A method for treating the disease state in mammals caused by mammalian cells involved in the inflammatory response is disclosed. Mammalian cells participating in the inflammatory response are contacted with an inflammatory suppressor selected from the group consisting of alpha-keto acids and their salts which reduce the undesired inflammatory response and is an antioxidant. The inflammatory suppressor may further provide a cellular energy source and be a building block in the cellular synthesis of other cellular components. Compositions for reducing and treating undesired inflammatory response such as pain, swelling, erythema, crusting, scarring, itching, also disclosed.

Wounds are internal or external bodily injuries or lesions caused by mechanical, chemical, viral, bacterial or thermal means, which disrupt the normal continuity of structures. Such bodily injuries include contusions, which are wounds in which the skin is unbroken, incisions, i.e., wounds in which the skin is broken by a cutting instrument, and lacerations, which are wounds in which the skin is broken by a dull or blunt instrument. Patients who suffer major wounds could benefit from an antiscarring wound healer enhancer, that protects and enhances repair while reducing the pain, swelling, tissue ischemia, excess angiogenesis, erythema (redness), crusting, itching, and fibrotic conditions (scarring) which accompany most wounds.
Wound healing consists of a series of processes whereby injured tissues are repaired, specialized tissue is generated, and new tissue is reorganized. Wound healing consists of three major phases: (a) an inflammation phase (0–3 days), (b) a cellular proliferation phase (3–12 days), and (c) a remodeling phase (3–6 months).
During the inflammation phase, platelet aggregation and clotting form a matrix which traps plasma proteins and blood cells to induce the influx of various types of cells. During the cellular proliferation phase, new connective or granulation tissue and blood vessels are formed. During the remodeling phase, granulation tissue is replaced by a network of collagen and elastin fibers leading to the formation of scar tissue. Most wounds also produce pain, swelling, itching, ischemia, crusting, erythema, and scarring, all of which are undesirable.
When cells are injured or killed as a result of a wound, a wound-healing step is desirable to resuscitate the injured cells and produce new cells to replace the dead cells. The healing process requires the reversal of cytotoxicity, the suppression of inflammation, the stimulation of cellular viability and proliferation and reduced scarring. Wounds require low levels of oxygen in the initial stages of healing to suppress oxidative damage and higher levels of oxygen in the later stages of healing to promote collagen formation by fibroblasts.
Wounds produce oxygen radicals. Mammalian cells are continuously exposed to activated oxygen species such as superoxide (O2—), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), hydroxyl radicals (OH), and singlet oxygen (1O2). In vivo, these reactive oxygen intermediates are generated by cells in response to aerobic metabolism, catabolism of drugs and other xenobiotics, ultraviolet and x-ray radiation, and the respiratory burst of phagocytic cells (such as white blood cells) to kill invading bacteria introduced through wounds. Hydrogen peroxide, for example, is produced during respiration of most living organisms especially by stressed and injured cells.
These active oxygen species can injure cells. An important example of such damage is lipid peroxidation which involves the oxidative degradation of unsaturated lipids. Lipid peroxidation is highly detrimental to membrane structure and function and can cause numerous cytopathological effects. Cells defend against lipid peroxidation by producing radical scavengers such as superoxide dismutase, catalase, and peroxidase. Injured cells have a decreased ability to produce radical scavengers. Excess hydrogen peroxide can react with DNA to cause backbone breakage of the DNA, produce mutations, as well as the alteration and liberation of the bases. Hydrogen peroxide can also react with pyrimidines to open the 5,6-double bond, which inhibits the ability of pyrimidines to hydrogen bond to complementary bases, Hallaender, et al. (1971). Such oxidative biochemical injury can result in the loss of cellular membrane integrity, reduced enzyme activity, changes in transport kinetics, changes in membrane lipid content, and leakage of potassium ions, amino acids, other cellular material, and the formation of excess keloid and scar formation.
Inflammation is a nonspecific response caused by a variety of injuries including the penetration of the host by an infectious agent. The distinguishing feature of inflammation is the dilation and increased permeability of minute blood vessels. The inflammatory response consists of three successive phases: (a) increased vascular permeability with resulting edema, pain, and swelling, (b) cellular infiltration and phagocytoses, and (c) proliferation of the fibroblasts synthesizing new connective tissue to repair the injury. A large number of mediators of inflammation have been implicated in the inflammatory process primarily in terms of their capacity to induce vasodilatation and increased permeability. Inflammation also increases levels of compounds that increase pain, erythema, ischemia, excess angiogenesis, swelling, crusting, itching, and scarring.
Direct injury, such as that caused by toxins produced by microorganisms, leads to destruction of vascular endothelium and results in the increased permeability to plasma proteins, especially in the venules and venular capillaries. Mediators of secondary injury are liberated from the site of direct injury. As a result, gaps form between vascular endothelial cells through which plasma proteins escape. Granulocytes, monocytes, and erythrocytes may also leave vascular channels. Mediators of secondary injury include unknown substances and histamine, peptides (kinins), kinin-forming enzymes (kininogenases), and a globulin permeability factor. These mediators are blocked from action by antihistamines and sympathoamines, and are most pronounced in effect on venules, although lymph-vascular endothelium also becomes more porous as a part of secondary injury. In the early stages of inflammation, the exudate is alkaline and neutrophilic polymorphonuclear leukocytes predominate. As lactic acid accumulates, presumably from glycolysis, the pH drops and macrophages become the predominant cell type. Lactic acid and antibodies in the inflammatory exudate may inhibit parasites, but the major anti-infectious effect of the inflammatory response is attributable to phagocytic cells.
The beneficial effect of the inflammatory response is the production of:    (1) leukocytes in great numbers; (2) plasma proteins, nonspecific and specific humoral agents, fibrinogen that on conversion to fibrin aids in the localization of the infectious process while acting as a matrix for phagocytoses; and (3) increased blood and lymph flow that dilutes and flushes toxic materials while causing a local increase in temperature.
The initial increase in capillary permeability and vasodilatation in an inflamed wound is followed by an increase in metabolism of the tissues. Leakage of fibrinogen into the wound, where proteolytic enzymes convert it into fibrin thrombi, establishes a capillary and lymphatic blockade. The concentrations of components of the ground substance of connective tissue collagen, mucopolysaccharides, glycoproteins, and nonfibrous proteins are greatly increased during this process. As the exudative phase of the inflammation subsides, the fibroblast is found to be the dominant cell in the wounded zone. The fibroblast first proliferates, then synthesizes extracellular material, including new collagen fibers and acid mucopolysaccharides, which are laid down to form the new tissue matrix.
On a macroscopic level, the inflammatory phenomenon is usually accompanied by the familiar clinical signs of erythema, swelling, edema tenderness (hyperalgesia), and pain. During this complex response, chemical mediators such as histamine, 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), slow-reacting substance of anaphylaxis (SRS-A), various chemotactic factors, bradykinin, and prostaglandins are liberated locally. Phagocytic cells migrate into the area, and cellular lysosomal membranes may be ruptured, releasing lytic enzymes. All these events may contribute to the inflammatory response.
The production of reactive oxygen intermediates has been suggested to cause many skin, tissue, and organ disorders such as atherosclerosis, arthritis, cytotoxicity, skin inflammation, photoaging, wrinkling, actinic keratosis, tumor formation, cancer, hypertension, Parkinson's Disease, lung disease, and heart disease. The role of active oxygen radicals in promoting tumors has been based on the findings that (a) tumor promoters increase the level of oxygen radicals, (b) many free radical-generating systems promote tumors, and (c) certain antioxidants inhibit the biochemical effects of tumor promoters.
In vitro, reactive oxygen intermediates can be generated in cellular culture media by auto-oxidation and photo-oxidation of media components. During excision and storage, transplant organs can suffer oxidative injuries which result in the loss of cellular membrane integrity and shorten the usable life of the organ.
When cells are stressed by oxidative injury, a resuscitation step is necessary to re-condition the cells. Antioxidants have been shown to inhibit damage associated with active oxygen species. For example, pyruvate and other alpha-keto acids have been reported to react rapidly and stoichiometrically with hydrogen peroxide to protect cells from adverse cytolytic effects, O'Donnell-Tormey, et al., J. Exp. Med., 165, pp. 500–514 (1987).
U.S. Pat. No. 5,210,098, issued to Nath disclose a method to arrest or prevent acute kidney failure by administration of a non-toxic pyruvate salt to a patient in need of such treatment.
