A data recording apparatus is adapted to write and read digital data on and from a recording medium such as a tape, a disk or the like driven by a driving mechanism, so as to be applicable to recording of computer data, collection of experiment data in a variety of experiment instruments, recording of a variety of observation data, and so on. For writing and reading data while controlling the driving mechanism to run and stop the recording medium, a buffer memory is provided in order to coordinate a data recording or reproduction effected on the recording medium with a data transfer speed of a data transferred from and to an external apparatus such as a host computer. The data recording and reproducing amount and the operation of the driving mechanism are controlled based on the data transfer speed of data transferred to the buffer memory.

Conventionally, data recorders have been proposed for recording data from a computer on a recording medium or for transferring data read from the recording medium to the computer. Specifically, referring to FIG. 1, a data recorder 3 temporarily stores digital data transferred thereto from a host computer 1 through a transfer line 2 into a buffer memory unit 4 provided therein, and then records the digital data temporarily stored in the buffer memory unit 4 on a tape by a recording means provided in a data recording unit 5, for example, a digital tape recorder.
Data read from the recording means provided in the data recording unit 5 is temporarily stored into the buffer memory unit 4 and then transferred to the computer 1 through the transfer line 2.
In the configuration shown in FIG. 1, generally, since a data processing speed of the computer 1 does not necessarily match with a recording or reproducing speed of the data recording unit 5, a remaining capacity of the buffer memory unit 4 (an amount of free region in which data can be recorded) is detected upon recording or reading data in the data recording unit 5, such that the recording or reproducing operation of the recording means in the data recording unit 5 is controlled based on the remaining capacity to carry out the data transfer between the computer 1 and the data recording unit 5 without dropping any data.
In practice, an interface in conformity to the SCSI (Small Computer System Interface, ANSI X3.131-1986) standard, for example is used as an interface between the data recorder 3 and the computer 1. Also, employed as the data recording unit 5 is an apparatus for recording digital data on recording tracks helically formed on a tape for digital VTR (Video Tape Recorder) use.
The conventional data recorder 3 of the above-mentioned type has a problem in that since the driving mechanism of the data recording unit 5 is controlled only in accordance with a remaining capacity in the buffer memory unit 4, data cannot be transferred in an optimal condition in terms of average data transfer speed.
Giving supplementary explanation for better understanding, an amount of data transferred from the computer 1 to the data recorder 3 or a data transfer speed at which data is transferred from the computer 1 to the data recorder 3 is not constant depending on a data processing state in the computer 1. Thus, it is difficult to practically predict the timing and speed at which data is transferred from the computer 1.
On the other hand, when a tape is used as a recording medium for the data recording unit 5, data supply to the data recording unit 5 must be started at a timing at which the tape run is started (at the timing at which the head of a track to be recorded-reaches), and the data recording unit 5 must be continuously supplied with data at a fixed speed (for example 10M [bytes/sec]). As a result, if data to be supplied is exhausted in the buffer memory unit 4, the recording in the recording unit 5 must be once stopped. Then, the tape is rewound for a head point search and is run from the head point at a timing at which data supply is started again such that the data recording is resumed in synchronism with the tape running.
Thus, the buffer memory unit 4 provides a function of matching the processing operation of the computer 1 with the processing operation of the data recording unit 5. However, if the driving mechanism of the data recording unit 5 is controlled only in accordance with a remaining capacity of the buffer memory unit 4 as before, the data transfer speed cannot be effectively controlled.
Also, when a tape is used as a recording medium for the data recording unit 5, the tape must be released from tension applied thereto, a rotary drum be stopped, and so on when data cannot be supplied from the buffer memory unit 4 to the data recording unit 5.
It should be understood that if a tape is stopped for a long time in a tension applied state with a rotary drum being rotated, the tape is very likely to be damaged. For this reason, when the supply of data from the buffer memory unit 4 to the data recording unit 5 is interrupted, the data recording unit 5 must be properly controlled to release the tape from the tension and simultaneously stop the rotary drum (this controlled is called the "standby-off"). Then, at the time the data supply is resumed, the data recording unit 5 must be properly controlled to apply the tape with the tension and simultaneously rotate the rotary drum (this control is called the "standby-on").


A toss game target assembly includes a first target platform having a frame, multiple legs supporting the frame, and a first target surface supported by the frame. The first target surface has a first target hole for receipt of a projectile. A column supports a second target structure for receipt of a projectile above the first target surface. The first target surface may be a taut flexible mat. The second target structure may include a net. A multiplayer game system includes two of the target assemblies, and multiple projectiles each having a flexible tassel assembly attached to a deformable ball.

Games are popular for recreation among friends and for developing and keeping motor skills, dexterity, and coordination. Physical games are beneficial over video game systems toward encouraging direct interpersonal interactions. Some games may be limited to strictly outdoor play due to design, and so are limited for use in amenable weather and require large open spaces. Some recreational activities such as bowling require large dedicated facilities.
Families and friends are in need of improved game systems that are fun, safe to use, affordable, and portable.


A method for removing formaldehyde from a blend of partially oxygenated hydrocarbons is provided. The method including a step of reacting a hydrocarbon-containing gas with an oxygen-containing gas in a reaction vessel to form first product blend. The first product blend includes a blend of partially oxygenated compounds that include formaldehyde. The blend of partially oxygenated compounds is provided to a reactive scrubbing station where it is contacted with a reactive scrubbing liquid to form a reactive liquid-formaldehyde compound. The reactive liquid-formaldehyde compound is then removed from the first blend of partially reactive compounds.

Methane conversion to methanol is currently in commercial operation worldwide and the classic standard technology practiced is via total oxidation using catalysts. These operations are very capital intensive, require huge pockets of methane gas and the methanol is produced through a syngas route. In addition to the need for huge capital and gas reserves, there is a large amount of carbon dioxide produced that contributes to a significant wastage of oxygen and methane itself.
In order to overcome the process inefficiencies, the capital intensity and the need for huge gas reserves, an alternative process, namely partial oxidation has emerged and has been documented. This partial oxidation non-catalytic route produces valuable products: alcohols (predominantly methanol and ethanol along with higher alcohols) and aldehydes (namely formaldehyde).
Separation to recover methanol, ethanol and formaldehyde is straightforward, involves a distillation process operation and can be accomplished either in batch or continuous manner. The processing steps involve fractionating methanol and the ethanol azeotrope (95% ethanol) as two distinctive fractionating cuts, leaving behind a heel of aqueous formaldehyde (formalin) at the bottom of the still. The ethanol azeotrope is further purified to ethanol using a hydrocarbon such as xylene.
Due to the proximity of boiling points of the aqueous formaldehyde solution with the ethanol azeotrope, special care must be taken to prevent formaldehyde accumulation in the distillate while maximizing ethanol recovery. By reacting formaldehyde to different chemicals, eg urea-formaldehyde, the boiling point can be modified and separation processes simplified.
Formaldehyde is a gas at standard temperature and pressure, for this reason it is typically transported as an aqueous formaldehyde solution composed of 37% formaldehyde by weight. However, although it is encountered in a liquid solution, the formaldehyde molecule is still present and is classified as carcinogenic by the Occupational Safety and Health Association. Direct integration of the synthesis of different chemicals using formaldehyde as a feedstock within the gas-to-chemicals process facilitates product handling, eliminates toxicity issues and further permits generation of higher value products.
Accordingly, there is a need for improved methods of removing aldehydes and in particular formaldehyde from the partially oxygenated hydrocarbons.

Reactive scrubbing for upgrading product value, simplifying process operation and product handling


An injector and method for injecting a dual optic AIOL into an eye wherein the AIOL is loaded into the injector in an initially loaded condition with the first and second optics in generally coaxial alignment. A lens moving element is provided and operable to move the first optic toward the proximal end of the main body whereupon the first optic becomes located proximally of the second optic. A stop may be provided to prevent the second optic from moving proximally with the first optic. Displacing the optics to a non-coaxial position reduces the cross-sectional area of the AIOL which allows the AIOL to non-destructively compress to the size of the opening of the injector tip which may be as small as about 2.8 mm or less, for example.

