An external control device for use with a medical component implanted within a patient. The device comprises a user interface configured for receiving user input, displaying a first graphical representation of the medical component in the context of a global graphical representation of an anatomical region of the patient, displaying a view finder defining a portion of the global graphical representation, and displaying a second graphical representation of the medical component in the context of a local graphical representation of the portion of the anatomical region portion. The external control device further comprises control circuitry configured for, in response to the input from the user, modifying the displayed view finder to spatially define a different portion of the global graphical representation, such that the second graphical representation of the medical component is displayed in the context of a local graphical representation of the different portion of the anatomical region.

Implantable neurostimulation systems have proven therapeutic in a wide variety of diseases and disorders. Pacemakers and Implantable Cardiac Defibrillators (ICDs) have proven highly effective in the treatment of a number of cardiac conditions (e.g., arrhythmias). Spinal Cord Stimulation (SCS) systems have long been accepted as a therapeutic modality for the treatment of chronic pain syndromes, and the application of tissue stimulation has begun to expand to additional applications such as angina pectoralis and incontinence. Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) has also been applied therapeutically for well over a decade for the treatment of refractory chronic pain syndromes, and DBS has also recently been applied in additional areas such as movement disorders and epilepsy. Further, in recent investigations Peripheral Nerve Stimulation (PNS) systems have demonstrated efficacy in the treatment of chronic pain syndromes and incontinence, and a number of additional applications are currently under investigation. Also, Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) systems such as the Freehand system by NeuroControl (Cleveland, Ohio) have been applied to restore some functionality to paralyzed extremities in spinal cord injury patients.
These implantable neurostimulation systems typically include one or more electrode carrying neurostimulation leads, which are implanted at the desired stimulation site, and a neurostimulator (e.g., an implantable pulse generator (IPG)) implanted remotely from the stimulation site, but coupled either directly to the neurostimulation lead(s) or indirectly to the neurostimulation lead(s) via a lead extension. Thus, electrical pulses can be delivered from the neurostimulator to the neurostimulation leads to stimulate the tissue and provide the desired efficacious therapy to the patient. The neurostimulation system may further comprise a handheld patient programmer in the form of a remote control (RC) to remotely instruct the neurostimulator to generate electrical stimulation pulses in accordance with selected stimulation parameters. The RC may, itself, be programmed by a clinician, for example, by using a clinician's programmer (CP), which typically includes a general purpose computer, such as a laptop, with a programming software package installed thereon.
In the context of an SCS procedure, one or more neurostimulation leads are introduced through the patient's back into the epidural space, such that the electrodes carried by the leads are arranged in a desired pattern and spacing to create an electrode array. Multi-lead configurations have been increasingly used in electrical stimulation applications (e.g., neurostimulation, cardiac resynchronization therapy, etc.). In the neurostimulation application of SCS, the use of multiple leads increases the stimulation area and penetration depth (therefore coverage), as well as enables more combinations of anodic and cathodic electrodes for stimulation, such as transverse multipolar (bipolar, tripolar, or quadra-polar) stimulation, in addition to any longitudinal single lead configuration. After proper placement of the neurostimulation leads at the target area of the spinal cord, the leads are anchored in place at an exit site to prevent movement of the neurostimulation leads. To facilitate the location of the neurostimulator away from the exit point of the neurostimulation leads, lead extensions are sometimes used.
The neurostimulation leads, or the lead extensions, are then connected to the IPG, which can then be operated to generate electrical pulses that are delivered, through the electrodes, to the targeted tissue, and in particular, the dorsal column and dorsal root fibers within the spinal cord. The stimulation creates the sensation known as paresthesia, which can be characterized as an alternative sensation that replaces the pain signals sensed by the patient.
The efficacy of SCS is related to the ability to stimulate the spinal cord tissue corresponding to evoked paresthesia in the region of the body Where the patient experiences pain. Thus, the working clinical paradigm is that achievement of an effective result from SCS depends on the neurostimulation lead or leads being placed in a location (both longitudinal and lateral) relative to the spinal tissue such that the electrical stimulation will induce paresthesia located in approximately the same place in the patient's body as the pain (i.e., the target of treatment). If a lead is not correctly positioned, it is possible that the patient will receive little or no benefit from an implanted SCS system. Thus, correct lead placement can mean the difference between effective and ineffective pain therapy.
As such, the CP (described briefly above) may be used to instruct the neurostimulator to apply electrical stimulation to test placement of the leads and/or electrodes inter-operatively (i.e., in the context of an operating room (OR) mapping procedure), thereby assuring that the leads and/or electrodes are implanted in effective locations within the patient. The patient may provide verbal feedback regarding the presence of paresthesia over the pain area, and based on this feedback, the lead positions may be adjusted and re-anchored if necessary. Any incisions are then closed to fully implant the system.
Post-operatively after the surgical procedure has been completed), a fitting procedure, which may be referred to as a navigation session, may be performed using the CP to program the RC, and if applicable the IPG, with a set of stimulation parameters that best addresses the painful site, thereby optimizing or re-optimizing the therapy. Thus, the navigation session may be used to pinpoint the stimulation region or areas correlating to the pain. Such programming ability is particularly advantageous after implantation should the leads gradually or unexpectedly move, which if uncorrected, would relocate the paresthesia away from the pain site.
Typical programmable neurostimulation systems require a means to locate and navigate to a targeted implant location. For example, in the context of SCS, the CP may display graphical representations of the neurostimulation leads in relation to the spinal column of the patient, as described in U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/390,112, entitled Neurostimulation System and Method with Anatomy and Physiology Driven Programming," which is expressly incorporated herein by reference. Because it is desirable that the entire work area for an implant be displayed to medical personnel, current neurostimulation systems should display the entire spinal column, since neurostimulation leads can be implanted anywhere within the spinal column. However, because the size of a neurostimulation lead is much smaller than that of the spinal column, standard user interfaces are limited in that displaying the neurostimulation leads in the context of the entire spinal column may render any details of the neurostimulation leads and the immediately relevant region of the spinal column illegible.
There, thus, remains a need to provide a user interface capable of displaying an implant in the context of the entire work area while also displaying any details of the implant and the immediately surrounding portion of the work area in a legible manner.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

User interface with view finder for localizing anatomical region

Boston Scientific Neuromodulation Corporation


The present invention provides a method for quantifying the presence of extracellular LBP in body fluids including blood in a subject comprising conducting an LBP immunoassay on plasma obtained from said subject.

