The invention relates to a method of identifying an Aspergillus terreus or an Aspergillus niger fungal species in patient tissue or body fluid and to primers and probes for use in such a method.

Molds (i.e., toxigenic and other septate molds) are ubiquitous in the environment. Mold is the common name for various types of fungi. Molds are usually found in moist, warm environments. Because molds grow in wet or moist indoor environments, people are exposed to molds or their byproducts through either direct contact, or through the air, if molds or mold byproducts are aerosolized. Exposure to molds can cause a number of adverse effects including allergic reactions, asthma attacks, and infections, particularly in individuals with immune system deficiencies.
Adverse effects from molds may occur when individuals are exposed to large doses of chemicals, known as mycotoxins, which are fungal metabolites (Samson et al., 1985; Burge, 1990; Flannigan et al., 1991). Mycotoxins have toxic effects ranging from severe irritations, such as allergic reactions and asthma, to immuno-suppression and cancer. Most mycotoxins are cytotoxic and exert their effects by interfering with vital cellular processes such as protein, RNA, and DNA synthesis. As a result, mycotoxins may be damaging to the skin, the lungs, the gut, and the like. The combined outcome may increase the susceptibility of the exposed individual to infectious diseases and, possibly, to cancer. Almost all of the studies to date focus on disease induced by mycotoxins ingested in contaminated food (Baxter et al., 1981), but mycotoxins are secondary metabolites of fungal spores and can enter the body through the respiratory tract.
In heavily contaminated environments, neurotoxic symptoms related to airborne mycotoxin exposure have been reported (Croft et al., 1986). Skin is another potential route of exposure to the mycotoxins of several fungi which have caused cases of severe dermatosis (Vennewald and Wollina, 2005). These same molds may cause invasive mold infection among patients with diseases which render the patient immuno-suppressed such as leukemia, lymphoma, and many cancers (Kontoyiannis, D P et al, 2005). The mold infections in such patients are often fatal with a documented fatally rate of 92% (Paterson and Singh, 1999).
Aspergillus terreus is a species of fungus that is widespread throughout the world and may be found in warm arable soils. Aspergillus terreus is known to cause opportunistic infections in patients, particularly patients with deficient immune systems. For example, patients who have received a transplant are susceptible to infection caused by Aspergillus terreus. Importantly, infection with Aspergillus terreus is more likely to result in invasive, disseminated disease than infection with other Aspergillus species.
A definitive and early diagnosis of a fungal infection, such as a fungal infection caused by Aspergillus terreus, is crucial for patient treatment and management. A diagnosis of a fungal infection is often rendered late in the disease process, often even as late as autopsy (Kontoyiannis et al, 2000; Vogeser et al., 1997). The reasons for the late diagnosis of fungal infections include the lack of good clinical specimens, the difficultly in differentiating invasive mold infections from other types of infections, the lack of identification of molds with special stains in pathological specimens (i.e., these assays have a high error rate, a low sensitivity, and low specificity), and the lack of an ability to obtain an antibody-based diagnosis in immuno-compromised patients.
Aspergillus niger is a common species of fungus that is ubiquitous in soil and is also commonly found in indoor environments. Aspergillus niger is a common contaminant of various foods, for example fruits such as grapes and vegetables such as onions, as well as peanuts. Furthermore, Aspergillus niger is known to cause infections in patients, for example aspergillosis (a serious lung disease) and otomycosis (a fungal ear infection), as well as infections occurring in the endocardium, kidneys, respiratory tract, and digestive tract.
Thus, a reliable, sensitive, specific, and rapid method for Aspergillus terreus detection and Aspergillus niger detection in patient body fluids and tissues is needed. Applicant's present invention is based on the development of a reliable, sensitive, specific, and rapid method for detecting Aspergillus terreus DNA and Aspergillus niger DNA in patient body fluids and tissues. Furthermore, the method for detecting Aspergillus terreus DNA in patient body fluids and tissues can be combined with detection of an Aspergillus terreus mycotoxin. If Aspergillus terreus DNA or mycotoxins can be identified in patient tissue or body fluids, the identification may serve as a potential diagnostic method 1) to identify patients at risk for developing disease states related to Aspergillus terreus infections, or 2) to rapidly determine the cause of diseases related to Aspergillus terreus infections so that effective treatment regimens can be developed for patients exposed to molds and experiencing symptoms resulting from mold infection. The same applies to detection of Aspergillus niger DNA and mycotoxins.
The present invention provides methods for detecting and identifying, in patient tissue and patient body fluid specimens, 1) Aspergillus terreus DNA from fungal spores, 2) mycotoxins produced by Aspergillus terreus, 3) Aspergillus niger DNA from fungal spores, and 4) mycotoxins produced by Aspergillus niger. The present invention provides reliable, sensitive, and specific diagnostic tests for the presence of Aspergillus, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus terreus fungal toxins, and Aspergillus niger fungal toxins in patient tissue and body fluids. The Applicant has developed Aspergillus terreus mycotoxin, Aspergillus terreus DNA, Aspergillus niger mycotoxin, and Aspergillus niger DNA extraction procedures and has supplemented those methods by developing detection methods. The detection methods employ antibody-based identification for mycotoxins and, for Aspergillus terreus DNA or Aspergillus niger DNA, the use of amplification of DNA with primers that specifically and selectively amplify Aspergillus terreus DNA or Aspergillus niger DNA isolated from patient tissues and body fluids.
The following embodiments are contemplated and are non-limiting:
1. A method of identifying an Aspergillus terreus fungal species in a patient tissue or a patient body fluid, the method comprising the steps of:                extracting and recovering DNA of the Aspergillus terreus fungal species from the patient tissue or the patient body fluid;        amplifying the DNA;        hybridizing a probe to the DNA to specifically identify the fungal species, wherein the probe has a sequence consisting of SEQ ID NO: 1; and        specifically identifying the Aspergillus terreus fungal species.
2. The method of clause 1, wherein the amplifying step is performed with primers that hybridize to the DNA.
3. The method of clause 1 or clause 2, further comprising using a forward primer and a reverse primer to amplify the DNA, wherein the forward primer consists of a sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2 and the reverse primer consists of a sequence of SEQ ID NO: 3.
4. The method of any one of clauses 1 to 3, wherein the DNA is amplified using PCR.
5. The method of clause 4, wherein the PCR is real-time PCR.
6. The method of any one of clauses 1 to 5, wherein the probe is fluorescently labeled.
7. The method of any one of clauses 1 to 6, wherein the probe is bound to a bead dyed with a fluorochrome.
8. The method of any one of clauses 1 to 7, wherein the amplified DNA is internal transcribed spacer regions of nuclear ribosomal DNA.
9. The method of any one of clauses 1 to 8, wherein the body fluid is selected from the group consisting of urine, nasal secretions, nasal washes, bronchial lavages, bronchial washes, spinal fluid, sputum, gastric secretions, seminal fluid, other reproductive tract secretions, lymph fluid, whole blood, serum, and plasma.
10. The method of any one of clauses 1 to 9, wherein the method further comprises the step of administering an anti-fungal agent to the patient.
11. The method of any one of clauses 1 to 10, wherein the method further comprises the step of testing for the presence of an Aspergillus terreus mycotoxin in the patient tissue or the patient body fluid prior to extraction and recovery of the DNA.
12. The method of any one of clauses 1 to 11, wherein the patient is a transplant patient.
13. A method of identifying a patient at risk for an Aspergillus terreus fungal infection, the method comprising the steps of:                extracting and recovering DNA of the Aspergillus terreus fungal species from a tissue or a body fluid of the patient;        amplifying the DNA;        hybridizing a probe to the DNA to specifically identify the Aspergillus terreus fungal species, wherein the probe consists of a sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1; and        specifically identifying the Aspergillus terreus fungal species.
14. The method of clause 13, wherein the body fluid is selected from the group consisting of urine, nasal secretions, nasal washes, bronchial lavages, bronchial washes, spinal fluid, sputum, gastric secretions, seminal fluid, other reproductive tract secretions, lymph fluid, whole blood, serum, and plasma.
15. The method of clause 13 or clause 14, wherein the probe is bound to a bead dyed with a fluorochrome.
16. The method of any one of clauses 13 to 15, wherein the method further comprises the step of developing an effective treatment regimen for the patient.
17. The method of any one of clauses 13 to 16, wherein the method further comprises the step of administering an anti-fungal agent to the patient.
18. The method of any one of clauses 13 to 17, wherein the method further comprises the step of testing for the presence of an Aspergillus terreus mycotoxin in the tissue or the body fluid prior to extraction and recovery of the DNA.
19. The method of clause 18, wherein the testing for the presence of the Aspergillus terreus mycotoxin comprises contacting the mycotoxin with an antibody directed against the mycotoxin.
20. The method of any one of clauses 13 to 19, wherein the patient is a transplant patient.
21. A method of identifying a patient with an Aspergillus terreus fungal infection, the method comprising the steps of:                extracting and recovering DNA of the Aspergillus terreus fungal species from a tissue or a body fluid of the patient;        amplifying the DNA;        hybridizing a probe to the DNA to specifically identify the Aspergillus terreus fungal species, wherein the probe consists of a sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1; and        specifically identifying the Aspergillus terreus fungal species.
22. The method of clause 21, wherein the body fluid is selected from the group consisting of urine, nasal secretions, nasal washes, bronchial lavages, bronchial washes, spinal fluid, sputum, gastric secretions, seminal fluid, other reproductive tract secretions, lymph fluid, whole blood, serum, and plasma.
23. The method of clause 21 or clause 22, wherein the probe is bound to a bead dyed with a fluorochrome.
24. The method of any one of clauses 21 to 23, wherein the method further comprises the step of developing an effective treatment regimen for the patient.
25. The method of any one of clauses 21 to 24, wherein the method further comprises the step of administering an anti-fungal agent to the patient.
26. The method of any one of clauses 21 to 25, wherein the method further comprises the step of testing for the presence of an Aspergillus terreus mycotoxin in the tissue or the body fluid prior to extraction and recovery of the DNA.
27. The method of clause 26, wherein the testing for the presence of the Aspergillus terreus mycotoxin comprises contacting the mycotoxin with an antibody directed against the mycotoxin.
28. The method of any one of clauses 21 to 27, wherein the patient is a transplant patient.
29. An isolated purified nucleic acid comprising SEQ ID NO: 1 or a sequence that hybridizes under highly stringent conditions to a sequence comprising SEQ ID NO: 1.
30. An isolated, purified nucleic acid consisting of SEQ ID NO: 1 or a sequence that hybridizes under highly stringent conditions to a sequence consisting of SEQ ID NO: 1.
31. An isolated, purified nucleic acid comprising SEQ ID NO: 2 or a sequence that hybridizes under highly stringent conditions to a sequence comprising SEQ ID NO: 2.
32. An isolated, purified nucleic acid consisting of SEQ ID NO: 2 or a sequence that hybridizes under highly stringent conditions to a sequence consisting of SEQ ID NO: 2.
33. An isolated, purified nucleic acid comprising SEQ ID NO: 3 or a sequence that hybridizes under highly stringent conditions to a sequence comprising SEQ ID NO: 3.
34. An isolated, purified nucleic acid consisting of SEQ ID NO: 3 or a sequence that hybridizes under highly stringent conditions to a sequence consisting of SEQ ID NO: 3.
35. A kit comprising an isolated, purified nucleic acid with a sequence comprising SEQ ID NO: 1.
36. A kit comprising an isolated, purified nucleic acid with a sequence consisting of SEQ ID NO: 1.
37. The kit of clause 35 or clause 36 further comprising a purified nucleic acid with a sequence comprising SEQ ID NO: 2 and a purified nucleic acid with a sequence comprising SEQ ID NO: 3.
38. The kit of clause 35 or clause 36 further comprising an isolated, purified nucleic acid with a sequence consisting of SEQ ID NO: 2 and an isolated, purified nucleic acid with a sequence consisting of SEQ ID NO: 3.
39. The kit of any one of clauses 35 to 38 further comprising components for the extraction and recovery of an Aspergillus terreus mycotoxin from a body fluid or a tissue of a patient and components for identification of the mycotoxin.