The present invention generally relates to intraocular lens ("IOL") injectors, and more particularly relates to an injector and method for facilitating injection of an accommodating intraocular lens (hereinafter "AIOL") having two lenses into an eye.
AIOLs having two optics interconnected by one or more flexible haptics are known, an example of which may be seen in FIG. 1 hereof. While dual optic AIOLs are relatively new, single optic IOLs have been around for decades. Most of the IOL injector art has therefore been developed around the single optic IOL. A common injector design for delivering a single optic IOL into an eye includes a main body having a lumen extending between distal and proximal ends of the main body. A plunger is received at the proximal end of the body and telescopes within the lumen in the manner of a syringe. A tip is provided at the distal end of the injector body and gradually tapers to an opening wherethrough the IOL is expressed from the injector. A single optic IOL is placed inside the lumen and the plunger is advanced to engage and push the IOL through and out the tip. The IOL is made of a material allowing the IOL to compress as it is advanced through the narrowing walls of the tip. As such, the tip opening may be made very small, e.g., about 3 mm or less, which in turn allows for entry of the tip through a smaller incision in the eye. A sub 3 mm incision allows for faster recovery and has become the standard in the cataract surgery field.
AIOLs having two optics generally cannot be used in injectors that have been designed for single optic IOLs described above. IOL injectors are designed to control the interface between the IOL and the plunger. Absent such control, the delicate IOL would likely be damaged during delivery through the injector and rendered useless. Thus, injectors designed for single optic IOLs would probably damage a dual optic AIOL since such an injector would not have precise control over the optic/plunger interface. Injectors specifically designed for dual optic IOLs may be seen in published patent application US 2005/0182419 A1 to George Tsai, published Aug. 18, 2005, and US 2004/0160575 A1 to Ian Ayton et al, published Aug. 19, 2004.
In the Tsai application, an injector is provided having a main body with a plunger and an actuator 104 having a pair of pins 106, 108 which engage the bottom optic. The actuator is manually telescoped along the main body which causes the bottom optic to advance within the lumen of the main body while the upper optic trails along behind the bottom optic. Further advancement of the actuator urge a pair of compacting members 130, 132 forward along with the IOL and actuator. The compacting members also move toward each other to compact, crush and/or fold the IOL. The actuator may then be removed and discarded from the injector main body (see paragraph [0039] thereof) and a plunger is advanced to express the IOL from the injector tip. In another embodiment seen in FIGS. 13-15 thereof, the actuator is in the form of a polymer strip which pulls the bottom optic forward due to the frictional engagement therebetween. In each embodiment, as the first optic is moved forward, the second optic engages an inclined portion of the housing which forces the first optic rearward and downward relative to the advancing second optic. As such, the optics become displaced relative to each other in a flatter, non-coaxial arrangement (see paragraphs [0035] and [0036] thereof).
In the Ayton et al application, the injector includes a pair of opposing engagement faces 212, 242 which are generally flat and constructed from a material to which the outer faces of the viewing elements 122, 124 will self-adhere. The upper engagement surface is advanced forward and downward to pull the optic therealong and displace one optic relative to the other optic. The upper lens compactor having engagement surface 242 is then advanced laterally to "crush" the IOL into a second compacted condition shown in FIG. 18 thereof.
In both the Tsai and Ayton et al publications, one of the optics is engaged and moved in a distal direction toward the tip of the injector to relatively displace the optics. The injectors have many parts to execute the movement necessary to first displace the optics to a non-coaxial position, and then compact the optics for subsequent delivery through the injector tip. The number of parts required for the Tsai and Ayton et al injectors greatly increases the complexity of manufacture and assembly of the injector which adds to the cost thereof. Furthermore, each injector requires at least two separate manipulations to first displace and then compact the optics prior to advancement by the plunger. The more injector manipulations required, the more time needed for the IOL implantation procedure which decreases the efficiency of the procedure.
There thus still exists a need for an dual optic AIOL injector that is relatively easy to manufacture, assemble and use. One or more embodiments of the present invention addresses these and other needs.


A method for providing air to a combustion chamber of an engine, the engine including an intake manifold selectably coupled to a boost tank. The method comprises pressurizing and storing air in the boost tank, discharging some of the air stored in the boost tank to the intake manifold, and releasing condensate from the boost tank.

A boosted engine may offer greater fuel efficiency and lower emissions than a naturally aspirated engine of similar power. During transient conditions, however, the power, fuel efficiency, and emissions-control performance of a boosted engine may suffer. Such transient conditions may include rapidly increasing or decreasing engine load, engine speed, or mass air flow. For example, when the engine load increases rapidly, a turbocharger compressor may require increased torque to deliver an increased air flow. Such torque may not be available, however, if the turbine that drives the compressor is not fully spun up. As a result, an undesirable power lag may occur before the intake air flow builds to the required level.
It has been recognized previously that a turbocharged engine system may be adapted to store compressed air and to use the stored, compressed air to supplement the air charge from the turbocharger compressor. Accordingly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,064,423 describes a system in which compressed air is stored in a boost tank and is dispensed when insufficient compressed air is available from the turbocharger compressor.
However, the inventor herein has recognized that other transient control issues may occur during decreasing engine load. For example, when a throttle valve in a boosted engine system closes, the compressed air charge upstream of the throttle valve is released to the atmosphere to avoid compressor surge. This may be done by opening a compressor by-pass valve, for example. Such actions erode fuel efficiency, however, as the mechanical energy used to compress the air charge is wasted when the air is released to the atmosphere. Moreover, in engine systems equipped with low-pressure (LP) exhaust-gas recirculation (EGR), merely opening the by-pass valve may not adequately prepare the engine for low-load operation. This is because the intake air charge will be diluted with exhaust gas during mid- to high-load operation. When the throttle valve closes, this exhaust gas remains trapped behind the throttle valve. During closed-throttle conditions, however, non-diluted, fresh air may be required for reliable combustion.
It will be noted that the engine system disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,064,423 does not address the particular transient-control issues noted above. Further, this system does not contemplate the accumulation of condensate such as water inside the boost tank.
The inventor herein has further recognized that a properly configured compressed-air management system can be used to address the transient-control issues identified above, and can do so more robustly when appropriate measures are taken to remove accumulated condensate from the boost tank. Therefore, one embodiment provides a method for providing air to a combustion chamber of an engine, the engine including an intake manifold selectably coupled to a boost tank. The method comprises pressurizing and storing air in the boost tank, discharging some of the air stored in the boost tank to the intake manifold, and releasing condensate from the boost tank. In this manner, the advantages of compressed-air storage in the turbocharged engine system will not be compromised due to the accumulation of condensate in the boost tank.
It will be understood that the summary above is provided to introduce in simplified form a selection of concepts that are further described in the detailed description, which follows. It is not meant to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, the scope of which is defined by the claims that follow the detailed description. Further, the claimed subject matter is not limited to implementations that solve any disadvantages noted herein.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Condensate management for motor-vehicle compressed air storage systems


An electromagnetically driven valve that is driven by the combined action of electromagnetic force and elastic force includes first and second valve elements that have valve shafts and move in reciprocating motions in the directions in which the valve shafts extend. It also includes first and second oscillating members that extend from driving ends to pivoting ends, and that pivot around respective central axes extending at the respective pivoting ends. The driving ends are operatively linked with the first and second valve elements, respectively. The electromagnetically driven valve also includes first and second coils that cause the first and second oscillating members to oscillate. The first and second coils are interconnected.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to electromagnetically driven valves. More particularly, the invention relates to pivot-type electromagnetically driven valves that are used in internal combustion engines and are driven by electromagnetic force and elastic force.
2. Description of the Related Art
Electromagnetically driven valves have been disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,467,441.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,467,441, a pivot-type electromagnetically driven valve having a fulcrum on a disc (armature) is disclosed. When two conventional flap type electromagnetically driven valves are placed adjacent to one another and operated, the number of drive circuits increases, as does the cost and the space required for installation. Also, the electromagnetic interference between the adjacent electromagnetically driven valves reduces the electromagnetic force and increases the amount of electric power that is consumed. Also, if an attempt is made to operate two driven valves by means of one electromagnetically driven valve, the difference in the tappet clearance of the two driven valves gives rise to tappet noise.


A pneumatic tire includes a tread portion provided in a tread face thereof with tread elements each provided with at least one zigzag sipe, a cap tread rubber defining the tread face, and a base tread rubber disposed radially inside the cap tread rubber, wherein the zigzag sipe comprises zigzag segments which are alternating circumferentially-oriented segments and an amplitude center line of zigzag of the zigzag sipe is inclined at an angle (theta) of from 0 to 45 degrees with respect to the tire circumferential direction, and the zigzag sipe has a bottom including alternating deep parts and shallow parts in comparison with the level of the boundary between the cap tread rubber and base tread rubber.

The present invention relates to a pneumatic tire, more particularly to a tread structure comprising siped tread elements capable of improving on-the-ice tire performance and uneven tread wear resistance.
In general, winter tires such as snow tire and studless tire are provided in the tread portion with a tread pattern comprising a number of siped blocks, and the sipes are oriented axially of the tire for the purpose of deriving a maximum driving force (traction) and a maximum braking force from their edges (so called edge effect).
In such a block pattern tire, however, during running on icy roads, cornering power becomes insufficient in comparison with the driving force. Therefore, the steering stability is not so good during straight running as well as cornering. Thus, on the whole, there is room for improvement in ice performance. Further, as the block which is provided with axially oriented sipes (a) as shown in FIG. 7 is greatly decreased in circumferential rigidity, so called heel-and-toe wear—uneven wear between the circumferentially opposite edges of the block—is caused. This is especially remarkable in winter tires wherein a relatively soft rubber compound is used in the tread portion.


A system and method for transmitting digital data in the horizontal overscan portion of a composite video signal is presented. A source supplies digital data which is encoded by a 32-state QAM encoder using a symbol clock having a frequency 4f.sub.sc, 4 times the color subcarrier frequency (f.sub.sc), then the encoded data is quadrature amplitude modulated using a carrier signal with a frequency of f.sub.sc /2. The modulated digital data replaces the video signal in the horizontal and vertical overscan portions of the baseband video signal. The video signal is received, the modulated digital data is extracted from the video signal, demodulated using QAM techniques, and decoded with a reconstructed version of the symbol clock.

A. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to the transmission of data within a video signal and, more particularly, it relates to the transmission of quadrature amplitude modulated digital data within the vertical and horizontal overscan portions of an NTSC TV signal.
B. Discussion of Prior Art
The active video portion of one horizontal line of an NTSC TV signal is approximately 52 .mu.s while the active video portion in the vertical direction is approximately 12 ms. However, a typical NTSC TV receiver overscans, in both the horizontal and vertical direction, the transmitted image by approximately 6%, 3% on either side of the picture. This overscan causes the right and left edge, as well as the top and bottom, of the picture to remain hidden from view. The overscan interval amounts to approximately 1.5 .mu.s of the active period on either side of the signal line and approximately 730 .mu.s of the active period on the top and bottom.
This unseen portion of the NTSC signal provides an opportunity to transmit other information during the horizontal and vertical overscan portion of the signal. To date, designers of wide-screen TV receivers have used the horizontal overscan portion to transmit side panel information which, along with the center panel information, is converted into a wide-screen TV image.
An example of the above use of the overscan portion of the NTSC TV signal is found in (1) Inoue et al., "Encoding and Decoding in the 6-MHz NTSC-Compatible Widescreen Television System", IEEE Transactions on Circuits and Systems for Video Technology, Vol. 1, No. 1, Mar. 1991, pp. 49-58.
Other examples are found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,552,754 issued to Meise et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 4,888,641 issued to Isnardi et al. both of which are hereby incorporated by reference for their teachings on the design of television systems. In Meise et al., the side panel information for the wide-screen image is time compressed for transmission during the horizontal overscan (see col 3, lines 48 to 64). And, in Isnardi et al., an auxiliary channel is used for transmitting auxiliary video information to be used with a widescreen HDTV system (see cols 4-5 with reference to FIG. 1 and see FIG. 3a).
However, the overscan portion of the NTSC TV signal need not be limited to transmission of side panel information for wide-screen receivers. This transmission time period can be used to transmit many different types of information, whether digital or analog, for many different purposes.

System and method for transmitting digital data in the overscan portion of a video signal

Matsushita Electric Corporation of America


A travel control device includes a side obstacle detection unit which divides a range from a lateral side to a rear side of a vehicle into plural detection angle areas, and detects, for each of the plural detection angle areas, an obstacle entering the detection angle area; a rearward movement preparation detection unit which detects the vehicle preparing to move rearward; a warning control unit which provides warning about the obstacle if the distance to the obstacle is equal to or less than an activation threshold for the warning; and a threshold control unit which, if the obstacle is detected in one or more rear side areas among the plural detection angle areas, before being detected in the other detection angle areas, raises the activation threshold so that the timing of the warning becomes earlier.

A technique for a vehicle to detect a distance to an approaching vehicle approaching the vehicle by using an obstacle sensor mounted on the vehicle has heretofore been known.
For example in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2010-30514, a braking force is applied to the vehicle when the distance between the vehicle and the approaching vehicle is shortened to a predetermined braking control activation distance or less, and the braking control activation distance is set according to an angle formed by a travel direction of the vehicle and an extending direction of a road along which the approaching vehicle is running.

Travel control device and travel control method


Disclosed is a device which employs a chemically sensitive cantilever hingably attached to a capsule. The cantilever functions as a switch which regulates the flow of particles into and/or out of the capsule.

The prior art is replete with attempts to deliver therapeutic agents to a specific cell. Chemotherapeutic agents, for example, preferentially exert their effects at tumor cites due to the prolific cell growth that occurs in cancerous tissues. It has been a long standing objective to control the delivery of biologically active compounds and/or exogenous genes ("gene therapy") to a cell.
Virus-like particles, often derived from known viruses, have been adapted to carry therapeutic agents. Using such methodology a multitude of compounds have been introduced to cells, including genes, antigens, and toxins.
A lipid-entrapped, polycation-condensed DNA system has been previously disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,436,708 to Leone et al., ("Delivery system for gene therapy to the brain") that can exert its effect for up to ten months. This reference fails to teach or suggest a means for the selective release of genes in response to an external signal. The reference also fails to teach or suggest the release of mRNA and the synthesis of proteins within the encapsulation device. The content of U.S. Pat. No. 6,436,708 is hereby incorporated by reference into this specification.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,620,617; 6,475,779 and 6,262,034 to Mathiowitz et al, ("Polymeric gene delivery") discloses a gene therapy method wherein the genes to be introduced are encapsulated within a biodegradable matrix. As the matrix is slow degraded, the gene is gradually released. U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,247,720 and 6,677,313 to Mathiowitz et al., ("Method for gene therapy using nucleic acid loaded polymeric microparticles") discloses a method for orally administering gene therapy. The content of U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,620,617; 6,475,779; 6,262,034; 6,247,720; and 6,677,313 is hereby incorporated by reference into this specification.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,584,807 and 5,865,796 to McCabe ("Gas drive gene delivery instrument") describes the delivery of genetic material through nebulized microparticles. A variety of techniques are described which enable one to coat microparticles with a variety of substrates including DNA, RNA, and "other types of biological materials such as peptides, cytokines, hormones, or protein." McCabe also describes the effects of microparticles on an organism. "It has been found that carrier particles of a size of a few microns can enter living cells, by penetrating the cell walls thereof, without unduly adversely affecting the ability of most of the living cells to survive. In other words, the carrier particles can enter living cells without killing them, to thus deliver the biological material on the particles into the cell." The content of U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,584,807 and 5,865,796 is hereby incorporated by reference into this specification.
A similar enzymatically degradable gelatin based system is taught in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,410,517 and 6,410,517 to Truong et al., ("Targeted gene delivery system"). The gene delivery method utilizes recognition molecules to promote target specificity. "The linkage design allows the attachment of any molecule onto the microparticle surface including antibodies, cell adhesion molecules, hormones and other cell-specific ligands." A similar disclosure may be found in U.S. Pat. No. 6,025,337 to Thuong et al, ("Solid microparticles for gene delivery").
U.S. Pat. No. 6,420,176 to Lisziewicz et al, ("Compositing for delivering DNA into antigen presenting cells") describes a gene therapy that exploits natural receptor-mediated endocytosis to introduced genes into an antigen-presenting cell. The content of U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,410,517; 6,025,337; and 6,420,176 is hereby incorporated by reference into this specification.
Sensor controlled drug delivery systems are also know to those skilled in the art. U.S. patent applications 2003/0040682 and 2003/0023187 describe systems for sampling and analysis of body fluids by non-invasively withdrawing and evaluating analytes from a biological subject and subsequently administering therapeutic agents. Additional examples of biosensors may be found in U.S. patent application 2003/0032892 wherein the device overcomes the deficiencies of a disease state when inserted into a body passage or implanted into body tissue by providing an apparatus comprised of nanodevices, microdevices and microsensors that determine changes in body conditions. The content of each of the aforementioned applications is hereby incorporated by reference into this specification.
Capsules, also known as nanospheres, nanocapsules, microspheres, or microcapsules, are known to those skilled in the art to deliver antisense oligonucleotides (Advanced Drug Delivery Reviews, v47, p 99–112, 2001). The capsule facilitates intracellular penetration and protects the oligonucleotides until they can exert their inhibitory effects. Birrenbach and Speiser (1976) first developed nanoparticles (J. Pharm. Sci. v65, pp. 1763–1766, 1976). Once biodegradable polymers were available, such capsules could be utilized for drug delivery. At that time, the research on colloidal carriers was mainly focusing on liposomes. Nanoparticles, which are more efficient drug carriers than liposomes, have since been developed (Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, v35, p 770–772, 1991). It is also known to those skilled in the art that polymers, such as poly-DL-lactic-acid-polyethylene glycol, can be used as a DNA delivery system (J. Controlled Release, v83, pp 147–155, 2002). Delivery of plasmid DNA by nanoparticles made from biodegradable polyphosphoester, poly(2-amino ethyl propylene phosphate) (PPE-EA) improves the DNA bioavailability and sustains extracellular release of the DNA (Gene Therapy, v9, pp 1254–1261, 2002).
It would be advantageous if one could control the release of a therapeutic agent such that the agent is discharged in response to a predetermined signal. One aspect of the instant invention utilizes a cantilever to control the release of such an agent.
As is known to those skilled in the art, a cantilever (also known as a microcantilever) is a microscale bar, typically ranging in size from about 1 to about 200 micrometers, that bends when subjected to a specified condition. A variety of cantilevers have been made which are responsive to numerous conditions such as, for example, specific chemicals, heat, magnetic fields, and the like.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,096,559 to Thundat et al., entitled "Micromechanical calorimetric sensor" discloses a cantilever that is sensitive to thermal changes.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,016,686 to Thundat ("Micromechanical potentiometric sensors") teaches a cantilever that is responsive to differences in potential charges on either side of the lever. U.S. Pat. No. 5,918,263 to Thundat ("Microcantilever detector for explosives") describes the use of cantilevers to detect gas molecules that have been absorbed on the surface of the lever. U.S. Pat. No. 6,525,307 to Evens et al., ("Integrated optical Interrogation of micro-structures") discloses a method for detecting the amount of bending a cantilever has undergone. U.S. Pat. No. 6,311,549 to Thundat et al., ("Micromechanical transient sensor for measuring viscosity and density of a fluid") teaches a cantilever that may be excited to resonance by vibration, thus providing a method for measuring the viscosity of a fluid. U.S. Pat. No. 5,719,324 to Thundat et al., ("Microcantilever sensor") is similar in nature. U.S. Pat. No. 6,212,939 to Thundat ("Uncoated microcantilevers as chemical sensors") describes a cantilever that is responsive to photonic energy. U.S. Pat. No. 5,908,981 to Atalar et al. ("Interdigital deflection sensor for microcantilevers) discloses a similar cantilever assembly. U.S. Pat. No. 5,998,995 to Osiander et al., ("Microelectromechanical (MEMS)-based magnetostrictive magnetometer") describes a cantilever sensitive to a magnetic field. U.S. Pat. No. 5,807,758 to Lee et al., ("Chemical and biological sensor using an ultra-sensitive force transducer") teaches a similar cantilever that is indirectly sensitized to a magnetic field. U.S. Pat. No. 5,475,318 to Marcus et al. ("Microprobe") describes a microcantilever that is thermally sensitive. As the cantilever bends in response to applied heat, the probe is moved into the appropriate position. U.S. Pat. No. 5,445,008 to Wachter et al. ("Microbar sensor") teaches the use of a microcantilever to absorb chemicals onto the surface of the cantilever. The cantilever is thus caused to oscillate. The mass of the absorbed chemicals causes the oscillation frequency to change, thus providing a method for the detection of the chemicals.
Additional cantilevers have been disclosed which sense specific chemical and/or biological analytes. Reference may be had to U.S. Pat. No. 6,523,392 to Porter et al., ("Microcantilever sensor"), U.S. Pat. No. 6,589,198 to Soltanpour et al. ("Implantable micro-pump assembly"), U.S. Pat. No. 5,643,247 to Fernandez et al., ("Microparticle switching devices for use in implantable reservoirs"), and U.S. Pat. No. 6,289,717 to Thundat et al., ("Micromechanical antibody sensor"). For additional information related to cantilevers, reference may had, for example, to U.S. patent application 2003/0010097 and U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,445,008; 5,475,318; 5,719,324; 5,908,981; 5,918,263; 5,998,995; 6,016,686; 6,096,559; 6,289,717; 6,311,549; 6,523,392; and 6,525,307. The content of U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,445,008; 5,475,318; 5,643,247; 5,719,324; 5,807,758; 5,908,981; 5,918,263; 5,998,995; 6,016,686; 6,096,559; 6,212,939; 6,289,717; 6,311,549; 6,523,392; 6,525,307; 6,589,198 and application 2003/0010097 are hereby incorporated by reference into this specification.
It is an object of this invention to provide a device for increasing the concentration of a therapeutic agent in a given environment by releasing the agent from a capsule in response to the detection of a molecule that is characteristic of a specific disease.