The present invention relates to methods for determination of the presence of Lipopolysaccharide binding protein (LBP) in body fluid samples including blood samples.
Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is a common component of the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria and is responsible for many of the pathologic effects associated with gram-negative bacterial infection and endotoxemia. Because of the association between bacterial infection and sepsis, attempts have been made to correlate serum/plasma levels of endotoxin with disease. Typically, endotoxin levels have been measured using the Limulus amebocyte lysate (LAL) assay, in which endotoxin initiates a coagulation cascade that can be measured physically, turbidimetrically, or spectrophotometrically, Despite these attempts, however, no reliable correlations between endotoxin levels and sepsis severity or outcome have been identified. This is most likely due to the fact that (i) endotoxin levels in septic patients are very low (>10 pg/L), several serum proteins interfere with the proteolytic LAL cascade, (iii) endotoxin, once in contact with blood, can be "detoxified" by interaction with a variety of blood components, including high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and (iv) endotoxin from different gram-negative organisms varies in its ability to trigger the LAL cascade. Thus, the absolute levels of endotoxin in a patient sample may not correspond to the actual concentrations of bioactive endotoxin present in vivo.
Two related proteins have been identified in humans and other animals that bind LPS with high affinity. These two proteins, Lipopolysaccharide binding protein (LBP), and bactericidal/permeability increasing protein (BPI) have roughly the same molecular weight and share 45% amino acid homology, yet exhibit distinct physiological differences. LBP is a 60 kD glycoprotein synthesized in the liver, while BPI is found in the azurophilic granules of neutrophils. LBP is found in the serum of normal humans at levels of 5-10 .mu.g/mL but can reach levels of 50-100 .mu.g/mL in septic patients. Schumann et al., Science, 249:1429 (1990) disclose the amino acid sequences and encoding cDNA of both human and rabbit LBP. Like BPI, LBP has a binding site for lipid A and binds to the LPS from rough (R-) and smooth (S-) form bacteria. Unlike BPI, LBP does not possess significant bactericidal activity. BPI has been observed to neutralize and inhibit the production of TNF resulting from interaction of LBP with LPS and CD14 on monocytes and macrophages. Marra et al., J. Immunol. 148: 532 (1992), Weiss et al., J. Clin. Invest. 90: 1122 (1992). In contrast, LBP is observed to enhance LPS-induced TNF production. Wright et al., Science, 249:1131 (1990). Thus, in contrast to BPI, LBP has been recognized as an immunostimulatory molecule. See, e.g., Seilhamer, PCT International Application WO 93/06228 which discloses a variant form of LBP which it terms LBP-.beta.. Also of interest to the present invention are Ulevitch, PCT International Application WO 91/01639 which discloses, among other things, anti-LBP antibodies as an anti-sepsis therapeutic agent and U.S. Pat. No. 5,245,013 which relates to LBP and discloses antibodies which immunoreact with a polypeptide having homology to LBP.
LBP has been characterized in the art as an "acute phase protein", that is one of many plasma proteins (such as C-reactive protein, fibrinogen and serum amyloid A) that increase in concentration in response to infectious and non-infectious tissue destructive processes. As such, it would be anticipated that LBP levels would be elevated in samples from patients suffering from a number of autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus erythematosus.
Of interest to the present invention are disclosures related to the assaying of BPI activity in subjects. von der Mohien et al., Abstract, 13th International Symposium on Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine, Brussels (March 1993) discloses the results of assays for serum levels of BPI in patients with gram-negative sepsis and healthy subjects. The abstract disclosed that no BPI was detectable under the conditions of the assay in the serum of healthy subjects while circulating BPI was detected in all septic patients. Also of interest is the disclosure of co-owned and copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/175,276 filed Dec. 29, 1993 which is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 08/125,677 filed Sep. 22, 1993 the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference. Those patent applications disclose that levels of BPI in blood plasma samples correlate with the presence or absence of sepsis while levels of BPI in blood serum samples do not. The patent applications teach that levels of BPI present in serum are not representative of endogenous extracellular levels of BPI in circulating blood while levels of BPI in plasma are.
Also of interest to the present invention are the disclosures of Leturcq et al., Keystone Tahoe Endotoxin Conference, Mar., 1-7, 1992 (Abstract) in which the generation of monoclonal antibodies to human LBP is reported. Also reported is the screening of normal human serum samples for the presence of LBP. LBP levels for normal serum samples were reported to range from 1 .mu.g/mL to 24 .mu.g/mL with an average of 7 .mu.g/mL. Further of interest is the disclosure of Richard Ulevitch at the American Society for Microbiology General Meeting in Atlanta, Ga. May 16-21 (1993) at which data was presented on LBP and soluble CD14 levels in the serum of septic and healthy individuals. The average soluble CD14 and LBP concentrations in the serum of healthy adults were 1 .mu.g/mL and 7 .mu.g/mL respectively. The average soluble CD14 and LBP concentrations in the serum of septic patients were reported to be 2 .mu.g/mL and 55 .mu.g/mL respectively.
Geller et al., Arch. Surg., 128: 22-28 (1993) disclose experiments in which the induction of LBP mRNA was studied in three models known to induce acute phase responses: (1) LPS injection; (2) Corynebacterium parvum injection; and (3) turpentine injection. The publication reports that LBP mRNA is induced during hepatic inflammation and suggest that LBP is an acute-phase protein important in regulating the in vivo response to endotoxin.
Gallay et al., Infect. Immun., 61:378-383 (1993) disclose that an acute phase response in mice injected with silver nitrate induced LBP synthesis, and that LBP levels increase approximately 10-fold over normal levels after an acute-phase response.
There exists a desire in the art for methods for determining the exposure of subjects to endotoxin and for distinguishing the effects of exposure to endotoxin from other acute phase physiologic responses. Also desired are methods for diagnosing the presence or severity of gram-negative sepsis in a subject and for predicting the prognosis of a subject suffering from sepsis.

Method for quantifying LBP in body fluids


Described herein is the use of the optic nerve sheath (ONS) response to alterations in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pressure for predicting the risk of developing Visual Impairment and Intracranial Pressure (VIIP) syndrome in a subject.

A significant proportion of the astronauts who have participated in long-duration space flights experience ophthalmic abnormalities upon their return. These ophthalmic abnormalities include optic disc edema, optic nerve sheath (ONS) distention, globe flattening, nerve fiber layer thickening, cotton wool spots, choroidal folds, and hyperopic shifts, also designated as Visual Impairment and Intracranial Pressure (VIIP) syndrome. Currently, the exact mechanisms causing the VIIP syndrome are yet to be fully elucidated, but elevated intracranial pressure (ICP) resulting from microgravity-induced cephalad fluid shifts e.g. during a spaceflight, is hypothesized to play an important role (Mader et al. 2011, Ophthalmology 118:2058-2069).
Although it is assumed that all astronauts exposed to microgravity have some degree of ICP elevation in-flight, not all crewmembers have manifested overt signs or symptoms of the VIIP syndrome. It is believed that some crewmembers are more susceptible than others due to interindividual factors such as genetics, anatomical features or physical fitness (Nelson et al. 2014, Life (Basel) 4:621-665).
To be able to identify astronaut candidates who will be able to complete long-duration missions with low risk of the VIIP syndrome, it would be desirable to have biomarkers for VIIP risk prediction.

Biomarkers for visual impairment and intracranial pressure (VIIP) syndrome


Methods, a data structure and computer readable mediums address newly-defined code points in a Unicode index of characters by allowing processing of strings that use those newly-defined code points although a database holding an index of Unicode characters has not yet been updated. A method is directed to processing strings including one or more code points associated with an index of code points mapped to an expandable alphabet, such as the Unicode index. The method includes tracking each string that has code points mapped to undefined items and processing the tracked strings outside the processing of strings with defined items. An embodiment provides for creating a database for maintaining the index to the code points mapped to the previously undefined items. For each code point mapped to a previously undefined item a table entry can be created so the entries identify newly defined code points to enable processing the tracked strings.

The Unicode Standard refers to a code that provides a unique number for every character regardless of platform, program, or language. Unicode Standard is a character coding system designed to support the worldwide interchange, processing, and display of the written texts of the diver language of the modern world, including classical and historical written languages. The Unicode Standard is ubiquitous, supported by many operating systems and browsers, and has an increasing number of tools for support. The Unicode Standard is required by modem standards such as XML, Java, ECMAScript (JavaScript), LDAP, CORBA 3.0, and WML, and is the official way to implement ISO/IEC 10646.
Unicode is important because it is extensible and intended to be adequate for all characters and all languages. Before Unicode was invented, there were hundreds of different encoding systems for assigning numbers to characters. There was no single encoding adequate to encode English letters, punctuation and technical symbols. Moreover, prior encoding systems conflicted with one another such that any two encodings frequently assigned a same number for two different characters, or used different numbers for the same character. Servers that supported multiple encodings therefore risked data corruption.
The Unicode standard currently supports three encoding forms sufficient for all known character encoding requirements. Specifically, the majority of common-use characters fit into the first 64,000 code points, an area of the codespace that is called the basic multilingual plane, or BMP for short. There are about 6,700 unused code points for future expansion in the BMP, plus over 870,000 unused supplementary code points on the other planes. More characters are under consideration for addition to future versions of the standard. The Unicode Standard also reserves code points for private use.
The character encoding standards define the identity of each character and its numeric value, or code point, and how the code point is represented in bits. The three encoding forms allow the same data to be transmitted in a byte, word or double word oriented format (i.e. in 8, 16 or 32-bits per code unit). All three encoding forms encode the same common character repertoire and can be efficiently transformed into one another without loss of data. The Unicode is extensible in that new characters can be added and assigned to new characters using the unused code points.
One problem with implementing the Unicode Standard is that the index is large and when new code points are added re-indexing the Unicode to account for the new code points can take hours of processing time. There is a need for a method of accounting for the new code points without requiring the hours of processing required for re-indexing.

Unicode transitional code point database


Medical image rendering is described. In an embodiment a medical image visualization engine receives results from an organ recognition system which provide estimated organ centers, bounding boxes and organ classification labels for a given medical image. In examples the visualization engine uses the organ recognition system results to select appropriate transfer functions, bounding regions, clipping planes and camera locations in order to optimally view an organ. For example, a rendering engine uses the selections to render a two-dimensional image of medical diagnostic quality with minimal user input. In an embodiment a graphical user interface populates a list of organs detected in a medical image and a clinician is able to select one organ and immediately be presented with the optimal view of that organ. In an example opacity of background regions of the medical image may be adjusted to provide context for organs presented in a foreground region.

Medical images are produced by many types of medical equipment such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanners, computed tomography (CT) scanners, single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) scanners, positron emission tomography (PET) scanners and ultra sound scanners. Many such medical images are of three or higher dimensions and in order for clinicians to visualize those images they need to be rendered onto two-dimensional displays. This rendering process is typically computationally expensive, complex and time consuming. In addition, the process needs to be accurate to enable medical diagnoses to be made.
The large quantity of data contained within such medical images means that a clinician or other user needs to spend a significant amount of time searching for the relevant part of the image. For example, in the case of a medical scan a clinician can spend a significant amount of time manually searching for the relevant part of the body (e.g. heart, kidney, blood vessels) before looking for certain features (e.g. signs of cancer or anatomical anomalies) that can help a diagnosis. Typically the clinician is required to operate sliders to navigate the visual data. In addition, it is often difficult for users to remove clutter from the image and focus on the regions of interest. In order to obtain diagnostic clarity for example, a clinician may need to manually resize and center an image, manually select different transfer functions used in the rendering process, manually select different clipping planes by trial and error and so on. This process may often take the majority of the time taken to make the complete diagnosis from the medical image. Indeed, for organs that vary in location widely between patients such as the spleen and organs which are non-normal in size and shape due to anomalies, injuries or disease this process may be very time consuming.
Some techniques exist for the automatic detection and recognition of organs in medical images, which can reduce the time spent manually searching an image. For example, geometric methods include template matching and convolution techniques. For medical images, geometrically meaningful features can, for example, be used for the segmentation of the aorta and the airway tree. However, such geometric approaches have problems capturing invariance with respect to deformations (e.g. due to pathologies), changes in viewing geometry (e.g. cropping) and changes in intensity. In addition, they do not generalize to highly deformable structures such as some blood vessels.
Another example is an atlas-based technique. An atlas is a hand-classified image, which is mapped to a subject image by deforming the atlas until it closely resembles the subject. This technique is therefore dependent on the availability of good atlases. In addition, the conceptual simplicity of such algorithms is in contrast to the requirement for accurate, deformable algorithms for registering the atlas with the subject. In medical applications, a problem with n-dimensional registration is in selecting the appropriate number of degrees of freedom of the underlying geometric transformation; especially as it depends on the level of rigidity of each organ/tissue. In addition, the optimal choice of the reference atlas can be complex (e.g. selecting separate atlases for an adult male body, a child, or a woman, each of which can be contrast enhanced or not). Atlas-based techniques can also be computationally inefficient.
The embodiments described below are not limited to implementations which solve any or all of the disadvantages of known medical image rendering systems.