The Nath '098 invention provides a therapeutic method comprising the administration of an amount of a pyruvate salt to a patient experiencing or in danger of, acute renal failure. The pyruvate salt, preferably sodium pyruvate, is dispersed or dissolved in a pharmaceutically acceptable liquid carrier and administered parenterally in an amount effective to arrest or prevent said acute renal failure, thus permitting restoration of normal kidney function. In some cases, the pyruvate may be infused directly into the kidney or into the proximal renal arterial circulation. The method is effective to prevent or counter-act acute kidney failure due to a wide variety of causes, including, but not limited to, traumatic injury including burn injury and obstruction; reperfusion following ischemia, inflammatory glomerulonephritis, and sepis, e.g., due to gram negative bacterial infection.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,296,370, issued to Martin, et al. 1994, discloses therapeutic compositions for preventing and reducing injury to mammalian cells and increasing the resuscitation rate of injured mammalian cells. In one embodiment, the therapeutic composition comprises (a) a pyruvate selected from the group consisting of pyruvic acid, pharmaceutically acceptable salts of pyruvic acid, and mixtures thereof, (b) an antioxidant, and (c) a mixture of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids wherein the fatty acids are those fatty acids required for the resuscitation of injured mammalian cells.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,256,697, issued to Miller, et al., discloses a method for orally administering a therapeutically effective amount of a pyruvate precursor to a mammal to improve insulin resistance, lower lasting insulin levels and reduce fat gain.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,920,835; 3,984,556, and 3,988,470, all issued to Van Scott, et al. disclose methods for treating acne, dandruff, and palmar keratosis, respectively, which consist of applying to the affected area a topical composition comprising from about 1% to about 20% of a lower aliphatic compound containing from two to six carbon atoms selected from the group consisting of alpha-hydroxy acids, alpha-keto acids and esters thereof, and 3-hydroxybutryic acid in a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier. The aliphatic compounds include pyruvic acid and lactic acid.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,105,783 and 4,197,316, both issued to Yu, et al., disclose a method and composition, respectively, for treating dry skin which consists of applying to the affected area a topical composition comprising from about 1% to about 20% of a compound selected from the group consisting of amides and ammonium salts of alpha-hydroxy acids, beta-hydroxy acids, and alpha-keto acids in a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier. The compounds include the amides and ammonium salts of pyruvic acid and lactic acid.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,234,599, issued to Van Scott, et al., discloses a method for treating actinic and non-actinic skin keratoses which consists of applying to the affected area a topical composition comprising an effective amount of a compound selected from the group consisting of alpha-hydroxy acids, beta-hydroxy acids, and alpha-keto acids in a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier. The acidic compounds include pyruvic acid and lactic acid.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,294,852, issued to Wildnauer, et al., discloses a composition for treating skin which comprises the alpha-hydroxy acids, beta-hydroxy acids, and alpha-keto acids disclosed above in combination with C3–C8 aliphatic alcohols.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,663,166, issued to Veech, discloses an electrolyte solution which comprises a mixture of L-lactate and pyruvate in a ratio from 20:1 to 1:1, respectively, or a mixture of D-beta-hydroxybutyrate and acetoacetate, in a ratio from 6:1 to 0.5:1, respectively.
Sodium pyruvate has been reported to reduce the number of erosions, ulcers, and hemorrhages on the gastric mucosa in guinea pigs and rats caused by acetylsalicylic acid. The analgesic and antipyretic properties of acetylsalicylic acid were not impaired by sodium pyruvate, Puschmann, Arzneimittelforschung, 33, pp. 410–415 and 415–416 (1983).
Pyruvate has been reported to exert a positive inotropic effect in stunned myocardium which is a prolonged ventricular dysfunction following brief periods of coronary artery occlusions which does not produce irreversible damage, Mentzer, et al., Ann. Surg., 209, pp. 629–633 (1989). Pyruvate has also been reported to produce a relative stabilization of left ventricular pressure and heart work parameter and to reduce the size of infarctions. Pyruvate improves resumption of spontaneous beating of the heart and restoration of normal rates and blood pressure development, Bunger, et al., J. Mol. Cell. Cardiol., 18, pp. 423–438 (1986), Mochizuki, et al., J. Physiol. (Paris), 76, pp. 805–812 (1980), Regitz, et al., Cardiovasc. Res., 15 pp. 652–658 (1981), Giannelli, et al., Ann. Thorac. Surg., 21 pp. 386–396 (1976).
Sodium pyruvate has been reported to act as an antagonist to cyanide intoxication (presumably through the formation of cyanohydrin) and to protect against the lethal effects of sodium sulfide and to retard the onset and development of functional, morphological, and biochemical measures of acrylamide neuropathy of axons, Schwartz, et al., Toxicol. Appl. Pharmacol., 50 pp. 437–442 (1979), Sabri, et al., Brain Res., 483, pp. 1–11 (1989).
U.S. Pat. No. 5,798,388, issued to Katz discloses a method and compositions for the treatment of pulmonary diseases resulting from inflammation consisting of the administration of pyruvate, lactate, and precursor thereof and their salts in a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier. The compositions may also be a cellular energy source.
A chemotherapeutic cure of advanced L1210 leukemia has been reported using sodium pyruvate to restore abnormally deformed red blood cells to normal. The deformed red blood cells prevented adequate drug delivery to tumor cells, Cohen, Cancer Chemother. Pharmacol., 5, pp. 175–179 (1981).
Primary cultures of heterotopic tracheal transplant exposed in vivo to 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene were reported to be successfully maintained in enrichment medium supplemented with sodium pyruvate along with the cultures of interleukin-2 stimulated peripheral blood lymphocytes, and plasmacytomas and hybridomas, pig embryos, and human blastocysts, Shacter, J. Immunol, Methods, 99, pp. 259–270 (1987), Marchok, et al., Cancer Res., 37, pp. 1811–1821 (1977), Davis, J. Reprod. Fertil, Suppl., 33, pp. 115–124 (1985), Okamoto, et al., No To Shinkei, 38, pp. 593–598 (1986), Cohen, et al., J. In vitro Fert. Embryo Transfer, 2, pp. 59–64 (1985).
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,158,057; 4,351,835; 4,415,576, and 4,645,764, all issued to Stanko, disclose methods for preventing the accumulation of fat in the liver of a mammal due to the ingestion of alcohol, for controlling weight in a mammal, for inhibiting body fat while increasing protein concentration in a mammal, and for controlling the deposition of body fat in a living being, respectively. The methods comprise administering to the mammal a therapeutic mixture of pyruvate and dihydroxyacetone, and optionally riboflavin. U.S. Pat. No. 4,548,937, issued to Stanko, discloses a method for controlling the weight gain of a mammal which comprises administering to the mammal a therapeutically effective amount of pyruvate, and optionally riboflavin. U.S. Pat. No. 4,812,479, issued to Stanko, discloses a method for controlling the weight gain of a mammal which comprises administering to the mammal a therapeutically effective amount of dihydroxyacetone, and optionally riboflavin and pyruvate.
Rats fed a calcium-oxalate lithogenic diet including sodium pyruvate were reported to develop fewer urinary calculi (stones) than control rats not given sodium pyruvate, Ogawa, et al., Hinvokika Kivo, 32, pp. 1341–1347 (1986).
U.S. Pat. No. 4,521,375, issued to Houlsby, discloses a method for sterilizing surfaces which come into contact with living tissue. The method comprises sterilizing the surface with aqueous hydrogen peroxide and then neutralizing the surface with pyruvic acid.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,416,982, issued to Tauda, et al., discloses a method for decomposing hydrogen peroxide by reacting the hydrogen peroxide with a phenol or aniline derivative in the presence of peroxidase. U.S. Pat. No. 4,696,917, issued to Lindstrom, et al., discloses an irrigation solution which comprises Eagle's Minimum Essential Medium with Earle's salts, chondroitin sulfate, a buffer solution, 2-mercaptoethanol, and a pyruvate. The irrigation solution may optionally contain ascorbic acid and alpha-tocopherol. U.S. Pat. No. 4,725,586, also issued to Lindstrom, et al., discloses an irrigation solution which comprises a balanced salt solution, chondroitin sulfate, a buffer solution, 2-mercaptoethanol, sodium bicarbonate or dextrose, a pyruvate, a sodium phosphate buffer system, and cystine. The irrigation solution may optionally contain ascorbic acid and gammatocopherol.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,847,069, issued to Bissett, et al., discloses a photoprotective composition comprising (a) a sorbohydroxamic acid, (b) an anti-inflammatory agent selected from steroidal anti-inflammatory agents and a natural anti-inflammatory agent, and (c) a topical carrier. Fatty acids may be present as an emollient. U.S. Pat. No. 4,847,071, also issued to Bissett, et al., discloses a photoprotective composition comprising (a) a tocopherol or tocopherol-ester radical scavenger, (b) an anti-inflammatory agent, and (c) a topical carrier. U.S. Pat. No. 4,847,072, issued to Bissett, et al., discloses a topical composition comprising not more than 25% tocopherol sorbate in a topical carrier.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,863,938, issued to Martin, discloses a therapeutic antibacterial wound-healing composition comprising an effective amount of an antibacterial agent and a wound-healing composition consisting of (a) pyruvate- or keto-glutaric acid (b) an antioxidant, and (c) a mixture of fatty acids.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,561,157, issued to Yu, et al., discloses a composition and method for the therapeutic treatment of age spots, wrinkles, dry skin, eczema, psoriasis, and keratosis, using alpha- and beta-keto-carboxylic acids and their salts.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,149, 924, issued to Paul discloses the use of many agents that increase the production of skin lipids, increase barrier function, hydrogen peroxide neutralization, prevention of loss of moisturizing factor from the skin. The agents are amino acids and their breakdown products.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,536,751, issued to Bunger discloses a pharmaceutical composition as an active phosphorylation potential enhancing substance using an alpha-keto-carboxylic acid, primarily pyruvate.
The addition of sodium pyruvate to bacterial and yeast systems has been reported to inhibit hydrogen peroxide production, enhance growth, and protect the systems against the toxicity of reactive oxygen intermediates. The optimum ratio of unsaturated to saturated fatty acids contained within chicken fat enhanced membrane repair and reduced cytotoxicity. The anti-oxidants gluthathione and thio-glycollate reduced the injury induced by oxygen radical species.
While the above therapeutic compositions and methods are reported to inhibit the production of reactive oxygen intermediates and enhance healing, none of the compositions and methods treat the damage and resulting disease state in mammals caused by undesired pain, progressive tissue ischemia, excess angiogenesis, excess white blood cell (WBC) infiltration, erythema, swelling, itching, crusting, and scarring. Moreover, cellular signaling agents in mammalian cells are needed to deposit the correct ratio and type of collagen and elastin. The new teachings involve the use of alpha-keto acids with unique properties, singly or in combination to treat different types of injuries.