40. The kit of clause 39 wherein the components for identification of the mycotoxin include beads dyed with a fluorochrome and coupled to antibodies to the mycotoxin or to the mycotoxin or to a mycotoxin antigen.
41. The kit of clause 39 wherein the components for identification of the mycotoxin comprise an antibody directed against the mycotoxin.
42. A method of identifying an Aspergillus niger fungal species in a patient tissue or a patient body fluid, the method comprising the steps of:                extracting and recovering DNA of the Aspergillus niger fungal species from the patient tissue or the patient body fluid;        amplifying the DNA;        hybridizing a probe to the DNA to specifically identify the fungal species, wherein the probe has a sequence consisting of SEQ ID NO: 4; and        specifically identifying the Aspergillus niger fungal species.
43. The method of clause 42, wherein the amplifying step is performed with primers that hybridize to the DNA.
44. The method of clause 42 or clause 43, further comprising using a forward primer and a reverse primer to amplify the DNA, wherein the forward primer consists of a sequence of SEQ ID NO: 5 and the reverse primer consists of a sequence of SEQ ID NO: 6.
45. The method of any one of clauses 42 to 44, wherein the DNA is amplified using PCR.
46. The method of clause 45, wherein the PCR is real-time PCR.
47. The method of any one of clauses 42 to 46, wherein the probe is fluorescently labeled.
48. The method of any one of clauses 42 to 47, wherein the probe is bound to a bead dyed with a fluorochrome.
49. The method of any one of clauses 42 to 48, wherein the amplified DNA is internal transcribed spacer regions of nuclear ribosomal DNA.
50. The method of any one of clauses 42 to 49, wherein the body fluid is selected from the group consisting of urine, nasal secretions, nasal washes, bronchial lavages, bronchial washes, spinal fluid, sputum, gastric secretions, seminal fluid, other reproductive tract secretions, lymph fluid, whole blood, serum, and plasma.
51. The method of any one of clauses 42 to 50, wherein the method further comprises the step of administering an anti-fungal agent to the patient.
52. The method of any one of clauses 42 to 51, wherein the method further comprises the step of testing for the presence of an Aspergillus niger mycotoxin in the patient tissue or the patient body fluid prior to extraction and recovery of the DNA.
53. The method of any one of clauses 42 to 52, wherein the patient is a transplant patient.
54. A method of identifying a patient at risk for an Aspergillus niger fungal infection, the method comprising the steps of:                extracting and recovering DNA of the Aspergillus niger fungal species from a tissue or a body fluid of the patient;        amplifying the DNA;        hybridizing a probe to the DNA to specifically identify the Aspergillus niger fungal species, wherein the probe consists of a sequence of SEQ ID NO: 4; and        specifically identifying the Aspergillus niger fungal species.
55. The method of clause 54, wherein the body fluid is selected from the group consisting of urine, nasal secretions, nasal washes, bronchial lavages, bronchial washes, spinal fluid, sputum, gastric secretions, seminal fluid, other reproductive tract secretions, lymph fluid, whole blood, serum, and plasma.
56. The method of clause 54 or clause 55, wherein the probe is bound to a bead dyed with a fluorochrome.
57. The method of any one of clauses 54 to 56, wherein the method further comprises the step of developing an effective treatment regimen for the patient.
58. The method of any one of clauses 54 to 57, wherein the method further comprises the step of administering an anti-fungal agent to the patient.
59. The method of any one of clauses 54 to 58, wherein the method further comprises the step of testing for the presence of an Aspergillus niger mycotoxin in the tissue or the body fluid prior to extraction and recovery of the DNA.
60. The method of clause 59, wherein the testing for the presence of the Aspergillus niger mycotoxin comprises contacting the mycotoxin with an antibody directed against the mycotoxin.
61. The method of any one of clauses 54 to 60, wherein the patient is a transplant patient.
62. A method of identifying a patient with an Aspergillus niger fungal infection, the method comprising the steps of:                extracting and recovering DNA of the Aspergillus niger fungal species from a tissue or a body fluid of the patient;        amplifying the DNA;        hybridizing a probe to the DNA to specifically identify the Aspergillus niger fungal species, wherein the probe consists of a sequence of SEQ ID NO: 4; and        specifically identifying the Aspergillus niger fungal species.
63. The method of clause 62, wherein the body fluid is selected from the group consisting of urine, nasal secretions, nasal washes, bronchial lavages, bronchial washes, spinal fluid, sputum, gastric secretions, seminal fluid, other reproductive tract secretions, lymph fluid, whole blood, serum, and plasma.
64. The method of clause 62 or clause 63, wherein the probe is bound to a bead dyed with a fluorochrome.
65. The method of any one of clauses 62 to 64, wherein the method further comprises the step of developing an effective treatment regimen for the patient.
66. The method of any one of clauses 62 to 65, wherein the method further comprises the step of administering an anti-fungal agent to the patient.
67. The method of any one of clauses 62 to 66, wherein the method further comprises the step of testing for the presence of an Aspergillus niger mycotoxin in the tissue or the body fluid prior to extraction and recovery of the DNA.
68. The method of clause 67, wherein the testing for the presence of the Aspergillus niger mycotoxin comprises contacting the mycotoxin with an antibody directed against the mycotoxin.
69. The method of any one of clauses 62 to 68, wherein the patient is a transplant patient.
70. An isolated purified nucleic acid comprising SEQ ID NO: 4 or a sequence that hybridizes under highly stringent conditions to a sequence comprising SEQ ID NO: 4.
71. An isolated, purified nucleic acid consisting of SEQ ID NO: 4 or a sequence that hybridizes under highly stringent conditions to a sequence consisting of SEQ ID NO: 4.
72. A kit comprising an isolated, purified nucleic acid with a sequence comprising SEQ ID NO: 4.
73. A kit comprising an isolated, purified nucleic acid with a sequence consisting of SEQ ID NO: 4.
74. The kit of clause 72 or clause 73 further comprising a purified nucleic acid with a sequence comprising SEQ ID NO: 5 and a purified nucleic acid with a sequence comprising SEQ ID NO: 6.
75. The kit of clause 72 or clause 73 further comprising an isolated, purified nucleic acid with a sequence consisting of SEQ ID NO: 5 and an isolated, purified nucleic acid with a sequence consisting of SEQ ID NO: 6.
76. The kit of any one of clauses 72 to 75 further comprising components for the extraction and recovery of an Aspergillus niger mycotoxin from a body fluid or a tissue of a patient and components for identification of the mycotoxin.
77. The kit of clause 76 wherein the components for identification of the mycotoxin include beads dyed with a fluorochrome and coupled to antibodies to the mycotoxin or to the mycotoxin or to a mycotoxin antigen.
78. The kit of clause 76 wherein the components for identification of the mycotoxin comprise an antibody directed against the mycotoxin.
In any of the above-described method embodiments for Aspergillus terreus, the probe can consist of SEQ ID NO: 1. In any of the above-described method embodiments for Aspergillus terreus, the primers can consist of SEQ ID NO: 2 or SEQ ID NO: 3.
In any of the above-described method embodiments for Aspergillus niger, the probe can consist of SEQ ID NO: 4. In any of the above-described method embodiments for Aspergillus niger, the primers can consist of SEQ ID NO: 5 or SEQ ID NO: 6.
In one illustrative embodiment, a method is provided of identifying an Aspergillus terreus fungal species in a patient tissue or a patient body fluid. The method comprises the steps of extracting and recovering DNA of the Aspergillus terreus fungal species from the patient tissue or the patient body fluid, amplifying the DNA, hybridizing a probe to the DNA to specifically identify the fungal species, wherein the probe has a sequence consisting of SEQ ID NO: 1, and specifically identifying the Aspergillus terreus fungal species.
In another embodiment, a method is provided of identifying a patient at risk for an Aspergillus terreus fungal infection. The method comprises the steps of extracting and recovering DNA of the Aspergillus terreus fungal species from a tissue or a body fluid of the patient, amplifying the DNA, hybridizing a probe to the DNA to specifically identify the Aspergillus terreus fungal species, wherein the probe consists of a sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1, and specifically identifying the Aspergillus terreus fungal species.
In yet another embodiment, a method is provided of identifying a patient with an Aspergillus terreus fungal infection. The method comprises the steps of extracting and recovering DNA of the Aspergillus terreus fungal species from a tissue or a body fluid of the patient, amplifying the DNA, hybridizing a probe to the DNA to specifically identify the Aspergillus terreus fungal species, wherein the probe consists of a sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1, and specifically identifying the Aspergillus terreus fungal species.
In another illustrative embodiment, an isolated purified nucleic acid is provided. In one embodiment, the nucleic acid comprises SEQ ID NO: 1 or a sequence that hybridizes under highly stringent conditions to a sequence comprising SEQ ID NO: 1. In another embodiment, the nucleic acid consists of SEQ ID NO: 1 or a sequence that hybridizes under highly stringent conditions to a sequence consisting of SEQ ID NO: 1. In yet another embodiment, the nucleic acid comprises SEQ ID NO: 2 or a sequence that hybridizes under highly stringent conditions to a sequence comprising SEQ ID NO: 2. In another embodiment, the nucleic acid consists of SEQ ID NO: 2 or a sequence that hybridizes under highly stringent conditions to a sequence consisting of SEQ ID NO: 2. In yet another embodiment, the nucleic acid comprises SEQ ID NO: 3 or a sequence that hybridizes under highly stringent conditions to a sequence comprising SEQ ID NO: 3. In another embodiment, the nucleic acid consists of SEQ ID NO: 3 or a sequence that hybridizes under highly stringent conditions to a sequence consisting of SEQ ID NO: 3.
In another embodiment, a kit is provided. The kit can comprise an isolated, purified nucleic acid with a sequence comprising SEQ ID NO: 1, or an isolated, purified nucleic acid with a sequence consisting of SEQ ID NO: 1. The kit can also comprise components for the extraction and recovery of DNA or an Aspergillus terreus mycotoxin and components for DNA amplification and instructions for use of the kit.
In one illustrative embodiment, a method is provided of identifying an Aspergillus niger fungal species in a patient tissue or a patient body fluid. The method comprises the steps of extracting and recovering DNA of the Aspergillus niger fungal species from the patient tissue or the patient body fluid, amplifying the DNA, hybridizing a probe to the DNA to specifically identify the fungal species, wherein the probe has a sequence consisting of SEQ ID NO: 4, and specifically identifying the Aspergillus niger fungal species.
In another embodiment, a method is provided of identifying a patient at risk for an Aspergillus niger fungal infection. The method comprises the steps of extracting and recovering DNA of the Aspergillus niger fungal species from a tissue or a body fluid of the patient, amplifying the DNA, hybridizing a probe to the DNA to specifically identify the Aspergillus niger fungal species, wherein the probe consists of a sequence of SEQ ID NO: 4, and specifically identifying the Aspergillus niger fungal species.
In yet another embodiment, a method is provided of identifying a patient with an Aspergillus niger fungal infection. The method comprises the steps of extracting and recovering DNA of the Aspergillus niger fungal species from a tissue or a body fluid of the patient, amplifying the DNA, hybridizing a probe to the DNA to specifically identify the Aspergillus niger fungal species, wherein the probe consists of a sequence of SEQ ID NO: 4, and specifically identifying the Aspergillus niger fungal species.
In another illustrative embodiment, an isolated purified nucleic acid is provided. In one embodiment, the nucleic acid comprises SEQ ID NO: 4 or a sequence that hybridizes under highly stringent conditions to a sequence comprising SEQ ID NO: 4. In another embodiment, the nucleic acid consists of SEQ ID NO: 4 or a sequence that hybridizes under highly stringent conditions to a sequence consisting of SEQ ID NO: 4. In yet another embodiment, the nucleic acid comprises SEQ ID NO: 5 or a sequence that hybridizes under highly stringent conditions to a sequence comprising SEQ ID NO: 5. In another embodiment, the nucleic acid consists of SEQ ID NO: 5 or a sequence that hybridizes under highly stringent conditions to a sequence consisting of SEQ ID NO: 5. In yet another embodiment, the nucleic acid comprises SEQ ID NO: 6 or a sequence that hybridizes under highly stringent conditions to a sequence comprising SEQ ID NO: 6. In another embodiment, the nucleic acid consists of SEQ ID NO: 6 or a sequence that hybridizes under highly stringent conditions to a sequence consisting of SEQ ID NO: 6.
In another embodiment, a kit is provided. The kit can comprise an isolated, purified nucleic acid with a sequence comprising SEQ ID NO: 4, or an isolated, purified nucleic acid with a sequence consisting of SEQ ID NO: 4. The kit can also comprise components for the extraction and recovery of DNA or an Aspergillus niger mycotoxin and components for DNA amplification and instructions for use of the kit.