Drug delivery apparatus utilizing cantilever


A .beta.-methylcarbapenem compound of formula (I), a salt or an ester thereof, a process for the preparation thereof and a anti-bacterial composition containing same: ##STR1## wherein: R.sup.1 is a C.sub.1-6 alkyl, C.sub.2-6 alkenyl, cycloalkyl, aryl or heterocyclic aryl group.

Since thienamycin having a broad antibacterial spectrum was disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,950,357, there have been many attempts to develop an even more active antibiotic which is stable against the attack of dehydropeptidase-I.
For instance, European Patent No. 126587 reports meropenem and Japanese Patent No. 425779 presents biapenem, for use in injection formulations. Recently, European Patent No. 416953 have disclosed tribactam compounds, which are carbapenem antibiotics suitable for oral administration.
However, the above carbapenem antibiotics have a problem in that the process of isolating the intended isomer is complicated, requiring more than 12 steps. Further, they show low antibacterial activities against Streptococcus facium and Enterobacter cloacae, and no activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
Therefore, there has been a need to develop an antibiotic having an improved antibacterial activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria.

.beta.-methylcarbapenem derivatives, process for the preparation thereof and pharmaceutical composition comprising same

Korea Research Institute of Chemistry Technology


A method and a user equipment for controlling multiple communication systems to implement communication are disclosed. The method includes: when a long term evolution LTE system module in a UE is about to enter a discontinuous reception DRX sleep state or to temporarily stop data transmission, sending, by the LTE system module, first indication information to another system module in the UE, where the first indication information is used for indicating, to the other system module, that the LTE system module enters the DRX sleep state and at least part of time during which the LTE system module is in the DRX sleep state, or the first indication information is used for indicating that the other system module is capable of performing data transmission and time during which the other system module is capable of performing data transmission.

In communication systems, the frequency spectrum is generally divided into different frequency bands. For long term evolution (Long Term Evolution, LTE) systems, a total of 40 available frequency bands are defined, for example, a frequency band numbered 13 (briefly referred to as band 13) from 777 MHz to 787 MHz, a frequency band numbered 14 (briefly referred to as band 14) from 746 MHz to 756 MHz, and a frequency band numbered 40 (briefly referred to as band 40) from 2300 MHz to 2400 MHz. The frequency band from 2.4 GHz to 2.5 GHz (briefly referred to as 2.4G frequency band) is generally used as one of industrial, scientific and medical frequency bands (ISM frequency bands) shared by different countries, this frequency band is neighboring to the band 40 used by the LTE system, and wireless networks such as wireless local area networks, Bluetooth and ZigBee can work on this frequency band. If a user equipment (User Equipment, UE), when using the LTE technology on a frequency band, also uses another wireless communication technology on another frequency band neighboring to the frequency band, the communication of the UE may interfere with the other wireless communication, that is, communication collision occurs between the LTE system and another system.
The prior art proposes a method for solving the above communication interference: The UE sends a request message to a base station, to request the base station to configure, for the UE, time during which the UE is capable of alternately working in two communication systems; the base station sends a response message to the UE, where the message carries information about time that is allocated semi-statically by the base station for the UE to work in each of the two systems; and the UE alternately works in the two systems according to the information of the time allocated by the base station.
However, the above process requires introducing a new configuration function into the base station, which greatly changes the base station; and if some base stations do not support the above function, the terminal cannot obtain the time allocated by the base station for the terminal to work in each of the two systems, thereby affecting effective communication between two systems.

Method for controlling multiple communication systems to implement communication and user equipment


A method and apparatus for enabling the creation of customer specified service logic are disclosed. The method enables a service provider to define a plurality of pre-built blocks of service logic for constructing basic and advanced telephone services, to enable the customer to use the pre-built blocks to construct the service logic, to receive the service logic from the customer, to verify the accuracy and/or completeness of the service logic and to activate the service. This flexible approach allows a customer to select the exact package of services that the customer wishes to receive. The selected services match exactly the customer's need and allow the service provider to remain competitive.

The Internet has emerged as a critical communication infrastructure, carrying traffic for a wide range of important scientific, business and consumer applications. Internet services are becoming ubiquitous and customers are combining both voice and data services on a single Internet based infrastructure such as a packet network e.g., a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) network. VoIP service providers offer their customers an increasing array of enhanced services beyond the basic telephony service. These services are innovative and give the users more control over their telephony services. However, the applications for the enhanced services are prescribed and packaged as the service provider dictates. The service provider presents the limited set of options to the customer and the customer selects one of the options. Thus, the selected package may contain services the customer does not need and may lack other services the customer would prefer to include in the package.
Therefore, there is a need for a method and apparatus for providing customer specified service logic.

Method and apparatus for providing customer specified service logic


A method for recording address information to an optical disc (5) by forming a wobbled groove is provided. The method includes steps S1 to S3. In step S1, there is generated address information composed of a sync signal, address data and an error correction code for the address data. In step S2, a carrier signal is multiplied by the address information to generate a phase modulation signal. In step S3, there is formed on the optical disc (5) a spiral groove wobbled adaptively to the phase modulation signal.

Heretofore, a recording medium shaped like a disc such as an optical disc, magnetic disc, magneto-optical disc or the like has a spiral groove formed thereon for the purpose of tracking. It is already known to record address information by wobbling the groove adaptively to the address information.
Address information to be recorded to a disc-shaped recording medium is composed of a sync signal indicative of an address start position and an address indicative of address data itself. Some of address information further contain an error correction code (ECC) for the address data.
Since a sync signal included in address signal is not sufficiently long, it cannot have any ECC appended thereto. Unless a sync signal in address information can be reproduced accurately, address data having an ECC appended thereto cannot be reproduced either. In other words, the error rate of address information depends upon whether a sync signal in the address information can be reproduced accurately or not. Therefore, a method of accurately reproducing a sync signal in address signal should desirably be established.

Address information recording device and recording method and reproducing device and reproducing method


A display apparatus and a method of manufacturing the same. The display apparatus includes a substrate, an encapsulation substrate disposed to face the substrate, a display unit formed between the substrate and the encapsulation substrate and displaying an image, and a sealing unit disposed between the substrate and the encapsulation substrate to bond the substrate and the encapsulation substrate to each other and containing a filler containing Cr, Cu, and Mn and a glass frit mixed with the filler.

1. Field
The following description relates to a display apparatus and a method of manufacturing the same, and more particularly, to a display apparatus having increased encapsulation properties and durability and a method of manufacturing the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, the use of display apparatuses has become widespread and varied. Particularly, thicknesses of display apparatuses and weights thereof have reduced in such a way that a range of use thereof has become broader.
Such display apparatuses are formed by using various suitable methods. For example, display apparatuses may be each formed by using a method of disposing a display unit for implementing images between a substrate and an encapsulation substrate. In this case, the substrate and the encapsulation substrate are bonded by a sealing element.
It is necessary that the sealing element allows the substrate and the encapsulation substrate to be stably coupled with each other and that it also prevents penetration of external air, humidity, and other foreign substances into the display unit.
However, since it is difficult to form the sealing element, there is a limitation in improving encapsulation properties of display apparatuses. As a result thereof, there is a limitation in improving durability of display apparatuses.