An apparatus for stacking small goods, particularly small packages, in a container, the apparatus including a separating module by means of which the small goods are conducted over a surface disposed upstream of the container. The opening of the container is arranged to be pivotal at the end of the surface and a pusher is disposed on the surface so as to move in the direction of the container opening, the apparatus further including a retaining threshold and a downwardly pivotal rake that is arranged downstream of the retaining threshold.

The invention relates to an apparatus for stacking small goods, particularly small packages, in a container.
Such devices are known in which the small goods to be stacked are tipped over into a receiving container. The goods here move over a sloped surface or are conducted into the receiving container by means of a tiltable bowl.
These prior art devices have the drawback that proper stacking in the container and thus good space utilization of the container is not provided.

Apparatus and method for stacking small goods


An apparatus imparts concaves/convexes to a sheet-like object by passing the sheet-like object between a pair of rollers facing each other. At least one of the rollers is a roller a surface of which is formed by laminating a single or a plurality of circular plates each provided with concaves/convexes at a peripheral edge thereof. An interval keeping mechanism is provided between the circular plates provided with concaves/convexes at the peripheral edges. At least one of the rollers is formed with a roller surface by laminating a single or a plurality of circular plates each having only convexes of concaves/convexes portions at a peripheral edge thereof. By the roller, convexes can be imparted to one face of front and back surfaces of a sheet-like object.

A sheet-like object imparted with concaves/convexes has been used as an ornamental material as a material excellent in ornamental performance.
Further, the sheet-like object imparted with concaves/convexes is not simply limited to the above-described use but can widely be utilized as a wiping paper sheet since a wiping effect is promoted thereby, a polishing paper sheet by utilizing convex performance of concaves/convexes, an adsorbing paper sheet of oils by utilizing adsorbing performance of concaves/convexes by utilizing a used paper sheet or a waste paper sheet, and as a packing material for a packaging material by utilizing cushioning performance of concaves/convexes.
In a background art, in imparting concaves/convexes to such a sheet-like object, concaves/convexes are imparted at respective fabricating steps, or imparted after fabricating the sheet-like object by using a pressing apparatus for imparting concaves/convexes.
In any cases, concaves/convexes are imparted by using a large-sized fabricating equipment on a maker side and there poses a problem that concaves/convexes cannot be imparted simply on a user side. The problem is particularly posed when concaves/convexes are intended to impart simply and conveniently on the user side for using a sheet-like object supplied from the maker side for a specific use for using the sheet-like object for other use. For example, although in order to effectively utilize a waste paper sheet of a newspaper paper sheet, a copy sheet or the like for wiping waste water or oil, a wiping effect is significantly promoted by imparting concaves/convexes, it is the current state that the waste paper sheet is used by being crumpled by hand since there is not a simple and convenient apparatus for imparting concaves/convexes.
Further, even when concaves/convexes are imparted to a waste material of a thick paper sheet, a thin metal sheet, a resin plate or the like for utilizing effectively as an ornamental sheet or the like, since there is not a suitable apparatus capable of imparting concaves/convexes simply and conveniently, there poses a problem that a concaves/convexes pattern is imparted by manual operation or a large scale apparatus similar to a pressing apparatus in a fabricating maker is needed.
The invention has been carried out in view of the above-described point and it is an object thereof to provide an apparatus for imparting concaves/convexes capable of imparting concaves/convexes to a sheet-like object simply and conveniently and having a simple constitution.

Apparatus for imparting protusions and recesses and product


A ladle (1) comprising a main portion (5), an outlet (3) and an inductor assembly (2) fitted onto the main portion. The main portion comprises a cavity (13) defined by a refractory lining, provided with at least one opening (21) and shaped so that no pockets of molten metal remain after pouring. Consequently, the metal flows more readily, and hot deslagging and metal temperature measurement are made easier. The ladle is useful for maintaining the temperature of high melting point metals such as steel or superalloys for processes requiring metal sampling.

The present invention concerns a furnace or heating ladle for holding of liquid metals, in particular metals having a high melting point, such as cast irons, steels, or superalloys.
In particular, the invention relates to ladles of the type comprising a main element incorporating a cavity delimited by a heat-resistant lining and intended to be filled with molten metal, this cavity being fitted with a filling opening and a metal-outlet orifice connecting with said cavity, and metal-heating means. The cavity is intended to be filled with molten metal whose temperature is kept constant.
Conventional practice entails keeping liquid metal at constant temperature by using an electric tunnel furnace (see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,810,564).
In this type of furnace, the holding the metal at constant temperature is effected by circulating the metal in a duct heated by an inductor. It is difficult to implement this technique when dealing with metals which require high holding temperatures, such as steels and superalloys. When in use, this type of furnace exhibits problems relating to the strength of the heat-resistant material composing the tunnel.
With some alloys such as treated cast irons, malfunctions occur, in particular those caused by substance build-up.
Furthermore, in tunnel furnaces, the quantities of refractory are significant, thereby mandating that a heel or the furnace be left continuously at constant temperature; accordingly, the use of the tunnel furnace is limited to a small number of applications not requiring a high degree of flexibility of use. For example, it is difficult to change alloys frequently or to shut down the furnace face every day.


A positive-working imageable element comprises inner and outer layers and a radiation absorbing compound such as an IR absorbing dye. The inner layer includes a first polymeric material. The ink receptive outer layer includes a second polymeric binder comprising a polymer backbone and an —X—C(═T)—NR—S(═O)2— moiety that is attached to the polymer backbone, wherein —X— is an oxy or —NR′— group, T is O or S, R and R′ are independently hydrogen, halo, or an alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms. After thermal imaging, the element can be developed using an alkaline developer. Use of the particular second polymeric binder reduces sludging in the developer. Its dissolution rate in the developer is slow enough to resist developer attack in the non-imaged areas of the outer layer but rapid enough for the second polymeric binder to be quickly loosened from imaged areas and kept suspended or dissolved for a considerable time.

In conventional or "wet" lithographic printing, ink receptive regions, known as image areas, are generated on a hydrophilic surface. When the surface is moistened with water and ink is applied, the hydrophilic regions retain the water and repel the ink, and the ink receptive regions accept the ink and repel the water. The ink is transferred to the surface of a material upon which the image is to be reproduced. For example, the ink can be first transferred to an intermediate blanket that in turn is used to transfer the ink to the surface of the material upon which the image is to be reproduced.
Imageable elements useful to prepare lithographic printing plates typically comprise an imageable layer applied over the hydrophilic surface of a substrate. The imageable layer includes one or more radiation-sensitive components that can be dispersed in a suitable binder. Alternatively, the radiation-sensitive component can also be the binder material. Following imaging, either the imaged regions or the non-imaged regions of the imageable layer are removed by a suitable developer, revealing the underlying hydrophilic surface of the substrate. If the imaged regions are removed, the element is considered as positive-working. Conversely, if the non-imaged regions are removed, the element is considered as negative-working. In each instance, the regions of the imageable layer (that is, the image areas) that remain are ink-receptive, and the regions of the hydrophilic surface revealed by the developing process accept water and aqueous solutions, typically a fountain solution, and repel ink.
Imaging of the imageable element with ultraviolet and/or visible radiation is typically carried out through a mask that has clear and opaque regions. Imaging takes place in the regions under the clear regions of the mask but does not occur in the regions under the opaque mask regions. If corrections are needed in the final image, a new mask must be made. This is a time-consuming process. In addition, dimensions of the mask may change slightly due to changes in temperature and humidity. Thus, the same mask, when used at different times or in different environments, may give different results and could cause registration problems.
Direct digital imaging has obviated the need for imaging through a mask and is becoming increasingly important in the printing industry. Imageable elements for the preparation of lithographic printing plates have been developed for use with infrared lasers. Thermally imageable, multi-layer elements are described, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,294,311 (Shimazu et al.), U.S. Pat. No. 6,352,812 (Shimazu et al.), U.S. Pat. No. 6,593,055 (Shimazu et al.), U.S. Pat. No. 6,352,811 (Patel et al.), U.S. Pat. No. 6,358,669 (Savariar-Hauck et al.), and U.S. Pat. No. 6,528,228 (Savariar-Hauck et al.), U.S. patent application Publication 2004/0067432 A1 (Kitson et al.). U.S. patent application Publication 2005/0037280 (Loccufier et al.) describes heat-sensitive printing plate precursors that comprise a phenolic developer-soluble polymer and an infrared radiation absorbing agent in the same layer.