Method and composition for treating mammalian diseases and injuries which cause pain, erythema, swelling, crusting, ischemia scarring and excess white blood cell infiltration


A coal mining method is provided without coal-pillar leaving and without laneway excavation in a full mining area. The coal mining method includes drilling a main shaft, an auxiliary shaft and a return air shaft from a ground to a coal mining layer; by a coal mining machine, forming a first mining face with a first direction as an advance direction; by the coal mining machine, cutting out a first haulageway and a first return airway while cutting the coal wall at the first mining face, and preserving the first haulageway and the first return airway. In this method, the first haulageway and the first return airway are located on two sides of the first mining face, the first haulageway is in communication with both of the main and auxiliary shafts, and the first return airway is in communication with the return air shaft.

Conventional modes of exploitation and laying-out for coal mining require to, when a coal bed is exploited, firstly excavate at least 3 main exploitation laneways, to serve the entire mining area, and subsequently excavate at least 3 laneways from the main exploitation laneways into the mining areas, to serve each of the mining areas. Inside the mining areas, for each of the working faces, it is required to excavate out in advance two laneways as a working-face haulageway and a working-face return airway, to serve the working face. In order to enable each of the stopping working faces to normally connect, one coal mine is required to be provided with a plurality of excavation working faces, which has a large labor, a large excavation amount, a long excavation time and a high excavation cost, and the alternation between the coal mining and the excavation is tense. Inside the mining areas, for each of the working faces, it is required to excavate out in advance two laneways as a working-face haulageway and a working-face return airway, to serve each of the working faces. The tremendous workload of the excavation causes an extremely long time for the early-stage preparation of coal production, increases the cost of coal production, and wastes a large amount of time and money, and safety accidents frequently happen during the laneway excavation.
Moreover, protecting coal pillars with certain widths are required to be left between the neighboring working faces. The coal-pillar leaving causes a huge waste of the coal resource, and, with the increasing of the mining depth, geological disasters such as large deformation of the laneway wall rock, rock burst, coal (rock) explosion, and coal and gas outburst caused by stress concentration over the left coal pillars are very serious.
In conclusion, the coal mining in the prior art requires a large excavation amount, a long excavation time and a high excavation cost, and the coal-pillar leaving causes a huge waste of the coal resource.

Method for coal mining without reserving coal pillar and tunneling roadway in whole mining area

Beijing Zhongkuang Innovation Alliance Energy Environment Science Academy


An apparatus for dispensing material includes an outlet opening with a perforated cover. A rotatable applicator dispenses material through the perforated cover and may include brushes that sweep across and penetrate the openings of the perforated cover. The housing may also contain a feed roller for regulating the flow of the material and one or more commutators for fractionating the material.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,539,645 discloses a drying apparatus for drying products which are in the form of liquids or semi-liquids such as colloidal suspensions and the like. The drying apparatus disclosed in the '645 patent comprises a conveyor belt and a plurality of radiant heat sources, such as infrared heaters, that remove moisture from product being conveyed along the conveyor belt. Drying efficiency and the consistency at which product can be dried depend in large part on the ability to apply an even and consistent layer of product having a predetermined thickness onto the conveyor surface. When drying product that contains relatively large pieces of material and/or material that tends to agglomerate or adhere together when handled, such as fruit pulp, it is sometimes difficult to dispense product in a manner that applies an even and consistent layer of material onto the conveyor surface. Accordingly, there is a need for an improved dispensing apparatus, such as can be used to dispense product onto a conveyor surface for drying.


A system and method for making advanced composite laminates includes a tape dispensing system, a tape placement head, and a tooling surface. Tape sections are formed and moved through a tape section guide using a gripping assembly. The tape section guide system is suspended over the tooling surface. Once the tape section is positioned over a desired location on the tooling surface, a tape tacking device tacks or otherwise attaches the tape section to the tooling surface or another underlying tape section.

The present embodiments relate generally to advanced composites and, more particularly, to a system and method for rapidly fabricating advanced composite laminates with minimal scrap, using automated equipment.
Advanced composite materials are increasingly used in high-performance structural products that require low weight and high strength and/or stiffness. Composite materials are engineered materials that comprise two or more components. The embodiments relate to polymer composites that combine reinforcing fibers such as carbon fiber, glass fiber, or other reinforcing fibers with a thermosetting or thermoplastic polymer resin, such as epoxy, nylon, polyester, polypropylene, or other resins. The fibers typically provide the stiffness and strength along the direction of the fiber length, and the resin provides shape and toughness and also acts to transfer load between and among the fibers. The structural performance of an advanced composite part increases with increased fiber-to-resin ratio (also called fiber volume fraction), increased fiber length, closer alignment between the fiber orientation and the load path through the part (in contrast to random fiber orientation), and the straightness of the fibers. The weight of an advanced composite part can also be optimized by selectively adding or subtracting material according to where it is highly and lightly stressed.
Typically, the manufacture of high-performance, advanced composite parts is a slow and labor-intensive process. Thus, several approaches for automating the fabrication of advanced composite parts have been developed to reduce hand labor, decrease cycle time, and improve part quality and repeatability. Such machines are used to fabricate small and large parts ranging from aircraft fuselages and internal structural members to pressure vessels, pipes, blades for wind turbines, and wing skins. These machines typically place tape material directly on a mandrel or a mold using a material placement head mounted on a multi-axis, CNC manipulator. As the material is laid up, it is consolidated with any underlying layers. This is called "in situ" consolidation.
A different approach, described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,607,626 and 6,939,423, which are herein incorporated by reference, is to lay up a substantially flat "tailored blank" where all the plies of the composite laminate are only tacked together. Once the tailored blank has been made, subsequent processing steps are used to consolidate the plies together and form the blank into its final shape.
One characteristic typical to tape and fiber placement machines is the overall technique used to apply material to a tooling surface: such machines progressively unroll a tape or tow material onto a tooling surface that is configured to match the near net shape of the part and tack it in place using one or more compaction rollers or shoes as the material is fed onto the surface. While this technique yields high quality parts, one main limitation is that increasing the material placement rate requires larger, higher power machines, which has a compounding effect on system size, energy consumption, cost, and precision. In many systems, speed is also constrained by the heat transfer rate, especially for thermoplastic composites, which are typically melted and then refrozen during placement.
Another limitation of fiber placement and tape laying machines is that they most typically produce parts very near to the final net shape and thus the attainable part complexity and contour is governed by the size and dexterity of the manipulator to which the layup head is attached. Such systems typically require five or six degrees of freedom to produce the types of parts noted above.

System and method for making advanced composite laminates

Dieffenbacher GMBH Maschinen-und Anlagenbau


A solid immersion lens optics assembly, a test station for probing and testing of integrated circuits on a semiconductor wafer, and a method of landing a SIL on an object. The optics assembly comprises an objective lens housing for receiving an objective lens, and a solid immersion lens (SIL) housing for mounting an SIL and adapted for connection to the objective lens housing; wherein a peripheral wall of the SIL housing comprises an integrated spring section adapted to provide a biased support for the SIL.