Display apparatus and method of manufacturing the same


A new slide-screw impedance tuner structure uses multi-segment, disc-shaped, rotating metallic probes. This ensures probes covering multiple frequency bands to be served using a single vertical control mechanism, instead of multiple axes, motors, motor control and double or triple carriages. Additional benefits are high resolution in the area where the gap between center conductor and probe is small (high GAMMA), smooth increase of proximity between probe and center conductor (basic anti-corona discharge form) and the possibility to compensate for the negative phase slope at higher GAMMA, native to traditional slide screw tuners.

This invention relates to RF load and source pull testing of medium and high power RF transistors and amplifiers using remotely controlled electro-mechanical impedance tuners. Modern design of high power RF amplifiers and mixers, used in various communication systems, requires accurate knowledge of the active device's (microwave transistor's) characteristics. In such circuits, it is insufficient for the transistors, which operate in their highly non-linear regime, close to power saturation, to be described using non-linear numeric models only.
A popular method for testing and characterizing such microwave components (transistors) in the non-linear region of operation is "load pull". Load pull is a measurement technique employing microwave tuners and other microwave test equipment. The microwave tuners are used in order to manipulate the microwave impedance conditions under which the Device Under Test (DUT, or transistor) is tested (see ref. 1); this document refers hence to "impedance tuners", in order to make a clear distinction to "tuned receivers (radios)", popularly called elsewhere also "tuners" because of the included tuning circuits (see ref 2).
Impedance tuners in particular "slide screw tuners" consist, in general, of a transmission line and a number of adjustable parallel tuning elements (22, 30), FIGS. 2 to 5, which, when approaching the center conductor (32) of the airline (31) and moved along the axis of the airline (45) create a variable reactance, allowing thus the synthesis of various impedances (or reflection factors) covering parts or the totality of the Smith chart (the normalized reflection factor area). The relation between reflection factor and impedance is given by GAMMA=|GAMMA|*exp(jΦ)=(Z−Zo)/(Z+Zo), wherein Z is the complex impedance Z=R+jX and Zo is the characteristic impedance. A typical value used for Zo is Zo=50 Ohm (see ref. 3). The equivalent is the Voltage Standing Wave Ratio: VSWR=(1+|GAMMA|)/(1−|GAMMA|).
Up to now such tuning elements are made as metallic probes (slugs) and have had a cubical form (30, 41) with a concave bottom (35) which allows to capture (when closing in to the center conductor) the electric field (99) in FIG. 9, which is concentrated in the area (36) between the center conductor (32, 98) and the ground planes of the airline (31, 97) (FIGS. 3 and 9). This field capturing allows creating high and controllable reflection factors. The disadvantage of this technique is the requirement of very high precision and resolution vertical movement mechanisms (33, 21, 53), which is controlled by a precision stepping motor (20). Because most of the field capturing effect occurs when the probe is very close to the center conductor, a high resolution vertical movement mechanism is needed. This, on the other hand, slows down the tuning procedure, since, when the probe is away from the center conductor, the tuning effect is much less effective, but the vertical moving speed is the same. In praxis, it takes typically 5 seconds to tune from |GAMMA|=0.05 to |GAMMA|=0.1 (VSWR from 1.1:1 to 1.22:1) and only 1 second to tune from |GAMMA|=0.9 to |GAMMA|=0.95 (VSWR from 19:1 to 39:1). Tuning speed is proportional to the change in VSWR divided by the change in vertical position (Y): SPEED=(Δ.VSWR)/(Δ.Y), whereas the vertical position is directly proportional to the motor stepping speed.
The probes used in slide screw tuners cover only a certain frequency range each. The lower frequency limit (61) is due to limited capacitance, the high end (62) due to resonances and propagation cut-off modes. In general the "longer" the probe, the lower the frequency (FIGS. 5 and 6). Hereby "length" of a probe is its size in direction of the axis of the airline. In order to cover a wide frequency range multiple probes are used (52, 55 in FIG. 5); each probe is attached to a precision vertical axis (53) in a mobile carriage (56) and is controlled by a vertical stepper motor (54). In case of even larger bandwidth three parallel probes are used (see ref. 6, FIG. 4a) which requires three axes, triple carriages and three vertical motors.
This invention discloses multiple frequency band probes using a single carriage, without need for a vertical axis and using a single vertical motor.

Impedance tuners with rotating multi-section probes


A GRIN lens array of an embodiment has a structure for enabling a coupling face in which lens end faces of GRIN lenses are arranged, to be accurately polished so as to have a desired angle relative to optical axes of the GRIN lenses. The GRIN lens array has the GRIN lenses and a main body portion. The main body portion comprises a holding portion having a coupling face, and an edge portion having a reference face to be used as a reference in polishing of the coupling face. The respective thicknesses of the holding portion and the edge portion along the longitudinal direction of the GRIN lenses are set so as to form a step between the coupling face and the reference face.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Publication No. 2005-300596 (Patent Literature 1) describes a problem about the optical connector for connection between single mode fibers (each of which will be referred to hereinafter as "SMF") that it is easily subjected to reduction in coupling efficiency due to misalignment of fiber axes for the reason of small core diameter. Furthermore, this Patent Literature 1 discloses a composite optical fiber for solving the foregoing problem. The composite optical fiber is configured by connecting a plurality of optical fibers of different core diameters in an increasing order of the core diameters. During passage of a beam through the composite optical fiber of this configuration, the beam diameter gradually increases with increase in core diameter. The beam diameter becomes maximum at a point of transfer of the beam between optical connectors. It is intended by this scheme that the reduction in coupling efficiency is suppressed even with occurrence of the misalignment between SMFs.
Japanese Patent No. 3259746 (Patent Literature 2) discloses an optical fiber array unit. This optical fiber array unit is composed of a plurality of subunits stacked. Each subunit has a first member which holds a plurality of SMFs in a state in which they are arranged in parallel to each other, a second member which holds graded-index optical fibers (each of which will be referred to hereinafter as "GRIN optical fiber") for collimating beams output from the respective SMFs into parallel beams, and positioning means which positions the first member and the second member so as to coaxially connect the SMFs and GRIN optical fibers to each other.

Grin lens array, lens-mounted connector, and lens-mounted connector system


An orthopedic system includes a base shell forming an opening over a dorsal aspect thereof and a dorsal shell contoured to generally correspond to the opening of the base shell. The base shell has a proximal member and a distal member connected to the proximal member, each has a semi-rigid shell configuration to protect and support a lower leg, an ankle, or a foot of a user when received in the orthopedic system. A flexible toe portion is attached to a distal terminal end area of the distal member and formed of a different material than the distal member. The flexible toe portion is arranged to terminate above an upper surface of the user's toes and to flex relative to the distal member and the toes so as to reduce the likelihood of pressure points on the toes from the distal member.

It is common that people, especially frail elderly people and diabetics, experience a variety of lower leg, ankle, and foot injuries. Physicians traditionally have treated, and still currently treat, injuries such as pressure ulcers affecting the foot by fitting the injured patient with the well-known, molded plaster or resin cast. The placement of this type of cast is time consuming, heavy, and costly. Further, this type of cast must not come into contact with water, which makes patient bathing difficult and time consuming. Additionally, if the cast needs to be removed for any reason, for example, inspection, a whole new cast must be prepared and applied.
Alternatively, walking boots or walkers have been used for protecting and immobilizing injured or affected areas of the lower leg, ankle, and/or foot, such that at least partial mobility may be maintained while the affected areas are in the process of healing. Further, in contrast to the molded plaster or resin cast, a walker can be easily removed in order to bathe or for inspection of the injured limb by a physician or practitioner.
Existing wrap-around or circumferential walkers however can be bulky and uncomfortable for users. Particularly, hard edges and/or surfaces of existing walkers can cause pressure points on the user's toes, feet, ankle, and/or lower leg that can cause users pain and discomfort, and may also cause injury to a user, such as pressure ulcers. Pressure ulcers can become infected, contain scar tissue, and may result in secondary problems up to and including amputation.
Alternatively, existing walkers may include inflatable supports for improving the comfort of the walker, but these inflatable supports can be more harmful than helpful. Particularly, existing walkers require the user to regulate or control the pressure level in the inflatable supports. This is problematic because patients, especially those with diabetes, often experience reduced sensation in their extremities, which can result in them inadvertently overinflating the inflatable supports. Over-inflation of the inflatable supports can cause pressure on the skin which can reduce both capillary blood flow to the skin and arterial flow to the affected limb. It can also lead to the formation of pressure ulcers on the foot of the patient and longer healing times for existing ulcers. Further, existing walkers with inflatable supports often require patients to monitor pressure levels in the inflatable supports with a pressure gauge. However, many patients do not see well enough to read the pressure gauges and such pressure gauges are also known to malfunction.
Additionally, features associated with the inflatable supports in existing walkers are known to create pressure points within the walker and/or to be unreliable. For instance, tubing associated with the inflatable supports is typically routed along the inside surface of the walker, creating pressure points on the inside of the walker, which can be uncomfortable and can cause additional pressure ulcers. Moreover, such tubing can become kinked and/or pinched between the walker and the patient's lower leg, ankle, and/or foot, rendering the inflatable supports effectively inoperable. Pump features associated with the inflatable supports are also commonly arranged on the walker such that they are prone to being bumped, misaligned, and/or damaged during use, increasing the likelihood that the inflatable supports will be inadvertently inflated, deflated, and/or rendered inoperable.