Multilayer imageable element containing sulfonamido resin


A processing system includes a local or local storage and a number of remote or remote storage systems that store data mirroring that maintained by the local storage system. Data that is written, changed, deleted or other wise modified by the local storage system is periodically sent to the remote storage systems to update the mirroring data maintained by each.

The present invention relates generally to data processing storage systems comprising a local or local storage facility and two or more remote storage facilities that mirror at least certain of the data retained by the local storage facility. More particularly, the invention relates to a method, and apparatus implementing that method, to synchronize the data at surviving storage facilities in the event of failure of one of them.
The use of data processing over the years by commercial, military, governmental and other endeavors has resulted in tremendous amounts of data being stored—much of it virtually priceless because of its importance. Businesses, for example, risk collapse should its data be lost. For this reason alone the local data is backed up to one or more copies of the data, and retained for use should the original data be corrupted or lost. The more important the data, the more elaborate the methods of backup. For example, one approach to protecting sensitive or valuable data is to store backup copies of that data at one or more sites that are geographically remote from the local storage facility. Each remote storage facility maintains a mirror image of the data held by the local storage facility, and changes (e.g., writes, deletions, etc.) to the local data image of the local storage facility are transferred and also effected at each of the remote storage facilities so that the mirroring of the local data image is maintained. An example of a remote storage system for mirroring data at a local storage system is shown by U.S. Pat. No. 5,933,653.
Updates sent to the remote storage facilities are often queued and sent as a group to keep the overhead of remote copying operations at a minimum. Also, the transmission medium often used it an Internet connections or similar. For these reasons, the data images mirroring the local data will, at times not be the same. If more than one remote storage is used to mirror the local data, there often will be times when the data images of the remote storages will be different from one another—at least until updated by the local storage facility. These interludes of different data images can be a problem if the local facility fails, leaving the remote storage facilities. Failure of the local storage facility can leave some remote storage facilities with data images that more closely if not exactly mirror that of the local storage facility before failure, while others have older "stale" data images that were never completely updated by the last update operation. Thus, failure of the local storage facility may require the remote storage facilities to re-synchronize the data between them in order that all have the same and latest data image before restarting the system. There are several approaches to data synchronization.
If a removable media (e.g., tape, CD-R, DVD, etc.) is used at the local and remote storage facilities, such removable media can be used. For example, a system administrator will copy data at the remote storage facility believed to have the most up-to-date data image of the local facility to the tape. Then, in order to keep the data image from changing before it is used to synchronize at the other remote storage facilities, input/output (I/O) operations at the image-donating facility are halted until the tape can be circulated to update the other remote storage facilities. At the remote storage, administrator copies data from removable media to storage at the remote site. Then, the system administrator re-configures the entire system to that one of the formally remote storage facilities is now the new local storage facility, and its I/O operations allowed be commence. This approach is efficient when the data involved is small, but not so for larger systems. Larger systems will produce data that grows rapidly, requiring what could be an inordinate amount of time to copy for the entire synchronization process.
Lacking removable media, another approach would be to use any network connections between the various storage facilities to communicate data. This approach requires that one storage facility be selected to replace the former local (but now failed) storage facility. I/O operations at the selected storage facility is halted, for the same reasons stated above, and a re-synchronize copy process is initiated between the selected storage facility and the other remote storage facilities. When the re-synchronization process is complete, I/O operations are restarted at the selected storage facility, and the system proceeds as before, albeit with one less storage facility (the failed former local storage facility).
A major problem with this latter approach it the time needed for the re-synchronization process, particularly for larger amounts of data. For example, a storage of 100 terabytes (TB) of data, using 100 MB/s network transfer connection, will take approximately 11.57 days all the data. (100×1012/(100×106)=106 sec=277 hour=11.57 Days). This is the time for re-synchronization of just one storage facility. If re-synchronize is to be performed for more than one storage facility, the problem is exacerbated. Also, during the re-synchronization process, I/O operations of the storage facilities involved are halted.

Data synchronization of multiple remote storage facilities


Disclosed herein is an equipment caddy for demountable engagement with a rolling stand. The caddy comprises a hub defining an opening for receiving a vertically oriented pole of the stand and a housing defining a compartment that is distal to the hub and configured to demountably engage with a piece of equipment. One embodiment relates to a medical equipment caddy for demountable engagement with a rolling IV stand wherein the housing is configured to demountably engage with a piece of medical equipment. The caddy of the present disclosure is durable, easy to clean and disinfect, and inexpensive to produce. The caddy of the present disclosure provides means for transporting additional medical equipment upon a conventional IV stand in a simple and organized manner.

Intravenous stands, also referred to as IV stands or IV poles, are used in a variety of therapeutic and/or diagnostic settings to enable patients to ambulate while connected to IV bags. Conventional IV stands include a base assembly configured to roll on the floor, a support pole which extends vertically from the base assembly, and a hanger assembly approximate the top of the support pole. At least one bag containing an IV solution may be suspended from the hanger assembly.
While conventional IV stands are generally sufficient for ambulatory patients connected only to IV-related medical equipment, they do not adequately address the needs of ambulatory IV patients requiring additional medical equipment. As such, IV patients requiring additional medical equipment (and their healthcare professionals) are left to improvise means for transporting additional medical equipment alongside conventional IV stands. This is problematic in that it consumes time which may otherwise be invested in patient recovery and care. Moreover, improvised solutions for transporting additional medical equipment alongside IV stands are often haphazard and create undue risk of accidents. The risk is compounded when the additional medical equipment is heavy, bulky, fragile, and/or includes multiple lengths of tubing and/or electrical lines.

Equipment caddy for demountable engagement with a single-pole rolling stand


A multifeed detection apparatus and method for use in a check processing terminal including a paper supply unit for individually feeding a plurality of checks from the paper supply unit along a check transportation path in a given direction; a MICR head having a non-movable contact surface on one side of the check transportation path; a pressure member disposed on another side of the check transportation path opposite the non-movable contact surface for pressing one or more transported checks between the pressure member and the MICR head; and a displacement detection sensor for detecting physical displacement of the pressure member from the non-movable contact surface to indicate check thickness.

1. Field of Technology
The present invention relates to a check multifeed detection apparatus for use in a check processing terminal and a multifeed detection method.
2. Description of Related Art
Payment systems using checks are widely used throughout Europe and North America, Asia (worldwide). This payment system enables businesses and consumers to use checks to make payments and financial transfers of many kinds. When a check is written, it is ultimately presented to the bank on which the check was drawn to either deposit or withdraw funds.
Bank tellers at each bank branch typically process many checks in a short time. The bank teller also typically confirms check validity, the check date, and the signature before completing the deposit or withdrawal. The teller also prints an endorsement on the back, and issues a transaction receipt as required. The teller may also require a driver license or other photo ID to check the identity of the person presenting the check, and in some situations may make a photocopy of the license or photo ID using a copying machine. A copy of the check is also captured and stored using a specialized check scanner.
Efforts to electromagnetically read information from checks have started in order to provide more efficient check processing. Part of this process is to electromagnetically read each check at the teller window using compact check processing terminals that can be installed at each teller window.
These check processing terminals have a magnetic ink character reader (MICR), scanner, and printing mechanism disposed along the check transportation path. When a check is received from a customer, the teller passes the check through the check processing terminal. The check processing terminal thus reads the magnetic ink characters printed on the check, captures an image of the check, and may print an endorsement on the back. See, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Appl. Pub. 2000-344428.
A common problem of check processing terminals with this type of medium transportation path is that two or more checks may unintentionally be conveyed simultaneously along the transportation path. This is called "multifeed," and the problem is inherent.
To solve this problem, Japanese Patent 3421104 teaches a multifeed detection apparatus having a reflection sensor located near the paper guide defining the form transportation path. This reflection sensor detects light reflected by the surface of the transported medium to directly detect the thickness of the paper and thereby detect check multifeeding.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Appl. Pub. S60-144256 also teaches a multifeed detection apparatus having a lever disposed to the roller shaft of the paper transportation roller to detect multifeeding by using optical sensors, for example, to detect displacement of the lever due to the paper thickness.
A multifeed detection apparatus having such a lever is described more specifically below with reference to FIG. 8.
The multifeed detection apparatus 100 shown in FIG. 8 has a detection lever 123 and a photodetector 140. The detection lever 123 is disposed on end portion 122 of rotary shaft 105a, which supports a pair of transportation rollers 105. This detection lever 123 is pivotably displaceable on a pivot shaft 124 disposed to one end portion 123c of the detection lever 123, is urged downward as seen in FIG. 8 by a tension spring 125 hooked on a protrusion 123a, and the force of this spring 125 holds the detection lever 123 applying downward pressure on the end portion 122 of the rotary shaft 105a. The other distal end 123b of the detection lever 123 is thus located adjacent to the photodetector 140, and the photodetector 140 detects displacement of this distal end 123b of the detection lever 123.
When paper passes below the transportation rollers 105, the transportation rollers 105 and rotary shaft 105a are pushed upward according to the thickness of the paper. The rotary shaft 105a therefore also pushes the detection lever 123 up in resistance to the force of the spring 125 while the paper passes below the transportation rollers 105. The photodetector 140 detects this displacement of the detection lever 123, and the paper thickness can then be detected based on the displacement of this detection lever 123.
When the multifeed detection apparatus taught in Japanese Unexamined Patent Appl. Pub. 2000-344428 is used, the thickness difference between one and two sheets is extremely small, and the detection sensitivity of the reflection sensor used to detect light reflected from the medium must be sufficient to detect this slight difference.
Furthermore, when the multifeed detection apparatus that detects the displacement of the rotary shaft of the transportation rollers as taught in Japanese Patent 3421104 is used, the transportation rollers become compressed over time due to the applied pressure, or the center of the transportation rollers may become offset from the center of the rotary shaft so that the rollers turn eccentrically. The reference position of the rollers thus shifts, and the paper thickness cannot be accurately detected.
The present invention is therefore directed to the aforementioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a multifeed detection apparatus capable of accurately detecting multifeed situations by means of a simple design, and to provide a hybrid processing apparatus having this multifeed detection apparatus.

