with a neck that is narrower than the body and a mouth. Bottles are often made of glass, clay, plastic, aluminum, or other impervious materials, and typically used to store liquids, powders, or slurries.
It is known that, the center of gravity is the point in a body around which the resultant torque due to gravity forces vanishes. Near the surface of the earth, where the gravity acts downward as a parallel force field, the center of gravity and the center of mass are the same.
Often, accessing a bottle of nail polish with one hand can result in accidents from misbalancing the bottle or waste from spillage, since the second hand is not available to serve as a brace. Also, the bottle may slide along a ground surface, which makes accessing the bottle more difficult.
In view of the foregoing, it is clear that these traditional techniques are not perfect and leave room for more optimal approaches.
Unless otherwise indicated illustrations in the figures are not necessarily drawn to scale.


A turbine engine stator assembly in juxtaposition across a radial gap with a rotary blading assembly includes a radially movable shroud and a gap control member made of at least one shape memory alloy (SMA). The SMA is selected and preconditioned to deform pre-selected amounts to change the radial length of the gap during engine operation responsive to temperature about the SMA. A fluid flow means delivers fluid to the SMA at pre-selected temperatures during engine operation.

This invention relates generally to turbine engine stator assemblies, and more particularly, to apparatus and method for controlling operating clearance between a stationary shroud surface in a turbine engine stator assembly and a rotating surface of juxtaposed blading members.
Forms of an axial flow turbine engine, typically a gas turbine engine, include rotating assemblies radially within stationary assemblies that assist in defining a flowpath of the engine. Examples include a rotary compressor assembly that compresses incoming air, and a rotary turbine assembly that extracts power from products of engine fuel combustion. Such assemblies comprise stages of rotating blades within a surrounding stator assembly that includes a shroud surface spaced apart from cooperating surfaces of the rotating blades. Efficiency of a turbine engine depends, at least in part, on the clearance or gap between the juxtaposed shroud surface and the rotating blades. If the clearance is excessive, undesirable leakage of engine flowpath fluid will occur between such gap resulting in reduced engine efficiency. If the clearance is too small, interference can occur between the rotating and stationary members of such assemblies, resulting in damage to one or more of such cooperating surfaces.
Complicating clearance problems in such apparatus is the well known fact that clearance between such turbine engine assemblies changes with engine operating conditions such as acceleration, deceleration, or other changing thermal or centrifugal force conditions experienced by the cooperating members during engine operation. Clearance control mechanisms for such assemblies, sometimes referred to as active clearance control systems, have included mechanical systems or systems based on thermal expansion and contraction characteristics of materials for the purpose of maintaining selected clearance conditions during engine operation. Such systems generally require use of substantial amounts of air for heating or cooling at the expense of such air otherwise being used in the engine operating cycle. Provision of an improved means for active clearance control that reduces the need for engine flowpath fluid for such heating or cooling could enhance engine efficiency.

Turbine engine stator including shape memory alloy and clearance control method


The present invention relates to a process for the immunochemical determination of one or more analytes in a sample using an immobilized specific receptor R1, which exhibits interactive bioaffinity with the analyte, and a specific receptor R2, which likewise exhibits interactive bioaffinity with the analyte and which as a rule is labeled. In the novel process, a receptor R3, which possesses one or more than one specific binding site for the analyte, is added and the resulting immune complexes are entirely or partially dissociated, after which they are reassociated and subsequently detected. According to a further embodiment, a receptor R4 is employed in addition to the receptor R3, which receptor R4 possesses an affinity towards R3 and is immobilized on the solid phase, with the resulting immune complexes being entirely or partially dissociated, after which they are reassociated and subsequently detected.

Customary immunological methods for diagnosing diseases which are accompanied by the formation of specific antibodies against a disease elicitor, such as viruses, bacteria, allergens, autoantigens or particular pharmaceuticals, are based on the ability of these antibodies to form complexes with antigenic structures belonging to the elicitor.
In particular embodiments of these methods, which are generally termed heterogeneous immunoassays, a sample which is to be examined for its content of, for example, specific antibodies (analyte antibodies) is brought into contact with antigenic structures of the disease elicitors, with these antigenic structures being immobilized on suitable, known support materials. Analyte antibodies which are present in the sample are bound, as an immune complex, to the antigenic structures of the disease elicitor which are immobilized on the support materials, and detected. Detection antibodies or other specific receptors (e.g. protein A) which are capable of complexing with the analyte antibody of the sample can be used for the detection.
As a rule, the detection reagent carries a label which makes it methodologically possible to detect the quantity of the antibody which is bound.
Commonly used labels are radioactive isotopes, enzymes, fluorescent, phosphorescent or luminescent substances, substances having stable unpaired electrons, latex particles, magnetic particles, metal sols and erythrocytes.
These methods are known to include both single-step and multistep detection methods. Each procedural step is customarily terminated by a separation process (washing step).
However, in heterogeneous immunoassays, the technique of the single-step method, which technique is very simple to carry out, is not suitable for detecting all disease markers. Two-step or multistep methods frequently have to be employed for technical reasons.
However, multistep methods, which are termed immuno-complex transfer enzyme immunoassays (S. Hashida et al., Journal of Clinical Laboratory Analysis 8:86-95 (1994)), are also known. In these methods, the entire immune complex, comprising solid phase antigen, specific antibody and labeled conjugate antigen, is detached from the solid phase. The entire immune complex is then fixed and detected after having been transferred by pipette to an antibody-binding solid phase.
While these methods are very specific, they suffer from the disadvantage that the disease elicitors to be detected or antibodies directed against them which have entered, in the first step, into a complex with the immobilized, specific receptor, can, in a reverse reaction which is known to the skilled person, in part become detached again from the complex in the subsequent reaction steps and consequently evade the detection reaction, resulting in the sensitivity, for example, being reduced.
The diagnostic efficiency of such multistep methods is reduced to a particularly great extent when the rate of the reverse reaction between the immobilized receptor and the agent to be detected is high. Such a high rate is obtained, for example, in the case of low-affinity antibodies against disease elicitors or pharmaceuticals. The skilled person knows that these effects are obtained, in particular, in the case of methods for detecting frequently mutating disease elicitors or disease markers which, following mutation, exhibit only slight interaction with the immobilized specific receptor.
EP 0 572 845 has disclosed that the reverse reaction rate is substantially reduced by adding a further receptor against structural features of the agent to be detected. This receptor has to possess more than one binding site for the agent to be detected and must not interfere with the immunochemical detection of the agent.
However, despite a marked reduction in the reverse reaction, it is likewise not possible to use this method to detect special low-affinity antibodies against disease elicitors or pharmaceuticals reliably and at high sensitivity.
The object was, therefore, to find reagents which do not have these disadvantages.

Immunodissociation for improving the immunochemical determination of an analyte