Medical Service Consultation International, LLC


An electrical card connector (100) includes an insulative housing (1), a number of contacts (2) retained in the insulative housing, a metal shell (3) covering the insulative housing for defining a receiving space, a slider (4) moveably assembled on the insulative housing, a spring member (5) biasing the slider, and a pin member (6). The slider includes a base portion (41) and an actuating portion (42) sidewardly protruding from the base portion into the receiving space. The slider has a guiding slot (410), an inner heart-shaped slot (411) connecting with the guiding slot, and an outer cam slot (412) connecting with the inner heart-shaped slot. The pin member has a first end (61) secured to the insulative housing and a second end (62). The second end is normally guided in the inner heart-shaped slot but guided to the outer cam slot when a card is improperly inserted.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an electrical card connector, and more particularly to an electrical card connector capable of indicating card's false insertion.
2. Description of Related Arts
China Patent Application Publication No. 103022817 published on Apr. 3, 2013 discloses an electrical card connector capable of preventing a card from being falsely inserted and easily identifying the false insertion of the card. The card connector has a slider, a pin member, a cam mechanism, and a stopper. The cam mechanism defines a first cam groove and a second cam groove. After the first push-in force along an insertion direction to the card is released, the slider pushed by the card through the first cam groove is guided to a locking position on which the slider is prevented from moving along the ejection direction. When the card is pushed along the insertion direction again, the slider moves away from the locking position towards the original position along the ejection direction under the second push-in force. The second cam groove is branched from the midway of the first cam groove. The stopper is movably attached on the slider and beside the cam mechanism. When the card is inserted at the normal posture, the stopper obstructs the second cam groove of the slider and the pin member is guided to the locking position. When the card is inserted at the not-normal posture, i.e., improperly inserted, the stopper is pushed by the card and moves along the insertion direction to expose the second cam groove and, therefore, the pin member is guided to the second cam groove and then return to an original position instead of the locking position. This electrical card connector effectuates identification of the false insertion of the card by way of an attached metal stopper.
An electrical card connector capable of indicating card's false insertion is desired.

