A composite profile comprising an extruded aluminum alloy carrier profile comprising a rail head having a longitudinal axis B, the rail head comprises a surface and two longitudinal edges extending parallel to the longitudinal axis B and a metal channel shaped profile strip comprising a base portion spanning the surface of the rail head and parallel side legs which lie on the longitudinal edges of the head rail, an insert rod is provided on the parallel side legs which lie on the longitudinal edges of the head rail and engage in lateral slots provided in the two longitudinal edges of the rail head, wherein the profile strip is attached to the carrier profile under mechanical pretension by way of a weld seam which contacts the rail head of the extruded aluminum alloy carrier profile.

The invention concerns a composite profile having a rail-like carrier profile extruded from light metal material as well as a profile strip made of a harder metal and resting on its top surface. The invention covers a method for manufacturing such a composite profile.
DE 24 32 541 A1 shows a method for manufacturing conductor rails from a carrier profile and at least one overlay which forms at least part of the surface of the carrier profile serving as the conductor and which consists of a profile strip of a different metal to the covering profile having high abrasion resistance. The free cross-sectional ends of the flat profile strip are formed by edge surfaces which are inclined towards each other and which in the fitted position fit snugly against correspondingly inclined edge strips of a depression in the carrier profile which receives the profile strip. During an extrusion operation the carrier profile is produced by forcing a block out through the shaping cross-section of an extrusion die, and at the same time the profile strip passes through the die opening or shaping cross-section parallel to the longitudinal axis of the die. During the extrusion operation an intimate metallic bond is formed between the two profile components. For instance, when the conductor rail is used to electrify rail-mounted vehicles, in cases of particularly high load the profile strip comes away from its light metal carrier profile in the long term in spite of the intimate metallic bond.
DE 198 40 720 A1, which describes a steel strip with flat bottom and steel strip arms integrally formed thereon at right angles, refers to the document described above. These arms are provided with recesses for receiving rivets, bolts, screws or caulked joints. Those steel strip arms are inserted in slots at right angles to the steel strip bottom or to the top surface of the carrier profile, and then fixed with the rivets or the like to the inner wall of the slot.
In DE 44 10 688 A1 can be found a composite profile having a carrier profile made of light metal and a profile strip connected thereto. The latter spans the surface of a rail head of the carrier profile, is shaped like a channel in cross-section and comprises in its side arms, projecting at a distance from each other from its inner surface on the side of the supporting body, shaped portions which are embedded in the supporting body. These shaped portions define undercut gaps which are filled by the metallic material of the supporting body in form-fit relationship. This form-fit connection is not subject to the faults described for the metallic bond.
A composite conductor rail element for supplying power to a rail vehicle with a coating made of a material of high mechanical strength which is rigidly fixed to a rod made of material which is a good conductor of electricity and which forms the sliding or contact surface for current collectors of the vehicle, is disclosed by DE 25 46 026 A1. The coating is fixed to the conductive rod which serves as the carrier by wedging or squeezing the edges of the coating into the conductive rod. In the coating is formed at least one indentation which runs in the longitudinal direction and which penetrates as far as the conductive rod. For wedging the edges of the coating, in the conductive rod is provided a groove which is divided by a lip. The latter leads to wedging of the coating on the conductive rod as soon as it has been at least partially wrapped round and pressed against the edge of the coating.
Conductor rails of which the wear components are attached to the live carrier profile by screws or additional inserts passing through them laterally, also proved to be disadvantageous. Other known manufacturing methods can disadvantageously lead to undulations on the surface of the covering profile, caused by caulking or stamping the carrier profile in stages.
Knowing this state of the art, the inventor set himself the aim of more extensively improving the connection between carrier profile and profile strip, while retaining the special capacity for economical manufacture.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Composite profile and method for manufacturing the composite profile


β-ZrNCl polycrystalline powder prepared by chemical transport method and NH4Cl are mixed in a molar ratio of 1:2. The mixture is encapsulated in a Au capsule (6 mm in inner diameter and 6 mm in depth) of a reaction vessel 2, which is then enclosed in a highly heat-conductivitive sodium chloride block as an electrically insulating pressure medium 6. The mixture held in the sodium chloride block is placed in a carbon tube 8 for serving as a heater. In a cubic-pressing apparatus using a pyrophyllite 12 as a pressure-transmitting medium, the mixture is heated at 900° C. for 2 hours under an applied pressure of 3 GPa. After the mixture is allowed to stand until it is cooled down to room temperature, the Au capsule is taken out and light green β-ZrNCl single crystals are obtained. A large single crystal among them had a hexagonal plate-like habit and is transparent with dimensions about 2 mm in diameter, and 0.3 mm in thickness.

Some Group III or IV metal-containing nitrides such as GaN, AlN, TiN, HfN, Si3N4, and BN can be useful as superconducting materials, semiconducting materiais, optoelectronic materials, ultrahard ceramic materials, or solid lubricants, and have widely been used as industrial materials.
These nitrides are prepared as powder materials by direct nitrization of metals or by pyrolysis of precursor compounds. Most of such nitrides are therefore formed into sintered products for use in a variety of industrial materials. Recently, the nitrides have also been prepared as thin films or oriented films close to single crystal by chemical vapor deposition or physical vapor deposition such as sputtering in order to perform their useful functions as optoelectronic materials or coating materials.
Many of the Group IV metal-containing nitrides form specific layer structured crystals, which are used as solid lubricants and useful intermediates for ZrN or HfN nitride ceramics.
The Group IV metal-containing nitrides also include ternary transition metal nitride halides having a chemical composition represented by the formula: MNX (M═Zr, Hf, X═Cl, Br, I). Such metal nitride halides are known to have two polymorphic forms called α and β forms.
The α form has the FeOCl-type layer structure, and the β form has a SmSI-type layer structure. In particular, the β form of the MNX is an important nitride, because it becomes a superconductor with a relatively high critical temperature (Tc) when alkali metal is intercalated (inserted) between its crystal layers, and electrons are doped into its nitride layer. For example, β-ZrNCl and β-HfNCl intercalated with lithium become superconductors with Tcs of about 14 K and 25.5 K, respectively, which have been noted as new high-Tc superconductors.
Ohashi et al. have succeeded in synthesizing β-ZrNCl powder in high yield by the reaction of metallic zirconium or zirconium hydride with ammonium chloride vapor at high temperature (J. Solid State Chem., 75, 99 (1988)).
Ohashi et al. have also succeeded in obtaining a well crystallized sample by a chemical transport of the as prepared powder sample in a vacuum-sealed quartz tube (J. Solid State Chem., 77, 342 (1988)). In the chemical transport method, a small amount of ammonium halide such as ammonium chloride as a transporting agent is added into the quartz tube for the chemical transportation of β-MNX.
Ohashi et al. have provided a breakthrough for the β-MNX research by developing such a chemical transport method for purification and crystallization of β-MNX layer structured crystal. However, such a method can only produce thin plate-shaped polycrystalline samples.
Yamanaka et al. have succeeded in synthesizing the β-form crystal phase of all the compositions of the MNX (M═Zr, Hf, X═Cl, Br, I) and reported that all the compositions can show superconductivity by intercalation of alkali metal (Inorg. Chem., 39, 806 (2000)). In the reported process, the α-form powder sample was converted into the β-form by compressing it under a high pressure of 1 to 5 GPa. However, the resulting crystal was not a single crystal but a polycrystalline powder.
The β-MNX layer structured nitrides are semiconductors with a wide band gap, which are not only potential host materials for superconductors but also potential optoelectronic materials.
The Group III or IV metal-containing nitrides are potential materials for semiconductors, optoelectronics, or superconductors. Such nitrides are, however, mostly prepared as powder materials; even the chemical transport method can only provide very thin and soft polycrystals. These nitrides should be prepared as well developed single crystals in order for practical use as industrial materials. However, the production of such single crystals has been considered to be very difficult, and no method has been reported on such production yet.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide such nitride single crystals and the methods for preparing the same.

Single crystal of nitride containing metal element of group III or IV and method for preparing the same

Japan Science and Technology Corporation


Compounds of the general formula (I):