Microscopes are used in a large variety of technological applications, including in probing and testing of semiconductor microchips. With increasing metal layers and flip chip bonding, analysis of the integrated circuit (IC) can typically only be done from the backside of the chip through the silicon substrate using infrared imaging. Shrinking device geometry requires high numerical aperture (NA) lenses to resolve the transistors. In such applications, the optics plays a crucial part in device imaging, signal collection and optical probing, and in particular when the signal is optically weak.
In one existing type of optics for, e.g., probing and testing of semiconductor microchips, a SIL is placed between the object and an objective lens, with or without the use of an index matching medium between the SIL and the semiconductor microchip. The increased NA of the SIL-Objective arrangement allows higher resolution imaging, higher signal collection efficiency and smaller spot size for optical probing.
In such SIL-Objective optical arrangements, the challenges are to maintain the SIL and objective optical axis alignment when placing and focusing the SIL on the device, accommodating a small degree of tilt between device and SIL, and applying bias to eliminate the air gap at the SIL-device interface.
One existing solution in U.S. Pat. No. 7,123,035 provides the SIL attached to a bracket that is spring loaded by springs to a housing containing the objective lens. The springs extend readily inwardly from the housing and are coupled to the bracket carrying the SIL, substantially at a periphery of the SIL. Specific details as to the nature of the springs and the actual connection of the springs to the housing on the one hand, and the bracket carrying the SIL on the other hand are not provided. However, it is believed that in such a design there would be a number of practical implementation issues such as a potential vignetting effect from the springs, in particular in the biased stage upon landing of the SIL, as well as issues relating to choice of the number of springs to be used, and/or uniformity of the applied bias.
In another design described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,123,035, the SIL is fixedly attached to a SIL housing, and the objective lens is fixedly attached to an objective housing. Both the SIL housing and the objective housing are substantially cylindrical, with the SIL housing being received within the objective housing, and in a manner such that a sliding motion of the SIL housing relative to the objective housing is enabled in a biased fashion. One or more linear springs are disposed within the objective housing at its periphery, for biasing the SIL housing. Disadvantages or challenges associated with such a design include the limited, if any, ability of accommodating angular displacement between the SIL housing and the objective housing, for example as a result of landing on a surface slanted with respect to the SIL and objective housings, as well as friction between the SIL housing and the objective housing, resulting in backlash during focusing. Furthermore, since a sliding fit between the SIL housing and objective housing is required, as there is relative movement, the centering and imaging repeatability is limited by the tolerances required for the sliding fit.
A need therefore exists to provide an alternative system and method that seek to address at least one of the above-mentioned problems.


A patch or set of patches may be deployed, often to a subset of potentially vulnerable systems, to address a particular vulnerability while providing a facility to monitor and, in some cases, characterize post-patch exploit attempts. Often, such a patch will check for an exploit signature and, if an exploit attempt is detected or suspected, take an appropriate action. For example, the patch may include code to log indicative data or trigger such logging. In some exploitations, the patch may generate or contribute to a warning or advisory regarding an additional target (or targets) of the exploit and, if appropriate, initiate a patch or protective measure for the additional target(s). In some exploitations, the patch may simulate responses or behaviors suggestive (to an attacker) of unpatched code. In some exploitations, the patch may direct an exploit attempt to a service (or simulated service) hosted or executing in an isolated protection domain.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to computer security, and more particularly, to techniques for patching vulnerabilities while facilitating detection, characterization and/or prediction of subsequent attempts to exploit a patched vulnerability.
2. Description of the Related Art
The vulnerability of computer systems, configurations, software and information codings and protocols to unauthorized access or use is widely recognized, at least by information security professionals. These vulnerabilities range from minor annoyances to critical national security risks. Today, given the ubiquitous nature of internet communications and the value of information and transactions hosted on the public internet, vulnerabilities are discovered and exploited at alarming rates. Automated tools facilitate the probing of systems and discovery of vulnerable systems and configurations. Once vulnerabilities are identified, exploits can be globally disseminated and employed.
Patches (or updates) seek to address known vulnerabilities. However, even after vulnerabilities and/or exploits are identified and patches created, vulnerabilities persist in many system or software instances because patches are not universally distributed or installed. In some cases, users and administrators are simply unaware of the vulnerabilities or patches. In some cases, the flux of security patches or number of systems requiring update can be daunting, frustrating or overwhelming even for the most vigilant of users or administrators. In some cases, patches themselves have been known to create new problems, vulnerabilities or incompatibilities. As a result, many users and organizations prefer not to be early adopters of patches, even those that purport to address critical security risks.
While substantial corporate and government resources have been dedicated to the identification of threats, distribution of advisories, and mitigation of vulnerabilities, software and computer system vendors, users and administrators are often faced with two basic strategies: (i) patch early, often and universally or (ii) patch only after vulnerabilities are well characterized and patches are stable.

Computer security technique employing patch with detection and/or characterization mechanism for exploit of patched vulnerability


A projector having a first lens array with a plurality of first lenses in a plane substantially orthogonal to an optical axis of the light beam from a light source that divides the light beam into a plurality of partial light beams, a second lens array having a plurality of second lenses corresponding to the plurality of first lenses, and a polarization converter that is disposed on a light beam emitting-side of the first lens array. A focal position in a first direction of the first lens is set in the vicinity of the second lens array in the optical direction of the light beam irradiated from the first lens. A focal position in the second direction of the first lens is set in the vicinity of the polarization converter in the optical direction of the light beam irradiated from the first lens.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a projector that includes a light source, an optical modulator that modulates a light beam irradiated from the light source in accordance with image information to form an image and a projection optical system that projects the formed image.
2. Related Art
There have been known projectors that form an optical image in accordance with image information and project the optical image on a screen or the like in an enlarged manner. Among such projectors, there is known a projector that includes a light source, an optical modulator that modulates a light beam irradiated from the light source in accordance with image information and a projection lens that projects the modulated light beam as an optical image.
Recently, so-called three-panel projectors have been proposed, which can form an image with enhanced image quality and color reproducibility. Such a three-panel projector includes: a color-separating optical system that separates a light beam irradiated from a lamp as a light source into three color light beams of red (R), green (G) and blue (B); a plurality of liquid crystal panels as optical modulators which modulate the incident color light beams in accordance with image information; and a color-combining optical device that combines the color light beams modulated by the liquid crystal panels to form an optical image.
Note that it is necessary to uniformly illuminate an image formation area of an optical modulator such as a liquid crystal panel. Accordingly, there has been known a projector .with an integrator illuminating optical system that divides a light beam irradiated from the lamp into a plurality of partial light beams, superpose the partial light beams on the image formation areas of the optical modulators and uniformly illuminate the image formation areas (see, for example, JP-A-2005-234126).
The projector disclosed in the document includes as the integrator illuminating optical system a first lens array having a plurality of small lenses arranged in a matrix form, a second lens array having a plurality of small lenses respectively corresponding to the plurality of small lenses of the first lens array, a polarization converter that aligns polarization directions of light beams respectively irradiated from the plurality of small lenses of the second lens array and a superposing lens that superposes the incident light beams from the polarization converter on the image formation areas of the liquid crystal panels, each component being in a plane orthogonal to the optical axis of the light beam irradiated from the lamp. The integrator illuminating optical system uniforms a light amount on an illumination region of the light beam irradiated from the lamp, so that the image formation areas of the liquid crystal panels can be uniformly illuminated.
However, a light emitting portion of the light source lamp of such a projector may be moved from the middle of the electrodes of the light source lamp. When the light emitting portion is moved after optical components of the projector are positioned and fixed, a formed optical image may contain color unevenness.
To avoid the problem, there have been demands for a projector that can reduce luminance unevenness on the image formation area of the optical modulator even when the light emitting portion of the light source lamp is moved substantially from the middle of the electrodes after the positioning and fixation of the optical components.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


In a secure element (4) that comprises an application (17B) and/or a security domain (17A) a mode is proved, in which mode a transfer of data (AD) to said application (17B) and/or security domain (17A) requires pre-authorization.

A secure element (SE) is known from the "GlobalPlatform's Proposition for Near Filed Communication (NFC) Mobile: Secure Element Management and Messaging—White Paper, April 2009", herein referred to as GPWP, and the GlobalPlatform Card Specification Version 2.1.1, March 2003, herein referred to as GPCS. The SE is the component in a mobile handset, e.g. a mobile phone, a PDA, a tablet PC and the like, or the SE is the component of a UICC or a microSD, corresponding to or to be plugged into a mobile device, that provides the security and confidentiality required to support various business models in a fast evolving business environment, in which several entities or players, in addition to Mobile Network Operators (MNO), will become involved in an NFC mobile ecosystem.
Throughout the application an MNO shall mean a party that provides mobile network services for mobile devices, e.g. mobile phones, to allow communication according to the GSM, or UMTS, or WLAN technology or the like and related standards successor standards or technologies. NFC shall mean a communication according to ISO 14443, 18092, 21481 ECMA 340, 352, 356, 362 or ETSI TS 102 190, as well as any successor standard or technology. From a customer centric point of view, the MNO provides full range mobile services to the customer as stated in the document "Mobile NFC Services", Version 1, February 2007, of the GSM Association.
The SE satisfies the need for ongoing security and confidentiality of sensitive applications and data downloaded to and stored on an NFC enabled handset for performing contactless business transactions. The GlobalPlattform, acting as a cross-industry organization, intends to define and provide the specification, at present available in form of the GPCS, necessary to support three types of SE selected as options for NFC. These are Universal Integrated Circuit Cards (UICC) that can be plugged into said mobile handsets, Embedded Secure Elements that are embedded during manufacturing of said mobile handsets either independent form a subscriber identification module (SIM) or comprised in such a SIM used to identify a mobile network user or its handset, and Secure Memory Cards that are used to securely store, transport and/or transfer information. Typically in a Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) network, the UICC contains a SIM application and in a Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) network it is the USIM application.
In the GPWP three main configuration scenarios of the SE are proposed. The first configuration scenario is Simple Mode, which is an issuer centric model, where card content management is only performed by the MNO but is monitored by the Trusted Service Manager (TSM). The second configuration scenario is Delegated Mode, where card content management can be delegated to a TSM but each operation of card content management requires pre-authorization from the MNO. The third configuration scenario is Authorized Mode, where card content management is fully delegated to a TSM for a sub area of the SE. Accordingly the present version of the GPCS defines an appropriate card architecture to be supported by the SE.
Although these three modes allow for a wide deployment of business cases, they still lack in supporting particular business cases. But these particular business cases will become of utmost importance for making NFC based mobile phone operation interesting for all business partners involved.
Therefore it is an object of the present invention to overcome the aforementioned problem and to provide an improved secure element, an improved mobile device, an improved method of operating a secure element, an improved computer program, and an improved method of operating a mobile communication network, an improved method of doing business, and a method of enabling access to a secure element, as well as a signal conveying a command for a secure element.