An air compression system includes an internal combustion engine operable to produce a power output in response to combustion of a fuel-air mixture, and an air compressor driven by the internal combustion engine and operable to draw in atmospheric air and discharge a mixed flow of compressed air and water. A water injection system supplies water to the fuel-air mixture and into the internal combustion engine, a separator assembly in communication with the air compressor separates a portion of the water from the compressed air, and a water passageway interconnects the separator assembly and the water injection system such that the air compressor supplies water to the water injection system.

Water injection is a proven technique for raising the threshold at which detonation (or pre-ignition) takes place in an internal combustion engine (ICE). An increased pre-ignition threshold enables the use of lower octane and/or cetane fuels in tandem with higher compression ratios for higher power output and increased operating range.

Source of water for water injection system


A video data recording and reproduction apparatus in which a plurality of input/output control circuits input and output video data between the recording and reproducing apparatus and external apparatus based on a control signal received from an external apparatus, predetermined special effect processing is performed on the video data reproduced from the storage medium by the recording and reproduction apparatus, and the recording and reproduction apparatus store this processed video data on the storage medium.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an audio and/or video data recording and reproduction apparatus for recording video data of the digital format and reproducing the recorded audio and/or video data.
2. Description of the Related Art
For example, in a television broadcasting station, a video to be telecast in a news program etc. is usually produced by recording and individually managing the video (stock video) and audio serving as the basis of the video to be telecast by a TV camera etc. including a video tape recorder (VTR) on video tapes and having an editor use a VTR in the editing room according to need to reproduce one or more of the audio and/or video data (AV data) recorded on the video tapes and combining the reproduced stock videos to record the video to be actually broadcast on another tape.
However, when the stock videos are managed in the state recorded on video tapes, the work efficiency in selecting the necessary videos from among the large number of stock videos becomes poor. Further, there also exists a need to convey the tapes on which the stock videos are recorded from the storage place to the editing room. Further, it is difficult for a number of editors to use the same stock videos. Such a problem is particularly notable when a large number of stock videos are used for the production of one news video.
Further, the news video produced on the tape is generally carried to and load by hand into a VTR for transmitting the program or a cart machine containing the VTR for transmitting the program. However, since it is necessary to perform the operations such as management of the news videos or changing the order of transmission at the stage of transmitting the program by hand, the efficiency is poor and mistakes can occur due to human error, so the system lacks reliability.
In order to solve such a problem, use is made of a so-called server system as used in a computing system for enabling centralized management and use of the stock videos or the videos for broadcast and therefore shared use of stock videos.
FIG. 1 is a view of an example of the configuration of a example of a server system 8 for audio and/or video data.
As shown in FIG. 1, the server system 8 is basically configured by the basic component elements of the computer, that is, a CPU 401, ROM 402, RAM 403, high speed bus 404, device interfaces 405m, data recording and reproduction apparatuses 406m connected via the same, input/output interfaces 407n, audio and/or video data compressing means 408n connected via the same, and audio and/or video data expanding means 409n corresponding to the audio and/or video data compressing means 408n.
Further, where the server system 8 is realized on a computer different from the host application system, a LAN use interface 411 connecting a LAN 410 and the server system 8 is provided.
When the server system 8 records the audio and/or video data, the audio and/or video data compressing means 408n compress the input audio and/or video data S40n to generate the compressed audio and/or video data S41n and transfer the same via the input/output interfaces 407n to the high speed bus 404.
The compressed audio and/or video data transferred to the high speed bus 404 are usually temporarily stored (buffered) in the RAM 403 for the data flow rate control etc. and then transferred to the bus 404 again and appropriately recorded in the data recording and reproduction apparatuses 406m via the device interfaces 405m.
Further, when the server system 8 reproduces the audio and/or video data, the compressed audio and/or video data recorded in the data recording and reproduction apparatuses 406n, are reproduced and then transferred via the device interfaces 405m to the high speed bus 404.
The compressed audio and/or video data transferred to the high speed bus 404 are buffered in the RAM 403 for the data flow rate control etc. in the same way as that at the recording, transferred again to the high speed bus 404, pass through the input/output interfaces 407n, and become the input data S42n to the audio and/or video data expanding means 409n.
The audio and/or video data expanding means 409n decode the video signals S43n from the input data S42n and output the same from the system.
When the server system 8 records and reproduces the audio and/or video data, the operations of all of the input/output interfaces 407n, the high speed bus 404, and the device interfaces 405m are controlled by the CPU 401 based on the commands transferred from the application system via the LAN 410, LAN use interface 411, high speed bus 404, and RAM 403.
Note that, where the operation commands are supplied from not the application system, but from the input/output side of the video signal, control lines S44n connected to the input/output interfaces 407n as indicated by the broken lines in FIG. 1 become necessary. In this case, the commands supplied from the control lines S44n are communicated to the CPU 401 via the input/output interfaces 407n, the high speed bus 404, and the RAM 403, and the CPU 401 controls the operation of the input/output interfaces 407n, high speed bus 404, and the device interfaces 405m based on the commands supplied from the control lines S44n.
FIG. 2 is a view of the configuration of an editing system 9 using the server system 8 shown in FIG. 1.
When audio and/or video data are edited by using the server system 8, as shown in for example FIG. 2, use is made of an editing system 9 comprised of editing apparatuses 901 and 902, connected to a server system 8, each of which having two audio and/or video data input terminals and one audio and/or video output terminal (AV) and a control signal terminal (C) corresponding to each of these audio and/or video signal input/output terminals and performing cutting to connect a plurality of audio and/or video data or addition of special effects to the audio and/or video data. The editor edits the audio and/or video data supplied from the server system 8 by using the editing apparatuses 901 and 902 and records the result in the server system 8 again.
However, the server system 8 shown in FIG. 1 is not always suitable for recording and reproducing the high quality audio and/or video data of a television broadcasting station. The reason for this will be explained below.
First, if the server system 8 were to handle the high quality audio and/or video data of a level as used in a television broadcasting station, the data transfer capability of its bus would be insufficient and the system size or an expansion property of the system would be limited.
That is, the data rate of the current digital format of the television audio and/or video data is 100 Mbps or more. Also, the coded audio and/or video data obtained by high efficient coding of this audio and/or video data has a data rate of about 30 Mbps (4 MBps), as disclosed in for example the CCIR recommendation 723, taking the deterioration due to the editing into account.
For example, if trying to allow eight editors to simultaneously perform editing (so-called AB roll editing) using two stock videos of 30 Mbps (4 MBps) in the server system 8, when taking the necessity of buffering the audio and/or video data as mentioned above into account, as much as 48 [=3 (due to the necessity of simultaneously reproducing two stock videos and recording one video after editing)xc3x972 (reciprocation for buffering)xc3x978 (number of editors)] series of coded audio and/or video data would be simultaneously transferred on the high speed bus 404. Accordingly, an effective data transfer rate of 192 Mbps at the lowest would be required for just the transfer of the coded audio and/or video data to the high speed bus 404.
Further, when transferring the audio and/or video data to the input/output interfaces 407n, there is a limitation inherent in the server system 8 in a television broadcasting station that no instantaneous disconnection may occur. Therefore, there also arises a problem of the processing capability of the CPU 401 controlling the high speed bus 404 and the RAM 403. In addition, the physical transfer speed of the bus in a high performance computer is usually about 100 Mbps. According to the configuration of the server system 8 shown in FIG. 1, realization of editing in which as many as about eight editors can share the use of the stock video is not always technically easy.
Further, when realizing a server system useable in a television broadcasting station, the server system must be brought into slave synchronization with a synchronization signal or time stamp supplied from the outside.
Usually, the transmission and reception of audio and/or video data between the broadcasting equipment in a television broadcasting station are carried out in strict synchronization with a reference synchronization signal or time code for the audio and/or video data.
Accordingly, to connect the already existing broadcasting apparatuses with a server system, it is necessary to input and output (input/output) the audio and/or video data of the server system in synchronization with the reference synchronization signal or the like. However, in a server system 8, which performs the transfer of audio and/or video data by using a basically asynchronously operating computer, it is not always easy to input/output the audio and/or video data in synchronization with a reference synchronization signal or time code.
That is, in the server system 8 having the configuration shown in FIG. 1, when the transfer and exchange (routing) of the audio and/or video data are carried out by using the asynchronous high speed bus 404 and RAM 403, after the audio and/or video data to be originally transmitted in synchronization with the reference synchronization signal etc. have passed through the asynchronous transfer system inside the server system 8, synchronous/asynchronous conversion processing for bringing the same into synchronization with the external reference synchronization signal again becomes necessary. Therefore, the size of the apparatus becomes larger and also the manufacturing cost rises.
Further, in the editing system 9 shown in FIG. 2, each of the editing apparatuses 901 and 902 must be provided with all of the data processing means for the editing. Provision, for example, of an expensive data processing means which is rarely used in each of the editing apparatuses 901 and 902 raises the cost of the editing apparatuses 901 and 902.
The server system 8 and the editing system 9 shown in FIG. 1 suffer from the problems as mentioned above. It is necessary to find measures to solve these problems.
The main object of the present invention is to provide in a broadcasting system of a television broadcasting station, audio and/or video data recording and reproduction apparatus whereby the size and functions of the server system for the audio and/or video data can be changed in accordance with the size of operations of the individual television broadcasting station or the type of operations to which the broadcasting system is applied in the same television broadcasting station, the change of the functions and configuration is easy, the expandability is high, and the cost is low.
Further, another object of the present invention is to provide an audio and/or video data recording and reproduction apparatus which can supply the audio and/or video data serving as stock for a plurality of editing apparatuses in an editing system, can record the edited data, and in addition enables shared use of an expensive data processing means for editing among these editing apparatuses and consequently can lower the cost of the editing apparatus.
To attain the above objects, the video data recording and reproduction apparatus of the present invention having: a recording and reproducing means for recording and reproducing video data with respect to a storage medium; a plurality of input/output control means for receiving a control signal from an external apparatus and inputting and outputting the video data between the recording and reproducing means and the external apparatus based on the control signal; and a data processing means for performing predetermined special effect processing on the received video data based on the control signal received from the external apparatus via the input/output control means and supplying the processed video data to the recording and reproducing means.
Preferably the recording and reproducing means responds to the control signal from the external apparatus via the input/output control means and supplies to the data processing means, data indicating the area on the storage medium in which video data to be reproduced is stored and the data indicating the area on the storage medium in which video data processed by the special effect processing by the data processing means is stored and the data processing means makes the recording and reproducing means reproduce the video data based on the received data indicating the area and make the recording and reproducing means store the video data processed by the predetermined special effect processing to the storage medium.
Further, preferably the data processing means makes the recording and reproducing means store only the video data in a video period processed by the predetermined special effect processing.
Further, preferably when the input/output control means receives a request for reproduction of video data processed by the predetermined special effect processing from the external apparatus, the recording and reproducing means reproduces the video data in a video period processed by the predetermined special effect processing and the video data to be assigned forward and backward thereof based on the data indicating the area received from the recording and reproducing means.
Further, to attain the above objects, the audio and/or video data recording and reproduction apparatus of the present invention having: a recording and reproducing means for recording and reproducing audio and/or video data with respect to the storage medium; a plurality of input/output control means for receiving a control signal from an external apparatus respectively and inputting and outputting the audio and/or video data between the recording and reproducing means and the external apparatus based on the control signal; and a data processing means for performing predetermined special effect processing on the received audio and/or video data based on the control signal received from the external apparatus via the input/output control means and supplying the processed audio and/or video data to the recording and reproducing means.