Check multifeed detection apparatus for use in a check processing terminal and detection method


An optical information-recording medium which contains a dye having at least two chromophores bonded to each other without any conjugated bond intervening between those chromophores.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a heat-mode information recording medium and an information recording method which enable write (record) and read (playback) of information by use of high energy density laser light. More specifically, the invention relates to a heat-mode information recording medium, such as a recordable digital versatile disc (DVD-R), which is suitable for recording information by use of visible laser light.
2. Description of the Related Art
Information recording media on which information is recordable only once by use of laser light (optical discs) have been long known. The information recording media of such a type are referred to as recordable CDs (the so-called CD-R) as well. These discs have an advantage in that they can be rapidly delivered in low quantities at reasonable prices, compared with traditional CDs, and the demand for them has been growing as personal computers have come into widespread use recently. A typical structure of CD-R type of information recording media is a laminate in which a transparent disk-shape substrate, a recording layer containing organic dyes, a reflective layer made of metal such as gold and a protective layer made of resin are arranged in the order of mention.
And such optical discs can have information recorded thereon by being irradiated with laser light in the near infrared region (generally laser light of wavelengths in the vicinity of 780 nm) and undergoing local heat generation and deformation in their respective recording layers. On the other hand, reading (playback) of information from discs is generally performed by irradiating the discs with laser light of the same wavelength as the laser light used for recording has, and detecting differences in reflectivities between the areas deformed by heat generation (recorded area) and the areas remaining undeformed (unrecorded area) in the recording layers.
In recent years information recording media have been required to have higher recording densities. In order to heighten the recording densities, it is known to be effective that the diameter of laser light used for irradiation is narrowed down. Moreover, irradiation with laser light of shorter wavelengths is known to be theoretically more advantageous to further increase in recording density, because the diameter of laser light can be made more narrow the shorter the laser light is in wavelength. Therefore, the development of optical discs suitable for record and playback with laser light of wavelengths shorter than hither to used 780 nm has been pursued. For instance, optical discs referred to as recordable digital video discs (the so-called DVD-R) have been offered. These optical discs are each manufactured so as to have a structure that two disks which each have on a 120-mm-dia or 80-mm-dia transparent disk-shape substrate, wherein is formed a pregroove having a 0.8-μm track pitch smaller than 1.6 μm adopted as the track pitch of CD-R, a dye-containing recording layer, a reflective layer and a protective layer in the order of mention are bonded together with the recording layers inside, or one disk as described above and a disk-shape protective substrate having almost the same dimensions are bonded together with the recording layer inside. And the record and the playback of DVD-R are performed by irradiation with visible laser light (generally in the wavelength range of 600 to 700 nm). Therefore, DVD-R is considered to enable high-density recording, compared with CD-R type of optical discs.
As the information recording medium of DVD-R type can record information several times as much as that of a hitherto used information recording medium of CD-R type, it is desired that the information recording medium of DVD-R type has not only high recording sensitivity but also a low incidence of errors even in high-speed recording made out of necessity to process rapidly high-volume information in particular. In addition, it is desired to develop a recording layer capable of retaining its properties with stability for a long time even under exposure to light or heat, because a dye-containing recording layer is generally not so stable to prolonged exposure to heat or light.
JP-A-10-226170 discloses the DVD-R type of information recording medium having on a substrate a recording layer containing a certain cyanine dye. Therein, it is stated that the cyanine dye compound as specified can ensure high recording sensitivity and high reflectivity in the information recording medium. Further, JP-A-2001-287456 discloses the information recording medium having on a substrate a recording layer containing a cyanine dye of a specific structure, and states that such a cyanine dye enables the recording medium to have excellent recording characteristics and retain its recording characteristics with stability for a long time. On the other hand, JP-A-63-209995 discloses the CD-R type of information recording medium having an oxonol dye-containing recording layer provided on a substrate, and states that the use of such a dye compound enables long-term retention of steady record and playback characteristics. Therein, the oxonol dye compounds having ammonium ions introduced therein for forming salts are disclosed. In addition, JP-A-2000-52658 discloses the oxonol dye compounds providing optical information-recording media with high light resistance and durability as well as excellent recording characteristics.

Optical information-recording medium, novel oxonol compound and method of recording information


An adhesive composition obtainable by blending a component (C) to components (A) and (B), wherein the weight ratio of (A)/(B) is from 95/5 to 40/60, and the amount of the component (C) is from 5 to 50 parts by weight based on 100 parts by weight of the total amount of the components (A) and (B):. (A): a condensate of resorcinol and formaldehyde or a condensate of resorcinol, phenol and formaldehyde, PA1 (B): an aqueous emulsion containing an ethylene-vinyl acetate-based copolymer and the weight ratio of ethylene/vinyl acetate is from 3/97 to 40/60, PA1 (C): a formaldehyde-based hardening agent or a hexamethylenetetramine-based hardening agent.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an adhesive composition. More particularly, it relates to an adhesive composition containing a resorcinol-based adhesive as a base, which can maintain adhesive ability and gelation time at fully satisfactory levels, provides excellent processability after hardening of an adhesive by imparting suitable plasticity to the adhesive, does not cause cracking of an adhesive layer, and realizes excellent productivity.
2. Description of the Related Art
A resorcinol-based adhesive mainly composed of a resorcinol resin is an excellent adhesive in view of being able to maintain high adhesion for long period. However, the resorcinol-based adhesive have problems that a hardened adhesive layer is extremely hard, therefore when a wood article obtained by adhesion is cut, a cutting blade used is split, and when the adhesive layer is thick, cracking occurs.


The present invention provides a method for removing moisture from fluorine-containing compounds, the method comprising bringing a fluorine-containing compound contaminated with moisture into contact with an aqueous solution containing a metal salt. The method of the present invention can continuously and efficiently remove moisture from various fluorine-containing compounds, such as hydrofluoroolefins. In addition, the method produces less waste, etc., and is an industrially advantageous moisture removal method.

Pentafluoroethane (HFC-125), difluoromethane (HFC-32), and other hydrofluorocarbons (HFC) are widely used as important alternatives for chlorofluorocarbons (CFC), hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFC), and other substances that may destroy the ozone layer. Hydrofluorocarbons have various applications, such as heat transfer media, refrigerants, foaming agents, solvents, cleaning agents, propellants, and fire extinguishers, and are consumed in large amounts.
However, these hydrofluorocarbons are potent global-warming substances. Many people are concerned that their diffusion may affect global warming. To combat this, hydrofluorocarbons are collected after being used; however, not all of them can be collected, and their diffusion due to leakage, etc., cannot be disregarded. In particular, for use in refrigerants, heat transfer media, etc., although substitution of hydrofluorocarbons with CO2 or hydrocarbon-based substances has been studied, CO2 refrigerants have many difficulties in reducing comprehensive greenhouse gas emissions, including energy consumption, because of the requirement of large equipment due to the low efficiency of the CO2 refrigerants, and hydrocarbon-based substances have safety problems due to their high flammability.
Recently, hydrofluoroolefins with a low warming potential are attracting attention as substances that can solve these problems. "Hydrofluoroolefin" is a generic name for unsaturated hydrocarbons containing hydrogen and fluorine. Most of them are obtained by dehydrohalogenation of corresponding alkanes. For example, as a typical method for producing 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene (HFO-1234yf), which is a hydrofluoroolefin, a method of eliminating HF from 1,1,1,2,3-pentafluoropropane (HFC-245eb) or 1,1,1,2,2-pentafluoropropane (HFC-245cb) is known. Since HFO-1234yf obtained by this method is in the form of a mixture with HF, it is necessary to somehow remove the HF. The simplest method of removing acid from a mixed gas of hydrofluoroolefin and acid is to absorb the acid with water. In this method, however, mist and water corresponding to vapor pressure are inevitably mixed into hydrofluoroolefins. There are various other sources of water, such as moisture contained in the starting materials, moisture produced from the catalyst, and moisture remaining in the equipment. Moisture contained in hydrofluoroolefins, which are finished products, affects their stability, device corrosiveness, refrigerant capability, etc., and is therefore one of the most important factors of quality control. The method for removing moisture is a particularly important technique.
As the method for removing moisture from hydrofluoroolefins, a method using a molecular sieve (e.g., zeolite) as a water absorbent is known. For example, Patent Literature 1 discloses a method for drying a fluid of a fluoropropene, such as HFO-1234yf, by passing it through zeolite. However, a large packed column is required to treat fluoropropenes with a low moisture content using a water absorbent, which causes poor treatment efficiency. In addition, in the method using an absorbent, there are problems that it is necessary to regularly stop the equipment to recover the performance of the absorbent and exchange the absorbent, which leads to low productivity and necessitates the use of two series of equipment. Moreover, a large amount of industrial waste is generated during the exchange of the absorbent. Furthermore, depending on the hydrofluoroolefins to be treated, they may be absorbed to the absorbent, presumably inhibiting the absorption of water that should be essentially removed.
For the above reasons, there is a demand for more efficient methods for removing moisture from various fluorine-containing compounds, such as hydrofluoroolefins.