Many disorders and conditions of the central nervous system are influenced by the serotonergic neurotransmitter system. For example, serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine; 5-HT) has been implicated in a number of disorders and conditions that originate in the central nervous system. The serotonin receptors are divided into seven main classes 5-HT1-5-HT7. Additionally, the 5-HT2 family of serotonin receptors is subdivided into the 5-HT2A, 5-HT2B and 5-HT2C receptor subtypes. For reviews dealing with the classification and function characteristics of serotonin receptors, see for example: Hoyer, D. et al. Pharmacol. Rev. 1994, 46, 157-203; Saxena, P. R. Pharmacol. Ther. 1995, 66, 339-368; Barnes, N. M. et al. Neuropharmacol. 1999, 38, 1083-1152; Roth, B. L. et al. Pharmacol. Ther. 1998, 79, 231-257.
The 5-HT2A receptor subtype is expressed in the human brain, including many cortical, limbic, and forebrain regions and is postulated to be involved in the modulation of higher cognitive and affective functions. The 5-HT2A receptor subtype is also expressed on mature blood platelets where it mediates, in part, platelet aggregation, one of the initial steps in the process of vascular thrombosis. Several lines of evidence strongly implicate the 5-HT2A receptor subtype in the etiology of such medical conditions as hypertension, thrombosis, migraine, vasospasm, ischemia, depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, sexual function disorders, sleep disorders, and eating disorders, such as anorexia nervosa. They may further be effective in the lowering of intraocular pressure and may therefore be beneficial in treating glaucoma (cf. T. Mano et al. and H. Takaneka et al., Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis Sci. 1995, 36, 719 and 734, respectively). The compound (+)-α-(2,3-dimethoxyphenyl)-1-[2-(4-fluorophenyl)-ethyl]-4-piperidinemethanol (also known as M-100907) has been shown to be a potent antagonist of human 5-HT2A receptors and is described in WO 91/18602.
The 5-HT2A receptor subtype has further been suggested to be involved in urological disorders such as diabetic nephropathy and urinary incontinence (diabetic nephropathy, see: Ishimura, E. et al. Nephron 1997, 76, 227-229; urinary incontinence, including coexisting diabetes, see: Kodama, M. et al. Int. J. Urol 2000, 7, 231-235 and Ichiyanagi, N. et al. J. Urol. 2002, 168, 303-307).
Compounds that have an effect on the 5-HT2A receptor may therefore have a therapeutic potential in the treatment of disorders like those mentioned above.
Information Disclosure
Various classes of compounds have been disclosed to act as antagonists at the 5-HT2A receptor. For example, 4-aryl- or 4-heteroarylpiperazines such as those described in J. Med. Chem. 1991, 34, 2477, Chem. Pharm. Bull. 1987, 35, 1919-, Bioorg. Med. Chem. Lett. 1997, 7, 1635-1638, and Arch. Pharm. 1995, 328, 659-666. Other compound classes reported to act as 5-HT2A antagonists are disclosed in WO 0114332, WO 0004017, WO 0043362, WO 0107434, WO 0107435 and WO 0151469. A further class of 5-HT2A antagonists is represented by the N-aralkyl-piperidine-methanol derivatives disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,169,096, encompassing M-100907 mentioned above. The class of 5-HT2A antagonists disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,169,096 are claimed to be useful in the treatment of a variety of disease states such as anorexia nervosa, variant angina, Raynaud's phenomenon, coronary vasospasms, hypertension, profylactic treatment of migraine, cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension, peripheral vascular disease, thrombotic episodes, cardiopulmonary emergencies and arrythmias, and has anesthetic properties. See also U.S. Pat. No. 4,877,798 (fibromyalgia); U.S. Pat. No. 4,908,369 (insomnia); U.S. Pat. No. 5,106,855 (glaucoma); U.S. Pat. No. 6,004,980 (anxiety, Raynaud's phenomenon, cardiac arrythmia; extrapyramidal symptoms; drug abuse, anorexia, fibromyalgia); EP 337136 (treatment of extrapyramidal side effects associated with neuroleptic therapy). Psychotic illness such as schizophrenia and mania, among other indications are disclosed uses for M-100907 in U.S. Pat. No. 5,134,149. The use of M-100907 for the treatment of various developmental neurological disorders such as autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is disclosed in WO 99/56750. The use of M-100907, and prodrugs thereof, for the treatment of symptoms of dementia, such as Alzheimer's disease, is disclosed in WO 01/89498. The use of M-100907 for the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorders (OCD) is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,618,824.
Ketanserin (3-[2-[4-(4-fluorobenzoyl)-1-piperidinyl]ethyl]-2,4(1H,3H)-quinazolinedione is a 5-HT2A antagonist that has been on certain markets for hypertension and is patented by Janssen in EP 13612 B. The use of ketanserin for the treatment of glaucoma is disclosed in EP 522226 (cf. Ophthalmologica 2001, 215, 419-423).
Sarpogrelate (butanedioic acid, mono[2-(dimethylamino)-1-[[2-[2-(3-methoxyphenyl)ethyl]phenoxy]methyl]ethyl]ester, MCI-9042; Anplag™), Mitsubishi, Japan, is a 5-HT2A antagonist used for the treatment of thromboembolism in Japan and is disclosed in EP 72942 B. The use of sarpogrelate for the treatment of glaucoma is disclosed by Mitsubishi in EP 695545 and by Senju Pharmaceutical in CA 2144810. Sarpogrelate is also reported to have therapeutic potential in the treatment of diabetic complications (cf. Hotta, N. et al. Clin. Drug Invest. 1999, 18, 199-207; Kobori, S. et al. Int. Congr. Ser. 2000, 1209, 283-286).
The 5-HT2A antagonist amperozide (4-(4,4-bis(4-fluorophenyl)butyl)-N-ethyl-1-piperazinecarboxamide) has been disclosed to possess antipsychotic properties and was first claimed by Pharmacia's subsidiary Ferrosan in the patent DE 02941880. Its use for the treatment of substance abuse is disclosed in the associated patent WO 09216211.
Ajinomoto is developing the 5-HT2A antagonist and platelet aggregation inhibitor, AT-1015 (N-[2-{4-(5H-dibenzo[a,d]cyclohepten-5-ylidene)piperidino}-ethyl]-1-formyl-4-piperidinecarboxamide monohydrochloride monohydrate) for the potential treatment of thrombotic conditions (cf. European Journal of Pharmacology 2001, 433(2-3), 157-162).
Senju Pharmaceuticals has disclosed a series of 1,5-benzoxa-thiepine derivatives (e.g., methyl 7-methoxy-3-oxo-3,4-dihydro-2H-1,5-benzoxathiepin-4-carboxylate) in U.S. Pat. No. 5,538,974 and which are stated to be serotonin S2 receptor antagonists and being useful for the treatment of glaucoma.
WO 00/64441 discloses, inter alia, a series of known 5-HT2A antagonists (e.g., M-100907) for therapeutic or prophylactic treatment of disorders involving bronchoconstriction.
Some structurally related compounds to those of formula (I) in the present invention are disclosed in J. Med. Chem. 1981, 24, 93-101 and in GB 1,440,722. Particular compounds are 3-piperazin-1-yl-1H-quinoxalin-2-one, 1-methyl-3-piperazin-1-yl-1H-quinoxalin-2-one, 3-(4-methyl-piperazin-1-yl)-1H-quinoxalin-2-one, and 3-(1-piperazinyl)-1-[2-(dimethylamino)-ethyl]-2(1H)-quinoxalinone. 1-Benzyl-3-(4-methyl-piperazin-1-yl)-1H-quinoxalin-2-one is disclosed in Chem. Pharm. Bull. 1993, 41, 1832-1841. WO 00/76984 discloses pyrazinyl ether compounds that bind to the 5-HT2C receptor.

Amino-substituted 1H-pyrazin-2-ones and 1H-quinoxalin-2-ones

Abstract: Compounds of the general formula (I):

Abstract: wherein m, n, R1, R2, R3 and R4 are as described in the specification.

Abstract: Further included are pharmaceutical compositions comprising the compounds, processes for their preparation, as well as the use of the compounds for the preparation of a medicament for the treatment of 5-HT2A receptor-related disorders or medical conditions.


A method and apparatus are described for Chemical Mechanical Polishing of wafers which achieves a constant removal rate of material from the wafer over the entire surface of the wafer. The wafer is held in a wafer carrier rotating at a wafer carrier angular velocity and is polished using a platen rotating at a platen angular velocity. The pressure exerted on the wafer by the wafer carrier is the largest at the wafer edge and smallest at the center of the wafer. The wafer carrier is divided into a number of wafer carrier circular segments so that the temperature of each wafer carrier circular segment can be controlled. The platen is divided into a number of platen circular segments so that the temperature of each platen circular segment can be controlled. The temperatures of the wafer carrier circular segments and the platen circular segments are then adjusted to provide a removal rate of material from the wafer which is uniform across the surface of the wafer.

(1) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to removing material from the surface of a wafer using Chemical Mechanical Polishing and more particularly to the use of temperature compensation to achieve uniform removal rates across the entire surface of the wafer.
(2) Description of the Related Art
Chemical Mechanical Polishing, CMP, is frequently used to planarize wafers by removing material from the surface of a wafer. CMP uses a rotating wafer carrier to hold a wafer against a polishing pad held by a rotating platen. The polishing also uses a polishing slurry dispensed on the polishing pad.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,196,353 to Sandhu et al. describes a method and apparatus for thermally mapping the surface of a wafer during Chemical Mechanical Polishing. The thermal map information is then analyzed and used to modify the polishing process parameters.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,486,129 to Sandhu et al. describes a system and method for Chemical Mechanical Polishing wafers using a polish control subsystem and a polishing head with localized pressure applicators for controlling localized pressure at individual regions of the wafer. The polish control subsystem allows control of operational subsystems such as temperature at the wafer surface, platen velocity, and localized pressure.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,910,155 to Cote et al. describes a method for Chemical Mechanical Polishing insulators, such as silicon oxide and silicon nitride, formed on the surface of wafers. The method uses a slurry with particulates having a hardness commensurate to the hardness of the insulator to be polished at a temperature between 85.degree. F. and 95.degree. F. to maximize both polishing pad lifetime and planarization uniformity.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,422,316 to Desai et al. describes a Chemical Mechanical Polishing system for polishing wafers which uses a polishing limiter to limit the reduction in thickness of the wafer during polishing.
This invention describes a method and apparatus for achieving a uniform material removal rate across the entire surface of the wafer. The temperature of circular segments of the wafer carrier and circular segments of the platen are individually controlled. The temperature of the wafer carrier circular segments and platen circular segments are individually controlled to compensate for pressure variation across the wafer and variation of the relative velocity between the wafer and platen across the wafer to produce a uniform material removal rate across the entire surface of the wafer.