Electrical card connector capable of indicating card's false insertion


Rigid substrates containing an adhesive composition on at least one surface are prepared by an injection molding operation. The degree of bonding between the adhesive layer and the substrate is greater than can be achieved using conventional methods for coating substrates with adhesive compositions.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to substrates containing a layer of adhesive on at least one surface. More particularly, this invention relates to rigid substrates wherein a layer of adhesive is cohesively bonded to at least one surface of the substrate during a molding operation. This invention also relates to a novel method for preparing these adhesive-coated substrates.
2. Background Information
The process of coating or encapsulating organic and inorganic substrates with molten materials while the substrates are confined in a mold cavity having the contour of the final coated article is described in the patent and journal literature. These materials are non-tacky in the solid state.
Preparing elastomer-coated metal copier rolls by placing the metal core in the central portion of a mold cavity, closing the mold, injecting a liquid curable composition to fill the volume between the perimeter of the core and the wall of the mold cavity and curing the composition to form the elastomer while the roll is enclosed within the mold cavity is described in Japanese Laid Open Application 54/102355. The additional step of pre-coating the metal roll with a primer is described in Japanese Examined Patent Application 89/16657.
Application and bonding of a preformed film to the surface(s) of an injection molded article during the molding operation is described in Netherlands Published Application No. 85/01897; Japanese Laid Open Application 62/253418; U.S. Pat. No. 4,386,042; and Japanese Laid Open Application 56/142045.
The molding of articles containing a metal insert by placing the insert containing a coating of isocyanate-based adhesive combined with a coupling agent in a mold cavity and then injecting into the mold cavity a reactive mixture comprising a polyisocyanate and a polyhydroxylated organic compound is described in Japanese Laid Open Application No. 63/270,107. Encapsulation of metal-containing substrates by a poly(arylene sulfide) is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,810,590.
Encapsulation of electronic components composed at least in part of a metal by encapsulating the components with a flowable thermosetting resin composition during an injection molding process is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,327,369.
Japanese Laid Open Application 05/269919 describes a process for coating a metal substrate with a layer of polyethylene that has been graft polymerized with a silane. The steps of the process comprise 1) cleaning the inner and/or outer surface(s) of the metal object by sand-blasting or pickling with HCl, H.sub.2 SO.sub.4 or HNO.sub.3, 2) degreasing the surface(s) using an alkali reagent and 3) coating the object with a molten material by extrusion, injection molding, calendaring or compression molding. A foamed polyurethane or foamed silane-grafted polyethylene layer can be used in place of grafted polyethylene layer.
Molding of a adhesively-bonded sealing material on to a sheet of window glass is described in Japanese Laid Open Application 54/32565.
A method for bonding a layer of silicone rubber to at least a portion of a molded article during a subsequent molding operation is described in Japanese Laid Open Patent Application No. 88/111267. The portion of the article to which the rubber is to be bonded is coated with a primer and the article is placed in a mold with a cavity corresponding to the contour of the coating to be applied. After the mold has been heated to the curing temperature of the silicone rubber composition, the composition is injected into the mold cavity. The coating is simultaneously molded and bonded to the surface of the article.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,002,548, which issued on Jun. 18, 1991, describes a method for coating at least a portion of a marker for identification of animals. The marker is at least partially inserted into a mold with a cavity corresponding in contour to the coated marker. A curable resin is injected into the cavity as the coating material and cured.
Methods taught in the prior art for bonding two substrates along a common interface typically comprise the steps of applying a layer of an adhesive in the form of a liquid or a film to at least one of the surfaces to be bonded, bringing these surfaces into contact with one another and maintaining the surfaces in close contact, preferably under pressure, during solidification and/or curing of the adhesive. The adhesive can be applied by spraying, dipping or placing a preformed layer of the adhesive on one of the surfaces to be bonded.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,160,780 describes a method for bonding a base for an automotive rear view mirror to a glass plate. In accordance with this method, a film of an adhesive composition containing a curable organic polymer or a curable polyorganosiloxane is applied to a glass plate or to one surface of a mirror mounting base formed from a metal or an organic polymer. A laminate consisting of the glass and the mounting base separated by the adhesive layer is formed and the laminate is heated to cure the adhesive.
A shortcoming of laminates prepared by applying a preformed adhesive to one of the substrates to be bonded is the absence of strong cohesive bonding between the adhesive and the substrate to which the adhesive is initially applied.
An objective of this invention is to improve the bonding between a substrate and a layer of adhesive that is applied to at least one surface of the substrate.


An imaging apparatus that images an image with a solid-state imaging device includes an area defining section that defines an unnecessary image detection area, which may contain an unnecessary image, at a position along an outer edge of an imaged image obtained by the solid-state imaging device, a focus evaluation value calculating section that calculates a focus evaluation value, which indicates the focal degree, based on an image signal of the imaged image obtained through a gradually moved focus lens, an unnecessary image detection processing section that determines that the imaged image contains the unnecessary image if the focus evaluation value calculated based on an image signal in the unnecessary image detection area has a peak while the focus lens is moving, and a warning processing section that performs processing for warning a photographer of the fact that the unnecessary image is contained if it is determined.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an imaging apparatus that images an image with a solid-state imaging device and an imaging method and imaging program therefor, and it particularly relates to an imaging apparatus, method and program that allow detection of unnecessary image contained in an imaged image.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, digital imaging apparatus such as digital still cameras and digital video cameras are widely spread. Most of recent various mobile machines such as cellular phones also include an imaging function.
Such imaging apparatus and mobile machines have been strongly demanded the decreases in size and/or thickness. For that reason, it may be important to decrease the size of each of function blocks for imaging and efficiently lay out the function blocks without losing the operability. For example, in some cellular phone including a camera module, the thickness of the shut cabinets is decreased by placing the camera module near a connecting part with a transmitter cabinet within a receiver cabinet and fitting the unit including the camera module into a recess of the transmitter cabinet when they are shut (refer to JP-A-2007-67744 (Paragraphs [0045] to [0052] and FIG. 6) (Patent Document 1), for example).
However, a user's finger may be placed on an imaging lens during imaging when strict constraints are imposed on the layout of the function blocks for imaging in order to meet the demands of decreases in size and/or thickness. For example, the constraints may place an imaging lens in the same direction as that of the position where a user may hold the imaging apparatus. Particularly in a cellular phone, a release button and an imaging lens might be placed closely. In this case, an image of a user's finger may be contained in the imaged image.
In order to prevent the problem, a camera system has been proposed that prestores pattern images containing unnecessary images and warns a photographer of the existence of an unnecessary image if it is determined that a pattern image is contained in the image imaged in an infrared mode (refer to JP-A-2005-191948 (Paragraphs [0033] to [0041] and FIG. 2) (Patent Document 2), for example).


Sticky polymeric particles are planted upon a site to be remotely monitored over a substantial future time period for the presence of toxic target agents. An airborne vehicle positioned over the site directs a laser beam toward the site and if one or more toxic agents are present at the site, a return beam is produced having one or more known spectral signatures corresponding to the toxic target agents which are recognized by a photospectrometer in the airborne vehicle. Alternatively, a chemiluminescent reaction between the toxin and the particles can produce an alarm condition right at the monitored site.

The present invention relates to the field of the detection of toxic materials in the environment.
The presence of environmental toxins such as chemical and biological agents can be a well known destructive threat to humans, animals and plant life in the environment. Rapid detection of such toxins is of the utmost importance in both the military and commercial sectors to maintain a healthy state of people and the environment. Threatening agents in a military, or even in a civilian environment, include nerve gas for example. In the civilian sector, terrorist attacks could result in the spreading of deadly poisons, and waste dumps could contain substances which should be further processed and disposed of to protect the environment. Such detection should often ideally be produced at a considerable distance from the site containing the toxic agent, such as from the air, where the close presence of the agent could be an immediate threat to the health of humans carrying out the detection process.
One suggested approach is to generate a moving gaseous body of particles suspended in a cloud like moving mass, which can be directed at a site suspected of containing target agents, such as one or more designated toxic materials. Such suspended particles could interact with the toxins to thereafter produce, upon illumination, a detectable effect such as fluorescence, phosphorescence or spectral absorption or reflectance of particular wavelengths of light. However, in certain situations, it is desirable to continuously monitor a particular known site for the presence of a toxin over a substantial period of time extending into the future, such as up to many weeks, so that the aforesaid cloud or moving body of detection agents would be dissipated, and thus no longer be continuously available to monitor the site. One such application could involve monitoring compliance with a disarmament agreement requiring removal of selected target agents from suspected sites within a political body.

Method of monitoring a site for the future presence of toxic agents


Reference circuits for biasing radio frequency electronics are provided herein. In certain implementations, a gallium arsenide die includes a power amplifier configured to provide amplification to a signal, a reference voltage circuit including an output terminal that provides a reference voltage, and a mirror circuit configured to bias the power amplifier based on the reference voltage. The reference voltage circuit includes a bipolar transistor, a field effect transistor, and a circuit portion that generates a voltage that is proportional to absolute temperature. The reference voltage circuit generates the reference voltage based on a sum of a base-to-emitter voltage of the bipolar transistor, a turn-on voltage of the field effect transistor, and the voltage that is proportional to absolute temperature.

Field
This disclosure generally relates to the field of RF devices implemented on Gallium Arsenide (GaAs) platform. The disclosure particularly relates to circuits that can provide bias voltages to RF devices.
Description of the Related Art
Portable communication devices, such as cellular telephones, use one or more power amplifiers to amplify an information signal prior to transmission. One of the technologies used to fabricate a power amplifier for a portable communication device uses the gallium arsenide (GaAs) material system. Biasing circuits are used to provide appropriate voltage and current to the power amplifier, such that the power amplifiers can be operated with low noise figure, proper quiescent current and good linearity. The bias circuit can also provide voltage and current that are consistent across different parts and over temperature and process variations.


A rock fabric classification for modeling subterranean formation includes receiving petrophysical properties from a core analysis of a core sample from a wellbore, receiving a core description of the core sample, the core description comprising sedimentological properties of the core sample, determining one or more groups of core samples with similar sedimentological properties and similar core descriptions, determining bounds for each of the one or more groups, providing the bounds and an identifier of each of the one or more groups, as input to a model for petrophysical rock typing or saturation modeling.

Sedimentologists often produce 3D models, lithofacies maps, and petrophysical studies of subterranean formations to support, for example, hydrocarbon exploration and reservoir management. These models and maps are typically based at least in part on interpreted depositional environment lithofacies that aid in understanding of the depositional behavior and distribution of similar depositional environment rocks. Interpreted depositional environment lithofacies depend on grain types, associated biota, and sedimentary structure along with the depositional texture. The interpreted depositional environment lithofacies can also be associated with more than one rock fabric (for example, bioclastic wackestone to packstone) which results in overlapping regions of different flow characteristics. Multiple rock fabrics can also share similar petrophysical properties even though they can be interpreted to be deposited in different depositional environments.
Classification and grouping of carbonate rock is important for assessing and modeling petrophysical properties of a reservoir. In particular, diagenesis (the physical and chemical changes occurring during the conversion of sediment to sedimentary rock) plays a major role in determining the quality of the reservoir. Diagenesis plays a major role in determining the quality of the reservoir and represents the process of physical and chemical changes in sediments caused by increasing temperature and pressure as the sediments are buried in the Earth's crust. Diagenesis can increase, lower or even eliminate the porosity and permeability of the reservoir, which in turn affects the volume of wells and hydrocarbon flow rates. Natural changes on sediments from the time of deposition are also part of diagenesis. The natural processes producing these changes can be due to compaction, cementation, recrystallization, replacement, differential solution, and authigenesis. Sedimentary and environmental factors stimulating diagenesis include, for example, particle size, pressure, temperature, and chemical conditions.
Before burial, porosity and permeability are controlled by sedimentary conditions and processes. Carbonate deposits are affected by the hydrodynamic energy of water, and the activity level of sea fauna and flora. Most diagenesis occurs during low sea level and exposure of these carbonate rocks to different environments that cause the chemical changes. Porosity can undergo several stages from the time of deposition. The early stages are affected by depositional energy, produced sedimentary structure, and cementation and recrystallization. Later stages are a result of compaction and tectonic activity or an uplift and exposure. Every stage would produce different type of pores and affect the porosity. Pore types can indicate the different stages of porosity evolution and differential solution process.