Video and/or audio data recording and/or reproduction apparatus


A flexible fixation assembly including a flexible main body and a suture engagement portion of the flexible main body. The suture engagement portion is configured to cooperate with a suture to mate the suture with the flexible main body. The flexible main body is configured to flex outward against walls of a bone hole when implanted therein to retain both the flexible main body and the suture mated therewith within the bone hole.

This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art.
Various devices exist to attach tissue to bone. Most devices include a molded or machined component that is rigid. For example, to attach soft tissue to bone a rigid anchor is often used. Such rigid members can be difficult to implant and often provide inconsistent fixation. Applicant's invention includes a flexible fixation member, which can be easily implanted in a bone hole as an anchor for a suture, for example. The suture can be used to affix a variety of tissues and implants.

Flexible planar member for tissue fixation


An electronic component housing system includes a cabinet having a front portion and a rear portion; a sliding mechanism mounted within the cabinet; and first and second electronic devices mounted to the sliding mechanism, the first and second electronic devices each having a front end and a back end. The sliding mechanism, in a first mode, enables the first and second electronic devices mounted thereto to be positioned within the cabinet between the front portion and the rear portion thereof, such that the front end of the first electronic device is disposed proximate the front portion of the cabinet and the back end of the second electronic device is disposed proximate the rear portion of the cabinet. The sliding mechanism, in a second mode, enables the first electronic device to be positioned beyond the front portion of the cabinet and the second electronic device to be positioned in a location substantially similar to the position occupied by the first electronic device in the first mode.

Large-scale storage systems typically include one or more cabinets housing a number of disk array enclosures, power supplies and electronics to enable the communication of data between a host and the disk drives in the disk array enclosures. In such systems, each disk array enclosure ("DAE"), which houses a number of disk drives, is mounted within the cabinet to enable access to the disk drives of the enclosure from the front of the cabinet and access to components such as power supplies of the enclosure from the rear of the cabinet. The DAEs are mounted within the cabinet in a stacked configuration, which enables a large number of disk drives to be included in each cabinet. Each DAE also includes a number of fans for directing air into the front of the cabinet, through the DAE and out through the rear of the cabinet. This facilitates so-called "hot aisle-cold aisle" cooling, where the cabinets in a data center are positioned such that air is drawn into the cabinets from a "cold aisle" of the data center and exhausted to a "hot aisle" of the data center.

Increased drive density storage system having full serviceability


Disclosed herein is a method for manufacturing a feed thru for use in an electrolytic capacitor case. First, an electrode is inserted into a liquid injection mold. Liquid elastomer is then injected into the mold to surround a portion of the electrode. The elastomer is cured, and the resulting electrode and feed thru combination is inserted into a machined hole in a capacitor case. The machined hole may be located on either the base or the lid of the capacitor case. In other embodiments, a ferrule may also be placed in the liquid injection mold prior to injecting liquid elastomer. When a ferrule is used, the assembly may be welded into a machined hole in a capacitor case.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to electrolytic capacitors and, more particularly, to a method of manufacturing electrode feed thrus for use in an electrolytic capacitor case. The present invention also relates to methods of joining such electrode feed thrus to a capacitor case.
2. Background Art
Compact, high voltage capacitors are utilized as energy storage reservoirs in many applications, including implantable medical devices. These capacitors are required to have a high energy density since it is desirable to minimize the overall size of the implanted device. This is particularly true of an Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD), also referred to as an implantable defibrillator, since the high voltage capacitors used to deliver the defibrillation pulse can occupy as much as one third of the ICD volume.
Electrolytic capacitors are used in ICDs because they have the most nearly ideal properties in terms of size, reliability and ability to withstand relatively high voltage. Conventionally, such electrolytic capacitors typically consist of a cathode electrode, an electrically conductive electrolyte and a porous anode with a dielectric oxide film formed thereon. While aluminum is the preferred metal for the anode plates, other metals such as tantalum, magnesium, titanium, niobium, zirconium and zinc may be used. A typical electrolyte may be a mixture of a weak acid and a salt of a weak acid, preferably a salt of the weak acid employed, in a polyhydroxy alcohol solvent. The electrolytic or ion-producing component of the electrolyte is the salt that is dissolved in the solvent. The entire laminate is rolled up into the form of a substantially cylindrical body, or wound roll, that is held together with adhesive tape and is encased, with the aid of suitable insulation, in an aluminum tube or canister. Connections to the anode and the cathode are made via tabs. Alternative flat constructions for aluminum electrolytic capacitors are also known, comprising a planar, layered, stack structure of electrode materials with separators interposed therebetween, such as those disclosed in the above-mentioned U.S. Pat. No. 5,131,388.
Feed thrus are commonly used to pass an electrode through the case in which the capacitor is held. For example, conventional capacitor designs use elastomer compression feed thrus that are produced from EPDM rubber (ethylene propylene diene monomer rubber) or silicone materials. Assembly of these conventional feed thrus is done manually, which requires a high degree of skill. An operator passes a pin or electrode by hand through a pre-formed elastomer component. The subassembly is then passed through a precision machined hole in the capacitor case. In such a manual process, passing the wire through the elastomer component can damage the elastomer, and generally results in a less than ideal bond between the elastomer and the electrode. This can cause yield losses in the finished capacitor. Another problem with conventional designs is that the use of EPDM adds additional costs due to the high risk of contamination of that material. Further, such a manual method is costly because it requires a high degree of operator efficiency. There is, therefore, a need for improved methods to increase yield while reducing the cost and time associated with manufacturing and assembly.

Electrolytic capacitor case design with insert molded elastomer seals


The invention relates to a tool for the free support of plate-like substrates, comprising a flat plate-like body with at least one supporting surface wherein at least one gas channel is provided within the body, extending from an outer gas supply end to an inner gas discharge end, the gas discharge end being in fluid communication with a gas distribution chamber, through which gas passes into a dynamically balanced gas slit being arranged radially with respect to the gas distribution chamber predominantly parallel to the supporting surface and opening into the supporting surface at its outer end at an angle >90 and <180.degree..

In semiconductor fabrication it is desirable to employ automated handling on the semiconductor wafers for efficient processing. Said wafers are typically retrieved from and loaded back into a carrier holding a number of wafers. The space available between adjacent wafers in the carrier is very small.
Insofar any handling apparatus must be constructed with a flat and elongated equipment (tool) to be fed in or retracted from said carrier.
At the same time, while the wafers being moved, the wafers must be held securely, but gently and are not allowed to interfere with adjacent wafers in the cassette (carrier). Any contact with the surfaces of the wafers should be avoided.
An apparatus with piezoelectric grippers is known from EP 0 810 636 A2.
EP 0 778 611 A2 discloses an end effector for a wafer transfer device, comprising a pocket allowing the end effector to contact only the edges of the wafer.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,118,058 discloses a tool for the contact-free support of discs by gas streams impinging on the discs when emerging from the supporting face of the tool at an acute angle to the disc surface.
A disadvantage of the known tool is based on the fact that especially thin wafers are deformed during transport.
The same is true with respect to the pick-up device for lifting and moving semiconductor wafers according to U.S. Pat. No. 4,002,254. The pick-up device has a working member, the underside of which forms a flat suspension surface incorporating the orifice of a single inclined jet through which air is ejected in an unbalanced flow towards a limiting surface at one end of the suspension surface.

Tool for the contact-free support of plate-like substrates


Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for indexing structured documents. A method includes identifying a structured document in a file system for indexing, the structured document having an identifier and at least one indexing-property, extracting at least one index-value from the structured document in accordance with a pre-defined extraction rule set and storing the at least one index-value with the identifier in an index-value data structure.