Temperature compensated chemical mechanical polishing to achieve uniform removal rates

Industrial Technology Research Institute


In a frame-by-frame color image pickup apparatus, images of light components transmitted through red, green, and blue filters of a rotating filter are introduced to an image pickup device arranged in an optical path with rotating filter. The cells in the image pickup device are grouped into cell blocks, each block made up of four cells arranged in one horizontal row and four vertical columns. The rotational speed of the rotating filter is increased, and the cells within each block selected by switches for reading are fixed when an image is dynamic, a quarter of all the cells are read at one cycle of revolution of the rotating filter, and the remaining cells are interpolated to form one frame image. Color breakup is thus precluded. When an image is still, the cells selected are switched at each cycle of revolution of the rotating filter, and all the cells are read over four cycles of revolution of the rotating filter. Thus, a high resolution color image is obtained. The color image pickup apparatus thus improves virtually a pickup rate from the image pickup device, alleviating color breakup. The still image is presented without degrading its resolution.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a frame-by-frame color image pickup apparatus comprising means for reading an image signal for each of the reference colors in a time series fashion, an image pickup device for switching cells being read, and a memory for making concurrent the image signals of the reference colors that have been read in a time series fashion.
2. Related Art Statement
The following two types of frame-by-frame color image pickup apparatuses are known. For simplicity, the following discussion assumes that the three reference colors are red (R), green (G) and blue (B).
FIG. 10 is a simplified block diagram showing a typical conventional frame-by-frame color image pickup apparatus 31.
An image pickup device 33 is arranged at the image plane in perpendicular alignment to the optical axis of an imaging lens or an image forming lens 32 for forming an optical image of an unshown subject, a rotating filter 34 having color filters that respectively transmit R, G and B light rays is mounted between the imaging lens 32 and the image pickup device 33, and the rotating filter 34 is driven by unshown driving means such as a motor.
By rotating filter 34, the R, G and B color filters are sequentially positioned in the light path, and optical images of R, G, and B wavelength components are formed on the image pickup device 33. In response to a scan signal in synchronization with the irradiation period of each of the R, G, and B light wavelengths, from a scanning control module 35, the image pickup device 33 performs photoelectrical conversion to output, in a time series fashion, signals corresponding to the image of each wavelength component (referred to as R, G and B signals).
Time-series R, G, and B signals are A/D-converted by an A/D converter 36 into corresponding digital R, G, and B signals, which are then sequentially stored in respective color memories 38R, 38G, and 38B under the control of a memory control module 37. These signals are read at the same timing and become concurrent color image data. The concurrent color image data is fed to a signal processing module 39 to be processed into R, G and B color signals. The R, G and B color signals are then fed to an unshorn color monitor display, where the image of the subject is presented in color or fed to an image recording apparatus to be recorded there.
Referring to a timing diagram shown in FIG. 11, an X-Y address type solid-state pickup device as the image pickup device 33 is scanned in a noninterlace fashion.
As shown in FIG. 11, the rotating filter 34 rotates by a full revolution over a period of 9T, and each of the R, G, and B color filters is present in the optical path for a period of approximately 3T with switching periods being approximately 1T. As shown, R-1, for example, represents a light ray that is incident to the image pickup device 33 via the R color filter during a first cycle of revolution. Thus, during a n-th cycle of revolution, an incident light ray through an I (I=R, G, or B) color filter is represented by I-n. Also shown are an effective output signal In the image pickup device 33 outputs to each of the memories 38R, 38G, and 38B, and output signals output by the memories 38R, 38G, and 38B.
The incident light ray transmitted through the rotating filter 34 sequences through R-1, G-1, B-1, R-2, G-2, B-2, R-3, . . . . Since during each of the durations t=0-T, 3T-4T, 6T-7T, . . . , 3nT-(3n+1)T, . . . , each switching section of the R, G, and B color filters transverses the optical path or in front of the image pickup device 33, the incident light rays are mixed in color. Represented by T here is a one frame period, and n=0, 1, 2, . . . .
Effective signals free from mixed color in response to the R, G, and B incident light rays are signals R1, G1, B1, R2, . . . , which are stored and read during each of the durations t=T-3T, 4T-6T, 7T-9T, . . . , (3n-2)T-3nT, . . .
The effective output signals R1, G1, B1, R2, . . . are A/D converted through the A/D converter 36, and then written onto the R memory 38R, G memory 38G, and B memory 38B for concurrency processing.
Digital R, G, and B signals are read from the memories 38R, 38G, 38B at the same timing, and are thus concurrency processed. The same signal is read from each of the memories 38R, 38G, and 38B a plural number of times until they are updated with the next effective signals. Concurrency processed signals are then subjected to required signal processings through the signal processing module 39.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 7-79448 discloses another known technique. In this disclosure, a frame-by-frame color camera has been proposed in which an image corresponding to one field of each color is read from an image pickup device every cycle of revolution of a rotating filter, a determination of whether the image is still or dynamic is made, and one frame is constructed over two cycles of revolution when the image is still, or one frame is constructed by correlating one field with an image of another field resulting from one revolution when the image is dynamic. For the dynamic image, frame displaying is made possible over every cycle of revolution of the rotating filter to increase an image pickup rate in the frame-by-frame method and thus to reduce color breakup.
In the above known frame-by-frame color image pickup apparatus, if a subject moves while the R, G, and B tri-color signals are being stored in respective memories for concurrency processing, R, G, and B output images will fail to coincide with each other, causing color breakup and image blurring.
To solve this problem, the apparatus disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication 7-79448 displays a frame using one field image within the time of one cycle of revolution of the rotating filter when the image is dynamic, but is subject to the image pickup rate limitation determined by a field. The disclosure states nothing about noninterlace scanning.

Frame-by-frame color image pickup apparatus


In its simplest sense the invention is an expansion chamber device that allows a sample to be purged and trapped for analysis without removal of the sample from the common field sample vial (VOA vial) storing the sample. The expansion chamber generally comprises an expansion chamber tube of transparent material having a top end adapted for gas tight fit in a compression fitting of a host purge and trap instrument, a bottom end including an external flange, and a central passage for fluid communication between a sample vial top opening and a host purge and trap instrument. A connector cap has a bottom end having internal threads for mating with external threads on a sample vial and a top end having an internal flange for bearing down on the expansion chamber tube bottom end external flange. An inert gasket forms a positive pressure seal between the expansion chamber tube bottom end and the sample vial. In an exemplary embodiment, the expansion chamber tube bottom end further includes a tail piece that fits just inside a sample vial top end opening, and the expansion chamber tube internal passage includes surface modifications, such as a plurality of protrusions, for breaking up bubbles.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to testing samples, e.g. water, for contaminants using a purge and trap instrument and more specifically involves a device that allows testing without removal of the sample from the volatile organic analysis vial in which the sample was field-collected.
2. Background of the Invention
It is often desirable to determine the presence and nature of volatile organic compounds, such as contaminants, in water, soil, and sludge. Typically, field samples are collected in glass bottles or vials. A common field sample collection bottle, called a volatile organic analysis (VOA) vial, is shown in cross-sectional view in FIG. 1 of the drawing and is denoted generally as 10. (Note: Vial 10 shown is common except for the spiking port, denoted generally as 80, which will be described in the Detailed Description.) VOA vial 10 generally includes a glass jar 11, a septum 30, and a cap 20. Glass jar 11, commonly of 40 cc or greater, has a top end 12 terminating in a rim 13 surrounding top opening 14. VOA vial top end 12 includes external threads 15 for attachment of cap 20. Cap 20 has a lower end 22 having internal threads 23 for attachment to vial threads 15. Cap top 25 includes an inward flange 26 surrounding bore 28. Septum 30 is a flexible disk that seals between cap flange 26 and vial rim 13 and covers vial top opening 14 to contain the test sample. Preferably, septum 30 is made of inert resilient material that will not interact with the sample, such as an inert elastomer or an elastomer encapsulated in an inert material, such as a solid fluorocarbon such as teflon. A commonly available septum has a bottom layer 32 of teflon, for contacting the sample and a top layer 34 of elastomer for elasticity and resiliency.
VOA vial 10 is completely filled in the field with liquid sample and capped with septum 30 and cap 20 to assure a gas tight fit. No headspace, i.e. air space, is left in the vial because volatiles in the sample would exit into the headspace and be lost upon opening the vial. Septum 30 is flexible and may move inward or expand outward through cap bore 28 to accommodate contractions and expansions of the sample.
The general testing method, called "purge and trap" requires placing a portion of the sample in a special sparging vessel. Sparging vessels typically hold up to 25 cc. After testing, the inexpensive and contaminated VOA vial containing any remaining sample is typically discarded. The test instrument passes high purity gas bubbles through the sample. The high purity gas bubbles collect the organic vapor and carry it to an absorption tube that concentrates the vapor for subsequent thermal desorption and analysis by gas chromatography or spectrum analysis.
Among other requirements, the special sparging vessels must contain an expansion chamber and must form a gas tight seal with the host purge and trap instrument. An expansion chamber is necessary to prevent contamination of the host instrument from liquids, either in the form of liquid, aerosol mist or foam, entering the instrument. Some samples will foam and bubble easily. Liquid entering the instrument contaminates the instrument which then requires many hours to clean out. Also, liquids entering the instrument may cause thousands of dollars of damage to the instrument. For this reason, it is preferable that the expansion chamber be visible to the user and be made of transparent material so that the user can watch for formation of foam and passage of liquid toward the host instrument. A gas tight seal between the sparge vessel and instrument for up to positive pressures of 20 psig is necessary to prevent any purged gas from escaping. Common commercial purge and trap analytical instruments include a pressure fitting that attaches to the output tube of the special sparging vessel with such a gas tight seal.
Testing requirements are becoming ever more stringent. Mercury and lead contaminants are to be measured in parts per billion. This necessitates testing larger samples and exacerbates some problems in the above-described standard.
One problem of the conventional method is that volatiles can be lost each time the sample or a part of the sample is transferred. Another problem is that the special sparging vessels are expensive and, therefore, are commonly re-used. Re-use of sparging vessels requires cleaning after each use and, of course, introduces doubts as to results obtained from future use of a re-used vessels.
Therefore, the applicant has concluded that it would be desirable to have an expansion chamber device that would connect to a common purge and trap compression fitting and allow the common field sampling VOA vial to be used as the sparging vessel. In this way, no volatiles would be lost due to transfer and no costly vessels are discarded or cleaned.
It is further desirable that the device include means for abating the foaming and bubbling problem.
Of course, it is very desirable that the device achieve these effects without adding any major drawbacks to the sparging operation.
Immediately following each purge and trap analysis it is desirable to test the performance of the instrument to determine the validity of the test results. One method of testing the instrument is to "spike" the sample, i.e. inject a known amount of volatile into the sample and analyze the recovered output.
Therefore, it would be additionally desirable if the field sample bottle includes means for spiking the sample.