Modeling hydrocarbon reservoirs using rock fabric classification at reservoir conditions


Compounds of formula (I): ##STR1## wherein: R.sup.1 is methyl, ethyl, isopropyl or sec-butyl; X is carbonyl or methylene; Z is .dbd.C.dbd.(R.sup.2).sub.2 or .dbd.C.dbd.(CH.sub.2).sub.m, in which R.sup.2 is alkyl, and m is integer of from 2 to 5); n is 0 or 1; R.sup.3 is nitro, amino, alkylamino, dialkylamino, alkoxy, alkoxyalkoxy, or a group (iii), (iv), (v), (vi), (vii), (viii) or (ix): ##STR2## , wherein: R.sup.4 represents: alkyl; substituted alkyl; cycloalkyl having from 3 to 6 carbon atoms; substituted cycloalkyl; alkenyl; alkynyl; carbocyclic aryl; or heterocyclic; R.sup.5 is hydrogen atom or alkyl; R.sup.6 represents: hydrogen; alkyl; or cycloalkyl; R.sup.7 represents: alkyl; cycloalkyl; carbocyclic aryl; or aralkyl; or R.sup.6 and R.sup.7, together with the nitrogen atom to which they are attached, are fuised to form heterocyclic ring; Y is oxygen or sulfur; r is 1, 2 or 3; Q is methylene or carbonyl; R.sup.8 is: alkyl or carbocyclic aryl; R.sup.9 is: alkyl; cycloalkyl; carbocyclic aryl; or aralkyl; R.sup.10 is heterocyclic; and R.sup.11 is aLkyl; have valuable acaricidal, insecticidal and anthelmintic activities.

The present invention relates to a series of new 13-substituted milbemycin 5-oxime derivatives which have valuable acaricidal, insecticidal and anthelmintic activities. The invention also provides methods and compositions for using these compounds as well as processes for their preparation.
There are several classes of known compounds with a structure based on a 16-membered macrolide ring, which are obtained by fermentation of various microorganisms or semi-synthetically by chemical derivatization of such natural fermentation products, and which exhibit acaricidal, insecticidal, anthelmintic and antiparasitic activities. The milbemycins and avermectins are examples of two such classes of known compounds, but others exist and are normally identified in the prior art by different names or code numbers. The namers for these various macrolide compounds have generally been taken from the names or code numbers of the microorganisms which produce the naturally occurring members of each class, and these names have then been extended to cover the chemical derivatives of the same class, with the result that there has been no standardized systematic nomenclature for such compounds generally.
In order to avoid confusion, a standardized system of nomenclature will be used herein, which follows the normal rules for naming derivatives of organic compounds as recommended by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC), Organic Chemistry Division, Commission on Nomenclature of Organic Chemistry, and which is based on the hypothetical parent compound hereby defined as "milbemycin", which is that compound represented by the following formula (A): ##STR3## wherein R.sup.a and R.sup.b both represent hydrogen atoms.
For the avoidance of doubt, the above formula (A) also shows the numbering of positions of the macrolide ring system applied to those positions of most relevance to the compounds of the present invention.
The naturally produced inilbemycins are a series of macrolide compounds known to have anthelmintic, acaricidal and insecticidal activities. Milbemycin D was disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,346,171, where it was referred to as"Compound B-41D", and milbemycins A.sub.3 and A.sub.4 were disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,950,360. These compounds may be represented by the above formula (A) in which R.sup.a at position 13 is a hydrogen atom and R.sup.b at position 25 is a methyl group, an ethyl group or an isopropyl group, these compounds being designated as milbemycin A.sub.3, milbemycin A.sub.4 and milbemycin D, respectively. The milbemycin analog having a hydrogen atom at position 13 and substituted at position 25 with a sec-butyl group was disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,173,571, where it was known as "13-deoxy-22,23-dihydroavermectin B.sub.1a aglycone".
Subsequently, various derivatives of the original milbemycins and avermectins have been prepared and their activities investigated. For example, 5-esterified milbemycins have been disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,201,861, Pat. No. 4,206,205, Pat. No. 4,173,571, Pat. No. 4,171,314, Pat. No. 4,203,976, Pat. No. 4,289,760, Pat. No. 4,457,920, Pat. No. 4,579,864 and Pat. No. 4,547,491, in European Patent Publications No. 8184, No. 102,721, No. 115,930, No. 180,539 and No. 184,989 and in Japanese Patent Applications Kokai (i.e. as laid open to public inspection) No. 57-120589 and 59-16894.
13-Hydroxy-5-ketomilbemycin derivatives have been disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,423,209. Milbemycin 5-oxime derivatives were disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,547,520 and in European Patent Publication No. 203 832.
Milbemycins having an ester bond at the 13-position are of particular relevance to the present invention and a number of compounds in which the 13-hydroxy group in the compounds of the above formula (A) has been esterified is disclosed in Japanese Patent Kokai Application No. Sho 61-180787, which describes esters of a variety of carboxylic acids such as the alkanoic acids. Other milbemycin derivatives having an ester bond at the 13-position are described in Japanese Patent Kokai Application No. Hei 1-104078. In this document there are disclosed compounds in which the carboxylic acid moiety has a side chain, such as an alkyl group, at the .alpha.-position of the carboxylic acid group.
The closest prior art to the present invention is thought by us to be represented by U.S. Pat. No. 4,963,582 (equivalent to European Patent No. 246 739), which discloses a series of 13-ester derivatives. These, however, differ from the compounds of the present invention in the nature of the group at the 13-position.
The various classes of milbemycin-related macrolide compounds referred to above are all disclosed as having one or more types of activity as antibiotic, anthelmintic, ectoparasiticidal, acaricidal or other pesticidal agents. However, there is still a continuing need to provide such agents with improved activity against one or more classes of agricultural and horticultural pests.
It has now been discovered that the activity of such milbemycin-related derivatives can be improved by appropriately selecting the combination of substituents on the macrolide ring system, especially the substituents at position 13. In particular, it has now been found that the activity of the compounds can be improved upon by appropriate selection of certain highly specific ester groups at the 13 position, as specified below. In general, the compounds of the present invention tend to have a better pesticidal activity than do the compounds of the prior art, and many of the compounds of the present invention have a very substantially better activity. The compounds of the present invention are, in particular, substantially more active than those of the prior art, including U.S. Pat. No. 4,963,582, especially against fleas.

13-substituted milbemycin 5-oxime derivatives, their preparation and their use against insects and other pests


A capsule package and a touch-free method for water analysis. It allows for addition of dry ingredients and aqueous test reagent without any human intervention, and therefore substantially decreases the possibility for analysis error. Furthermore, it eliminates physical contact between the operator and the chemical reagent, thereby enhancing safety. Importantly, the packaging system allows for film protection of a water soluble membrane so that it is damage free prior to use.

It is recognized in the water treatment industry that water analysis to determine the degree of water purity must often be conducted by personnel that are not of high chemical skill. As a result, the test methods must be as foolproof as possible. The testing of municipal water, waste water, industrial waters and environmental waters frequently involve tests, such as chlorine testing, iron testing, phosphate testing, pH testing, ammonium testing, nitrate testing and testing for certain indicator bacteria. These tests, to be reliably run, involve use of quantified amounts of test reagent added to carefully controlled amounts of aqueous test sample. In this way, predictable physical and/or chemical changes, such as color changes, etc., can be measured that will then allow determination of the presence and amount of the target analyte. Typically, in such reactions dry test reagent is added in the form of "pillows" of solid reagent which are opened and then the contents dumped into a reagent test tube containing the aqueous water sample. The problem with use of reagent "pillows" is that while the "pillow" itself contains the precise amount needed, to accurately test a defined amount of aqueous solution, the reagent, after opening the "pillow", can come in contact with the operator's hands, can be spilled, or can have adulterating contaminants accidentally added. This creates significant chances for error. If error in the amount or condition of reagent added occurs, the test result, i.e. the conclusion reached based upon the test reaction itself, is subject to error. These errors can result in unnecessary, and at times even dangerous changes in water processing conditions predicated upon false readings.
The potential for reagent contact with the operator, either through spills onto the hands or through inhalation of dust, is a significant safety hazard. While it is good chemical hygiene to avoid contact altogether, in practice it is nearly impossible to eliminate some contact when transferring reagents. This inadvertent contact can severely affect operators who may exhibit allergic reaction to the specific chemical.
In the past, it has been known that dry test reagents and aqueous test sample can be separated, one from another, by a water soluble test membrane. See, for example, Deutsch et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,522,923, issued Jun. 11, 1985, that relates to a sample of biological fluid and water with the aqueous sample flowing to each successive chamber, with the chambers separated by water soluble polymer layers that are dissolved. This patent and the test system are designed for home pregnancy testing. Such a contained membrane separated system never before has been applied to water testing, and never before has been designed to provide a packaging system that allows for protection of the water soluble film prior to use in an aqueous test system, such that it minimizes the risk of damage to the water soluble membrane prior to test use.
There is, therefore, a continuing need to develop a touch-free water test system. By touch-free, it is meant that the testing reagents and the aqueous sample are all contained in a closed system, and the test operator need merely intermix those. This full containment of all reagents inside of a closed system as is self evident, would result in less error risk and false readings in addition to eliminating the chemical contact hazard to the operator. This invention has, as its primary objective, the fulfillment of the above need for a touch-free system in the context of water testing.
Another objective of the present invention is to provide a water treatment packaging system that is touch-free and, which at the same time, provides package protection of a water soluble separating membrane such that its risk of damage prior to test use is minimized.
A yet further objective of the invention is to provide a method of testing of water which is human touch-free with respect to all reagents in the system in order to minimize false readings or errors in test results.
A further objective of the invention is to provide a human touch-free method to eliminate chemical reagent contact hazard, thus enhancing the safety aspect of the test system.
The method of accomplishing these and other objectives of the invention will become apparent from the following description of the invention.