Method for removing moisture from fluorine-containing compounds


A method and apparatus for adjusting the location of suspension for a tailgate is disclosed. The method may include selecting a vehicle comprising a first side, a second side, a tailgate, a tailgate support, and an adjustor. The tailgate may be connected to pivot with respect to the first and second sides through a range of motion. The adjustor may include a base and a traveler configured to move with respect to the base. The base may be positioned on, and fixed with respect to, one of the tailgate and a first side of the vehicle. When the base is positioned on the tailgate, the tailgate support may extend to connect the traveler to the first side of the vehicle. Alternatively, when the base is position on the first side of the vehicle, the tailgate support may extend to connect the traveler to the tailgate. In either configuration, by manipulating the position of the traveler with respect to the base, the location of suspension for the tailgate may be adjusted.

1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to motor vehicles and utility trailers and, more particularly, to apparatus and methods for a multi-position tailgate adjustment mechanism facilitating suspension of a tailgate in multiple positions that each retain the tailgate's external appearance and full load-carrying capacity.
2. Prior Art
In certain situations, it may be desirable to have a low loading height on a vehicle. In the past, attempts to lower vehicle loading height have focused in two primary areas. First, attempts have been made to lower the bed height of certain vehicles. While this may work well for trailers and special purpose vehicles, it is problematic for multi-use vehicles like pickup trucks, which have certain structural limitations and clearance requirements. Second, attempts have been made to add hoists to vehicles. While hoists neutralize the need for a lower loading height by simply lifting the load for the user, they are typically large, heavy, and expensive. Thus, neither of these two areas of improvement is particularly helpful for the average pickup truck user.
Currently, many vehicles, including pickup trucks, have tailgates. However, a typical tailgate is of no assistance in raising or lowering vehicle loading height. Conventional tailgates pivot between a closed position and an open position. The open position is typically ninety degrees of rotation from the closed position. Accordingly, a typical tailgate in the open position forms an extension to the bed of the vehicle. Thus, the loading height of a vehicle with a tailgate is typically the height of the bed.
In view of the foregoing, what is needed is an inexpensive and unobtrusive apparatus and method for either raising or lowering the loading height of a vehicle like a common, everyday, pickup truck. Additionally, what is needed is a tailgate that retains its full load-bearing capacity in a partially open position, which position may provide increased retention of loads extending longer than the cargo area of the pickup truck.

Multi-position tailgate adjustment apparatus and method


A lighting fixture includes a light source that emits an illumination light and a receiver configured to receive a lighting control message from a photo sensor device. The lighting fixture further includes a lighting controller configured to adjust the illumination light based on the lighting control message. Adjusting the illumination light by the lighting controller includes changing a Correlated Color Temperature (CCT) of the illumination light.

During daytime, indoor spaces are often illuminated independently of lighting conditions on the outside of the indoor spaces. For example, the light provided by an indoor lighting fixture is often the same regardless of the time of day. As another example, the light provided by an indoor lighting fixture is often the same regardless of the weather condition outdoors. Even when the intensity of the indoor light is adjusted, the correlated color temperature (CCT) may be left unchanged or may be changed independently of outdoor lighting conditions. However, the quality of the indoor light is generally at its highest if the CCT and the color quality (color rendering index (CRI)) of the indoor light matches or correlates with the CCT and CRI of the outdoor daylight. Further, CCT and light quality matching between indoor lighting and outdoor lighting may be beneficial in maintaining the Circadian Rhythm. For example, a warmer CCT is generally preferred as the outdoor light level is lower during morning and evening hours, and a cooler CCT may be generally preferred during daytime between the morning and evening hours. Thus, a solution that provides improved and adaptive indoor lighting may be desirable.

Indoor lighting control based on outdoor light


A vortex recirculating combustion head for a burner, including: a housing having a through-bore, an upstream end, and a downstream end, the upstream and downstream ends arranged at opposite sides of the through-bore, the housing configured to receive combustion air; a primary fuel inlet arranged adjacent to the upstream end of the housing configured to introduce a primary fuel stream into the housing; a secondary fuel inlet arranged downstream of the primary fuel inlet configured to introduce a secondary fuel stream into the housing; a flame retention head including a diffuser plate secured to the downstream end of the housing, the diffuser plate including a plurality of openings, a plurality of fins, and a ring; and, an extension member secured to an exterior surface of the flame retention head.

A common problem associated with burning fossil fuels is the generation and emission of carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides (NOx). In gas and oil fired boilers, fuel and air are mixed in a burner and an ignition device is provided to ignite the mixture in a combustion chamber. Heat is generated within the combustion chamber and transferred by a heat exchanger. Flue gases are released from a stack of the heat exchanger and can be recirculated into the combustion process to reduce emissions of nitrogen oxides. Such a process is known as flue gas recirculation (FGR). Flue gas recirculation (FUR) lowers the temperature of the flame and therefore reduces the amount of thermal NOx emissions. Flue gas recirculation (FGR) also plays a role in minimizing carbon monoxide (CO) levels.
Other processes, such as, fuel lean pre-mixing of the oxidant and fuel, air staging, and fuel staging are also used to reduce emissions of nitrogen oxides. Fuel staging involves burning a small amount of a primary fuel stream as an ignition source for a secondary fuel stream. Fuel staging reduces the temperature in the main chamber thereby reducing the amount of thermal nitrogen oxide emissions.
Current regulations require single-digit NOx levels, for example, sub-9 parts per million (ppm) and sub-5 ppm. Unfortunately, as NOx levels decrease, flame stability also decreases. Flame location and attachment are important when addressing flame stability. For example, it is desirable to locate the flame as close as possible to the burner to maximize the effective boiler area. Additionally, it is desirable for the flame to move as little as possible while modulating to achieve maximum performance. While others have attempted to reduce the amount of harmful CO and NOx emissions in combustion burners, improvements are needed for further reducing the amount of carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides generated and emitted while maintaining flame stability.

Vortex recirculating combustion burner head


A method for recovering acrylonitrile contained in a gas, which comprises contacting a gas containing acrylonitrile with water to let the acrylonitrile be absorbed in water, wherein the acrylonitrile is absorbed in water in the presence of a substance having a relative volatility to water at 70.degree. C. of smaller than 1.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an improvement of a method for recovering acrylonitrile by absorbing acrylonitrile contained in a gas in water. Particularly, the present invention relates to a method for accelerating dissolution of acrylonitrile into water, so that when the same amount of an absorbing solvent is employed, the amount of acrylonitrile remaining in the gas can be reduced as compared with a conventional method.
2. Discussion of Background
Acrylonitrile is produced in a large scale by ammoxidation of propylene. Further, a method has recently been developed wherein ammoxidation is carried out using a relatively inexpensive propane as a starting material instead of propylene. In a conventional typical method, propylene, ammonia and air are supplied into a fluidized bed reactor and reacted at a high temperature to form acrylonitrile. An effluent gas containing acrylonitrile from the reactor is firstly washed with an aqueous sulfuric acid solution to remove unreacted ammonia in the form of an aqueous ammonium sulfate solution. Then, the gas is cooled and counter-currently contacted with much amount of water, so that acrylonitrile as well as hydrogen cyanide and other by-product organic substances, will be dissolved in water and separated from the light gas. From the aqueous solution having acrylonitrile, etc., dissolved, purified acrylonitrile is obtained by a proper combination of such means as stripping and distillation. It is important for this method to simultaneously satisfy such requirements that the amount of acrylonitrile remaining in the light gas should be minimized when acrylonitrile contained in the gas is dissolved in water and separated from the light gas and that the concentration of acrylonitrile in the resulting aqueous solution should be as high as possible. Acrylonitrile remaining in the light gas will be wasted as a loss, and the amount being large means a decrease in the yield. Recovery of purified acrylonitrile from the obtained aqueous solution is carried out by a combination of such means as stripping and distillation, as mentioned above. Accordingly, if the acrylonitrile concentration in the aqueous solution is low, the apparatus for stripping and distillation are obliged to be large, and the energy consumption will accordingly be increased.

Method for recovering acrylonitrile contained in a gas


An improved LED light source assembly is described, suitable for use as a retrofit for prior lighting fixtures of a kind including a concave reflector, an incandescent lamp positioned with its filament(s) at or near a focal region of the reflector, and a lens assembly for projecting light reflected by the reflector to a distant location, e.g., a theater stage. The improved LED light source assembly includes a compact arrangement of three or more LED assemblies, which are mounted at the forward end of an elongated heat pipe. The heat pipe's rearward end attaches to a heat sink mountable on the back side of the lighting fixture's concave reflector, and the heat pipe extends through a central hole in the reflector to position the LED assemblies at or near the concave reflector's focal region. The concave reflector reflects light emitted by the LED assemblies forward to the lighting fixture's lens assembly, which in turn projects a beam of light to a distant location. The LED light engine's configuration allows a significant proportion of the prior lighting fixture to continue to be utilized, leading to substantial cost saving and simplified installation.