A thermal processor for thermally developing an image in an imaging material. The thermal processor includes an oven and a plurality of rollers positioned to form a transport path and, through contact with the imaging material, configured to move the imaging material through the oven along the transport path. Each roller has an initial contact point and a final contact point with the imaging material as the imaging material moves along the transport path. A spacing between the rollers is varied such that a distance between a final contact point and an initial contact point of at least a first pair of rollers along the transport path is different from a distance between a final contact point and an initial contact point of at least a second pair of consecutive rollers along the transport path.

Photothermographic film generally includes a base material coated on at least one side with an emulsion of heat sensitive materials. Once the film has been subjected to photo-stimulation by optical means (e.g., laser light), or "imaged", the resulting latent image is developed through the application of heat to the film. In general, the uniformity in the density of a developed image is affected by the manner in which heat is transferred to the emulsion of heat sensitive material. During the developing process, uneven contact between the film and supporting structures can result in non-uniform heating of the film which, in-turn, can result in an uneven image density and other visual artifacts in the developed image. Therefore, the uniform transfer of heat to the heat sensitive materials during the developing process is critical in producing a high quality image.
Several types of thermal processing machines have been developed in efforts to achieve optimal heat transfer to sheets of photothermographic film during processing. One type of thermal processor, commonly referred to as a "flat bed" thermal processor, generally comprises an oven enclosure within which a number of evenly spaced rollers are configured so as to form a generally horizontal transport path through the oven. Some type of drive system is employed to cause the rollers to rotate, such that contact between the rollers and a piece of imaged film moves the film through the oven along the transport path from an oven entrance to an oven exit. As the film moves through the oven, it is heated to a required temperature for a required time period necessary to optimally develop the image.
While flat-bed type thermal processors are effective at developing photothermographic film, variations in image density can occur as the film moves through the oven. For instance, as a piece of film is transferred from one roller to the next, the lead edge can butt or "stub" into the next roller along the transport path until it eventually rides over the roller and is moved on to the next downstream roller. When the film stubs into a downstream roller, the force, although small, can be sufficient to cause a change in the velocity of the film as it moves along the transport path. Depending on the films rigidity, this velocity change may cause the film to either lift off from or to remain too long in contact with the surface of preceding rollers along the transport path and cause those areas of the film proximate to the roller surfaces to be heated differently than adjacent areas. A less rigid film may lift off from the roller surface and result in less heating to such areas than adjacent areas, while a more rigid film may remain for longer than a desired time on the roller surface and result in more heating to such areas than adjacent areas. In another instance, as the film moves along the transport path, the trailing edge may not maintain a desired contact with the roller surfaces and also in uneven heat transfer to the trailing edge.
Such non-uniform heating can produce variations in image density in the developed image which appear in the form of visible bands across the film. This effect is commonly referred to as "cross-width" or "cross-web" banding. Too much heating can result in "dark" bands, while too little heating may result in "light" bands. Furthermore, because the rollers are evenly spaced, the banding effect is reinforced at the same locations on the film as it moves from roller to roller along the transport path, and thus becomes increasingly visible as the film is processed.
Such cross-web banding is of particular concern in thermal processors employing heated rollers, such as that described by U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/873,816 entitled "Flat Bed Thermal Processor Employing Heated Rollers", (Kodak Docket No. 87968/SLP) filed on Jun. 22, 2004, assigned to the same assignee as the present application, and herein incorporated by reference. It is also more of a concern with rollers forming an initial portion of the transport path, as the difference in heat transfer to the film caused by its being lifted from or stalling on the roller surfaces is lessened as the film nears a desired developing temperature along the latter portions of the transport path.
It is evident that there is a continuing need for improved photothermographic film developers. In particular, there is a need for a flat bed type thermal processor having a roller system that substantially eliminates the above described cross-web banding effect.

Thermal processor employing varying roller spacing


A video-phone call with a portable video-phone terminal is enabled for a cellular phone which has not video-phone service provided, by making use of cameras and display devices placed on the street. For a video-phone call to a portable video-phone terminal, a media converter in a service center distributes data so as to send video data to a public communication terminal on the street, and voice data to a cellular phone without video recording/reproducing capability. A call agent in a service center issues an ID in response to a request from the cellular phone without video recording/reproducing capability on voice call. This ID may be received by a service center via a detector such as a sensor deployed on the street, to provide a video-phone service by using a public communication terminal on the street in the vicinity of the detector.

The present invention relates to a telephone communication system, more specifically to a video-phone system using a cellular phone without the capability of video (motion picture) recording and reproducing, and a camera and display device deployed for public use or on the street.
An exemplary Prior Art is shown in FIG. 13. In the figure, reference numeral 1 is designated to a cellular phone without the capability of moving picture recording and reproducing, 6 to a portable video-phone device, 8 to a cellular phone network, 80 to a voice format conversion server between the cellular phone 1 and the portable video-phone 6.
In the Prior Art, for the communication between the cellular phone 1 without the capability of video recording and reproducing and the portable video-phone 6, only voice communication is provided by the cellular network 8. The voice format conversion server 80 converts format from PCM voice data to digitally compressed voice data and vice versa in order to achieve voice communication.
In a video-phone system disclosed in the Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. 2001-326972 (patent reference #1) entitled as "video-phone system in a mobile multimedia terminal", which uses the packet communication of the cellular network, a video-phone unit having a personal handy-phone system (PHS) wireless terminal is to be provided in addition to a cellular phone terminal or a cellular phone terminal having a personal handy-phone system (PHS) wireless terminal integrated to ensure the communication line to another video-phone unit. The video-phone unit achieves a video-phone by using the packet communication of a cellular network from the cellular phone through the above mentioned communication line.
Patent Reference 1;
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2001-326972
In the Prior Art video-phone capability and voice communication are both enabled between two portable video-phone units 6. The communication between a portable video-phone unit 6 and a cellular phone without the capability of video recording and reproducing 1, voice communication only is allowed by using the voice format conversion by the media converter in a service center. Since the cellular phone without the capability of video recording and reproducing 1 has no capability of video recording and reproducing, video-phone communication has been physically impossible.
In the Prior Art disclosed in the reference #1 "video-phone system in a mobile multimedia terminal", a user has to possess or rent a cellular phone terminal having a video-phone unit and a personal handy-phone system unit integrated therein. This may force some users to replace their conventional phone unit to a specific cellular phone unit having a personal handy-phone system (PHS) wireless terminal built-in.
The lifetime of battery is so shorter for the practical use since the user needs to have a specific cellular phone terminal having a video-phone unit and a PHS wireless terminal and to turn them on to be connected with both terminals during waiting.
Also this system uses a packet network operating as "best-effort" method, which does not ensure the communication bandwidth, the bandwidth required for the video data may or may not be allocated as well as there is a delay considerable due to the overhead caused by the relaying the cellular phone having a personal handy-phone system (PHS) wireless terminal integrated, resulting in a too high rate of image dropout for a practical use.
As have been described above the conventional cellular phone or the art described in the reference #1 have failed to solve the incompatibility with the portable video-phone and to provide a reasonable bandwidth and sufficiently short delay in order to provide a better service.


An apparatus may include a substrate support portion, a plasma generation chamber, electrodes, and a power source. The substrate support portion supports a substrate including an insulating layer and a substrate bulk. The plasma generation chamber may include chamber wall portions, a gas port, and a plasma application aperture and is configured to contain a gas. The plasma application aperture may be covered by a portion of the substrate. Each electrode may protrude into or extend into an interior portion of the plasma generation chamber. The power source may be coupled to a particular electrode, and the power source may be configured to apply a voltage to the particular electrode. Application of the voltage to the particular electrode generates a plasma within the plasma generation chamber, whereby generation of the plasma results in a conductive path through the insulating layer of the substrate between the plasma and the substrate bulk.