Method of using a water testing capsule using water soluble film membranes


A characterizer for determining the shape of a probe tip for an atomic force microscope and methods of fabricating and using the characterizer. The characterizer includes a micromachined crystalline structure with opposed edges separated by a width suitable for characterizing a dimension of the probe tip. At least one of the opposed edges overhangs an undercut region of the micromachined crystalline structure by an overhang distance that is greater than one third of the width. The probe tip is scanned across the edges of the characterizer for shape determination. The characterizer is formed by serially deep reactive ion etching and anisotropic etching (100) single crystal silicon. The opposed edges may be oxidation sharpened for use in profiling a bottom surface of the probe tip.

Atomic force microscopes (AFM's) were developed, among other reasons, to meet a demand for accurately measuring critical dimensions (CDs) during integrated circuit (IC) fabrication. Critical dimensions constitute the width of a line or space, such as the width of a patterned line, the distance between two lines or devices, or the size of a contact, on a substrate identified as crucial for proper operation of the device being fabricated. Critical dimensions are measured on some or all substrates following any photolithography or etching process in which the dimensions are critical. Due to their high spatial resolution, AFM's are well suited for measuring critical dimensions during IC fabrication.
Generally, AFM's are equipped to sense atoms on or in sample surfaces, thereby providing atomic level surface imaging. AFM images are reconstructed from digital data acquired during grid scanning of a probe tip across the sample. Any AFM image represents the sample surface convoluted with the shape of the probe tip used to acquire the digital data. Moreover, the shape of the probe tip may change during scanning due to wear or the probe tip may become contaminated by foreign debris, thus introducing additional distortions into the image data. Measurement accuracy is improved if the distorted image data is corrected using a correction factor developed from the dimensions of the probe tip. The correction effectively deconvolves the shape of the probe tip from the digital data so that the AFM image accurately reflects the actual structure of the sample surface.
The shape of the probe tip may be determined by making physical measurements of the tip using a scanning electron microscope or deduced by reliance upon a known calibration standard or characterizer. As the dimensions of probe tips shrink for imaging shrinking IC features, the feature sizes approach the microscope resolution limit. For example, ten to thirty nanometer probe tips demand a resolution of one to two nanometers for accurate shape characterization. As a result, small probe tips are impossible to directly image with sufficient accuracy to provide correction factors for AFM image data. Hence, characterizers are required for deducing the shape of small probe tips, as disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/139,949.
One class of conventional characterizers is structured as multiple trapezoidal pillars projecting from a surface with a spacing between adjacent pillars of approximately a few microns. A free end of each pillar is surrounded by an edge in the form of a thin outwardly-projecting lip that overhangs a trench separating adjacent pillars. As a result, the entrance to each trench is characterized by a pair of opposed edges. Each edge overhangs the trench by an overhang distance that is considerably less than one-third of the width between adjacent edges.
Such conventional characterizers are plagued by numerous deficiencies. One problem is that the pillar must be narrow to provide the best resolution for tip width measurements (which are made by scanning the probe tip over the pillar) and, concurrently, the overhang distance of the edge should be wider than the boot width of the probe tip. Satisfying both requirements would require an extremely thin pillar susceptible to fracture when struck by the probe tip during characterization. Another problem is observed when the probe tip and the characterizer pillar are aligned with a nonparallel relationship. This problem arises if, for example, the characterizer is mismounted in the AFM, the probe tip is mismounted in the AFM cantilever holder, or the characterizer pillars fail to meet specification and results in an inability to accurately characterize the boot shape. Specifically, in these situations, the probe tip may contact the sidewall of the pillar rather than the edge, which prevents accurate measurement of the boot shape on one side of the probe tip.
Yet another problem with conventional characterizers may occur if the AFM has a clamping function that prevents profiling below a given depth of a sample, typically a depth exceeding the length of the probe tip. The clamping function prevents false readings that may result from contact between the post of the probe tip and trench sidewalls, which is misinterpreted to be the probe tip contacting the base of a trench. The clamping function may interfere with the calibration process using conventional characterizers.
Conventional characterizers are limited in the extent to which the shape of a probe tip may be characterized. Conventional characterizers lack the ability to accurately characterize concavity on the bottom surface of the boot if the probe tip width is equal to, or less than, the width of the edges. Another limitation observed with conventional characterizers is that most only include parallel structures, which means that shape measurements may only be made in one direction as the probe tip is translated across the characterizer. As a result, the characterizer must be reoriented for characterizing additional portions of the probe tip, which cannot be dismounted from the AFM during characterization.
What is needed, therefore, is a characterizer for accurately determining the shape of an AFM probe tip that overcomes these and other deficiencies of conventional characterizers.

Methods of fabricating structures for characterizing tip shape of scanning probe microscope probes and structures fabricated thereby


A head-mounted display system displays information via a matrix display element mounted within a housing that is positioned relative to at least eye of a user. The display is connected to a video or information source such that the user can view information or images shown on the display. The display can be mounted to a frame so that the user can move the display in and out of the user's field of view without adjusting the supporting harness that holds the display on the user's head.

Head mounted display systems have been developed for a number of different applications including use by aircraft pilots and for simulation such as virtual imaging. Head mounted displays are generally limited by their resolution and by their size and weight.
Existing displays have relatively low resolution, and because of the size and weight of available systems, these displays are often positioned at the relatively large distance from the eye. Of particular importance, is the desirability of keeping the center of gravity of the display from extending upward and forward from the center of gravity of the head and neck of the wearer, where it will place a large torque on the wearer's neck and may bump into other instruments during use.
There is a continuing need to present images to the wearer of a helmet mounted display in high-resolution format similar to that of a computer monitor. The display needs to be as non-intrusive as possible, leading to the need for lightweight and compact system. Existing head mounted displays have used analog cathode ray tube ("CRT") devices mounted above or to the side of the user's head which project an image onto a surface or visor mounted in front of the user's eyes. Often these displays utilize helmets which incorporate earphones into the helmet. Other head mounted display devices have contemplated the use of liquid crystal devices that could be mounted above or to the side of the user's head and employ reflective optics to direct an image within the field of view of the user.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


Method and apparatus for generating a three-dimensional (3D) model of a physical object. An apparatus includes stereo near-infrared camera devices, near-infrared projectors, color camera devices and control logic. The control logic detects a physical object moving along a fixed path has reached a predefined location, projects a predefined pattern onto the physical object, using the plurality of near-infrared projectors, and captures near-infrared digital images of the physical object, while the predefined pattern is being projected onto the physical object. The control logic determines a set of depth measures for each of the stereo near-infrared camera devices and generates a 3D mesh by merging the depth measurements. Color digital images are captured using the color camera devices, and a texture is applied to the 3D mesh by mapping points from each of the plurality of color digital images onto the 3D mesh.

The present description relates to three-dimensional (3D) modelling and, more specifically, to computerized techniques for automatically generating a 3D model of a packaged item through the use of visible and non-visible wavelength cameras.
Modern inventory systems, such as those in mail-order warehouses, supply chain distribution centers, and custom-order manufacturing facilities, face significant challenges in responding to requests for inventory items. As inventory systems grow, the challenges of simultaneously completing many packing, storing, and other inventory-related tasks become non-trivial. For instance, in product distribution centers (e.g., fulfillment centers), vast quantities of products are processed for shipment to consumers traditionally using manual labor and/or mechanical handling equipment.
Currently, many products within product distribution centers are processed manually by employees in some fashion. For example, even in highly automated product distribution environments, an employee may be required to manually place a product onto a machine for automated packaging. While it can be advantageous to replace certain manual operations with an automated system (e.g., particular highly repetitive operations which can result in a repetitive use injury to the employee over a period of time), in many situations it is critical that any such automated system be capable of operating at a very high rate of success. For example, a robotic arm that is capable of retrieving an item from a bin and placing the item on a conveyer belt may be unacceptable for use in a product distribution center, if the robotic arm has a high rate of failing to retrieve the item or a significant likelihood of dropping the item on the way to the conveyer belt, as such failures could significantly delay the workflow of the distribution center.

High speed automated capture of 3D models of packaged items


A vortex ring generator adapted to be associated with a body subjected to fluid flow, the vortex ring generator being adapted to produce a fluid flow in the form of a vortex ring with the fluid flow moving over the body from the vortex ring generator.

The greatest obstacle to obtaining optimum efficiency in streamlining a fuselage is surface friction. This can be in several forms but typically is one of or a combination of boundary layer drag, skin friction, viscosity, surface tension, cavitation and turbulence.
Existing technologies seek to reduce this drag and optimise the energy efficiency of a moving body or fuselage by altering its surface to be as smooth as possible with the least possible protuberances or alternatively to roughen the smooth surface or to give it a rippling surface similar to that of a shark, dolphin or golf ball.
The objective is to minimise the effects of drag from fluids flowing past.
Another attempt to cut drag has included the fitting of small vortex generators to wings and other parts of the fuselage.
A further attempt has been to fit a spike-like protuberance extending forwardly in the direction of travel of the fuselage through the fluid.
In general, it has been an objective of these attempts to maintain straight, laminar flow over the body of the fuselage, and to suppress separation or turbulence as far as is possible. Alternatively, through the use of dimpled or roughen surfaces and vortex generators, the objective has been to create myriad eddies in close proximity to the fuselage surface to break up the boundary layer.
Essentially, all these approaches are designed to assist fluids slide past the body with a minimum of friction.