Secure element for mobile network services


The invention relates to a method for extracting measuring signals from a multi-channel photomultiplier, characterised by the following steps: a measuring signal which is integral for the channels of the photomultiplier is extracted at the dynode in order to record the signal form and intensity of an event, and the anode signal of each channel is compared with a threshold value. If the threshold value is exceeded at a channel, the location of the detected event is determined and the associated signal form and intensity at the dynode is detected. The invention also relates to a circuit for a multi-channel photomultiplier (1), said circuit being used to carry out the method according to one of the claims 1 to 8. The circuit comprises a photocathode, a multi-channel structure for electron multiplication (dynode), and anodes (11) which are associated with the channels and are used for pixel-oriented charge amplification and collection. The dynode (12) is contacted and a comparator circuit (2) is provided for each channel of the anode (11) in order to extract a measuring signal.

Photomultipliers can convert the smallest light excitation signals into electrical signals in that individual electrons which are released by photons in the vacuum of the photomultiplier tube can be accelerated and at so-called dynodes can produce an avalanche of secondary electrons. In multichannel photomultipliers (MCPMT for short), the electron multiplication stages of the dynode are configured as individual channels. Each inlet region of the cathode is thus associated with an anode pin at the output. The multichannel photomultiplier functions, therefore like a multiplicity of tightly packed individual photomultipliers. A coupling of the channels rises only in that the channels formed by the dynodes are electrically connected together. The charges which arise at the isolated anodes of the channels are thus a significantly amplified image of the light distribution over the photocathode, whereby a locally precise arrangement of the light excitation is given by the channel pixels.
With multichannel photomultipliers, a detection of scintillation excitations or events can be captured with excellent spatial or positional resolution as is required, for example, in nuclear medicine. Position-sensitive detectors are known, for example in small animal PET scanners which embody such devices capable of local resolution. They use the position sensitive photo multipliers and can extract the measurement signal in accordance with center of mass principles or center of mass formation. With these photomultipliers, the amplifying electron clouds do not travel within separate channels as in multichannel photomultipliers but only the anodes are separated and usually configured in the form of a wire grid. Depending upon the position of the light event, charge levels can be differentiated on the individual wires of the grid, whereby the mutually parallel wires are collected together by means of a resistance ladder. From the ratio of the pulse intensities at the ladder ends, the location of the light event respectively in one or the other dimension of the detector surface can be determined corresponding to its center of gravity formation. The information of the total charge is delivered in the form of the sum of the four pulses.
The signal readout in accordance with the center of gravity formation principle requires therefore four analog to digital convert channels for an individual location sensitive photomultiplier. Furthermore, this principle is sensitive to disturbance signals noise since in addition to the intensity of the light pulses to be detected, the location information is coded into the pulse level variations and thus extremely small pulses can arise. Correspondingly the dynamics of the measured value acquisition must satisfy high quality requirements. Aside from this, the resistance ladders which are connected to the wire grid anode have unequal impedances at the anodes which can be the origin of locally-dependent pulse-shaped distortions. Thus problems can arise in the use of this system which can require pulse shape analysis. Furthermore, in the reading process the center of gravity formation approach may be disadvantageous since it may not be able to distinguish whether a light pulse is sharp at any given location or has been blurred or spread to simultaneously appear as if it arises from a number of locations. The latter case can arise when a gamma particle causes scattering in a scintillator which brings about a secondary scintillation at a location spaced from the initial scintillation.
Multichannel photomultipliers, of course, have separate output signals for each channel. Correspondingly, pixel-oriented measurement signals could be acquired with shape and intensity. With a large pixel count, therefore, extensive readout electronic circuitry must be provided and for the further data processing, for each channel an analog/digital converter is also required. As a result only unusually small systems with a reduced pixel count can work with such a readout method. Alternatively, the integrated pulse could be integrated by sample-and-hold stages so that they then can be read out via a multiplexer. This is however a drawback since information as to the pulse shape and the precise point in time that a pulse was created will be lost. In addition, because of the serial readout, the maximum event read which can be handled in this system is strongly limited.

Method for extracting measuring signals from a multi-channel photomultipier and corresponding circuit


The invention relates to an elastomer-bonded sheet material encompassing vulcanized elastomer content and content composed of at least one filler bonded therein, where the vulcanized elastomer content encompasses, based on the entire elastomer content, from about 25 to 70% by weight, preferably from about 40 to 60% by weight, of at least one vulcanized elastomer which in the unvulcanized state has not more than 10%, preferably not more than 7%, of unsaturated carbon double bonds in the main chain.

It is known that fibre-reinforced elastomer gaskets are susceptible to irreversible aging. Previously, this was concealed by way of a very high asbestos content of up to 80% by weight, so that the material retained its stability despite aged elastomer. Once the health risk caused by asbestos had been recognized, attempts were made to replace it with other fibres, in particular synthetic fibres, such as p-aramid fibres, glass fibres or carbon fibres. However, the high costs for these fibres and, respectively, production problems with the use of certain fibres meant that their content had to be markedly reduced and substituted by low-cost pulverulent fillers, such as kaolins, silicon dioxide, graphite, etc.
The result of this is that the elastomeric binder then has to take on an increased proportion of the stabilization of the gasket material, although the elastomer firstly has the lowest thermal stability of the raw materials used and secondly is susceptible to aging, which impairs the long-term integrity of the fibrous and pulverulent fillers.
Depending on the R rubber type usually used as elastomer material (diene elastomers, such as NBR, SBR, NR, etc.) and the amount of the terpolymers (such as acrylonitrile or styrene) copolymerized therein, the rubber types mainly used for gasket material contain up to 35% of unsaturated carbon double bonds, which make them susceptible to oxidation, because these double bonds can react directly with oxygen to give hydroperoxides. Subsequent abstraction of the H atom on the resultant hydroperoxide leads to formation of polymer free radicals and thus to breakage of the macromolecule. The measurable effects of this mostly aerobic thermal aging include a significant increase in the modulus of elasticity and the associated reduction in flexibility, i.e. an increase in brittleness. The latter can then cause microcracking, the results of which can extend to total blow-out of the gasket, even in the case of minimal load changes at a gasketed flange, for example initiated by the dilatation of pipeline systems during the start-up and shut-down of installations.
A further problem here is also caused by the post-vulcanization of unsaturated carbon double bonds in the main chain of the elastomer material. As long as uncrosslinked dienes remain in the main chain in the presence of crosslinking reagents which have not yet been consumed (such as sulphur, sulphur donors or peroxidically generated free radicals), the elastomer material remains susceptible to post-crosslinking long after its process-vulcanization. In the case of gaskets, this likewise leads to hardening of the material, with the effects listed above.

Elastomer-bonded sheet material and process for its production


A semiconductor device of the present invention includes a semiconductor layer in which a gate trench is formed, a gate insulating film formed along an inner surface of the gate trench, a gate electrode that is buried in the gate trench through the gate insulating film and that has a lower electrode and an upper electrode that are separated upwardly and downwardly from each other with an intermediate insulating film between the lower electrode and the upper electrode, and a gate contact that is formed in the gate trench so as to pass through the upper electrode and through the intermediate insulating film and so as to reach the lower electrode and that electrically connects the lower electrode and the upper electrode together.

Patent Document 1 (Japanese Translation of International Application No. 2000-511353) discloses a trench-gate type power MOSFET that includes a semiconductor substrate in which a trench is formed, a gate embedded in the trench, a source region formed at a surface portion of the semiconductor substrate, a body region formed below the source region, and a drain region formed below the body region.