Currently, a sharp pin of a tool is used to mechanically puncture a backside oxide layer of a wafer in order to provide a ground path. The current methodology, however, damages the wafer and creates particles that can damage the tool and other wafers. Such problems have long faced electron beam and wafer applications. Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a non-destructive method for grounding wafers.

Wafer grounding using localized plasma source


A folding chair has a hinges on the seat and on a back panel and on a brace. The chair further includes side frame elements to which the seat, back panels and brace are all hingeably connected. The chair can be folded into a very compact form.

Throughout history, people have sought more comfortable seating arrangements. Chairs, stools, and the like allow people to relieve stress on the legs and feet, while remaining alert and performing tasks that do not require a great deal of motion. In the twentieth century, folding chairs have made it possible for people to keep a space clear when necessary, and to erect suitable seating for gatherings or special events. However, current folding chairs possess a number of drawbacks.
Folding chairs of a variety of configurations are known in the art. Indeed, an intended advantage of folding chairs is that, in a folded state, they may be shipped or stored more conveniently than non-folding or fully assembled chairs. Conventional folding chairs generally include a backrest frame having legs that extend at downward angles to become the front legs of the chair, back legs pivotally mounted to the back rest frame, and a seat frame pivoted to the backrest frame, and the back legs. In addition, the prior art is replete with a wide variety of hinge and joint configurations to support and guide the folding members.
While the folding chairs of the prior art fulfill their respective objectives, the folding chair configurations of the prior art often sacrifice stability and durability relative to traditional, non-folding chairs, to achieve their respective functions. Accordingly, a need exists in the art for a folding chair that erects into a stable from approximating traditional, non-folding chairs. Embodiments of the present invention substantially fulfill this need.
The inventor has found that folding chairs are often somewhat heavy. The chair must reliably support the weight of even a fairly large person. The bending stress on any member is proportional to the length of the member multiplied by the force acting upon it. Therefore, the length of the seat effectively multiplies the forces tending to bend or break the seat. Typically, seats for folding chairs have been made from stronger (and heavier) materials, such as steel, to overcome the effect of these bending stresses. The resulting chairs are heavier and therefore cost more to ship, and require more effort to move, fold, and unfold.
Thus, it is desirable to use lightweight materials such as plastics to reduce the weight of folding chairs. However, many known folding chairs, especially those that incorporate lightweight materials, do not stand up to repetitive use. Groups such as the business and institutional furniture manufacturers' association have set up standards for portable furniture. Such standards typically require that portable chairs be designed to receive a given weight loading to simulate use for a specified number of cycles, often on the order of 100,000. Many known folding chairs bend or break after only a few thousand cycles, and therefore can be expected to have a relatively short useful life.
Still further, many known folding chairs are somewhat expensive to produce because the manner in which they are assembled requires the use of a great deal of manual labor. The legs must often be properly aligned with the seat so that mechanical fasteners can be attached to the legs and the seat. If metal supporting parts are to be threaded through the lightweight seat member to connect the legs, the lightweight seat member may have to be aligned with each leg assembly so that the threading operation can be carried out. Often, the various fasteners involved must be installed at locations that are not easily accessible for machinery. Thus, the fasteners must often be installed by hand.
Accordingly, a need exists for a portable, folding chair that is lightweight and comfortable, and yet folds to a thin, stackable configuration. Such a chair must safely support the weight of a fairly heavy person. In addition, the chair should be inexpensive to produce in large quantities with a minimum of parts and assembly.


In a database that is associated with the retailer POS system, inventory is flagged as being FSA-eligible and a retailer POS system is programmed to support FSA debit card auto-adjudication, i.e., the retailer POS system is IIAS certified. The FSA-eligible information that is stored in the retailer POS database is also used to flag for a customer FSA-eligible items presented to the user online, e.g., in an online catalog. When an FSA-eligible item is purchased on-line or at a retailer POS, the FSA debit card information is captured and the purchase transaction is processed by the retailer POS system so the customer has easy access to FSA purchases via either channel.

The subject invention generally relates to retail services and, more particularly, relates to a system for facilitating multi-channel purchase of FSA eligible items.
Medical Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs), Health Reimbursement Accounts (HRAs), and Health Savings Accounts (HSAs)—individually and collectively referred to hereinafter as FSAs—are company sponsored benefits that allow employees to purchase medical services, prescriptions, over-the-counter medical products, and other items with pre-tax dollars, as designated by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The IRS has approved a process of automation, called auto-adjudication, that allows a customer to have FSA-eligible items authenticated at the point-of-sale (POS). This automation is made possible by the retailer's POS system which identifies and validates FSA-eligible items with the customer's use of an FSA linked debit card (usually a Visa or MasterCard debit card, just like a checking account) to make the purchase, i.e., the retailer POS system is certified as an Inventory Information Authentication System (IIAS). With the use of an IIAS, when FSA-eligible items are purchased, records associated with the validated items are transmitted back to the customer's FSA account and the purchase amount is deducted from any available FSA account balance. This allows the customer to provide the required documentation back to the plan administrator without the onerous task of collecting and filing receipts and awaiting reimbursement from the account.

System for facilitating multi-channel purchase of FSA eligible items


A two-dimensional all-digital ratiometric decoder to analyze signals representative of state changes in a closed loop control system. In one embodiment, the two-dimensional digital ratiometric decoder comprises at least one selector circuit, a summation circuit, a difference circuit and a divider circuit. The at least one selector circuit is adapted to select the signals to be processed by alternating between the signals representative of the X dimension and the signals representative of the Y dimension. The summation circuit is adapted to add the amplitude magnitudes of the signals selected. The difference circuit is adapted to obtain the difference between the amplitude magnitudes of the signals selected. The divider circuit is adapted to divide the output of the difference circuit by the output of the summation circuit to produce a quotient proportional to the physical change of the object being controlled.

A closed loop control system is the basic method employed to automate control of a system. One example of such a system is a servo control system which is a closed loop control of position and velocity. In order for such a system to work it must know where it is located at any given point in time. One method for achieving this requirement is by using a sensor to detect changes in movement. This can be accomplished by using different types of sensors. One such sensor is a linear voltage differential transducer (LVDT). An LVDT is a displacement transducer widely used to measure changes in the physical state of a system (i.e. fluid level, pressure, temperature, etc.). An LVDT has many applications such as sensing fluid levels, temperature, force, pressure, position and velocity among many others. LVDTs have gained wide use because their sensing elements have no actual physical contact when sensing. Therefore, there is very little wear on the LVDT while in use. A typical LVDT consists of a primary coil driven by an alternating current (AC) source, two secondary coils and a movable magnetic core. When the core is centered, the magnitude of the differential AC voltage output induced in the secondary coils will be the same in each coil. This state represents the zero or center point of the physical state being measured. When the core is displaced, the voltage across the secondary coils will change. This state represents a change or displacement in the physical state being measured.
In a typical application with instrumentation, the voltage output from the secondary coils of an LVDT must be rectified to a direct current (DC) signal. The DC signal is then typically processed by analog circuits to produce a voltage output which is linearly proportional to the displacement of the core and consequently the change in the physical state. This voltage output is then typically passed through an analog to digital converter in order to be used with today's computerized control systems.
Typical analog circuits used with LVDTs suffer from important limitations, however. They are subject to component drift and the output is temperature dependent. Some analog circuits use wiring known as ratiometric wiring which makes them more temperature independent. However, these require that the calculated sum of the input signals be constant to minimize errors. If the sum is not constant, high non-linearities in the processed signal can result. Additionally, current analog circuits only process signals for one dimension.
For the reasons stated above and for other reasons stated below which will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading and understanding the present specification, there is a need in the art for a decoder which will perform the function of the analog circuits used with LVDTs, but is not subject to the limitations of analog circuits used with LVDTs and can function in more than one dimension.

Two-dimension digital ratiometric decoder


An image capture device and method of assembling same is disclosed which provides an improved technique of mounting a CMOS detector and also isolates the optics for image capture from the optics for illumination, thereby simplifying the adjustment process. An exemplary arrangement using the camera module is also shown.

Two-dimensional bar code symbol capture devices are known in the art. An example of such device is shown in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2003/0089776, a figure from which is reproduced as FIG. 1 here.
These image capture devices typically include a CMOS or other type of light sensor that comprises an array of sensing elements, each of which outputs an electrical signal proportional or in some way related to the amount of incident light. The image may then be stored electronically for later processing or reproduction.
Such image capture devices typically include the sensor mounted on a printed circuit board (PCB) and placed behind a set of one or more lenses, as shown in the '776 publication cited above, and in FIG. 1 hereof. Additionally, the prior art image capture devices often include an illumination means, a set of several light sources to light up the symbol being imaged, and to help aim the image capture device at the symbol to be captured.
The aiming light is used to help ascertain where to position the image capture device. By positioning the aiming light, often implemented as a series of LEDS, in the correct place, a user can ascertain when the image capture device is correctly positioned to be activated for capturing the desired image.
Several problems exist with these prior art devices. First, any lenses associated with the illumination LEDs must be correctly adjusted to properly illuminate the symbol or image to be captured. Specifically, the distance between the lens and the illumination and aiming LEDs must be correctly set.
However, the additional lens or lenses employed to direct light reflected from the image onto the sensor must also be adjusted, so that the distance between these additional lenses and the sensor are also correct. Because these two adjustments are related in a rather complicated and nonlinear fashion, it is very difficult to properly adjust focal lengths in an arrangement such as that shown in the '776 publication.
Another problem in such systems results from the type of sensor array utilized. More specifically, these types of sensor arrays may be packaged in several different types of packages, such as bare chip mount, ceramic packaging, or what has commonly become known as BGA or ball grid array packaging. Ball grid array packaging is a type of shell case packaging known in the art and which permits the size of the package to be minimized.
In the conventional image capture devices, BGA type of packaging is rarely if ever employed. One of the problems with BGA type packaging is that when mounted on a PCB for use in the camera module, stray light from the opposite side of the PCB reaches the BGA packaged sensor array, and causes distortion of the image. However, BGA type of packaging is beneficial for making the camera module as small as possible. Therefore, there are competing requirements when this type of packaging is employed.
In view of the foregoing, there exists a need in the art for a more efficient image capture device utilizing BGA type sensors.