Multiple images are displayed on a screen of a computer system to reflect a temporal relationship among them. Based on date and time when an image is obtained in relation to other displayed images, its size is set accordingly. Namely, the more recent the image, the larger its size on the screen. In addition, the larger the size of the image, the more processing operations, including graphical or text processing functions, are available to a user to be performed on that image.

The invention is related to a Graphical User Interface (GUI) and, in particular, a method for displaying on a computer screen images which are temporally related to each other, indicating the temporal relationship among them, while optionally supplying the displayed images with various levels of functionality based on their displayed size.
As well known in the art, a Graphical User Interface allows a user of a computer system to view, manipulate, etc. images on a screen in a simple and user-friendly manner. The displayed images may be graphical or textual. As complexity and functionality of computer systems increase, however, the limited display area of the computer screen becomes a highly valuable "commodity." Clearly, the display area must be utilized wisely to accommodate the increased system complexity, as correctly pointed out in the U.S. Pat. No. 5,341,466 to Perlin et al, for example.
In particular, simultaneous display of multiple images on a screen presents somewhat conflicting interests between programmers and users. While the programmers would like to utilize the full capability of the system, which may be quite complex requiring several images to be shown on the screen, they are constrained by the users' desire to have simple and "user-friendly" displays. Understandably, users do not want to be overburdened with a hard-to-understand display even if it offers increased system functionality.
Undoubtedly, the currently popular windows environment provides the vehicle to partially reconcile those conflicting interests. A multiple image display with various functionalities is accomplished on one screen without sacrificing the "user-friendliness" of the system. Users have immediate access to several applications, for example, and can switch between them with ease and simplicity.
Nevertheless, the display of temporally-related windows is currently deficient in several aspects. Namely, the display of those windows created, i.e., "opened", prior to the currently active open window is substantially hidden from view, appearing stacked behind the current window. Alternatively, multiple windows may be fully visible to a viewer, i.e., occupying substantially the same or smaller display areas on the screen for example, but fail to indicate to the viewer the existence of a temporal relationship between them.

Display of multiple images based on a temporal relationship among them with various operations available to a user as a function of each displayed image size


A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus includes a phase difference calculation unit configured to perform a one-dimensional Fourier transform on complex data not phase-encoded extracted from complex data of a nuclear resonant signal collected by dynamic scanning, and determining a phase difference in time of data obtained by performing a one-dimensional Fourier transform on the complex data not phase-encoded. A correction unit is configured to correct for non-uniformity of static magnetic field caused during the dynamic scanning, depending upon the phase difference.

1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a magnetic resonance imaging apparatus and magnetic resonance imaging data processing method that can reduce positional shift of tomographic image, poor fat suppression, etc. caused by a shift in the spatial distribution of intensity (preferably uniform) of static magnetic field Bo as it varies with temperature variation of a thermally coupled gradient magnetic field coil unit.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, it is a practice to use a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) apparatus 1 as shown in FIG. 15 (see JP-A-2002-85369, for example), as a monitoring apparatus at the medical site.
An MRI apparatus 1 has a static-magnetic-field magnet 2 cylindrical in form for forming a static magnetic field within which can be laid an examination subject P having an imaging region where a gradient magnetic field is formed in directions of X, Y and Z axes by means of gradient magnetic field coils 3x, 3y, 3z of a gradient magnetic field coil unit 3 so that magnetic resonance can be caused with the nuclear spin within the examination subject P by transmitting an RF (radio frequency) signal from an RF coil 4. By utilizing a nuclear magnetic resonant signal (NMR) caused by excitation, an image can be reconstructed as to the examination subject P.
Namely, a static magnetic field is formed within the static-magnetic-field magnet 2 by a static-magnetic-field power supply 5. Furthermore, according to an instruction from an input device 6, a sequence-controller control unit 7 provides a sequence, as signal control information, to a sequence controller 8. The sequence controller 8 in turns controls a gradient magnetic field power supply 9 connected to the gradient magnetic field coils 3x, 3y, 3z and a transmitter 10 for providing an RF signal to the RF coil 4, according to a sequence. Due to this, a gradient magnetic field is formed at the imaging region so that an RF signal can be transmitted to the examination subject P.
In this case, the X-axis gradient magnetic field, the Y-axis gradient magnetic field and the Z-axis gradient magnetic field, formed by the gradient magnetic field coils 3x, 3y, 3z, are used mainly as a magnetic field for phase encoding (PE), a magnetic field for readout (RO) and a magnetic field for slice selection (SL), respectively. For this reason, the X, Y and z coordinates, defining nuclear positional information, are respectively converted into a phase, a frequency and a slice region of nuclear spin.
The NMR signal, caused by an excitation of nuclear spin at the interior of the examination subject P, is received at the RF coil 4 and provided to a receiver 11 where it is digitized and converted into raw data. Furthermore, the raw data is taken in the sequence-controller control unit 7 through the sequence control 8. The sequence-controller control unit 7 arranges the raw data in k-space (Fourier space) formed in a raw-data database 12. Then, an image reconstruction unit 13 performs a Fourier transform on the raw data arranged in the k-space and provides it to a display device 14 to make a display, thereby reconstructing an image of examination subject P.
For such MRI apparatuses 1, there is a recent attempt to increase the imaging rate by forming a intense gradient magnetic field at increased rate. The representative approaches of high-speed imaging based on the MRI apparatuses 1 include a known scheme of EPI (echo planer imaging) capable of acquiring a plurality of echoes by one excitation. In the EPI scheme of imaging, the gradient magnetic field power supply 9 and the transmitter 10 are controlled by the sequence controller 8 according to an EPI sequence set up based on the EPI scheme.
In the case of imaging according to an EPI sequence, a PE gradient magnetic field is formed with high intensity by providing high power electrical current to the gradient-magnetic-field coil unit 3 in order to improve frequency resolution in the direction of PE gradient magnetic field.
However, in the case of imaging according to the usual EPI scheme, there is a problem of the influence of magnetic field non-uniformity with the result of deteriorated image quality. To avoid this, a current is supplied from a shim-coil power supply 16 to a cylindrical shim coil 15 provided coaxially to and inward of a magnet forming the static magnetic field, thereby making the static magnetic field uniform.
Conventionally, a ferrous shim is inserted in the gradient magnetic field coil 3x, 3y, 3z of the MRI apparatus 1 in order to correct for non-uniformity of the static magnetic field. However, when the sequence is continuously executed in order to carry out dynamic image scanning at successive points in time of the examination subject P, heat is generated on the gradient-magnetic-field coil 3x, 3y, 3z to thereby raise its temperature with the passage of image-taking time. Consequently, the heat from the gradient-magnetic-field coil 3x, 3y, 3z conducts to the ferrous shim, thus raising the temperature of the ferrous shim and lowering the magnetic permeability of the gradient-magnetic-field coil 3x, 3y, 3z. This causes so-called a Bo shift in that the magnetic flux density passing through the ferrous shim decreases to make spatially non-uniform the static magnetic field, i.e. magnetic flux density at the imaging region. The Bo shift, while predominant in the zero order component, also causes higher-order components.
Furthermore, according to the Larmor formula, the resonant frequency of the MNR signal is proportional to magnetic field intensity. Thus, resonant frequency is varied by a Bo shift, raising such problems as shifting the apparent position of a tomographic image obtained by reconstruction and deteriorating image quality due to a deformed tomographic image. Particularly, in a forced load test, there arises a case that resonant frequency can vary by 100 Hz or more.
Meanwhile, there are conventional cases pointing out the problem that it is not sufficient to suppress (fat suppression) of an NMR signal caused by fat molecules.
Such a positional shift of tomographic image and poor fat suppression caused by a Bo shift is to appear conspicuously in such a case as performing a dynamic scanning consuming power over a long time (10 minutes or longer) as encountered particularly in an EPI sequence. Furthermore, there is a recent tendency for the problem of Bo shift to become more conspicuous because of the execution of a long-time imaging of an FE-EPI scheme using an EPI scheme together with an FE (field echo) scheme that causes an NMR signal by inverting the gradient magnetic field.
Recently, there is a dissemination of the multi-channel phased-array coil structured with a plurality of coils. Where the phased-array coil is employed as an RF coil 4, the RF coil 4 has a sensitivity varying from channel to channel in accordance with the spatial distribution of a Bo shift. This raises a problem of causing a variation between the correction values for correcting the sensitivities on the channels of the RF coil 4 because of correspondence with the sensitivity distribution on the RF coil 4.
Meanwhile, the gradient-magnetic-field coil unit 3 constitutes a major source of noise generation in the MRI apparatus 1. Utilized is an MRI apparatus 1 having a silencer mechanism utilizing a vacuum technique in the gradient-magnetic-field coil 3x, 3y, 3z of the gradient magnetic field coil unit 3. When the vacuum degree in the silencer mechanism changes, a phenomenon occurs that is similar to the case of temperature rise on the ferrous shim.
For this reason, considerations have been made on possible corrective measures including a method to remove the ferrous shim from the magnetic field coil 3x, 3y, 3z, a method to provide a cooling function so as not to raise the temperature of the ferrous shim, and so on. However, such approaches lead to cost increases.
Besides, there are differences in the effect of temperature rise of ferrous shim upon an image between MRI apparatuses 1 in accordance with the use amount and layout of a ferrous shim. This makes countermeasures further difficult.