This invention relates generally to lighting fixtures for theater, architectural and television lighting applications and, more particularly, to light source assemblies, or light engines, incorporating light-emitting diodes ("LEDs") that are configured as retrofit assemblies for attachment to lighting fixtures previously incorporating incandescent lamps.
Theater, architectural and television lighting fixtures for projecting high-intensity beams of light traditionally have included an incandescent lamp mounted by a burner assembly to a concave reflector, with the lamp's filament(s) located at or near a focal point (or region) of the reflector. A lens assembly is located forward of the lamp and reflector. In use, light emitted by the lamp is reflected in a forward direction by the concave reflector, and the lens assembly in turn projects the reflected light forward along the fixture's longitudinal axis. One type of these fixtures includes a concave reflector having a generally ellipsoidal shape, and the lamp filament(s) is/are located at or near the reflector's near focal region. A gate is located at or near the reflector's second focal region, and the lens assembly images the light passing through the gate at a distant location, e.g., a theater stage. Another type of these fixtures includes a concave reflector having a generally parabolic shape, and the lamp filament(s) is/are located at or near the reflector's single focal region. In this case, the lens assembly simply projects the reflected light in a forward direction, to bathe, or "wash," the distant location.
Lighting fixtures of this type have enjoyed widespread use in the theater, architectural and television lighting fields. Hundreds of thousands of such fixtures are sold every year. However, because of recent advances in the development of high-intensity light-emitting diodes ("LEDs"), the incorporation of incandescent lamps in such fixtures is in some cases now considered unduly wasteful of energy. In addition, such incandescent fixtures generally require frequent servicing due to the relatively short lifetime of incandescent lamps. Efforts, therefore, have been made to retrofit such lighting fixtures by substituting LED arrays for their incandescent lamps.
One effort to configure an LED lighting fixture that utilizes components of prior incandescent lamp lighting fixtures is described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2012/0140463, filed in the name of David Kinzer et al. The disclosed fixture includes a planar array of LEDs mounted at the rear end of an elongated mixing tube assembly, which in turn is mounted to a conventional gate and lens assembly. The mixing tube assembly includes a reflective inner surface having a converging section and diverging section, which function to homogenize the light emitted by the planar LED array. In use, light from the LED array is directed through the mixing tube assembly for mixing, and from there through the gate and lens assembly for projection toward a distant location.
Kinzer's lighting fixture is effective in projecting a high-intensity beam of light using less electrical power than prior incandescent lamp lighting fixtures (30 versus 20 lumens per watt, field efficacy). However, when its design is used as a retrofit of prior incandescent lamp lighting fixtures, it is considered to include an excessive amount of replacement structure and to utilize an unduly small proportion of the prior fixtures, i.e., only the gate and lens assemblies of such prior fixtures. As a retrofit, this design is not considered to be particularly cost-effective and it cannot be easily installed with the fixture in situ. The Kinzer fixture also has poor soft focus characteristics because it images the LED array in the far field.
It should, therefore, be appreciated that there remains a need for a more cost-effective way to retrofit prior incandescent lamp lighting fixtures for use with LED light sources. In particular, there is a need for an LED light source assembly that can be combined with a greater proportion of such prior incandescent lamp lighting fixtures. The present invention fulfills this need and provides further related advantages.

Lighting fixture and light-emitting diode light source assembly


A rotary transducer includes a shaft, and a carrier body, on which an excitation winding and a detector system are arranged. To generate an electromagnetic field, it is possible to conduct an excitation current through the excitation winding, and the detector system is suitable for scanning the electromagnetic field influenced by a code carrier. The rotary transducer additionally includes an excitation control device and an evaluation device. The code carrier is secured in a rotatably fixed manner on the shaft for detecting the angular position of the shaft. The excitation control device is arranged such that it can be used to operate the excitation winding selectively in two different operating modes, in a manner such that, in the first operating mode, a first excitation current, and in the second operating mode, a second excitation current may be generated, the second excitation current being provided such that the electrical power consumption of the rotary transducer is lower in the second operating mode than in the first operating mode. The respective excitation current induces voltages in the detector system, which the evaluation device is able to process electronically to generate angular position information.

Inductive rotary transducers are used, for example, to determine the angular position of two machine parts that are rotatable relative to each other. In inductive rotary transducers, excitation windings and receiver coils are applied, for example, in the form of circuit traces, on a shared circuit board, which is permanently connected to a stator of a rotary transducer, for example. Situated across from this circuit board is another board, which generally takes the form of a code disk, on which alternating electrically conductive and nonconductive surfaces are mounted at periodic intervals as a scale-division region or scale-division structure, and which is connected to the rotor of the rotary transducer in a rotatably fixed manner. If an electric excitation field, which is alternating over time, is applied to the excitation windings by applying an excitation current, then signals are generated in the receiver coils during the relative rotation between rotor and stator as a function of the angular position. These signals are processed further in evaluation electronics.
Such rotary transducers are frequently used as measuring devices for electrical drives to determine the absolute angular position of respective drive shafts. In this context, it is important, particularly from the point of view of safety technology, that even after a system shutdown or in the event of a power failure, at least the rotations occurring in this state are counted.
German Published Patent Application No. 197 51 853 describes a construction of an inductive rotary transducer, in which the excitation and receiver coils are arranged in a multilayered circuit board structure.
For such a rotary transducer to be able to count at least the number and direction of the rotations performed even in the event of a failing mains voltage supply, additionally suitable magnets may be provided on the rotor and two magnet sensors on a stator circuit board, which generate counting signals. In this operating state, the magnet sensors are supplied by a buffer battery.

Rotary transducer and method for operating a rotary transducer


A library apparatus includes, a drive for accessing the mobile medium, a discharge unit for discharging the mobile medium, and a conveyance controller for controlling a conveyance unit. The conveyance controller includes, a memory for storing process content when the discharge unit discharges the mobile medium, a receiver for receiving control information regarding a control unit controlling a discharge operation of the mobile medium, where the control unit is arranged in a host apparatus. The library apparatus and controlling method include determining correct process content in the discharge operation of the mobile medium from the process content stored on the storage, in accordance with the received control information, and detecting a faulty discharge operation by determining, in accordance with the determination result of the correct process content, whether process content transmitted from the host apparatus is normal or not.

Library apparatuses for managing a plurality of storage media such as a magnetic tape for storage backup data are known. The storage medium such as a magnetic tape, managed by the library apparatus, may be discharged externally out of the library apparatus to be stored outside or to be shipped to another facility. Generally, discharging of the storage medium is performed under the control of backup software.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-149535 discloses a magazine-type tape library apparatus. According to the disclosure, foreign object detecting unit detecting a foreign object is arranged at a port through which a magazine is discharged. Means is also arranged that restricts the movement of a foreign object in a direction close to the port for the magazine if an intrusion of the foreign object into the opening is detected.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-055020 discloses a hard disk apparatus. According to the disclosure, the inner pressure of the casing of the hard disk is maintained at a predetermined pressure. If an opening of the casing is detected by a sensor, a recording surface of a magnetic storage medium is destroyed, and an encryption/decryption circuit is also destroyed. In this way, content recorded on the magnetic storage medium is protected from an unauthorized use when the hard disk is opened.
Typically, an authorized user only can perform operation of discharging the storage medium housed in the library apparatus. The library apparatus itself has not recognized whether the discharge operation of a specified storage medium is authorized or not.

Library apparatus, conveyance controller, and control method thereof


Implementations consistent with the principles described herein relate to ranking a set of images based on features of the images determine the most representative and/or highest quality images in the set. In one implementation, an initial set of images is obtained and ranked based on a comparison of each image in the set of images to other images in the set of images. The comparison is performed using at least one predetermined feature of the images.

A. Field of the Invention
Implementations described herein relate generally to information retrieval and, more particularly, to improving results of image search engines.
B. Description of Related Art
The World Wide Web ("web") contains a vast amount of information. Search engines assist users in locating desired portions of this information by cataloging web pages. Typically, in response to a user's request, the search engine returns references to documents relevant to the request.
One type of search engine is an image search engine. An image search engine, such as a web-based image search engine, catalogs images from the web. Typically, the image search engine may associate text, such as text that occurs near a particular image, with the image. The text associated with the images may then be searched using conventional key-word based search queries to locate images relevant for the search.
When a user enters a search query for images in an image search engine, the search engine may return hundreds of results (e.g., images or links to images). The large number of potentially relevant results can be daunting for the user. Additionally, because the relevancy of the results may be primarily determined based on text associated with the image, such as by text near the image in a web page, the image itself may not match the search or may be of relatively low quality. For example, a search for "Eiffel Tower" may result in some images that include the Eiffel Tower while others may not. Of the images that contain the Eiffel Tower, some may be images taken at odd poses or odd croppings of the Eiffel Tower, or the Eiffel Tower may not be the main focus of the image (for example, the image may primarily be a picture of a person standing at the base of the Eiffel Tower, with the Eiffel Tower only minimally visible in the background).
It is a goal of an image search engine to return relevant and high quality images to the user. Accordingly, it would be desirable to more effectively determine the quality of images returned to the user.