Camera module and method of assembling same


This document discusses among other things apparatus and methods for protecting circuit elements from harmful voltages. In an example, an apparatus can include an amplifier configured to receive an input signal and to provide an estimate of a first output signal, a peak detector to receive the estimate and to generate a comparison signal that is active when the amplified input signal exceeds a threshold value, and a timer configured to activate a second output signal if the comparison signal is active for at least a selected time period. The timer can include a first digital input and the selected time period can be set using a state of the first digital input.

Mobile devices, such as cellular "smart" phones, MPEG-1 Audio Layer III (MP3) devices, Wi-Fi-capable devices, and the 6 like, have become increasingly popular due to their continually enhanced functionality and performance. A popular (and often necessary) feature incorporated into most of these devices is an audio speaker for producing sounds, such as music or the spoken word. In many cases, a connector may also be supplied on the device to allow the user to connect earphones or similar devices for sound reproduction.
A significant concern of mobile device manufacturers is the protection of audio speakers that are incorporated into the device from damage due to improper voltages being placed across the speaker. A common type of damage-inflicting voltage is a direct-current (DC) mode voltage of sufficient magnitude and duration to cause permanent speaker damage. Preventing the application of such a voltage across a speaker is often difficult to implement, as some typical audible low-frequency audio signals may exhibit the characteristics of a voltage signal capable of damaging a speaker.


There is provided a method of measuring the value of the threshold voltage of a memory core cell in an array of flash EEPROM memory core cells. The memory core cell includes an array core transistor having a corresponding array threshold voltage which is to be measured. There is provided a reference current level at a constant value which is generated by a reference cell transistor having a fixed bias condition and a fixed threshold voltage so that the relationship of the bias voltage applied to its gate and the fixed threshold voltage is linear. A control gate bias voltage applied to the gate of the array core transistor having the array threshold voltage which is to be measured is varied continuously. The varied control gate bias voltage and the reference current level is compared so as to generate a high logic when the varied control gate bias voltage produces a core cell current which is greater than the reference current level to obtain immediately the value of the threshold voltage of the array core transistor.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to non-volatile memory devices having a floating gate such as an array of flash electrically erasable and programmable read-only memory (EEPROMs) devices. More particularly, the present invention relates to a new and novel method of determining the value of the threshold voltage of a memory core cell in an array of flash EEPROM memory core cells by reading the core cell.
2. Description of the Prior Art
One type of non-volatile memory device is referred to as "flash EEPROMs" which are both programmable and erasable electrically. FIG. 1 illustrates a prior art cross-sectional view of a flash EEPROM cell 10. In these flash memories, a plurality of such one-transistor flash EEPROM cells 10 may be formed on a p-type semiconductor substrate (P-Well) 12 in which each is comprised of an n.sup.+ drain region 14 and an n.sup.+ source region 16 both formed integrally within the substrate. A relatively thin gate dielectric layer 18 is interposed between a top surface of the substrate 12 and a conductive polysilicon floating gate 20. A polysilicon control gate 22 is insulatively supported above the floating gate 20 by a second dielectric layer 24. A channel region 26 in the substrate separates the drain and source regions (14, 16). Further, there are provided terminal pins 28, 30, 32 and 34 for applying a source voltage V.sub.S to the source region 16, a gate voltage V.sub.G to the control gate 22, a drain voltage V.sub.D to the drain region 14, and a well voltage V.sub.W to the substrate 12, respectively.
As is well-known, the charge of the floating gate 20 of the one-transistor cell 10 of FIG. 1 is dependent upon the number of electrons contained in the floating gate. During the programming mode, electrons are added to the floating gate of the cell 10 so as to increase its threshold voltage. The term "threshold" refers to a gate-to-source voltage that must be applied between the gate and the source of the cell in order to cause it to conduct. During the erase mode, electrons are removed from the floating gate of the cell so as to decrease its threshold voltage. In programmed state, the threshold voltage of a cell is typically set at greater than +6.5 volts, while the threshold voltage of a cell in an erased state is typically limited below +3.0 volts.
In order to determine whether the cell has been programmed or not, the cell is read by applying a small positive voltage to the control gate between the +3.0 and +6.5 volt range, typically +5.0 volts, with the source region held at a ground potential (0 volts) and the drain held at a potential between +1 to +2 volts. If the transistor cell conducts or is turned-on, a current will flow through the transistor representing a "1" bit or erased state. On the other hand, if the transistor cell does not conduct or is turned-off no current will flow through the transistor representing a ".0." bit or programmed state.
FIG. 2 is a simplified functional block diagram of a conventional semiconductor integrated memory circuit device 100 which includes a flash EEPROM memory array 102 formed of a plurality of memory core cells MC11-MCnm (each being formed such as the one shown in FIG. 1). The plurality of memory cells MC11-MCnm are arranged in an n.times.m matrix on a single integrated circuit chip. Each of the memory cells is comprised of one of the array core transistors Q.sub.P11 through Q.sub.Pnm which function as a memory transistor for storing data "1" or ".0." therein. Each of the core transistors has its drain connected to one of the plurality of bit lines BL.0.-BLm which are, in turn, connected to a bit line pull-up circuit 104 and a column address decoder 106. All of the sources of the array core transistors are connected to a common array ground potential VSS. Each of the core transistors also has its control gate connected to one of the plurality of word lines WL.0.-WLn which are, in turn, connected to a row address decoder 108.
The row address decoder 108 receives voltage signals from a power supply 110 and distributes the individual voltage signals to the corresponding word lines WL.0.-WLn in response to row address signals A.sub.i received from a state machine 112. At the same time, the bit line pullup circuit 104 receives voltages from the power supply 110 and distributes the individual voltage signals to the corresponding bit lines BL.0.-BLm in response to signals received from the state machine 112. The column decoder 106 provides signals from the various bit lines BL.0.-BLm to sense amplifiers or comparators 114 in response to column address signals A.sub.j received from the state machine 112. Further, the sense amplifiers 114 receive a signal from reference cells of a reference array 116. Responsive to the signals from the column decoder 106 and the reference array 116, the sense amplifiers 114 generate a signal indicating a state of the corresponding bit lines BL.0.-BLm relative to a reference cell line REF which is then passed through data latches 118 to the state machine 112.
In addition, it will be noted that the reference array 116 includes a plurality of reference cells RC1-RCn each being formed by one corresponding reference cell transistor Q.sub.R1 -Q.sub.Rn. The gates of the array core transistors Q.sub.P11 through Q.sub.Pnm and the reference cell transistors Q.sub.R1 -Q.sub.Rn located in the same row are connected to the same word line. For instance, the gates of the transistors Q.sub.P11 -Q.sub.P1m and Q.sub.R1 are all connected to the word line WL.0.. Such semiconductor memory circuit device 100 as described and illustrated thus far is similar to the one in U.S. Pat. No. 5,142,496 to M. A. Van Buskirk entitled "Method for Measuring V.sub.T 'S Less Than Zero Without Applying Negative Voltages," which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
With reference to FIG. 3 of the drawings, there is shown a simplified schematic circuit diagram of certain portions of the memory circuit device 100 of FIG. 2 to explain how the threshold voltage V.sub.TP of one array core transistor Q.sub.P is measured in the '496 patent of the prior art. In particular, the measuring circuitry 300 of FIG. 3 includes a comparator 120, a reference resistor 122 having a resistance value R.sub.2, a sense ratio resistor 124 having a resistance value R.sub.1 (n.times.R2), a core transistor Q.sub.P and a reference transistor Q.sub.R. The comparator 120 is actually one of the sense amplifiers 114 of FIG. 2.
The reference resistor 122 has its one end connected to a supply potential or voltage VCC, which is typically at +1.0 volts, and its other end connected to the non-inverting input of the comparator 120 at node A. The node A is also connected to the drain of the reference transistor Q.sub.R via the reference cell line REF. One end of the sense ratio resistor 124 is also connected to the supply potential VCC, and the other end thereof is connected to the inverting input of the comparator 120 at node B. The node B is also connected to the drain of the core transistor Q.sub.P via the selected bit line BL. As can be seen, the gates of the core transistor Q.sub.P and the reference transistor Q.sub.R are connected together and receive the same control gate voltage V.sub.g via the selected word line WL. The sense ratio is defined by the number n, where n is typically greater than 1 during the read mode of operation.
In order to measure the threshold voltage V.sub.TP of the core transistor Q.sub.P to determine if it is positive or negative, the comparator 120 is used to effectively compare the threshold voltage V.sub.TP of the core transistor Q.sub.P to the threshold voltage V.sub.TR of the reference transistor Q.sub.R . If the threshold voltage V.sub.TP is less than the threshold voltage V.sub.TR, the comparator 120 will output a logic "1." On the other hand, if the threshold voltage V.sub.TP is greater than the threshold voltage V.sub.TR then the comparator 120 will output a logic "0." However, the actual value of the threshold voltage V.sub.TP in relationship to the value of the threshold voltage V.sub.TR is not straightforward, but must be calculated mathematically by equation (1) in the '496 patent. In other words, the threshold voltage V.sub.TP must be calculated after the word line voltage at which the output of the comparator is changed is known, by inserting the same as well as the sense ratio and the threshold voltage V.sub.TR into the equation (1).
Accordingly, there has been discovered by the inventor a new and novel method of determining the value of the threshold voltage of a memory core cell by simply reading the core cell without requiring any complicated calculations to be performed. The present invention represents a significant improvement over the aforementioned '496 patent of the prior art and as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3.