Semiconductor device having trench gate structure and method for manufacturing the semiconductor device


A disk drive is disclosed comprising a disk having a plurality of servo sectors forming a plurality of substantially linear servo wedges extending from an outer diameter of the disk to an inner diameter of the disk, wherein each servo sector is written using perpendicular magnetic recording. The disk drive further comprises a head coupled to a distal end of an actuator arm that is rotated by a rotary actuator about a pivot in order to actuate the head radially over the disk in a substantially arcuate path.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to disk drives. In particular, the present invention relates to servo writing substantially linear servo wedges to reduce the overwrite effect in perpendicular magnetic recording.
2. Description of the Prior Art
When manufacturing a disk drive, servo sectors 20–2N are written to a disk 4 which define a plurality of radially-spaced, concentric data tracks 6 as shown in the prior art disk format of FIG. 1. Each data track 6 is partitioned into a plurality of data sectors wherein the servo sectors 20–2N are considered "embedded" in the data sectors. Each servo sector (e.g., servo sector 24) comprises a preamble 8 for synchronizing gain control and timing recovery, a sync mark 10 for synchronizing to a servo data field 12 comprising coarse head positioning information such as a Gray coded track addresses for use during seeking, and servo bursts 14 which provide fine head positioning information for use during tracking. In a "headerless" format, the servo data field 12 also includes information identifying the data sectors between the servo sectors.
The servo sectors 20–2N are typically written to the disk 4 using the head 16 internal to the disk drive, for example using an external servo writer or using a self-servo writing technique. An external servo writer inserts a positioning pin into the head disk assembly (HDA) of the disk drive to actuate an actuator arm 18 about a pivot 20 and thereby actuate the head 16 radially over the disk 4 while writing the servo sectors 20–2N. Rotating the actuator arm 18 about the pivot 20 causes the head 16 to traverse an arcuate path from the outer to inner diameter of the disk 4 which forms substantially arcuate servo wedges on as shown in FIG. 1.
A rotary actuator, such as a voice coil motor, is typically used to actuate the head 16 over the disk 4 during a self-servo writing technique as well as during the disk drive's normal operation. Current is passed through a voice coil comprising a first leg 22A and a second leg 22B attached to the base of the actuator arm 18. The resulting magnetic flux interacts with the magnetic flux of permanent magnets (not shown) creating a torque that rotates the actuator arm 18 about the pivot 20 in order to access a target data track 6 during write and read operations.
Perpendicular magnet recording is a recent development in disk drive technology that provides a significant increase in linear bit density as compared to conventional longitudinal magnetic recording. With perpendicular magnet recording, the head 16 comprises a write element having a leading pole and a trailing write pole, wherein a write coil is wrapped around the write pole. The disk 4 comprises a high permeability magnetic layer underneath a perpendicularly magnetized thin film layer such that an image of the write pole is produced in the high permeability magnetic layer when the write coil is energized with current.
FIGS. 2A–2C illustrate a problem that manifests when servo writing the disk 4 using the head 16 internal to the disk drive with the new perpendicular magnetic recording technique. When writing the servo sectors 20–2N from the inner diameter of the disk (FIG. 2A) toward the outer diameter of the disk (FIG. 2C), the skew angle of the write pole 24 as it approaches the outer diameter causes the inner corner of the write pole 24 to "swing out" and overwrite a band 26 of the previously written servo data. Similarly, when writing the servo sectors 20–2N from the outer diameter of the disk (FIG. 2C) toward the inner diameter of the disk (FIG. 2A), the skew angle of the write pole 24 as it approaches the inner diameter causes the inner corner of the write pole 24 to "swing out" and overwrite a band 28 of the previously written servo data. The overwritten band (26 or 28) creates a "seam" between adjacent servo sectors, as well as a seam within each servo sector (including the servo bursts 14) if multiple revolutions are used to "stitch" together each servo sector 2i. The technique of "stitching" together a servo sector is typically necessary since the width of the write pole 24 is less than the width of a servo track requiring a portion (e.g., half) of a servo sector to be written during each revolution of the disk. The seams created by the overwrite problem illustrated in FIGS. 2A–2C induce errors in the position error signal generated when reading the servo bursts 14 as well as errors in detecting the servo data field 12, such as the Gray coded track addresses.
The prior art has suggested a number of techniques for addressing the overwrite problem when servo writing a disk drive using perpendicular magnetic recording. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,504,675 discloses a disk drive wherein the write pole has a trapezoidal shape in order to reduce the overwrite problem caused by the skew effect. However, the geometry of the trapezoidal shape varies between each disk drive due to tolerances in manufacturing the head, resulting in undesirable seams in the servo wedges for some percentage of the disk drives. In addition, manufacturing the write pole with a trapezoidal shape increases the manufacturing cost of the head, as well as reduces the surface area of the write pole leading to an undesirable decrease in the strength of the magnetic write flux.
U.S. Patent Application No. 2004/0061967 suggests an alternative solution to the overwrite problem by writing the servo sectors 20–2N from the outer diameter of the disk to the middle diameter, and then from the inner diameter to the middle diameter. A problem with this technique, however, is the seam created near the middle diameter of the disk where the two segments of a servo wedge "meet". This seam becomes unusable (wasted) surface area, and the seek operation in the servo system must also account for the seam. This problem is exacerbated due to the disk expanding during the servo writing operation requiring a predetermined margin (wider seam) to account for the worst-case deviation in the expansion.
There is, therefore, a need to servo write the disk of a disk drive in a manner that reduces the seams caused by the write pole overwriting previously written servo data due to the skew effect.

Servo writing substantially linear servo wedges to reduce overwrite effect in perpendicular magnetic recording


A disc playing and controlling apparatus which includes a plurality of magazine type disc players. When a first disc player is operating, the apparatus controls the other disk players to find and load a disc holding the next song to be played. Before searching for the next song, the controller determines whether one player is already set in a standby position or whether the next song is located in the player currently being operated. If no player has been set for the next program, the apparatus reads the next selection from a program list and identifies which magazine contains the selected program based on a data map. The map stores each player number and magazine number in an one-to-one relation with the table of contents data for each song.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus such as a jukebox or the like for selectively playing a plurality of discs enclosed in the apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
For instance, in an apparatus for selectively playing a plurality of discs enclosed therein which has been disclosed in Japanese Patent Application No. 63-180990, designated music programs to be played are consecutively received by the music program selecting operations such as key operations or the like, a disc including the designated music programs is selected from a plurality of discs provided in disc enclosing means and moved onto a turn table, a reading position of the designated music program recorded on the selected disc is searched, and the play of the designated music program is started. However, in the case where upon completion of the play of one designated music program, the disc including the next designated music program differs from the disc which is at present located on the turn table, the disc put on the turn table must be moved into the disc enclosing means and the disc including the next designated music program must be selected and moved onto the turn table. Consequently, there is a problem such that it takes a time until the play of the next designated music program is started after the play of one designated music program was finished.

Controlling playing operations of a plurality of magazine type disc players each having exclusive access to disc loaded therein


A protection device protects a driving device of an electric motor with at least three phases and at least three windings and the driving device comprises a power stage suitable for driving directly said at least three windings. The driving device is suitable for actuating a motor brake operating phase and comprises detectors suitable for detecting the currents that run in the windings of the motor. The protection device comprises selectors suitable for selecting the currents having a single direction between said detected currents and a deactuator suitable for deactuating the power stage during said motor brake operating phase when the sum of the currents having a single direction is greater than a reference current.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention refers to a protection device for driving devices for electric motors and corresponding driving device.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the prior art, driving devices for three-phase motors are known that implement the operating phase of the motor brake, i.e., the operating phase in which the three-phase motor is stopped rapidly.
FIG. 1 shows a diagram of a three-phase motor provided with a driving device that implements the motor brake operating phase. The three-phase motor comprises the star-connected windings 1-3 (the solution is also suitable in the case of delta-connected windings) at the common terminal D and having the other terminals connected respectively at the nodes A-C with the half-bridges 4-6; the latter are made with power switches such as MOS transistors or bipolar power switches or IGBTs and are the power stage for driving the windings 1-3. The half-bridges 4-6 are connected between a supply voltage Vs and ground GND and are driven by respective terminal elements 7-9 forming part of a driving device 10. The elements 7-9 are circuitally connected to a main element 11 that implements several control functions including the motor brake or brake operating phase. To obtain rapid braking of the electric motor the windings 1-3 are short-circuited to the supply voltage Vs or to ground GND; the current in the windings of the motor will reach a zero value in a period of time that depends on the features of the motor and on the application.
During actuation of the brake operating phase in the windings of the motor current overshoots occur due to the presence of the back electromotive force (BEMF) that depends on the electric constant of the motor and on the rotation speed. Said overshoots can exceed the maximum permitted current in the half-bridges 4-6 and can determine failure of the brake operating phase or also failure of the power stage formed by the half-bridges.