Selection of an image or images most representative of a set of images


An improved technique generates questions to authenticate a user as part of a group. Along these lines, a KBA system, upon receiving a request to authenticate a particular user, collects facts having references to users of the group of users. The collected facts, however, may also include references to users not in the group of users. In building a set of questions for the particular user, the KBA system is capable of favoring facts having references to users of the group of users and few, if any, references to users not in the group of users; conversely, the KBA system is capable of discarding facts having too many references to users not in the group of users. The particular user's responses to the set of questions are indicative of whether the particular user belongs to the group.

In knowledge-based authentication (KBA), an organization questions a user for particular personal information. Such questions may include "when were you married?", "what was the make and model of your first car?", and "what was the name of your first pet?". The user must answer the set of questions correctly in order to prove to the organization that he or she is not an imposter.
Conventional KBA service providers form questions that an organization presents to a particular user based on facts concerning the particular user. To this effect, KBA service providers perform searching operations on facts in a database for instances of a user identifier corresponding to the particular user. The facts resulting from the searching operations are used to form the questions.
Along these lines, suppose that a conventional KBA service provider retrieves facts of multiple users from a LexisNexis® server and stores the facts in a database. Further, suppose that when the KBA service provider later performs an authentication operation on a user having an identifier User P, the KBA service provider retrieves facts stored in the database that are connected to User P. An example of such a fact includes "User P and User Q bought a house in Westborough, Mass. on Mar. 30, 2011 for $355,500 using agent User R." The KBA service provider uses this fact to form questions, such as "On what day did you [User P] purchase your house in Westborough, Mass.?", and "How much was the purchase price of your [User P's] home in Westborough, Mass.?".

Using link strength in knowledge-based authentication


A medical device comprising a catheter having a retractable outer sheath and a rolling membrane. The catheter includes a catheter inner shaft about which a stent in a reduced diameter configuration may be disposed. A stent retaining region of the sheath is disposed about the stent to retain the stent in the reduced diameter state prior to delivery. The rolling membrane is engaged to a portion of the outer sheath at an engagement region. The rolling membrane is positioned between the catheter inner shaft and the outer sheath and prior to retraction of the sheath the rolling membrane is disposed about at least a proximal section of the stent and is rollingly retracted therefrom when the sheath is retracted to deliver the stent. The device also recaptures a stent by pressurizing a intra-catheter space, which results in the longitudinal movement of the outer sheath in a distal direction to recover and retain the stent.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to catheters and catheter assemblies for use in medical procedures. More specifically, this invention relates to a stent delivery and recapture catheter system using a hydraulically activated rolling membrane for the delivery and/or recapture of a stent in a body lumen.
2. Description of the Related Art
Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) is a procedure which is well established for the treatment of blockages, lesions, stenosis, thrombus, etc. present in body lumens such as the coronary arteries and/or other vessels.
A widely used form of percutaneous coronary angioplasty makes use of a dilatation balloon catheter which is introduced into and advanced through a lumen or body vessel until the distal end thereof is at a desired location in the vasculature. Once in position across an afflicted site, the expandable portion of the catheter, or balloon, is inflated to a predetermined size with a fluid at relatively high pressures. By doing so the vessel is dilated, thereby radially compressing the atherosclerotic plaque of any lesion present against the inside of the artery wall, and/or otherwise treating the afflicted area of the vessel. The balloon is then deflated to a small profile so that the dilatation catheter may be withdrawn from the patient's vasculature and blood flow resumed through the dilated artery.
In angioplasty procedures of the kind described above, there may be restenosis of the artery, which either necessitates another angioplasty procedure, a surgical by-pass operation, or some method of repairing or strengthening the area. To reduce restenosis and strengthen the area, a physician can implant an intravascular prosthesis for maintaining vascular patency, such as a stent, inside the artery at the lesion.
Stents, grafts, stent-grafts, vena cava filters, vascular implants, and similar implantable medical devices, collectively referred to hereinafter as stents, are radially expandable endoprostheses which are typically intravascular implants capable of being implanted transluminally and enlarged radially after being introduced percutaneously. Stents may be implanted in a variety of body lumens or vessels such as within the vascular system, urinary tracts, bile ducts, etc. Stents may be used to reinforce body vessels and to prevent restenosis following angioplasty in the vascular system. They may be self-expanding, such as a nitinol shape memory stent, mechanically expandable, such as a balloon expandable stent, or hybrid expandable.
Prior to delivery a stent or stents may be retained on a portion of the delivery catheter by crimping the stent onto the catheter, retaining the stent in a reduced state about the catheter with a removable sheath, sleeve, sock or other member or members, or by any of a variety of retaining mechanisms or methods. Some examples of stent retaining mechanisms are described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,681,345; U.S. Pat. No. 5,788,707; U.S. Pat. No. 6,066,155; U.S. Pat. No. 6,096,045; U.S. Pat. No. 6,221,097; U.S. Pat. No. 6,331,186; U.S. Pat. No. 6,342,066; U.S. Pat. No. 6,350,277; U.S. Pat. No. 6,443,880; U.S. Pat. No. 6,478,814; Ser. No. 09/664,268 and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/920,082 entitled Stent Delivery System, filed Aug. 17, 2004.
When stents, upon release from the catheter, are not fully released by the delivery catheter for any particular reason, do not fully expand or need to be moved or removed for various reasons, they are recaptured. Various methods have been used to achieve such objectives.
The present invention provides catheter assemblies with a variety of embodiments and features which improve stent deployment and recapture characteristics.
All US patents, applications and all other published documents mentioned anywhere in this application are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
Without limiting the scope of the invention a brief summary of some of the claimed embodiments of the invention is set forth below. Additional details of the summarized embodiments of the invention and/or additional embodiments of the invention may be found in the Detailed Description of the Invention below.
A brief abstract of the technical disclosure in the specification is provided as well only for the purposes of complying with 37 C.F.R. 1.72. The abstract is not intended to be used for interpreting the scope of the claims.

Rolling membrane with hydraulic recapture means for self expanding stent


An open-close portion structure of a vehicle body includes: an open-close member which opens and closes an opening of the vehicle body; a first hinge member provided on the vehicle body; a second hinge member provided on the open-close member, being pivoted with the first hinge member; and a stretchable stay provided between the vehicle body and the open-close member and biasing the open-close member to open, wherein an end of the stretchable stay is coupled to the second hinge member.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a structure of an open-close portion of a vehicle body such as a tailgate which opens and closes an opening of a vehicle body.
Priority is claimed on Japanese Patent Application No. 2005-316554, filed Oct. 31, 2005, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference.
2. Description of the Related Art
Vehicles such as station wagons and vans have a flip-up tailgate. These vehicles are adapted to load and unload from its opening at the backside by lifting the tailgate (see, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. 2005-75210).
The tailgate is mounted on the top end of the opening by a hinge which is rotatable, and a stretchable stay is provided between the vehicle body and the tailgate. The stay is provided for making opening of the tailgate easier and for keeping the tailgate open. The stay usually includes a gas spring having a damper function, and biases the tailgate to open by the pressure of the filler gas.
The hinge has a constitution of a vehicle body hinge member and a tailgate hinge member being pivoted by a hinge pin. The vehicle body hinge member is provided in a groove extending along a joining portion of a roof panel and a side panel of the vehicle body. This is to enable the tailgate to open at a large degree without interference with the back end of the roof panel.
However, the hinge and the stay have to be mounted separately in these conventional open-close portion structures. This increases the number of components of the structure and makes the mounting operation more complex. That is, the tailgate hinge member is mounted on the upper end of the side of the tailgate, and a bracket for mounting the stay is mounted on the side of the tailgate, being away from the tailgate hinge member. This has been a cause of the increase of components and the complexity of the mounting operation.

Open-close portion structure of vehicle body


A fuel station controller to dispense fuel and drinks, a fuel station including the fuel station controller, and a product management subsystem including sensors communicatively coupled with the fuel station controller. The controller includes a housing comprising product modules having connectors adapted to connect conductors from an ingestible product dispenser, wherein the controller is communicatively coupled with the product modules and comprises processing instructions operable to receive a value indicative of a quantity of an ingestible product in a box to be dispensed by the ingestible product dispenser and to generate an empty box alert if the value is below an empty box setpoint.

Retail fuel stations generally include retail, or convenience, stores in addition to fuel delivery systems. Fuel delivery systems include underground storage tanks for containing fuel of various types and grades, submersible pumps associated with the various tanks for transporting fuel from the tanks through fuel lines to one or more fuel dispensers which function as Point of Sale ("POS") devices for use by consumers, sensors to monitor fuel levels, tank and line pressures, and various other system parameters. Signals from the pumps, dispensers, sensors and other system components are provided to a system controller, which may be connected to various other devices at the fuel stations such as cash registers and displays which operators use to authorize fuel sales. System controllers can monitor the signals and generate alarms when monitored parameters reach certain thresholds.
Convenience stores have increased in size over time and in some instances have become an important contributor to the financial success of the retail fuel sales location. Therefore a need exists to increase the level of customer satisfaction at the convenience store while controlling costs.

Fuel station operations controller and method to control fuel station operation