Method and apparatus for measuring the threshold voltage of flash EEPROM memory cells being applied a variable control gate bias


An image processing method of performing an imaging process on an original image having a connection figure including a first figure and a second figure connected to the first figure to generate an extraction image of the first figure extracted, includes the steps of: obtaining a first image in which the connection figure in the original image is selectively extracted by performing a segmentation process on the original image; obtaining a second image including a third figure separated from the second figure and a fourth figure separated from the first figure in the connection figure by sequentially performing an erosion process and a dilation process in a morphologic operation so as to separate the first and second figures from each other, in the connection figure included in the first image; obtaining a third image by performing a segmentation process so as to selectively extract the third figure in the second image; obtaining a fourth image by performing a process of obtaining the difference between the first image and the third image; obtaining a fifth image by determining whether the size of a figure included in the fourth image obtained in the fourth image processing step is equal to or larger than a reference value, and when the size is equal to or larger than the reference value, eliminating the figure from the fourth image and, when the size is less than the reference value, processing the fourth image so as to leave the figure in the fourth image; and obtaining the extraction image by adding the third image and the fifth image.

The field of the present invention relates to an image processing apparatus, an image processing method, a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus, and a program for use in image processing. More particularly, the present invention relates to an image processing apparatus, an image processing method, a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus, and a program for performing an imaging process on an original image obtained so as to include a connection figure having a plurality of figures connected to each other, thereby generating an extraction image of a figure to be extracted in the plurality of figures.
An imaging apparatus such as a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) apparatus is an apparatus for obtaining an image of a subject and displaying the image on a screen and is often used for medical purposes.
In the magnetic resonance imaging apparatus, an imaging region in a subject is placed in an imaging space in which static magnetic fields are generated, and spins of protons in the imaging region are aligned in the direction of the static magnetic fields, thereby generating a magnetization vector. By applying an RF pulse of resonance frequency, the nuclear magnetic resonance phenomenon is caused to flip the spins and change the magnetization vector of the protons. After that, a magnetic resonance (MR) signal generated when the flipped proton returns to the original state of the magnetization vector is received. On the basis of the received magnetic resonance signal, an image such as a slice image of the imaging region is reconstructed.
In the magnetic resonance imaging apparatus, to obtain information of the extending direction of a fiber such as a nerve fiber bundle in a subject, the head of the subject is scanned by the DTI (Diffusion Tensor Imaging), and DTI data set is generated. For example, the DTI data set is generated so as to have a DTI image including a T2 image and an ADC (Apparent Diffusion Coefficient) image. To clarify the positional relation between the nerve fiber bundle and the tumor and accurately execute an operation plan, the figure expressing the tumor is accurately extracted from the DTI image obtained as described above by segmentation. After that, by using the extraction image including the figure expressing the tumor, fusion display is performed. For example, noise is eliminated from the DTI image by using an anisotropic diffusion filter (refer to, for example, non-patent document 1), a figure expressing a tumor is extracted by segmentation according to, for example, the fast marching level set method (refer to, for example, non-patent document 2), and fusion display is performed with the extraction image obtained by extracting the figure expressing the tumor by segmentation.
In the DTI image obtained, however, the pixel values of the figure expressing the tumor and those of a cerebral ventricle filled with CSF are almost the same. When the tumor and the cerebral ventricle are close to each other or in contact with each other, in some cases, their figures are extracted from the DTI image in a state where the plural figures showing the tumor and the cerebral ventricle are connected to each other. Therefore, at the time of performing the fusion display by using the extraction image, not only the figure expressing the tumor but also the other figures of the cerebral ventricle and the like are included in the extraction image. There are cases such that it is difficult for the operator who observes the fusion-displayed image to clearly grasp the positional relation between a nerve fiber bundle and a tumor and appropriately execute an operation plan.
Consequently, methods of solving the problem by executing imaging processes on the DTI image have been proposed.
Concretely, a method of generating an extraction image in which only a tumor is extracted has been proposed, by preliminarily scanning the head with a pulse sequence of the FLAIR (fluid attenuated IR) method, generating an image in which contrast occurs between a cerebral ventricle and a tumor, obtaining the positional information of pixels corresponding only to the cerebral ventricle and, after that, performing an imaging process of masking the pixel portion corresponding to the cerebral ventricle in the DTI image obtained as described above (refer to, for example, non-patent document 3).
In another method, a segmentation process is executed on a DTI image having a connection figure including a plurality of figures connected to each other to selectively extract the connection figure. After that, by sequentially performing erosion (reducing) process and dilation (expanding) process in the morphologic operation, the connection figure is divided into a figure of a tumor and a figure of a cerebral ventricle. After that, a segmentation of only the figure expressing the tumor is performed from the image having the separated figures (refer to, for example, non-patent document 4).    Non-patent document 1. G. Gerig et. A1, IEEE trans Med. Imaging, 11(2), 221-232, 1992.    Non-patent document 2. J. A. Sethian, Level set method and fast marching method, Cambridge University Press, 1999.    Non-patent document 3. S. Saraswathy et. A1, ISMRM 2006, p. 1609.    Non-patent document 4. Toriwaki et. A1, Image Information Process (1), pp. 73-76, Corona Publishing Co., Ltd. 2005.
In the former case, however, it is necessary to perform a scan with a pulse sequence of the FLAIR method or the like in addition to a scan for generating a DTI image. Consequently, time required for the scans is long and, in some cases, diagnosis cannot be efficiently conducted.
In the latter case, in some cases, a part of the topology of the tumor in the DTI image is lost due to execution of the erosion process and the dilation process in the morphological operation. That is, there is the case that the shape of the tumor in the DTI image and that in an image obtained after the erosion process and the dilation process differ from each other. In this case, it is not easy to appropriately extract only the tumor, and diagnosis cannot be efficiently conducted.
As described above, it is difficult to obtain an extraction image by properly and efficiently extracting a figure to be extracted from an original image having a connection figure in which a plurality of figures of, for example, a tumor and a cerebral ventricle in the DTI image are connected to each other.

Image processing apparatus, image processing method, and magnetic resonance imaging apparatus

GE Medical Systems Global Technology Company, LLC


A communication system including a constellation of satellites and a multi-channel unit having a plurality of co-located transceivers operative for exchanging communication information with users, and for monitoring a plurality of spot beams transmitted from one or more of the satellites for ring alert data contained within broadcast channels, and for monitoring and prioritizing the strongest of "n" broadcast channels for ring alerts based upon signal strength, upon a continuous sampling of ring alert channels contained within one or more broadcast channels, upon broadcast signal strength in relation to idle transceiver availability and the communication system geometries, and upon the monitoring of broadcast channels contained within candidate handoff lists contained within one or more of the traffic channels of in-use transceivers, for the purpose of increasing the probability of receiving a ring alert.

This invention relates generally to the field of wireless communications and, more particularly, to the field of ring alert terminations in a wireless communication system.
Digital wireless communication systems employ synchronous or asynchronous transmission protocols. Synchronous transmission protocols require rigid timing and structure of transmissions between communication elements. Typically, one communication element will be designated as a node, reference or origin communication element, for example as at least one satellite of a constellation of satellites. Other non-reference communication elements, such as individual subscriber units (ISUs), operating within the communication system must adhere to the timing and frequencies established by the reference communication element.
A reference communication element transmits information, such as ring alert data, in order to attempt to connect a call to an ISU, consistent with the timing and frequency established within the communication system. Ring alert data is normally carried within broadcast channels directed along a beam transmitted by one or more reference communication elements.
A user with an ISU is normally located in an area having a clear line of sight view of the satellite of a constellation of satellites (normally referred to as SV constellation). In this environment, the ISU has about a 90% chance of successfully terminating a call. Typically, each reference communication element uses a series of small spot beams which move across the face of the earth. The use of small spot beams helps increase frequency reuse in the communication system and therefore allows for greater capacity for the limited spectrum available.
Small spot beams also necessitate that ring alert signals be transmitted via several spot beams in order to cover an area that an ISU can be in. In other words, a plurality of broadcast channels located within a predetermined number of spot beams issue a ring alert signal or transmission indicating a pending call.
However, most of the time, an ISU is in standby mode. When an ISU is in standby mode, it normally rescans for the strongest beam for monitoring ring alerts as infrequently as possible (normally every 60 seconds) in order to conserve battery power, because frequent rescans reduce the available standby battery life, and because ring alerts can be lost during the rescan process.
In like manner, an ISU can originally pick a beam which is optimum for receiving a ring alert at the time of the rescan. However, because the reference communication element is normally moving with respect to the earth, and because the ISU can also be moving upon the face of the earth, such as in a car, train, or airplane, this beam will become progressively less optimum as time goes by.
As a result, when an ISU picks a beam to monitor for ring alerts, it might not be the optimum or strongest beam because communication system resources limit the number of beams that can be economically rung at any one given time. Normally, about 4.5 beams are rung per ring alert. However, for battery conservation reasons, the ISU will hang onto a beam for so long that the system has a reasonable chance of not ringing the beam that the ISU is listening to, even when the ISU is placed in an optimum environment.
Therefore, what are needed are a system and a method for enhancing ring alert or call terminations in a communication system where the reference and nonreference communication elements are not stationary. What are also needed are a system and a method for enhancing ring alert or call terminations that maximize system resources and conserve energy.