MRI apparatus and method for processing MR imaging data


An automatic smoke/carbon monoxide evacuation system for a building having at least one existing ventilation fan and at least one ventilation passageway to outside the building is provided. The system includes a microprocessor and a smoke/carbon monoxide sensor coupled to the microprocessor and configured to detect presence of smoke/carbon monoxide and send a trigger signal to the microprocessor in response to detecting smoke/carbon monoxide. A power switch is coupled to the existing ventilation fan and is configured to automatically connect the existing ventilation fan to a power source in response to the trigger signal, so that the ventilation fan rotates at a high speed to ventilate the detected smoke/carbon monoxide via the existing ventilation passageway. An alarm device is further communicably coupled to the microprocessor and is configured to issue an alarm in response to the trigger signal.

Statistics show thousands of people die from residential fires and smoke inhalation every year in the United States. In fact, most fire deaths are not caused by burns, but by inhaling deadly smoke and fumes generated by the fire. The synthetic materials that are common in today's homes produce a toxic stew of lethal gases that can be deadly even in small quantities. The combination of reduced oxygen and the presence of toxic smoke can quickly obscure escape routes and incapacitate occupants so that they become unconscious and cannot exit the building. In typical situations, smoke from a fire is detected by conventional smoke detectors which sound alarms, but the smoke is retained inside the home until the fire burns through the rooftop. By then, the integrity of the building structure is compromised and the building is in danger of collapse. Existing air-handling systems merely recirculate the smoke and do not evacuate the smoke. Therefore, critical time passes as smoke accumulates inside the building, creating a deadly hazard for the occupants. Without immediate rescue efforts, occupants often fatally succumb to the smoke.
Another silent killer inside the home is carbon monoxide (CO). A typical home is typically outfitted with many appliances and equipment that burn carbon-based fuels such as natural gas and emit carbon monoxide as a byproduct. For one reason or another, this odorless and colorless gas can be inadvertently retained inside the home rather than properly exhausted outside the home. Because the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning mimic those of the flu, early signs of carbon monoxide exposure are often overlooked or dismissed. Carbon monoxide's deadly effects are fast-acting, and people who are asleep or intoxicated are especially vulnerable. The CDC estimates that an average of 430 people die from unintentional carbon monoxide exposure in the United States every year. About 3000 people are treated each year for unintentional non-fire related carbon monoxide exposure. Even healthy people who survive exposure to high levels of carbon monoxide can be left with permanent heart or brain damage. Tragically, people also commit suicide by carbon monoxide poisoning using automobile exhaust. Many such cases of suicide by carbon monoxide poisoning have resulted in the collateral killing of family members, who have been inside homes when the excess carbon monoxide from a running vehicle continues to fill a residence. More recently, cases of inadvertent carbon monoxide deaths arise from cars equipped with keyless ignition accidentally left running in the garage. Occupants of a home or building, if still awake or conscious, can heed the alarm of a carbon monoxide detector, but these devices do nothing to alleviate the dangerous condition.
With these statistics, it's evident that current measures to prevent smoke inhalation and carbon monoxide poisoning are insufficient. Current homes and other structures do not have an automatic way to address the presence of smoke and carbon monoxide.

Automatic smoke/carbon monoxide evacuation method and system


A network fault handling method and device, the method including obtaining a first data amount of uplink data sent by a terminal device within preset duration, obtaining a second data amount of downlink packet data received by the terminal device within the preset duration, and performing, in response to determining that the first data amount is greater than a first threshold and the second data amount is equal to 0, at least one of re-establishing a radio resource control (RRC) connection or re-obtaining an Internet Protocol (IP) connection resource.

In a process in which a terminal device (for example, a mobile phone or a computer) obtains a data service from a core network, the terminal device needs to communicate with a base station, and obtains the data service from the core network by using the base station.
In an actual application process, when a downlink data link fault occurs, for example, when a downlink routing fault, a charging authentication system fault, or the like occurs in a core network, a terminal device may usually send uplink data, but the terminal device cannot receive downlink data sent by a core network side. Consequently, a user cannot obtain a normal data service by using the terminal device. In this case, based on personal experience, the user usually needs to re-switch on a data switch of the terminal device, enable and disable an airplane mode of the terminal device, or the like, so that the terminal device can normally obtain the data service.
However, in the foregoing process, the user may obviously perceive an Internet access fault, and needs to rectify a network fault by relying on the personal experience of the user, thereby resulting in poor user experience.

System and method for handling network fault identified according to amounts of uplink data sent and downlink data received


This disclosure provides an image composition system and its method. The system includes: an image capturing unit configured for capturing at least one first image of a real object; a depth information generating unit disposed on the image capturing unit and configured for measuring a depth information between the depth information generating unit and the real object; a computing unit receiving the at least one first image and the depth information, performing the computation of removing a noise caused by a moving object other than the real object from the received depth information, and computing a moving trajectory of the image capturing unit; and a composition unit compositing the at least one first image and a second image of a virtual scene, and display the composited result on a display unit.

Recently, virtual-real synthesis technology had been commonly applied and seen in all kinds of media, especially in public entertainment media such as movies and commercials. To achieve a perfect virtue-real synthesis, the parameters and the moving trajectory of a camera capturing a real object must register and match exactly to those of a virtual camera in a virtual scene, by that spatial disorientation can be avoided in the composited result of the real object in the virtual scene. Conventionally, the operations for registering and representing real objects in a virtual scene are performed in post-production that can be very tedious and manpower-intensive process. Moreover, if the image information captured is insufficient for reconstructing the camera trajectory in the virtual scene, or even there are errors in parameters registered on-site, the whole image record of the real object will have to be reshot all over again, which can prolong the whole composition production, causing high production cost.
Therefore, it is in need of an improved image composition method and system that not only can reduce the post-production labor cost, but also can prevent the conditions of insufficient trajectory information and erroneous parameter registration at early stage.

System and method for image composition thereof

INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH INSTITUTE


In an electrophotographic image forming apparatus including a toner recycling mechanism, a collected toner conveying device is free from troubles particular to a conventional device using a screw pump and an air pump and conveying toner and air mixture via an elastic tubing, i.e., the wear of a stator due to aging and a decrease in the delivery pressure of the pump ascribable to the wear. A control device controls, based on the cumulative operation time, an operation of the screw pump and an operation of the air pump. This provides the toner conveying device with durability, reliability and simple construction while insuring toner conveyance and reducing cost.

The present invention relates to a printer, facsimile apparatus, copier or similar electrophotographic image forming apparatus using a developer in the form of toner or a toner and carrier mixture. More particularly, the present invention relates to a toner recycling mechanism included in an image forming apparatus for collecting and conveying toner removed by a cleaning device.
An image forming apparatus of the kind described often includes a toner recycling mechanism for collecting and conveying toner removed from a photoconductive element or similar member by a cleaning device for recycling it or for disposing of it.
Generally, a collected toner conveying device is constructed to transfer the toner collected by the cleaning device to either one of a developing device or a collected toner storing device arranged independently of the cleaning device. The collected toner conveying device may include a tubing connecting the toner outlet of the cleaning device to the collected toner storing device. The tubing has a coil screw thereinside for conveying the collecting toner to the storing device. Alternatively, the storing device may be positioned in the vicinity of the toner outlet of the cleaning device, so that the collected toner may be transferred to the storing device mainly by gravity.
To convey a developer, toner or similar powder, use may be made of a screw, a paddle or a bucket in relation to a developing section or a toner feeding section included in the developing device. Alternatively, use may be made of a screw pump generally referred to as a Mono pump and capable of transferring powder without resorting to a coil screw.
However, the conventional tubing and coil screw scheme has the following problems (1)-(8) left unsolved.
(1) The coil screw must be extended to a position close to the toner storing device or the developing device.
(2) To insure the rotation of the coil screw, the toner transfer path should preferably be linear or gently curved, i.e., it should not be sharply bent. This limits the layout and makes it difficult to design the apparatus. Further, the collected toner storing device should preferably be positioned below the toner outlet of the cleaning device, further limiting the layout of the apparatus.
(3) A heavy frictional load acts between the coil screw and the tubing and increases the torque necessary for the rotation of the coil screw. This limits the distance over which the collected toner can be conveyed, renders the construction bulky, and complicates the construction of the apparatus.
(4) It is difficult to insure durability and to promote easy maintenance.
(5) Due to the limitation on the position of the collected toner conveying device, the apparatus body is increased in overall size, sophisticated in construction, and increased in cost.
(6) The toner storing device or the developing device must be arranged substantially integrally with the cleaning device, limiting the position of the device as to mounting and limiting the amount of toner that can be stored. As a result, the collected toner conveying device is applicable only to a low speed machine and a user-oriented copier/printer expected to produce only a small number of copies or printings.
(7) The capacity, configuration, material and so forth of the collected toner storing device have critical influence on the manual operation relating to toner collection, maintenance, and delivery cost of the collected toner from the user to the manufacturer.
On the other hand, the screw pump scheme is attracting increasing attention and can implement a toner collecting and conveying device free from the problems of the above coil screw and tubing scheme. Specifically, the screw pump provides the developing device and therefore the apparatus body with an adequate size and insures the quality, performance and function of the cleaning device.
However, the problem with the screw pump is that a stator included therein is formed of rubber and caused to wear or creep by a rotor contacting it due to aging. Consequently, the amount of bite of the rotor and stator into each other and the degree of close contact decrease, lowering the delivery pressure of the screw pump. The stator is therefore a part to be replaced and increases the service cost.
Technologies relating to the present invention are disclosed in, e.g., Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication Nos. 9-288397, 10-69167, 10-49025, 10-26875, 10-20636, and 5-27650.

Image forming apparatus including a toner recycling mechanism