Protection device for electric motor driving devices and corresponding driving device


A time of flight (TOF) spectrometer and a method for operating the same is disclosed. The spectrometer includes an event extractor, a streaming processor, and a FIFO buffer. The event extractor generates a ion event record corresponding to each detected ion, the ion event record including an intensity of a plurality of aliases for that detected ion. The streaming processor includes a memory array that stores a TOF spectrum and a probability processor that provides a probability for each alias in each received ion event record and updates the TOF spectrum based on the probabilities. A FIFO buffer receives each of the ion event records after the TOF spectrum has been updated and outputs the oldest ion event record to the streaming processor when a new ion event record is processed by the streaming processor.

Time-of-flight mass spectrometers (TOFMSs) measure the abundance of ions in an analyte as a function of the time required for those ions to travel from an ion source to an ion detector that is located at a fixed distance from the ion source. Ions from the ion source are subjected to a short acceleration pulse by applying a voltage between the ion source and an acceleration electrode. The kinetic energy imparted to an ion is proportional to the charge on that ion and the acceleration voltage. The velocity of the ions after acceleration is determined by the acceleration voltage and the mass-to-charge ratio of the ions. Hence, the time of flight (TOF) between the ion source and the detector is a measure of the mass-to-charge ratio of the ions. The ion detector converts an ion impact to an electrical pulse. The spectrum produced by TOFMSs is the charge received by the ion detector as a function of time measured from the time of the acceleration pulse.
The low abundance and statistical nature of the ion impact response necessitate that the spectra from a large number of single pulses are combined to provide the final spectrum for a sample that is being analyzed. For any given application, there is a maximum TOF of interest. In the following discussion, the reciprocal of this TOF will be referred to as the "reference rate". If the source is pulsed at a rate less than or equal to the reference rate, all of the ions of interest from any given packet will be detected prior to ions from a subsequent pulse arriving at the ion detector. The reference rate is the fastest rate at which the source can be pulsed without having ions of interest from one pulse reaching the detector at a time after ions from a previous pulse have not yet reached the detector.
The time to acquire a spectrum using the reference rate can be too long for many applications. If the analyte is changing over time, the analysis needs to be completed in a time that is much less than the time the analyte evolves. Even in the case of relatively stable samples, there is a limit to the time available on the TOFMS.
One method for decreasing the time needed to acquire a spectrum utilizes a scheme in which the ion source is pulsed at an average rate much higher than the reference rate. In this system, an ion reaching the ion detector could have resulted from any one of a number of pulses. By randomly varying the interpulse interval, the identity of the pulse giving rise to the ion may be determined with high accuracy.
Denote the ions that arrive from a single ion pulse within the range of allowed times of flight as a "transient". If the source is pulsed at a rate less than or equal to the reference rate, the transients do not overlap, and hence, the launching pulse corresponding to each detected ion is known, and the TOF is the difference in time between the time of the pulse and the time at which the ion was detected. Processing the data from transients to arrive at TOF values for each ion is then relatively simple; however, the data acquisition rate is limited by the number of ions that can be launched in a packet and the TOF of the slowest ion species of interest.
The number of ions per packet is constrained by the available ion sources. In addition, the ion density must not be so great as to have the ions interacting with each other in a manner that alters the TOF of the individual ions or causes the packet to expand so that ions are lost.
There are applications in which the number of transients per unit time must be increased above the reference rate. For example, experiments in which the sample changes significantly in a time that is less than the time needed to collect sufficient impacts at the reference rate pose significant challenges if the TOFMS is limited to the reference rate.
If the TOFMS is operated at a rate above the reference rate, the transient responses will overlap. In this case, the pulse that gave rise to any given ion hitting the detector is not uniquely known from the time of arrival of the ion at the ion detector. For example, an ion striking the detector could be a fast moving ion from the last pulse or a slow moving ion from an earlier pulse. One method for generating a spectrum from such overlapping frames is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,080,782. In this method, the launching pulses are provided at variable intervals about some predetermined interval that is much shorter than the reference period. An algorithm that makes use of the random nature of the pulses is then used to generate the TOF spectrum by a method that will be discussed in more detail below. For the purposes of the present discussion, it is sufficient to note that the computational workload presented by this algorithm is significant. As a result, the time needed to actually generate a spectrum is much longer than the time needed to accumulate sufficient detector hits.
In applications in which the final spectrum is all that is required, the computations can be performed "off-line". Hence, the spectrum acquisition time can be significantly improved as measured by the time needed to acquire the data on the TOFMS and the temporal evolution of rapidly evolving spectra can be more closely followed.
There are applications, however, in which the spectrum, or a reasonable approximation thereof, must be available in a time that is less than the processing time of the algorithm discussed above. Consider an experiment in which the sample that is being analyzed is changing with time in a manner that a component of interest is detected during the course of the experiment. When the component appears, the experimental protocol is to be changed. For example, if the component is detected with a TOFMS, a spectrum having sufficient accuracy to detect the component of interest must be available before the component disappears. In this case, the experiment cannot wait for the off-line processing discussed above. Accordingly, a method for providing a reasonable approximation to the final TOFMS spectrum with a minimal time delay is needed.

Time of flight mass spectrometer utilizing overlapping frames


A method of cleaning a substrate processing chamber that enables formation of an oxide film on a surface of a processing chamber inside component to be prevented. A substrate processing chamber 11 has therein a processing space S into which a wafer W is transferred and carries out reactive ion etching on the wafer W in the processing space S. The substrate processing chamber 11 has an upper electrode plate 38 that comprises silicon and a lower surface of which is exposed to the processing space S. A dry cleaning is carried out on the upper electrode plate 38 using oxygen radicals produced from oxygen gas introduced into the processing space S. An oxide removal processing is carried out on the upper electrode plate 38 using fluorine ions and fluorine radicals produced from carbon tetrafluoride gas introduced into the processing space S.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of cleaning a substrate processing chamber, a storage medium, and a substrate processing chamber, and in particular relates to a method of cleaning a substrate processing chamber having an electrode made of silicon.
2. Description of the Related Art
Plasma processing apparatuses having a substrate processing chamber having therein a processing space into which is transferred a semiconductor wafer as a substrate, and a lower electrode that is disposed in the processing space and is connected to a radio frequency power source are known. In such a plasma processing apparatus, a processing gas is introduced into the processing space, and the lower electrode applies radio frequency electrical power into the processing space. Moreover, when a semiconductor wafer has been transferred into the processing space and mounted on the lower electrode, the introduced processing gas is turned into plasma by the radio frequency electrical power, whereby ions and so on are produced, and the semiconductor wafer is subjected to plasma processing such as etching through the ions and so on.
In such a plasma processing apparatus, in the case that a mixed gas of a deposit-producing reactant gas such as C4F8 gas and argon (Ar) gas is used as the processing gas, reaction product produced from the reactant gas becomes attached to an inner surface, e.g. a side inner wall (hereinafter referred to merely as the "side wall"), of the substrate processing chamber. The attached reaction product may peel away from the side wall, becoming particles. Such particles may become attached to a semiconductor wafer, causing defects in semiconductor devices manufactured from the semiconductor wafer. If it thus necessary to remove the reaction product attached to the inner surface of the substrate processing chamber.
From hitherto, as a method of removing reaction product attached to the inner surface, there has been known a method in which oxygen (O2) gas is introduced into the processing space, oxygen ions and oxygen radicals are produced from the oxygen gas by radio frequency electrical power, and the reaction product is removed through reaction with the oxygen ions and oxygen radicals (see, for example, Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. S62-040728).
In recent years, with an object of improving plasma processing performance, there have been developed plasma processing apparatuses in which an upper electrode as a processing chamber inside component disposed facing the lower electrode in the processing space is made of silicon, and a DC power source is connected to the upper electrode. In such a plasma processing apparatus, if the reaction product removal method described above is implemented, then reaction product attached to the inner surface of the substrate processing chamber is reliably removed, but oxide such as silicon oxide (SiO2) is produced through reaction of the silicon of the upper electrode with the oxygen ions and oxygen radicals. The oxide may become attached to the surface of the upper electrode so as to form an oxide film. The oxide film may peel away, becoming particles. Moreover, direct current cannot pass through the oxide film, and hence applying a DC voltage into the processing space becomes difficult. Furthermore, the oxide film may undergo dielectric breakdown through such a direct current, and hence making the state of the plasma in the processing space stable is difficult.

Method of cleaning substrate processing chamber, storage medium, and substrate processing chamber


A system and method for providing power to a light-powered transponder. In order to create a sufficient voltage differential, two different photovoltaic elements are used. The photovoltaic elements generate voltages of different polarities. Because the photovoltaic elements are used independently to generate voltages with different polarities, the present system can achieve a desired voltage differential despite the inherent difficulties presented by the use of a standard CMOS process.

This invention relates generally to electronic radio frequency identification tags and specifically to small electronic transponders that store and transmit information. In particular, the present invention relates to the use of light to generate sufficient power for transponders.
Electronic transponders are used in a wide variety of applications to store and transmit information. A transponder functions by receiving a transmission request and, in turn, transmitting a response. Typically, this response is an identification signal, often comprising a serial number.
In World War II, transponders were used to identify aircraft. The transponder assured the requesting aircraft that the associated aircraft was a friendly aircraft by transmitting an identification code. Early versions of electronic transponders supplied power by way of a battery or a solenoid. However, batteries and solenoids are relatively large, and therefore severely restrict the ability to reduce the size of electronic transponders.
An antenna external to the transponder broadcasted identification information. This external antenna was necessary to generate a RF signal strong enough to be received and demodulated by a receiver. An external antenna, however, further increases the size of the transponder.
Today, transponders are used for a variety of purposes ranging from identification of wildlife to electronic article surveillance (EAS). Typically, transponders utilize a radio frequency identification (RFID) system. These systems operate without visual contact. For example, EAS systems typically employ a closed loop of a conductive substance that responds to a generated radio frequency (RF) field. These transponders, also called tags due to their ability to "tag" a consumer item to prevent shoplifting, are deactivated when a product is purchased. To further this goal, EAS systems may transmit a description of the item to which the tag is affixed.
Transponders are also beneficial for applications where it is highly desirable to reduce the size of the transponder to very small dimensions. For example, electronic transponders aid in the detection of biomolecules in samples when performing solid-phase assays. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,641,634, 5,736,332, 5,981,166, and 6,001,571 respectively disclose the use of transponders for detecting biomolecules, determining the sequence of nucleic acids, screening chemical compounds, and performing multiplex assays for nucleic acids, and are herein specifically incorporated by reference. For these applications, the transponder must be significantly reduced in size.
For use in chemically hostile environments, as those often used in solid-phase assays, external antennas and power sources utilized in earlier prior art transponders needed to be protected. Therefore, the entire transponder, including the power source and antenna, would be enclosed in a protective material, such as a glass bead. This enclosure further added to the size of the transponder.
As disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,641,634, miniature transponders, also referred to as microtransponders, using photovoltaic cells to provide power have been developed. Photo-activated transponders enable smaller dimensions. Further, by providing a monolithic assembly that includes an antenna, the transponder disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,641,634 further enables a reduction in size.
These transponders are typically formed on a silicon wafer and protected by a thin layer of silicon dioxide (SiO2). SiO2 has the same chemical properties as glass with respect to chemically hostile environments. Therefore, the transponder does not need to be enclosed in a glass encasement. Alternatively, the transponder may be coated with a variety of transparent or semitransparent materials, such as plastic or latex.
In many applications, it is desirable to have a small transponder that outputs identification data. It is further desirable to create a purely passive device that does not depend on the operation of self-contained batteries. Photo-activated transponders provided an advantage over the prior art due to their inactivity without light illumination. A narrowly focused laser light source may enable a single transponder at a time, even when a large number of transponders are present in the assay. Only the illuminated transponder transmits data and other transponders are inactive. The reduction in the number of transmitting transponders significantly reduces noise level. If the light source is more broadly applied, an increased number of transponders may respond. Thus, the light source can be adjusted to control which transponders will respond during an assay.

Method and apparatus for powering circuitry with on-chip solar cells within a common substrate


A positive resist composition comprising an alkali-soluble resin, a quinone diazide compound and a specific hydroxyl group-containing compound can improve sensitivity without deterioration of heat resistance and film thickness retention.

A radiation-sensitive resist composition containing a compound having a quinone diazide group finds use as a positive resist, because upon exposure to light having a wavelength of not longer than 500 nm, the quinone diazide group decomposes to form a carboxyl group whereby the originally alkali-insoluble composition becomes alkali-soluble. The positive resist composition has much better resolution than a negative resist composition and is used in the production of integrated circuits such as IC or LSI.
Recently, particularly in the production of integrated circuits, miniaturization has proceeded as the integration level has increased, which results in demands for formation of patterns of submicron order. According to conventional processes for the production of integrated circuits, light exposure is accomplished by placing a mask in intimate contact to a substrate, e.g. a silicon wafer. It is said that this process cannot make patterns thinner than 2 .mu.m. Instead of such conventional processes, the reduction projection in exposure system attracts attention. According to this new system, a pattern of master mask (reticle) is projected on the substrate with reduction by a lens system, whereby exposure is accomplished. This system realizes a resolving power of submicron.
One of the serious problems in this system is low throughput. Namely, in this system, the total exposure time to expose a wafer is very long because of divided and repeated light exposure unlike a batch light exposure system which is employed in the conventional mask contact printing methods.
To solve this problem, not only an improvement in the apparatus but also an increase in sensitivity of the resist to be used are important.
To increase the sensitivity, it is easiest to decrease molecular weights of a quinone diazide compound and a novolak resin, in particular, a novolak resin used in the positive photoresist. The decrease of the alkali-soluble resin molecular weight accelerates dissolution of the photoresist in an alkaline developer so that the apparent sensitivity of the photoresist is increased.
This method, however, has very serious disadvantages such as large film thickness loss in an unexposed area (reduction of so-called film thickness retention), worsening a shape of the pattern, and decrease of the .gamma.-value, namely decrease of resolution because of small difference in the dissolving rates in the developing solution between the exposed area and the unexposed area.
Other measures to increase the sensitivity of the resist are prolongation of a developing time and increase of an alkali concentration in a developing solution. By these measures, though the apparent sensitivity of the photoresist is increased because of increase of solubility of the resist in the developing solution, the film thickness retention is deteriorated, which results in decrease of resolution.
In general, it is impossible to improve the sensitivity with maintaining heat resistance and the film thickness retention, and vice versa.

Positive working quinone diazide and alkali soluble resin resist composition with select polyhydroxy additive compound


A four-way power combiner/splitter is disclosed that includes a first transmission line having a first non-grounding conductor and a first grounding conductor, wherein the first grounding conductor is grounded at a first end of the first transmission line. The combiner/splitter also has a second transmission line having a second non-grounding conductor and a second grounding conductor, wherein the second grounding conductor is grounded at a first end of the second transmission line. The non-grounding conductors of the first and second transmission lines are electrically coupled together at the respective first ends of the first and second transmission lines. An output/input port is provided that is electrically coupled to the first and second non-grounding conductors at the respective first ends of the first and second transmission lines. Additionally provided are a first input/output port electrically coupled to the first non-grounding conductor at a second end of the first transmission line, a second input/output port electrically coupled to the first grounding conductor at the second end of the first transmission line, a third input/output port electrically coupled to the second non-grounding conductor at a second end of the second transmission line, and a fourth input/output port electrically coupled to the second grounding conductor at a second end of the second transmission line.

This invention relates generally to radio frequency (RF)/microwave circuits, and in particular, to a unique four-way power combiner/splitter.
Power combiners and splitters have many applications in the RF/microwave field. They are particularly useful in power amplification applications. For example, often an input signal to be amplified is split using a power splitter into several components and applied separately to a plurality of amplification stages. Each of the amplification stages amplifies each of the components of the input signal. Then, the amplified components of the input signals are applied to a power combiner to recombine the amplified components into a relatively higher power and gain output signals.
Prior art power combiners and splitters typically operate over a relatively narrow bandwidth. This is because many prior art power combiners and splitter use transmission lines of particular electrical lengths to adjust the phases of the signals so that the signals are properly combined or split. Since the electrical length of a transmission line is dependent on the frequency of the signal, these prior art combiners and splitters do not work well with frequencies outside the intended operating frequency. As a result, most prior art power combiners and splitters have relatively narrow bandwidth.
Thus, there is a need for a power combiner and splitter that does not depend on a transmission line or lines being a particular electrical length in order to provide much greater operating bandwidths. Such a need is met by the invention described herein.
An aspect of the invention includes a four-way power combiner/splitter that includes a first transmission line having a first non-grounding conductor and a first grounding conductor, wherein the first grounding conductor is grounded at a first end of the first transmission line. The combiner/splitter also has a second transmission line having a second non-grounding conductor and a second grounding conductor, wherein the second grounding conductor is grounded at a first end of the second transmission line. The non-grounding conductors of the first and second transmission lines are electrically coupled together at the respective first ends of the first and second transmission lines. An output/input port is provided that is electrically coupled to the first and second non-grounding conductors at the respective first ends of the first and second transmission lines. Additionally provided are a first input/output port electrically coupled to the first non-grounding conductor at a second end of the first transmission line, a second input/output port electrically coupled to the first grounding conductor at the second end of the first transmission line, a third input/output port electrically coupled to the second non-grounding conductor at a second end of the second transmission line, and a fourth input/output port electrically coupled to the second grounding conductor at a second end of the second transmission line.
The four-way power combiner/splitter may include a first impedance element electrically connecting the first and second non-grounding conductors at the respective second ends of the transmission lines, and a second impedance element electrically connecting the second and fourth grounding conductors at the respective second ends of the transmission lines. The first and second impedance elements are selected to improve the balance of currents flowing through the first and second transmission lines. In addition, the four-way power combiner/splitter may include first and second ferrites coupled respectively to the first and second transmission lines to increase the effective electrical lengths of the lines. The transmission lines each may be configured into a twisted pair of wires, a coaxial transmission line, a microstrip, a striplines, or other forms of transmission line mediums.