System and method for enhancing ring alert terminations


A packet switched communications network that includes nodes that are interconnected by links, is dimensioned to accommodate committed bandwidths for ports that are connected to packet switched communications network. Bandwidth of a given link that includes first and second ends is provided, based on a link dimensioning rule that is a function of committed bandwidths from ports that are connected to the first end of the given link and ports that are connected to the second end of the given link. The packet switched communications network provider agrees to provide communications service for a customer through the packet switched communications network at a first committed bandwidth. At least some of the links are dimensioned to accommodate the first committed bandwidth. Upon occurrence of degraded performance for the customer over the packet switched communications network, the packet switched communications network provider agrees to provide communications service for the customer at a second committed bandwidth that is greater than the first committed bandwidth. The packet switched communications network provider then dimensions at least some of the links to accommodate the second committed bandwidth.

Communications networks are widely used to communicate voice, video, multimedia and/or data. Communications network providers may invest large sums of money in the infrastructure that is used to provide a communications network. In order to optimize this investment, it may be desirable to dimension the network, so that neither overcapacity nor under-capacity is provided for the voice, video, multimedia and/or data communications.
Dimensioning of a connection-oriented (circuit switched) network may be relatively simple because a user is allocated a circuit by provision and/or by on-demand signaling. It may, thus, be relatively straightforward to dimension these circuits.
In contrast, in a connectionless communications network, also referred to herein as a packet switched communications network, a specific circuit allocation may not be provided. Thus, it may be more difficult to dimension the elements of the network. As is well known to those having skill in the art, a packet switched communications network includes a plurality of nodes that are interconnected by a plurality of links. A plurality of ports are connected to the packet switched communications network.
It is known to dimension the links in a packet switched communications network by measuring link utilization and increasing link capacity when link utilization crosses a threshold. Unfortunately, this technique may lead to an "all you can eat" effect, wherein the network operator or provider keeps increasing capacity as more traffic is sent, with little or no leverage to increase revenue. This business model for connectionless services may not be economically sustainable.

Link capacity dimensioning methods for packet switched communications networks, and networks and links dimensioned thereby

AT&T Deleware Intellectual Property, Inc.


An intervertebral stabilization implant and an intervertebral stabilizer insertion tool are disclosed. The implant is inserted between the posterior peripheral regions of two vertebral bodies, and has elements allowing the insertion tool to position the implant and remove the implant if necessary, and a portion to receive bone-growth inducing material after the implant is in place. The insertion tool has elements for positioning the implant, and for controlling the depth of the implant.

Vertebral fusion is a common surgical procedure to immobilize two or more vertebrae. In surgical fusion, implants immobilize the vertebrae relative to each other while osteoblastic, or bone-growth inducing material stimulates bone growth between the vertebrae.
Surgeons perform vertebral fusion as a last resort to treat pain or neurological deficits caused by vertebral column abnormalities. Abnormalities indicating fusion include degenerative disc disease, disc herniation, discognetic pain, spinal tumors, vertebral fractures, scoliosis, kyphosis, spondylolisthesis, spondylosis, and Posterior Rami Syndrome. Posterolateral fusion immobilizes the vertebrae with metal implants connected to screws and wires through the pedicles of each vertebrae and bone grafts between the transverse processes. Interbody fusion immobilizes the vertebrae by replacing the cartilaginous disc between the vertebrae with an implant and bone graft. Surgeons generally perform interbody fusion between vertebrae in either the cervical spine or the lumbar spine.
Orthopedic surgeons perform anterior cervical interbody fusion through a small incision in the patient's neck, approaching the cervical spine from the anterior side. Retractors protect vascular and neurological structures on each side of the cervical spine while the surgeon removes the unhealthy cartilage by ablation or some other equivalent process.
Once the surgeon has removed the unhealthy cartilage, he inserts an implant into the disc space between the two cervical vertebrae. Current implants have two shortcomings; the surgeon cannot safely place an implant where it would be most effective; and the surgeon cannot ensure that bone-growth inducing material has made contact with both vertebrae, which is necessary to ensure successful fusion. Both shortcomings are common to implants used in lumbar interbody fusion as well.
Surgeons must generally insert existing implants by gripping the implant along its circumference with forceps and sliding the implant into the disc space. Alternatively, the surgeon may insert the implant by gripping the implant along the top and bottom surfaces and sliding the implant into the disc space. Either method usually requires light hammering with a mallet to fully insert the implant.
These insertion methods have significant drawbacks: gripping the implant along its circumference necessarily requires the implant to have a smaller circumference than the disc space the implant is intended to fill; otherwise the surgeon could not remove the forceps he used to insert the implant. For the same reason, gripping the implant by the top and bottom necessarily requires the surgeon to remove the holder before fully seating the implant. In either case, the surgeon performing the operation will usually use a small mallet and impact tool to tap the implant further into the disc space. While tapping is an effective and controllable means of inserting the implant, tapping also imparts significant loads on the implant that may cause cracking. Furthermore, a surgeon generally cannot pull an implant back if the surgeon taps the implant too far into the disc space, and tapping an implant too far into the disc space poses a danger to the patient's spinal cord; therefore, surgeons usually do not place existing implants in the region of the disc space between the dense cortical bone at the posterior peripheral regions of the vertebrae, even though such placement would provide ideal support. Instead, surgeons generally place existing implants in the center of the disc space. The center of a vertebral body is softer than the periphery of the vertebral body because the center is composed primarily of cancellous bone which is porous; therefore, implants placed in the center of the vertebral body often subside.
Existing implants include one or more bone-growth inducing material containers defined by the circumference of the implant. Bone-growth inducing material stimulates new bone formation in the disc space where the surgeon has removed the unhealthy cartilage, thereby fusing the two adjacent vertebrae. Because existing implants completely circumscribe the bone-growth inducing material containers, a surgeon must pack bone-growth inducing material into those containers before the surgeon inserts the implant into the patient's vacant disc space. During insertion, bone-growth inducing material frequently settles or subsides, or otherwise fails to make contact with each of the vertebra defining the empty disc space. If the bone-growth inducing material does not make contact with both vertebrae, the vertebrae may never actually fuse and the operation will be a failure. Because existing implants completely circumscribes the bone-growth inducing material containers, the surgeon has no way of knowing if the bone-growth inducing material has made contact with each vertebra; nor does the surgeon have an effective means of correcting the situation if not.
Fusion failure is common. Fusion failure typically occurs when the implant subsides into the cancellous bone of the vertebrae, or when the bone-growth inducing material does not properly interface with the vertebrae. Consequently, it would be advantageous if an apparatus existed that is suitable for stabilizing vertebrae, which can be positioned precisely along the posterior peripheral cortical bone regions of two vertebrae, and which a surgeon can pack with bone-growth inducing material after the apparatus is in place.

Peripheral vertebral body spacer implant and insertion tool


An adjustable air brush for spray paint cans comprised of a tube portion having an open internally threaded first end and a closed second end with an intermediate extent therebetween. The tube portion has a small tube extending orthogonally downward from an interior surface thereof. The small tube is adapted for coupling with a nozzle hole of a spray can. The tube portion has a pressure knob secured to a top portion thereof. The pressure knob has a tube extending within the tube portion to couple with the small tube to release paint from within the spray can. A spray tip portion removably secures to one of the open end portions of the tube portion. An adjustable knob portion secures to an opposing end portion of the tube portion. The adjustment knob regulates the amount of paint through the tip portion.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an adjustable air brush for spray paint cans and more particularly pertains to applying paint in an airbrushing manner easily, evenly, and quickly with an adjustable air brush for spray paint cans.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of spray heads is known in the prior art. More specifically, spray heads heretofore devised and utilized for the purpose of permitting spraying of liquids, such as paint are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
By way of example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,193,748 to Wittersheim et al. discloses a spray head for spray device.
U.S. Pat. No. Des. 333,616 to Perkins et al. discloses the ornamental design for a detachable spray nozzle for spray cans.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,095,286 to Ellis discloses an agitator for paint spray cans.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,024,990 to Smrt discloses a dispensing apparatus for aerosol spray cans.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,659,791 to Clark discloses a spray gun adaptor for aerosol cans.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objective and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not describe an adjustable air brush for spray paint cans for applying paint in an airbrushing manner easily, evenly, and quickly.
In this respect, the adjustable air brush for spray paint cans according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in doing so provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of applying paint in an airbrushing manner easily, evenly, and quickly.
Therefore, it can be appreciated that there exists a continuing need for new and improved adjustable air brush for spray paint cans which can be used for applying paint in an airbrushing manner easily, evenly, and quickly. In this regard, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.

Adjustable air brush for spray paint cans