The present invention relates to indexing structured documents.
Servers located around the Internet and contained in Intranets serve up content (e.g., pages, documents) to users on demand. A user, interacting through a search engine, enters a text query for information and the search results are displayed to the user as text, graphics, audio and/or video through a graphical user interface most often referred to as browser software. There are several functions that are part of a search engine, such as information gathering, indexing, categorization, and searching. Information gathering usually uses Web crawlers to send visited pages to an index engine. The index engine uses some form of inverted files and, given a word, returns a list of references that contain the word. Categorization, or clustering, attempts to categorize the pages according to attributes, such as topics. The searching allows the user to ask content-based queries and get ranked result sets.


Particulate absorbent materials having a size and bulk density range that is conducive to provide a litter for animals that do not bury their eliminations. Where the granular material is sufficiently large and dense to not be discharged from a bin containing the granular material. Each granule has a smooth exterior that will not hang on to the hair or hide of the animal discharging their eliminations. Furthers the granules are of sufficient size and weight to not get stuck in the footing of the animal. The preferred characteristics of the material is having a width of 6 mm-12 mm and having an aspect ratio substantially between 1-1 and 1-6 where the granular substance has a bulk density greater than 12 pounds per cubic foot.

Absorbent particulate has been produced in a small-granulated form where as the average particle size is generally less than 3 mm in diameter and in most every case less than 6 mm in diameter. Traditional applications for particulate absorbents produce a small size to increase the surface area for absorption and to make the product appear more like coarse sand to fine gravel. Several manufacturers of organic absorbent particulate manufacture pellets up to 6 mm in diameter. These larger pellets are essentially used as cat litters.
For many decades, cat litter has been sold as a product for use in households. Quite commonly this is made up of sand like particulate matter with an average particle size of less than three millimeters. However, this has proven unsuitable for medium sized to larger dogs and other animals. Further, to the best knowledge of the Applicant herein, even though there has been a need for a similar product for dogs or other animals that do not bury their elimination, no satisfactory product has been developed. The available particulate products tended to be tracked by the dogs in the household. Further, the movements of the dog in or around the litter box tends to scatter the granulate.
As mentioned above, absorbent particulate used as cat litter is been produced in a small-granulated form where as the average particle size is generally less than 3 mm in diameter and in most every case less than 6 mm in diameter. Traditional applications for particulate absorbents produce a small size to increase the surface area for adsorption and to make the product appear more like coarse sand to fine gravel. The small size also helps to coat and dehydrate feces, which quickly reduces the odors and allows for easier removal. Several manufactures of organic absorbent particulate manufacture extrude pellets from 3 mm to 6 mm in diameter. In some forms, these pellets are cracked into smaller angular pieces. These pellets are essentially used as cat litters.
The use of these traditional absorbents and litter materials as a large animal litter, in particular a dog litter, presents several problems. Differences in behavior patterns among species such as sniffing and scratching the area makes dustiness a concern with many traditional small sized litters.
Foot pad size and shape of animals such as dogs along with foot pad spreading habits can allow small particulate to become lodged in the pad inducing tracking from the litter box. Animals such as dogs often have a tendency to rapidly paw the area under them before and after eliminating. Larger sized litter material reduces the spreading of materials caused by this action.
Cats instinctively dig to cover their eliminations. Cat litters are usually produced in a size range to facilitate this digging and covering process. Many larger animals including dogs do not naturally dig and cover their waste. As a result the smaller particle size is not needed to facilitate this action where as a larger particle size is desirable to reduce spreading and tracking.
The prior art large animal litter, particularly for use as a dog litter, consisted of a soft paper based material resembling a corn flake sized and shaped piece of shredded paper egg crate. Dogs readily accepted the product but its lightweight allowed for significant spreading and its tattered edges allowed for substantial clinging to the fur of animals.
It has been found that the product that is subject to this invention can be used in a household by placement in an open box having lateral dimensions of an adequate size so the dog can move around the same. It has been found that the surface provided by this litter product is acceptable to the dog in that the dog will walk on top of it without any discomfort. The pellets are sized so that these do not become stuck in the dog's paws; nor do they stick to the dogs fur. Further, with the size and density within these ranges, in large part the litter product is not scattered outside the box.
The large sized absorbent particulate where in the absorbent particles are notably larger than traditional inorganic and organic absorbents, are substantially free of protruding edges, are of a bulk density sufficient to minimize scattering and are suitable for use as a litter in direct contact with animals such as house bound dogs. Further, the large sized absorbent particulate lack angular ends which can be uncomfortable for animals other than cats.

Litter for animals other than domestic cats


An optical pre-amplifier is described. The optical pre-amplifier has an optical amplifier region that has a semiconductor active region having a direct electronic band gap with a conduction band edge. The semiconductor active region is embedded within a photonic crystal having an electromagnetic band gap having photon energies overlapping the energy of the conduction band edge of the electronic band gap such that spontaneous emission of photons in the semiconductor active region is suppressed.

The present invention relates to a low noise optical pre-amplifier for low light detection, and to optical systems employing such a low noise optical pre-amplifier.
Low light level imaging is important for applications ranging from photography to night vision. One example application is in helmet mounted displays, such that may be deployed on a helmet for a pilot operating an aircraft. Other applications include astronomical imaging. Low light levels may occur, for example, for night time imaging under overcast conditions.
Light detection systems include imaging devices that may employ focal plane array (FPA) detectors. Typically, an FPA will have very many pixels, each pixel appropriate for separately detecting a plurality of impinging photons. Light detectors and FPAs, however, eventually are unable to operate in ultra-low light conditions. At long range, laser illuminator and imaging systems, typically operating at 1064 nm wavelength, also fail.

Low noise optical pre-amplifier for ultra-low-light detectors and FPAs


Disclosed is a mesh for cell culture in which linear nanofiber is cross-linked to form a network, wherein the linear nanofiber is composed of polyhydroxyalkanoate; or polyhydroxyalkanoate, and collagen, gelatin or their mixture. The mesh for cell culture of the present invention can culture cell since the cell, more preferably the cancer cell is easily stuck to the mesh because of its structural characteristics and effect of the added collagen or gelatin, and also to smoothly supply nutrients, oxygen, etc. through connected pores. In particular, the mesh for cell culture of the present invention may be useful to culture the cancer cell.

Recently, many studies have been actively conducted in the cellular level owing to rapid development in the field of molecular biology, tissue engineering, genetic engineering, etc., and therefore there has been an increasing demand for cell culture. In the field of the tissue engineering, cell was, for example, cultured in vitro, and then the cultured cell was used for regenerating injured biological tissues of the human body such as muscular tissues, organs, etc., and developing artificial organs, etc. In the field of the medicine, the cell culture techniques have been used for developing bioactive compounds, medical supplies, etc. using proteins generated in the cultured cell. In these studies, the cell culture is necessarily required for increasing the cell counts, and there has been especially an increasing demand for effective cell culture in order to obtain antibodies, antigens, bioactive compounds, etc. from the cultured cell.
Such a cell culture technique may be also used for treating cancer in patients. Selecting a chemotherapy that has low side effects on patients and an excellent ability to suppress tumor cell growth is important to effectively treat cancer in the malignant tumor patients. It is very important to select anti-cancer drugs that can reduce the side effects and effectively suppress the tumor cell growth because anti-cancer drugs exhibits a different reaction level to the histopathologically identical category of the cancers according to the patients and damages hematopoietic cell of the bone marrow, hair-root cell, etc. which divide and grow rapidly among the normal cells. Therefore, there have been many attempts to culture the cancer cells as there has been an increasing demand for a susceptibility test of cancer cell on an anti-cancer drug in individual cancer patients, and also mechanisms of diseases (cancer cells) should be elucidated to effectively conduct a study to develop a novel drug such as anti-cancer drug, and sufficient amount of the cancer cell should be required for evaluating efficiency of the novel anti-cancer drug. There have been many studies on cancer cell culture, culture media, culture mesh, etc. for these purposes.
In the 1970's, the susceptibility test on the anti-cancer drug has been conducted with success of the in vitro culture of multiple myeloma using a double semisolid agar culture system by Hamburger and Salmon, but the culture system has problems that it has a low plating efficiency, a low cancer cell growth rate, etc.
Generally, if cell grows on a surface of a petri dish, then the cell does not grow any longer after it grows to a constant size, and therefore and it has a very low growth rate. In order to solve the problem, there has been a demand for a mesh for 3-D cell culture, more preferably a mesh for 3-D cell culture having a large specific surface area so that the cell can easily attach onto the mesh.
The conventional meshes for 3-D cell culture has disadvantages that its cell adhesion to the cell is not so excellent, as well as its specific surface area is not so large. Especially, a sponge-type mesh for cell culture, manufactured with collagen as a main component, has problems that the sponge-type mesh is deformed since it swells up in a culture medium, and the enzyme collagenase was used to remove collagen between the cultured cells to obtain the cell. Also, the meshes, generally used for the conventional 3-D cell cultures, have a problem that it is difficult to smoothly supply nutrients since its pores are not connected smoothly even if it is porous. Particularly due to the problem, it has problems that it is difficult to culture a cancer cell that grows very rapidly when compared to the general normal cells, and the cancer cell has a low growth rate.

Porous nanofiber mesh for three-dimensional cell culture

Kyungpook National University Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation