A piston ring having a keystone shape and an orientation feature on one of its surfaces for ensuring proper orientation of the ring during installation. The piston ring preferably has an outer peripheral surface that includes a sealing land with a nitride hardened surface to resist wear during the service life of the piston ring. A tapered surface is also provided on the outer peripheral surface adjacent to the sealing land.

Piston rings are well known. They are usually received within an annular groove disposed about an outer periphery of a piston. In turn, the piston is reciprocable within a cylinder. The piston compresses fluids such as gases within a combustion chamber of the cylinder. In the case of an internal combustion engine, these fluids are ignited and expand, forcing the piston away from the point of ignition. The primary function of the piston ring is to provide an effective seal of the combustion gases, called "blow-by control". A secondary function of the piston ring is to prevent excess lubricating oil from entering the combustion chamber. To accomplish these sealing functions, the piston ring must constantly and fully contact the cylinder. Expanding gases tend to force the piston ring radially outwardly against the cylinder which aids in sealing. However, the design of the piston ring also plays an important role in sealing.
It is known to design a piston ring having a cross section in the shape of a keystone, i.e. a trapezoid. The keystone shape allows the expanding gases to more easily force the piston ring radially outwardly.
It is also known to taper an entire outer peripheral surface of a piston ring. The taper is provided for initial break-in only and is designed to have point contact between the piston ring and cylinder. After wearing in of the piston ring, the entire outer peripheral face fully contacts the cylinder.
In another known piston ring there is a projection at the uppermost portion of the outer peripheral face which is designed to wear away during initial break-in. After break-in, the entire outer peripheral surface acts as the sealing surface.
None of the prior art piston rings have a hardened sealing land that projects from the outer peripheral surface designed to seal against the cylinder during the entire service life of the piston ring. Moreover, none of the prior art designs taper only a portion of the outer peripheral surface in combination with a sealing land. Finally, prior art piston rings do not have an orientation feature that ensures proper orientation during installation.

Gas nitrided taper faced keystone piston ring incorporating a sealing land and orientation groove


An addressable, implantable microstimulator is substantially encapsulated within a hermetically-sealed housing inert to body fluids, and of a size and shape capable of implantation in a living body, by expulsion through a hypodermic needle. Power and information for operating the microstimulator is received through a modulated, alternating magnetic field in which a coil is adapted to function as the secondary winding of a transformer. Electrical energy is stored in capacitor means and is released into the living body by controlled, stimulating pulses which pass through body fluids and tissue between the exposed electrodes of the microstimulator. Detection and decoding means within the microstimulator are provided for controlling the stimulating pulses in accordance with the modulation of the received, alternating magnetic field. Means for controllably recharging the capacitor is provided.

Neurological disorders are often caused by neural impulses failing to reach their natural destination in otherwise functional body systems. Local nerves and muscles may function, but, for various reasons, such as injury, stroke, or other cause, the stimulating nerve signals do not reach their natural destination. For example, paraplegics and quadraplegics have intact nerves and muscles and only lack the brain to nerve link, which stimulates the muscles into action.
Prosthetic devices have been used for some time to provide electrical stimulation to excite muscle, nerve or other cells. Such devices have ranged in size and complexity from large, bulky systems feeding electrical pulses by conductors extending through the skin, to implanted stimulators which are controlled through high-frequency, telemetry signals, which are modulated rf signals, such as set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 4,524,774, Apparatus and Method for the Stimulation of a Human Muscle, invented by Jurges Hildebrandt, issued Jun. 25, 1985. The use of frequencies of 27.12 MHz and 40.6867 MHz are there mentioned. Other devices have comprised a centrally-implanted stimulator package sending stimulation signals to a multitude of distant target sites.
Complications, including the possibility of infection, arise in the use of stimulators which have conductors extending through the skin. On the other hand, in the use of implanted stimulators, difficulties arise in providing suitable, operable stimulators which are small in size and in passing sufficient energy and control information to the stimulators, without direct connection, to satisfactorily operate them without direct connection.
The device of the invention uses a source of electrical energy, modulated by desired control information, to selectively control and drive numerous, small stimulators disposed at various locations within the body. Thus, for example, a desired, progressive muscular stimulation may be achieved through the successive or simultaneous stimulation of numerous stimulators, directed by a single source of information and energy outside the body.
The appropriate, functioning design of a suitable, small stimulator, a microstimulator, which can be easily implanted, such as by expulsion through a hypodermic needle, is difficult to achieve. Notwithstanding the small size, the microstimulator must be capable of receiving and storing sufficient energy to provide the desired stimulating pulses, but also, may be required to respond to received control information as to pulse duration, current amplitude and shape. Further, stimulators should achieve a "charge balancing", that is, a balancing of current flow through the body tissue in both directions to prevent damage to the tissue which results from continued, preponderance of current flow in one direction.
Also in providing the "charge balancing", it must be assured that the current flow in the opposite direction from the stimulation pulse does not cause damage to the intermediate body cells or cause undesired stimulation. Further, the "charge balancing" must not cause anodic or cathodic deterioration of the stimulating electrodes.

Alfred E. Mann Foundation For Scientific Research


A traveling apparatus which can travel on a flat ground and on stairs is disclosed. The traveling apparatus is comprising a pair of left and right crawler units arranged on either one of a front portion and a rear portion below a body, a crawler unit arranged on the other one of the front portion and the rear portion, a wheel arranged at the center between the pair of left and right crawler units, and a pair of wheels arranged left and right with respect to the crawler unit. Here the wheels are arranged to move up and down relative to the crawler units.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a traveling apparatus which can travel on the flat ground and travel up and down on the stairs, a follow-up control method applied when an operator controls the traveling apparatus, and a rotational-angle detecting apparatus used in controlling the traveling apparatus.
2. Related Background Art
An example of conventional traveling apparatus of this type is one as described in Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. 56-138071, which is shown in FIG. 1. The apparatus is so arranged that four independently driven crawler units 12.sub.1 thru 12.sub.4 are set at the four corners of main body 10 so as to swing about respective fulcrums at one ends 14.sub.1 thru 14.sub.4 independently of each other whereby the apparatus can take various postures. Another example is one as described in Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. 58-167262, which is shown in FIG. 2. In the apparatus arms 18.sub.1, 182 with auxiliary wheels 16.sub.1, 16.sub.2 at the distal end are rotated to change the shape of crawlers so as to enhance the traveling properties on the stairs. A further example is one as described in Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. 3-279087, which is shown in FIG. 3. In the apparatus four crawler units 20.sub.1 thru 20.sub.4 are so set as to rotate or swing about respective fulcrums at central portions 22.sub.1 thru 22.sub.4 and a plurality of motors are provided to drive and swing the crawler units 20.sub.1 thru 20.sub.4. Another example of a combination of crawler units and wheels is one as described in Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. 60-85083, which is shown in FIG. 4. In the apparatus traveling wheels 28.sub.1, 28.sub.2 having up-and-down mechanisms 26.sub.1, 26.sub.2 are given in addition to crawlers 24 whereby the apparatus can travel on the stairs and can travel at high speed on the flat ground.
The conventional traveling apparatus had, however, the following problems. The example of FIG. 1 requires a great deal of skill in handling to change the posture of crawler units 12.sub.1 thru 12.sub.4 in accordance with the road conditions. The example of FIG. 2 requires a complex control to change the posture. Further, the example of FIG. 3 needs a lot of motors for crawler units 20.sub.1 thru 20.sub.4, which makes the structure complex. In addition, these three examples had the problem that the traveling speed was slower on the flat ground because of the drive of crawlers as compared with the wheel traveling, which lowered the energy efficiency. The example of FIG. 4 has the traveling wheels 28.sub.1, 28.sub.2, but is provided with only a pair of crawlers 24 fixed on the body. This arrangement brings a drawback that shock cannot be avoided upon sudden forward inclination at the start of descending stairs or at the end of ascending stairs.

Traveling apparatus, and control method and rotational-angle detector applied thereto


Solid image pickup apparatus, wherein a light screening film is formed with the conventional art, a polyamide resin which is a transparent resin larger in refractive index than the microlens material is applied by a spin coating method, then, it is baked for 5 through 10 minutes at 200.degree. through 250.degree. C. so as to form a flattened film 10a, thereafter, an acrylic resin is coated by a spin coating method.

The present invention generally relates to a solid image pickup apparatus having a microlens.
A structural sectional view of the conventional solid image pickup apparatus will be described in FIG. 3. A light receiving portion 3 and a transfer portion 4 are provided on the surface portion of a P well region 2 on a N type semiconductor basic plate 1 as shown in FIG. 3. A silicon oxidizing film 5 is accumulated in these upper positions. A polysilicon electrode 6 is provided in the upper portion thereof. A silicon oxidizing film 5 is accumulated even on the polysilicon electrode 6. A tungsten silicon 7 is provided in the upper portion thereof. A BPSG film 8 is accumulated in the upper portion of the tungsten silicide 7. A light screening metal 9 is provided in the upper portion thereof so that light is not projected into the transfer portion 4. A flattening film 10b is provided on it with an acrylic resin or the like.
A microlens 11 is provided on the above described flattened film 10b with the use of a transparent resin being almost the same in refractive index as that in a flattened film material so as to improve the usage ratio of the incident light. Therefore, a substantial opening ratio is improved.
FIG. 4 shows a sectional view of an optical system mechanism such as camera and so on. In FIG. 4, reference numeral 12 is an optical system lens, reference numeral 13 is an iris, reference numeral 14 is a solid image pickup apparatus.
A solid image pickup apparatus 14 is positioned, as shown in FIG. 4, in a location where lights are gathered with the optical system lens 12 to make an image. An image is made as shown in FIG. 4 (a), (b) with the size of the opening portion of the iris 13 in this case. In the case of FIG. 4 (a), lights are collected into the light receiving portion 3 as shown in an incident light passage in FIG. 4 (a) of FIG. 5 (a). An image making position of the microlens 11 is slid sideways from the light receiving portion 3 because of obliquely incident lights, as shown in the incident light passages in FIG. 4 (b) of FIG. 5 (b), in a condition with the iris being opened as shown in FIG. 4(b). As the opening portion of the iris 13 becomes larger like this, the light collecting ratio by the microlens 11 is reduced.

Image pickup device with wide angular response


A device for controlling the flow of liquid from a bottle having a chamber and a spout with a passage communicating with such chamber. A cage is partially located within the bottle at the spout passage. The cage defines a particular volume and includes an exit communicating with the spout passage. A floating element is located and moveable within the cage. The floating element is formed to block the spout passage from the bottle when it is positioned adjacent the spout passage. The floating element also permits the flow of fluid from the passage when the bottle is oriented in a certain configuration. The cage may be secured to the spout passage or formed integrally with the spout.

The present invention relates to a novel and useful device for controlling the flow of liquid from a bottle.
The present application is a substitute for my prior filed application Ser. No. 07/983,874, Filed Dec. 1, 1992, now abandoned.
Bottled water may be purchased in small quantities or in large five (5) gallon bottles. In the latter case, the water is normally delivered to the desired point of distribution, be it at a home, office, or the like. Bottles of this nature are normally sealed and used in conjunction with a water dispensing apparatus which may cool or heat the water prior to use. To position the water bottle on the water bottle dispenser, the user must unseal the bottle, lift the bottle, and invert the same into the opening at the top of the dispenser. Unfortunately, this maneuver requires a fair degree of strength and a large degree of agility to avoid spilling the water from the water bottle, especially when the bottle is inverted to a certain degree. Spilled water has a tendency to damage walls, carpets, and items around the water dispenser. In addition, wet areas near the water dispenser are subject to mildewing. Further, the user in hurrying to invert the bottle, may incur physical injury.
In this regard, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,741,448, 4,125,200, 1,079,403, 560,444, 323,737, 365,961, 357,909, British reference No. 1485, Vallet's British Specification 13,158, Ryland's British Specification 4246, and French reference 74 41575 describe bottles having free flowing resilient spheres for stopping passage of water through the bottle spout.
Further problems occur with used water bottles in that they are often misused later to carry dangerous materials such as organic solvents, oil, gasoline, and the like.
A device for controlling the flow of water from a water bottle and to prevent misuse of the bottle at a later time would be a notable advance in the field of foods and beverages.

Paul and Sara Garbarini 1989 Family Trust


A field effect transistor includes a nitride semiconductor layered structure that is formed on a substrate and includes a capping layer made of a compound represented by a general formula of InxAlyGa1−yN (wherein 0<x≦1, 0≦y<1 and 0<x+y≦1). A non-alloy source electrode and a non-alloy drain electrode are formed on the capping layer so as to be spaced from each other.

The present invention relates to a field effect transistor and a method for fabricating the same, and more particularly, it relates to a field effect transistor usable as a high-power radio-frequency transistor and a method for fabricating the same.
Group III-V nitride compound semiconductors, which are typified by gallium nitride (GaN), are represented by a general formula of InxAlyGa1−x−yN (wherein 0≦x≦1 and 0≦y≦1), have a wide band gap and a large breakdown field, and hence are regarded as promising materials for high-power electronic devices. In particular, in a heterojunction structure in which aluminum gallium nitride (AlGaN) is stacked on gallium nitride (GaN), a strong electric field is caused by polarization on the (0001) plane. Therefore, electrons are accumulated in a high density in the vicinity of the heterojunction interface in the GaN film, so as to generate the so-called two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG). Since the 2DEG is generated in the undoped GaN film, it is not affected by impurity scattering, and hence it exhibits high electron mobility. In addition, a GaN-based material exhibits high saturated drift velocity, and for example, in a high electric field region of approximately 1×105 V/cm, electronic velocity is twice or more as large as that of a GaAs-based material which prevails as a material for a radio-frequency transistor. Furthermore, the breakdown voltage of a GaN-based transistor can be easily increased owing to the high breakdown field of GaN. Therefore, the GaN-based material is expected to be applied to a high-power radio-frequency transistor.
In a heterojunction field effect transistor (HFET), in order to improve the radio-frequency characteristics, it is necessary to a reduce parasitic resistance, particularly, a parasitic resistance what is called a source resistance between an ohmic electrode and the 2DEG. Therefore, it is examined to reduce the source resistance, for example, by employing a recess structure in which a low-resistant capping layer is placed between an ohmic electrode and a underlying heterojunction structure. For example, it has been reported that the source resistance is reduced and the radio-frequency characteristics are improved by employing a multilayered structure for a capping layer, in which thin layers of GaN and AlGaN are alternately stacked (see, for example, T. Murata et al., IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices, 2005, vol. 52, pp. 1042-1047).
However, a conventional GaN-based transistors has the following problems: An ohmic electrode formed on a capping layer generally consists of a layered structure of titanium (Ti) and aluminum (Al). In order to reduce the contact resistance of the ohmic electrode which consists of the layered structure of Ti and Al, it is necessary to perform annealing designated as alloy processing after forming the electrode. Therefore, the process for forming the electrode is disadvantageously complicated. Also, the characteristics of the device are disadvantageously degraded because a semiconductor layer is thermally denatured or the electrode material is diffused into the semiconductor layer during the alloy processing.
Furthermore, in order to form an ohmic electrode with small contact resistance on an n-type semiconductor layer, it is necessary to use a metal with a small work function. On the other hand, in order to form a Schottky electrode with good Schottky characteristics, it is necessary to use a metal with a large work function. Therefore, a source electrode and a drain electrode should be made of a different material from that used for a gate electrode. For example, in general, a layered structure of titanium (Ti) and aluminum (Al) is used for a source electrode and a drain electrode with nickel (Ni) used for a gate electrode. Therefore, the gate electrode cannot be formed simultaneously with the source electrode and the drain electrode, which makes the process for forming the electrodes complicated.

Field effect transistor having reduced contact resistance and method for fabricating the same


A composition comprising cellulose ether, a superplasticizer and defoamer suitable for use as an additive in extruding inorganic compositions is disclosed. The inventive composition functions as a water retention agent, plasticizer and lubricant in the extrusion of inorganic compositions. The use of the inventive composition in the extrusion of building materials leads to improved processing properties, to a higher surface quality and product properties of the extruded article.

The invention relates to cellulose ether composition for use as a water retention agent, plasticizer and lubricant in the extrusion of inorganic compositions. In addition, the invention relates to the use of this cellulose ether composition in building materials and other mixtures, and also to a process for the extrusion of inorganic compositions using these additives. The use of this methylcellulose composition leads to improved processing properties, to a higher surface quality of the extruded body, and also to improved product properties of the extruded article.
The extrusion of inorganic compositions has been employed for many years; it is a process for shaping pasty inorganic mixtures into any desired profiles by pressing through a die. The articles thus obtained may be used in many ways, in particular in construction applications. Extruded inorganic compositions can have different constituents, those which are technically and economically important are, inter alia, extruded cement compositions. These contain in principle cement as binder, possibly also other binders, in addition aggregates (sands) and/or lightweight aggregates, possibly also constituents fibers and/or other additives, and also cellulose ethers, in particular methylcellulose, as water retention agents, plasticizers and lubricants.
Methylcellulose in the present context means all methyl-containing cellulose ethers such as methylcellulose, methylhydroxyethylcellulose, methylhydroxypropylcellulose, methylhydroxyethylhydroxypropylcellulose, methylethylhydroxyethylcellulose, methylhydroxyethylhydroxybutylcellulose, and also cellulose ethers which contain not only methyl groups but also longer-chain hydrophobic side chains. The amount of methylcellulose used is generally between 0.1 and 6%.
Whether a composition, from the aspect of economic efficiency, may be extruded and processed to produce high quality products with good marketability is determined by different parameters:
Processing parameters: the composition must be able to be discharged homogeneously from the die at the lowest possible pressure and also at the highest possible rate. In addition, after exit from the die, it should have the lowest possible deformation (broadening at the die, width expansion) transversely to the direction of discharge.
Product properties: the surface of the extruded composition plays a critical role. It should be crack-free and as smooth as possible. Good surface properties are a problem especially at relatively high extrusion temperatures which are customarily established after relatively long extrusion time. Elevated strengths or faster setting of the extruded products may be further desirable properties.
Correspondingly, the object underlying this invention is to find a composition that imparts to the extrudable composition improved surface quality and the physical properties.
WO 01/16048A1 (James Hardie) describes a mixture of viscosity-increasing agents (as such, inter alia, various cellulose ethers are named) and dispersants (as such, sulphonated melamin-formaldehyde resins are named, and also polycarboxylates, which are customarily termed superplasticizers) as additive in extruded cement compositions having the purpose of achieving a possibility for savings of cellulose ether by a synergy between the two components. In addition, advantages such as better surface, lower extrusion pressure and at times increased extrusion rate are reported. WO 01/16048A1, however, gives no indication to a person skilled in the art that the subsequently described inventive mixture of three components, namely cellulose ether, superplasticizer and defoamer in certain ratios, despite a set water requirement (regulated to the same consistency) of the extruded composition gives the six advantages mentioned below.
EP1266877A2 (Shin-Etsu) discloses a hydraulically binding mixture which, inter alia, comprises a thickener (cellulose ether) and an defoamer (containing polyether groups or polyether components). It is observed that the linear width broadening of the discharged composition at the die ("spring back") is reduced. However, the mixtures according to EP 1266877 A2 give very stiff compositions having poor extrusion properties.
WO 03/024884 A1 (Shin-Etsu and NMB) describes mixtures of polycarboxylic acid copolymer and/or a salt thereof with water-soluble cellulose ethers and an defoamer. The mixing ratio between the first and second components, between polycarboxylic acid copolymer or salts thereof and the cellulose ether, is preferably 50:50 to 99:1. The high storage life of the liquid mixture of the three components is particularly emphasized.


A memorialization wristband jewelry includes an elongated semi-flexible metal plate strip having an top surface and a lower surface and a paint material applied in a generally even layer to the top surface of the metal plate strip. A memorialization image is formed in the paint material, the memorialization image being formed by removal of specific selected areas of the paint material from the top surface of the metal plate strip and the metal plate strip is then formed into a generally arcuate shape which approximates the outer circumferential shape of the human wrist whereby the memorialization wristband is wearable on the wrist of a person.

1. Technical Field
The present invention is directed to memorialization jewelry and, more particularly, to a memorializing wristband with a photolathed picture imprinted thereon, the wristband being formed of a semi-rigid metal such as aluminum or brass in a generally rectangular strip shape which is then coated on the top surface thereof with a colored, enamel lacquer paint, following which portions of the applied paint are selectively removed by means of a photolathing or laser etching process, and finally the metal strip is formed into a generally arcuate shape adapted to generally conform to the contours of the wrist of a person wearing the memorializing wristband of the present invention.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are many different types of memorialization jewelry which are used to honor the memory of a particular person or persons or to symbolize an identification with a particular cause or charity. Examples of such types of jewelry include the "Live Strong" bracelets which are worn to illustrate identification with cancer victims and pink ribbons which are worn to illustrate awareness of the AIDS epidemic. Such memorialization jewelry is perfectly suitable for showing identification of the individual wearing the jewelry with a particular cause or charity, but it becomes more difficult to illustrate one's affection or affiliation with a particular person or persons by wearing a piece of jewelry, as there is no ready way to illustrate the person or persons with whom the individual wishes to identify. Of course, lockets and pendants holding a loved one's picture or lock of hair are well known in the prior art, but the disadvantages of such jewelry is that not all persons feel comfortable wearing such a pendant or locket, particularly those of the male persuasion. There is therefore a need for a piece of memorialization jewelry which may be worn by men, women, and children, in an unobtrusive and comfortable manner.
An additional need for such a piece of memorialization jewelry is that it will preferably illustrate the person, place or thing being memorialized in such a manner that the image being displayed is immediately recognizable to persons viewing the memorialization jewelry, and therefore the image must be of high detail and high quality. While photographs will fulfill this requirement, photographs are notoriously easy to damage and are also difficult to affix to most types of jewelry, including wristbands and the like. Engraving the image in a metal or plastic material is a possibility, but engraving cannot render the level of detail necessary for proper memorialization of the selected person, place or thing, and therefore is not well-suited for this purpose. There is therefore a need for an image imprinting process used in combination with memorialization jewelry which will produce high quality images which are durable and will properly honor the person, place or thing being memorialized.
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a memorialization wristband jewelry which will include an image of the person, place or thing being memorialized.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a memorialization wristband jewelry which will include a high quality photoimage of the person, place or thing being memorialized such that other persons seeing the image can easily discern the nature of the image being presented.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a memorialization wristband jewelry which is constructed of a thin metal strip having a paint material applied to the top surface thereof, the paint material being removed via a photolathing process to expose the metal to produce a high quality image of the person, place or thing being memorialized on the jewelry.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a memorialization wristband jewelry which, after formation of the image thereon, is formed into a generally arcuate shape which approximates the outer circumferential shape of the human wrist whereby the memorialization wristband is wearable on the wrist of a person.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a memorialization wristband jewelry which can include many different colors and designs to properly and effectively memorialize virtually any different person, place, thing or event.
Finally, an object of the present invention is to provide a memorialization wristband jewelry which is relatively simple and durable in manufacturing and is safe, effective, and efficient in use.


A method for preparing a bioactive composition containing conditioned cell culture medium is disclosed. The method comprises culturing cells of two or more eukaryotic cell line to form conditioned culture media, separating the cultured cells from the conditioned culture media, and combining conditioned culture media to form a bioactive composition. Novel bioactive compositions, formulations and their use in treating of a variety of diseases and health conditions are also disclosed.

Unless otherwise indicated herein, the materials described in this section are not prior art to the claims in this application and are not admitted to be prior art by inclusion in this section.
Regenerative medicine utilizing conditioned media derived from cell cultures, such as stem cell cultures, increasingly attracts attention as a versatile alternative technique for treating diseases that are difficult to treat by conventional medicine. For example, one of the major unmet needs in medicine today is a treatment for diseases and conditions that involve complex, multi-molecular processes that cannot simply be replicated by administration of a single growth factor.
Experimental data of the use of conditioned culture media in the treatment of various diseases and health conditions have been accumulating in recent years. Several studies reported beneficial effects of stem cell therapy in degenerative diseases such as myocardial infarction and revealed that stem cells cause tissue repair due to their ability to secrete trophic factors that exert beneficial impact on the damaged tissue, rather than their capacity to differentiate into the needed cells. Various studies on stem cell-derived secreted factors have showed that the secreted factors alone without the stem cell itself may cause tissue repair in various conditions that involved tissue/organ damage. Further, it has been reported that stem cells provide the extracellular microenvironment with a wide range of growth factors, cytokines and chemokines, which are often broadly defined as the stem cells secretome and can include micro-vesicles or exosomes. In in vitro condition, these molecules can be traced from the conditioned medium or spent media harvested from cultured cells, and thus the medium comprising these secreted cellular factors is called conditioned culture medium. Conditioned medium now serves as a new treatment modality in regenerative medicine and has shown a successful outcome in some diseases.
As technologies advance and stem cell lines and other requisites become available, there is a continued need to develop formulations for treatment of tissue related diseases and associated symptoms. The use of secretome-containing conditioned culture media have several advantages compared to the use of stem cells, as conditioned culture media can be manufactured, freeze-dried, packaged, and transported more easily. Moreover, as described in some particular alternatives of the present disclosure, as conditioned culture media are devoid of cells; there is no need to match the donor and the recipient to avoid rejection problems. Therefore, conditioned culture media have a promising prospect to be produced as pharmaceuticals for regenerative medicine.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Bioactive compositions and methods for their preparation and use


A capacitor is formed on an interlayer insulating film formed on a semiconductor substrate. The capacitor includes a bottom electrode made of platinum, a capacitor insulating film made of SrTaBiO (SBT) containing an element absorbing hydrogen such as titanium, for example, in grain boundaries, inter-lattice positions or holes, and a top electrode made of platinum.

The present invention relates to a capacitor having a capacitor insulating film composed of a ferroelectric film or a high dielectric constant film and in particular a capacitor used for a ferroelectric memory or a high dielectric memory, and a method for fabricating the same.
As for ferroelectric memories, mass-production has started for ferroelectric memories of a planer structure having a capacity of 1 to 64 Kbits. In recent years, ferroelectric memories of a stack structure having a large capacity of 256 Kbits to 4 Mbits have become dominant in development. To implement stack-type ferroelectric memories, it is indispensable to substantially improve the scale of integration and hence provide finer ferroelectric memories. To achieve this, it is important to secure conformity among the step of forming ferroelectric capacitors, the step of forming transistors and the wiring step.
In relation to the above, the following problem arises. That is, ferroelectric capacitors must keep their ferroelectric films from being reduced to maintain the polarization property of the ferroelectric films in a semiconductor process, in which processing is often performed in a hydrogen atmosphere, as is typified by processing of embedding contacts using W-CVD and heat treatment in a hydrogen atmosphere for recovery of the properties of transistors, for example.
FIG. 18 shows the degree of degradation of the polarization observed when heat treatment at a temperature of 400° C. in a hydrogen atmosphere, which is normally adopted in the wiring step for semiconductor devices, is performed for a ferroelectric capacitor having a bottom electrode made of Pt, a capacitor insulating film made of SBT and a top electrode made of Pt. In FIG. 18, the y-axis represents the polarization 2Pr (μC/cm2) and the x-axis represents the hydrogen mixture ratio.
As is apparent from FIG. 18, degradation of the polarization begins when the hydrogen mixture ratio is 0.001%, and a complete short circuit occurs when it is 0.5% or more. From these results, it is found how a ferroelectric film is sensitive to hydrogen.
Conventionally, a technique of coating a ferroelectric capacitor with a hydrogen barrier film is generally adopted, as is described in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 11-8355, for example. By this coating, diffusion of hydrogen generated in a semiconductor process after formation of a ferroelectric capacitor is blocked with a hydrogen barrier film, which is typically an Al2O3 film, and thus degradation of the polarization of the ferroelectric film is prevented. This effect is provided most greatly for a structure of the ferroelectric capacitor completely covered with the hydrogen barrier film. In this way, degradation of the polarization property of the ferroelectric capacitor due to hydrogen is prevented, and thus a highly integrated ferroelectric memory or high dielectric memory is realized.
A conventional ferroelectric capacitor of a completely covered structure will be described with reference to FIG. 19.
Referring to FIG. 19, a first interlayer insulating film 201 is formed on a semiconductor substrate 200 on which a memory cell transistor (of which illustration is omitted) is formed, and a first hydrogen barrier film 202 is formed on the first interlayer insulating film 201. On the first hydrogen barrier film 202, formed is a ferroelectric capacitor having a bottom electrode 203, a capacitor insulating film 204 composed of a ferroelectric film, and a top electrode 205. The top surface and side faces of the ferroelectric capacitor are covered with a second hydrogen barrier film 206. Thus, the ferroelectric capacitor is completely covered with the first hydrogen barrier film 202 and the second hydrogen barrier film 206.
A second interlayer insulating film 207 is formed covering the second hydrogen barrier film 206, and a metal interconnection 209 is formed on the second interlayer insulating film 207 via a barrier layer 208. A first contact plug 211 extends through the first interlayer insulating film 201 and the first hydrogen barrier film 202, for connecting the memory cell transistor with the bottom electrode 203. A second contact plug 212 extends through the second interlayer insulating film 207 and the second hydrogen barrier film 206, for connecting the top electrode 205 with the metal interconnection 209.
Since the conventional ferroelectric capacitor is completely covered with the first and second hydrogen barrier films 202 and 206, diffusion of hydrogen into the capacitor insulating film 204 is suppressed even when the ferroelectric capacitor is subjected to heat treatment in a reducing atmosphere. In this way, degradation of the polarization property of the ferroelectric film constituting the capacitor insulating film 204 can be reduced.
In the prior art described above, the ferroelectric capacitor was completely covered with the hydrogen barrier films. For reducing the number of steps, reducing the cost and facilitating the integration, there is also known a structure of the ferroelectric capacitor of which only the top surface is covered with a hydrogen barrier film.
The conventional ferroelectric capacitor described above however has the following problem. The inventors of the present invention performed heat treatment for a ferroelectric capacitor covered with hydrogen barrier films as described above in a reducing atmosphere, and found that it was not possible to prevent completely the degradation of the polarization property of a ferroelectric film constituting the capacitor insulating film.
FIG. 20 shows the results of the properties of a ferroelectric capacitor covered with hydrogen barrier films, measured before and after heat treatment performed for the ferroelectric capacitor in a hydrogen atmosphere. In this experiment, heat treatment in a 4% hydrogen atmosphere was performed for a ferroelectric capacitor having the structure shown in FIG. 19, in which a Pt/IrOx/Ir/TiAlN laminated film was used as the bottom electrode 13, an SBTN film was used as the capacitor insulating film 14, a Pt film was used as the top electrode 15, a plasma silicon nitride film was used as the first hydrogen barrier film 12, and an aluminum titanium oxide film was used as the second hydrogen barrier film 16. In FIG. 20, 2Pr represents the polarization (μC/cm2), Pnv represents the saturated polarization (μC/cm2) observed when the no-voltage applied state continues sufficiently long, and BVF represents the breakdown voltage (V) observed when a current of 10−7 A/cm2 flows to the ferroelectric capacitor.
Considering the experiment results shown in FIG. 18, it is found that in the experiment shown in FIG. 20, 0.001% or less of hydrogen entered the ferroelectric film and the concentration of hydrogen entering the ferroelectric film was reduced to 4000/1 or less thanks to the hydrogen barrier films. From the experiment results shown in FIG. 20, it is also found that degradation of the ferroelectric film cannot be completely prevented even when the ferroelectric capacitor is covered with the hydrogen barrier films.
In view of the above, the present inventors have examined paths through which hydrogen enters the ferroelectric film, and found that hydrogen diffuses into the ferroelectric film via a first diffusion path passing via the first contact plug 211 and the second contact plug 212, a second diffusion path composed of an interface between the first hydrogen barrier film 202 and the second hydrogen barrier film 206, and a third diffusion path composed of grain boundaries of the first hydrogen barrier film 202 poor in crystallinity due to a step formed on a layer underlying the first hydrogen barrier film 202.
As for the first diffusion path via the contact plugs, conductive hydrogen barrier films may be provided right above the top electrode and right below the bottom electrode. However, for the remaining diffusion paths, there exist problems considerably difficult to solve that the crystallinity must be improved at the step and that the cohesion between the dense hydrogen barrier films must be improved.
As described above, even when a ferroelectric capacitor is completely covered with hydrogen barrier films, it is not possible to prevent completely degradation of the polarization property of a ferroelectric film constituting the capacitor insulating film of the ferroelectric capacitor when the ferroelectric capacitor is subjected to heat treatment in a reducing atmosphere.

Capacitor and method for fabricating the same

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


The invention relates to a position indicator for a system for moving a patient in a non-invasive therapy system, wherein the system for moving includes a patient support arranged outside a treatment space of a medical apparatus of the non-invasive therapy system, a treatment table arranged inside the treatment space in the medical apparatus, and a patient bed movable in a longitudinal direction from the patient support to the treatment table and back by means of activation of a transferring mechanism, wherein the position indicator comprises a number of light emitting elements arranged in the patient support and each being arranged to receive activation signals instructing a receiving light emitting element to emit light to indicate positions for treatment equipment.

In medical non-invasive therapy systems, in particular radiotherapy systems, such as conventional linear accelerators or MR Linac systems, the patient anatomy being treated or imaged should be aligned with the radiation isocentre as accurate as possible for each and every set up and each treatment fraction. One source of potential inaccuracy in the alignment is the repositioning of the bed on which the patient rests. As many medical systems require the patient to be placed into an enclosed and confined space, hereinafter called treatment bore, the patient must be set up for treatment outside the treatment bore and then transported into the treatment bore for the medical treatment to begin. Therefore, the bed must be movable between these two locations to a high degree of accuracy as misalignments during set up may entail that the patient will need to be removed from the medical radiotherapy system and realigned before treatment can commence, and thus wasting time and resources.
It is also of importance that the patient positioning is as stable as possible during the movement as well during the treatment or imaging. Hence, the position of the bed in treatment bore in the medical radiotherapy system must be very stable. The process of moving the bed from its support outside the medical radiotherapy system into the treatment bore inside the medical radiotherapy system itself requires careful alignment with the treatment table of the system as well as high degree of stability.
Furthermore, it is also important that the process for patient set up and of moving the bed from its support outside the medical radiotherapy system into the treatment space inside the medical radiotherapy system is secure for the patient and easy to handle for the medical staff. The risk of patient injuries must be minimized during movement as well as during treatment in order to provide as high patient security as possible and minimize risk for patient movements during treatment.
Moreover, in medical non-invasive therapy systems, in particular in MR Linac systems, it is of very high importance that all material in the treatment bore or treatment volume is known and taken into account in the planning system. As all material will absorb radiation dose, it is important to reduce the material present in the treatment bore as much as possible and it is also important that the positions of material structures are known.
It is of further importance that equipment having a position relatively the patient such as the coil frame as well as patient supporting structures including head support and support for the feet are positioned accurately on the table-top or patient support. The operator must install the coil frame on table-top at a certain position and there may be around 100 different positions. This is usually performed manually, which is time-consuming and may entail positioning errors.
Due to the delivered radiation and performed imaging inside the bore, no electronic equipment can be used in the table-top for indicating the position of, for example, the coil frame on the table-top. On one hand, the imaging will most likely be influenced and disturbed and, on the other hand, the radiation will likely shorten lifespan of and/or destroy the electronic equipment.
In summary, there are several important factors to consider when designing a movable bed and treatment table for use in medical radiotherapy systems, such as MR Linac systems. It is of importance to make sure that the equipment such as the coil frame, as well as the patient, is positioned very accurately. The accuracy requires a very reliable positioning of the coil frame and the patient on the patient bed. In addition, there is a need for providing good quality imaging when tracking the patient. When using magnetic resonance imaging systems for this it is thus important to position the coil in a stable and accurate position while at the same time ensuring a good and efficient handling of the system during set up.

Indicator arrangements and methods for such arrangements


The present invention relates to controlling the mass flow of toner in an image forming device or a toner cartridge. The toner composition includes extra particulate additives including a conductive additive. The extra particulate additives may also include relatively small silica particles or relatively large silica.

1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates generally extra particulate additive packages for toner that provides improved or reduced mass flow. In particular, the present disclosure relates to the use of extra particulate additives, such as conductive additives in combination with other particles to improve the mass flow in a toner supply.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, relatively high resolution printing may be obtained by reducing toner particle size. However, as the particle size of a given toner decreases, the ability to control the mass flow within a given range or operating window degrades. In particular, the mass flow may increase, causing various print defects. Accordingly, one may improve control over mass flow, i.e. reduce the mass flow and/or maintain the mass flow within a given range, by either altering the toner supply components or by altering the toner formulation.

Toner formulation for controlling mass flow


A method of (and associated system and computer program product for) providing a rating for an event. A user submits feedback data using an interface provided on a user terminal, the feedback data related to the event. A user submitting feedback data may have a member user weighting, preferably obtained from one or more other member users, or may be initially allocated as a default weighting. The rating for the event is determined at least partially based on the feedback data, and may also be based on the member user weighting of the member user who submitted the feedback data. The rating may be determined or adjusted by feedback data and respective member user weightings received from other member users. An event may be a broadcast, concert, exhibition, tour, show, movie, competition, party, and/or function.

Presently, broadcasters have no readily accessible means of determining a level of satisfaction a particular event is providing an audience. For example, in the field of television ratings, Nielsen Media Research has become the de facto national measurement service for the television industry in the United States and Canada. Nielson measures the number of people watching television shows and makes its data available to television and cable networks, advertisers and the media. Nielsen uses statistical sampling to rate the shows by creating a sample audience and then counting how many people in the sample audience view each program. Nielsen then extrapolates from the sample and estimates the number of viewers in the entire population watching a show. Devices are installed in the homes of sample viewers and track when TV sets are on and to which channels they are tuned, the device can gather and transmit this information to Nielson's central computer. This data can be extremely valuable, with advertisers paying for commercials using rates that are based on the data. Programmers may also use this data to decide which shows to keep and which to cancel.
However, this approach has several problems, including as non-limiting examples: the system/method cannot be generally applied or used for any type of event; the system/method is not interactive; not all members of an audience have an opportunity to express their preferences; the sample population may not be adequately representative; large sample populations can become expensive to monitor; members of the audience may not be satisfied with all sections of a particular program which is not captured in the data; traditional ratings systems cannot determine which parts of a program an audience prefers, and which parts they do not.
A computer system may be a type of processing system, terminal, computer or computerized device, personal computer (PC), mobile or cellular telephone, mobile data terminal, portable computer, Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), pager or any other similar type of device. The capability of such a computer system to process, request and/or receive information or data can be provided by software, hardware and/or firmware. A computer system may include or be associated with other devices, for example a local data storage device such as a hard disk drive or solid state drive. A computer with a rootkit is sometimes called a rooted computer.
An information source can include a server, or any type of terminal, that may be associated with one or more storage devices that are able to store information or data, for example in one or more databases residing on a storage device. The exchange of information (i.e., the request and/or receipt of information or data) between a terminal and an information source, or other terminal(s), is facilitated by a communication means. The communication means can be realised by physical cables, for example a metallic cable such as a telephone line, semi-conducting cables, electromagnetic signals, for example radio-frequency signals or infra-red signals, optical fibre cables, satellite links or any other such medium or combination thereof connected to a network infrastructure.
There is a need for a method, system and/or computer program product for providing a rating or ranking for an event which addresses or at least ameliorates one or more problems inherent in the prior art.
The reference in this specification to any prior publication (or information derived from the prior publication), or to any matter which is known, is not, and should not be taken as an acknowledgment or admission or any form of suggestion that the prior publication (or information derived from the prior publication) or known matter forms part of the common general knowledge in the field of endeavour to which this specification relates.

Providing rating information for an event based on user feedback


A combinatorial synthesis system is provided which combines pulsed laser deposition techniques with the continuous composition spread technique in which a plurality of targets made of different ingredient materials are arranged in a predetermined relationship and are ablated by an energetic beam focused on the surface of a particular target. By maintaining the energetic beam in a stationary state, the target carousel is rotated so as to bring a particular target in engagement with the energetic beam. The targets are brought into engagement with the energetic beam in a predetermined sequence so that different materials are deposited onto the substrate in a predetermined sequence. Distributed deposition areas surround each deposition center and overlap each with the other to form a continuous compositional spread on the surface of the substrate.

The present invention relates to the field of materials research, and more in particular, to simultaneous creation of numerous diverse compounds in one step for further analysis, testing, and evaluating of different properties of these compounds as the entire multi-component system created on a single substrate.
The present invention further relates to a combinatorial synthesis technique which is based on pulsed laser deposition or other deposition techniques based on ablation due to an energetic beam such as a pulsed electron beam, in combination with a continuous composition spread technique resulting in a deposition film formed on a substrate having a continuously varying composition of a plurality of selected ingredient materials.
Further, the present invention relates to a combinatorial synthesis system and method in which a plurality of targets are ablated in a predetermined sequence by an energetic beam, such as a laser beam or a pulsed electron beam, such that the ejected materials reach a substrate at predefined locations thereon and form a plurality of deposition centers on the substrate. Each deposition center is surrounded by a distributed deposition area with a lower concentration of the material than at the corresponding deposition center. The distributed deposition areas of all deposition centers overlap each other forming a deposition film on the surface of the substrate having a continuously varying composition of the ingredient materials of the targets.
The present invention still further relates to a combinatorial synthesis system in which each target during the time of exposure to energetic pulses, such as laser pulses, is aligned with a corresponding deposition center on the substrate by means of a control mechanism which controls a mutual disposition between the energetic beam, targets, and the substrate in the following manner:
A. Either the energetic beam is maintained immovable, and the targets are displaced (rotated on the target carousel) to bring a target into operational engagement with the energetic beam, additionally, the substrate is rotated to align the predefined deposition center with a corresponding target; or
B. The substrate and/or the targets are maintained stationary and the energetic beam is steered from target to target which may or may not be repositioned during the deposition. The energetic beam also may be controlled to scan over the surface of a particular target to further control the composition deposited on the substrate.
A deposition film created in this manner on the surface of the substrate having a continuously varying composition of the ingredient materials may then be further analyzed, tested, and evaluated in searching for a compound having specific physical, electrical, optical, etc., properties.
Combinatorial chemistry was introduced in the mid 1980s as a method by which drug researchers could quickly make and evaluate a large number of products and check the biological activity. Combinatorial chemistry has attracted intense interest in the scientific community. Combinatorial chemistry is an approach in which a large number of compounds are synthesized without thorough predictions of likely reactions or the properties of the resulting substances. In its basic parallel synthesis form, combinatorial chemistry uses an array of tiny wells in a plastic sheet filled row by row with chemicals A1, A2, A3 . . . , and column by column with reacting chemicals B1, B2, B3 . . . Each well""s reaction product is analyzed with a generalized test of biological activity and those giving positive results are pursued.
More recently, the combinatorial approach has been applied to thin film materials synthesis with the expectations of developing new luminescent materials, magnetoresistive compounds, dielectric and ferroelectric materials, catalysts, polymers, and high-Tc superconductors. In this approach, an array of thin film squares are deposited on a single substrate, each with a slightly different composition. Presently, researchers are applying combinatorial chemistry techniques to optical, electronic, superconductive and magnetic materials for differences in bulk compositions, layer compositions, layer thicknesses, composition changes with respect to depth, and magnetic properties. Present day material science examines the small compositional differences that may induce profound property changes.
There are several techniques in the combinatorial chemistry used to create a plurality of different compounds on a single substrate for further analysis, testing and evaluation. In the discrete combinatorial synthesis (DCS) approach, a series of masks is used to deposit separate layers of the ingredient materials. As shown in FIGS. 1A-1D, different materials A, B, C, and D are deposited in sequence through masks (not shown) followed by a high temperature anneal to promote reaction of the components. This forms different compounds of the ingredient materials, as shown in FIG. 1E. Large numbers of materials may be synthesized in a single run. The masks have to be brought in close contact with the substrate in order to permit the required spatial resolution. In many situations this requires the deposition to take place at room temperature since handling of complex delicate masks at elevated temperatures poses a difficulty.
More fundamentally, discrete combinatorial synthesis techniques require a high temperature anneal after deposition of the precursor layers in order to promote intermixing of the components and is thus not suitable for the exploration of low temperature processed materials.
A high temperature DCS system has been developed by Pascal Corporation, Ltd. (Japan). Disadvantageously, this system allows a very limited number of compositions to be generated per run at a relatively high cost. Clearly, the elevated cost of such systems in combination with the limited number of compositions generated per run prohibit commercial widespread use.
Another discrete combinatorial synthesis system is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,985,356 in which a substrate having an array of diverse materials thereon is generally prepared by delivering components of materials to predefined regions on a substrate. Simultaneously the components are reacted to form at least two materials. In this system, eight RF magnetron sputtering guns each of which contains a reactant component of interest are located above a disk containing eight masking patterns as well as eight film thickness monitors.
The magnetron sputtering guns, as well as the disk, are fixed in this system. The substrate is coupled to a substrate manipulator which is capable of linear and rotational motion and which engages the substrate with a particular mask of interest so that the substrate is in contact with the mask when the sputtering is initiated. Combinations of the eight components are generated on the substrate by the sequential deposition of each component through its respective mask.
To overcome deficiencies of the described combinatorial synthesis techniques, the continuous composition spread (CCS) technique has been introduced in 1970 by J. T. Hanak. In this type of proposed system films are deposited by co-sputtering from a disk-shaped target consisting of 120xc2x0 sectors of three different materials. In 1998, R. B. Van Dover, et al. introduced a CCS technique by reactive co-sputtering using planar magnetron sputter guns arranged at 90xc2x0 intervals around a rectangular substrate. Zr, Ti and Sn guns are typically run at 150 watt, 75 watt, and 20 watt of radio frequency power, respectively, in order to provide the desired Zr/Ti/Sn composition at the substrate midpoint. The deposited film constitutes a single film with a ternary composition spread, the critical properties of which are evaluated as a function of position.
The composition was inferred as a function of position using Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy together with independent calibration runs allowing a mapping of the xe2x80x9cuseful figure of meritxe2x80x9d (FOM) data onto a conventional ternary phase diagram. The same CCS approach was used in 1999 for the discovery of an amorphous high-K dielectric.
As an alternative approach, a mask based post anneal approach to continuous composition spread technique has been proposed by Kurt J. Lesker Company, in which continuous xe2x80x9cwedgesxe2x80x9d of each component are deposited using a moving shutter in a sputter system. The tool is commercially available under the name xe2x80x9cCMSxe2x80x9d.
Despite the advantages of the conventional continuous composition spread technique over the discrete combinatorial synthesis approach such a technique requires large sputter targets. Thus, conventional systems fail to enjoy the benefits of pulsed laser deposition technique allowing for use of small targets. It is known to those skilled in the art that pulsed laser deposition is a proven prototyping method with advantages over sputtering, evaporation, or CVD (chemical vapor deposition) approaches. In the pulsed laser deposition technique, a laser beam impinges on the surface of a target formed of a predetermined material composition and ablates the target thus ejecting the particulates of the material of the target towards a substrate where the material is deposited.
In view of the disadvantages of discrete combinatorial synthesis and sputter based continuous composition spread technique it is advantageous to provide a combinatorial synthesis approach which enjoys the positive features of the continuous composition spread technique in combination with pulsed laser deposition which allows deposition of materials under similar conditions with a similar growth rate as well as permitting use with small targets which are sufficient for most applications and thus available for virtually all desirable material.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a combinatorial synthesis technique based on pulsed laser deposition technology or other deposition approach based on ablation or sputtering due to an energetic beam, such as a pulsed electron beam, and continuous composition spread techniques for creating a deposition film having a continuously varying composition of ingredient materials and allows an unlimited number of materials to be deposited on a substrate while removing the disadvantage of contamination due to contact with a mask.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a combinatorial synthesis technique which permits creation of a high number of different compounds in a single run in a highly cost effective manner.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a combinatorial synthesis system in which a plurality of targets are brought in direct contact with an energetic beam in a predetermined sequence in order that the surface of each target is ablated and the material particles are ejected towards the substrate where they are deposited at a predefined deposition center surrounded by a distributed deposition area. The distributed deposition areas of all deposition centers on the substrate are generally in overlapping relation so that a final deposition film created on the surface of the substrate constitutes an uninterrupted spread with a continuously varying composition of the materials of the targets. The deposition film is further analyzed, tested and evaluated on the basis of measurements of the thickness of the entire multi-component film at a few selected points that is sufficient to determine the elemental distribution.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a combinatorial synthesis system in which either the energetic beam is maintained immovable while the targets and the substrate are displaced from their original position for inter-alignment and inter-engagement between all required parts of the system, or the energetic beam steers from one target to another and is capable of scanning over the surface of each particular target, and where the position of the targets and/or substrate additionally may be changed during the deposition.
In accordance with the teaching of the present invention, the combinatorial synthesis system includes a plurality of targets supported on a target carousel or other target positioning equipment and arranged thereon in a predetermined relationship therebetween. Each target is formed of a respective material which serves as an ingredient material for creation of a plurality of ingredient materials compound. A substrate is displaced from the targets a predetermined distance. A plurality of deposition centers are defined on the substrate in correspondence to the targets.
An energetic beam such as a laser beam, a pulsed electron beam, etc. is directed towards one of the targets for ablating the surface of the target and ejecting particulates of the xe2x80x9cingredientxe2x80x9d material of the target towards the substrate. The ejected particulates are deposited at the corresponding deposition centers and at a distributed deposition area surrounding each deposition center. The distributed deposition areas of the deposition centers on the substrate overlap each with the other, thus forming a continuously spread deposition film on the surface of the substrate having a continuously varying composition of the ingredient materials.
It is essential that the combinatorial synthesis system of the present invention include a control mechanism adapted to control mutual disposition between the energetic beam, targets and the substrate and in particular provides coordination between the targets and corresponding deposition centers. The control mechanism may maintain the energetic beam immovable while rotating the target carousel to bring the targets in contact with the stationary energetic beam sequentially, and rotate the substrate in order to align the deposition center with the corresponding target. Alternatively, the substrate and/or the targets are maintained stationary while the control mechanism steers the energetic beam from one target to another in a predetermined sequence. It is important that the energetic beam can be steered not only from one target to another, but that also the energetic beam is capable of scanning the surface of each target.
In the system using the immovable energetic beam, the rotation of the target carousel and alignment of the substrate with the targets is performed between the energetic pulses. In the system using a steered energetic beam, the focusing of the energetic beam on a required target is also performed between the pulse generation. For each target, the number of laser or electron beam pulses or the duration of exposure to an ion beam is determined by the control mechanism.
The targets may be formed as disk-shaped targets spaced each from the other on the target carousel or they may be formed as wedge-shaped targets radially disposed on the common disk-shaped support on which they are angularly spaced each from the other.
Preferably, the substrate is positioned in direct contact with the heater with all elements of the system received in the vacuum chamber.
The substrate can linearly move towards and away from the targets to provide a flexibility of use in depositing the ingredient materials onto the substrate surface.
Viewing in another aspect thereof, the present invention is a combinatorial synthesis method which includes the steps of directing an energetic beam towards one of a plurality of targets and varying disposition in a predetermined sequence between the energetic beam and the target (either with the immovable energetic beam or with steerable energetic beam).
It is essential that the composition deposited on the substrate varies continuously between different regions of the substrate and can be further analyzed by determining the compositional map across the sample without having to perform sophisticated chemical analysis. Measurement of the thickness of the entire multi-component film at a few selected points has been found to be sufficient in determining the elemental distribution based on a few basic assumptions that can be verified periodically on test wafers.
These and other novel features and advantages of this invention will be fully understood from the following detailed description of the accompanying drawings.


An automatic cable tie installation tool includes a frame supporting a handle and a manual trigger. A movable jaw is provided to grasp a bundle of cables which are to be tied with ties straps. Actuation of the trigger operates the jaw to move the jaw into engagement with the bundle of cables. The tool provides for accommodation of a symmetrical cable tie strap and also provides for the orientation of the cable tie strap so that the strap can be properly bundled around the group of cables supported within the jaw. The tool provides for proper tensioning of the cable tie around the bundle of cables and for repeated application of cable ties around the bundle of cables within a short period of time.

The present invention relates to the field of binding a bundle of wires or cables or the like by means of a self-locking cable tie having an apertured head including a movable pawl cooperating with a tail part having a toothed structure.
More in particular the present invention relates to a tool for installing and fastening a cable tie strap in an automatic way, wherein the tool is powered by means of compressed air, and tie straps are automatically delivered to the installation tool by means of a flow of compressed air from an automatic dispenser at each operation of the installation tool.
Automatic cable tie installation tools comprising means for grasping a bundle of cables or the like, and including means for propelling a tie strap along a closed path around the grasped bundle of cables or the like, and means for tightening the tie strap around the bundle of cables and for cutting an excess part of the tail of a tie strap are known in the art.
Examples of automatic cable tie installation tools according to the art are disclosed for example in U.S. Pat. No. 3,946,769 issued on Mar. 30, 1976 and assigned to Panduit Corporation, USA; U.S. Pat. No. 3,515,178 issued on Jun. 2, 1970 and assigned to Thomas & Betts Corporation, USA; U.S. Pat. No. 5,205,328 issued on Apr. 27, 1993 and assigned to Panduit Corp., USA, and others.
The problem of lacing bundles of wires or cables or the like has been recognized for a long time in the electrical and electronics industry.
Prior to the advent of cable tie straps of the above mentioned kind, the lacing of cables or the like was performed by hand with lacing cords, lacing spirals, etc. The introduction several years ago of tie straps having an apertured head and a toothed tail arranged to engage a retaining pawl provided in the aperture of the apertured head has contributed to alleviate the production costs, and concurrently with the development of cable tie straps of the concerned kind, installation tools have been developed to further increase the productivity of an operator and to further reduce the consequent costs.
A consideration of automatic cable tie installation tools as it results, among others, from the specification of the above-identified patents makes clear that there are still many problems that leave open the way to improvements both in the tie straps themselves and in the automatic cable tie installation tools.
A first problem lies in the fact that the tie straps of the kind in question for use in automatic tools have an asymmetrical structure that leads to problems in propelling a tie strap towards the installation mechanisms that are particularly serious when a separate tie strap dispenser has to cooperate with the installation tool because the correct orientation must be maintained along a propulsion conduit leading from a dispenser to the installation tool.
Symmetrical tie straps are now disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/689,466, filed on Aug. 6, 1996, entitled: "A SELF LOCKING CABLE TIE STRAP WITH SYMMETRICAL STRUCTURE".
Although these tie straps facilitate orientation of the tail with respect to the head, automatic installation tools that take advantage of the improved cable tie straps mentioned above are not known.
Other problems are connected with the personal safety or an operator when using automatic installation tools that customarily have power actuated jaws for positioning and installing a tie strap around a bundle of cables or the like, that can injure the fingers of a careless operator or "pinch" or even cut a wire or cable in the nip of the closing jaws, with the result that an entire bundle of cables has to be scrapped, with obvious consequences.
Another problem encountered with installation tools of the known prior art consists in the fact that for the sequential installation of straps one after the other in a long span of a bundle of wires or cables, for each installation of a strap the whole cycle has to be repeated with a consequent loss of time.
Accordingly an object of the present invention is to provide an automatic tie strap installation tool that makes it possible to overcome the inconveniences shown in tools of this kind according to the prior art.
According to the present invention there is provided an automatic cable tie installation tool, comprising:
A frame with a handle with manual trigger means.
A movable jaw for grasping a bundle of cables or the like to be tied with a tie strap.
Means interconnecting said trigger means and said jaw, for moving the jaw in engagement with said bundle of cables with the manual force of the operator.
Means that can be actuated at the end of said engagement operation for retracting said jaw to define a substantially closed path for a cable tie.
Means for "shooting" a cable tie having a random orientation towards said closed path, associated with means for braking and correctly orienting said cable tie strap before entering of the same into said closed path.
Means for pushing said cable tie along said closed path and for engaging the tail of the cable tie after the passage thereof through said apertured head so that the cable tie is tightened around the bundle of cables or the like.
Means for grasping the tail of a cable tie strap after it passes through the apertured head, so that the cable tie is tightened around the bundle of cables or the like.
Means cooperating with said third power means, to sense when a desired tightening of the cable tie has been reached, and to actuate means to drive cutting means for severing the excess of said tail of said cable tie strap.
Means for returning said first means to their rest condition in order to open and release said jaw and to reposition said second means in their rest position, ready for a new operation.
Still according to the present invention there are provided means for repeating an installation operation for a plurality of tie straps in sequence without the execution of a complete cycle, i.e. maintaining closed the movable jaw while the tool is shifted along a span of a bundle of wires or cables that requires the installation of a plurality of tie straps.
Other characteristics, features and advantages of the automatic cable tie installation tool according to the invention will become clear from the following description, given only as a non-limiting example and with reference to the attached drawings.


An isothermal transportation container comprises an insulating container and a lid that can seal this insulating container. The insulating container has a plurality of insulating materials arranged overlapped on the inner peripheral face of the insulating container. A thermal conductive member is arranged in a space of the insulating container formed by the insulating materials. The thermal conductive member can accommodate a plurality of laminated packaging containers, each of which accommodates a thermal storage medium and a transported article. The heat in the thermal storage medium in one packaging container can be transmitted to the other packaging container through the thermal conductive member.

The Patent Reference 1 discloses an example of an isothermal transportation container for transporting a substance such as cell tissue to keep it warm. The transportation container disclosed in this application has a double structure of an inner container and outer container for transporting a medical tool for cell tissue around a room temperature. The inner container is provided with a function for cushioning heat accumulation and heat transfer, and the outer container is provided with an insulating function. This structure allows the transportation at around room temperatures.
[Patent Reference 1]
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-217290
The above-mentioned conventional transportation container for a medical tool can simply and easily maintain the temperature of a subject to be transported to a predetermined temperature range. However, the heat transfer in the transportation container is restrained, so that there is a fear of the temperature distribution in the transportation container being extremely non-uniform. For example, if the heat dissipation amount from the bottom face of the transportation container is excessively great, the temperature at the bottom side lowers, resulting in that the temperature of the thermal storage medium at the bottom side lowers at an early stage. In this case, even if a thermal storage medium having sufficient heat storage amount is provided on the side of the upper face considering the heat dissipation from the bottom side, it is difficult to transmit the heat storage amount to the heat dissipating section due to the insulating function, so that the amount of heat cannot effectively be utilized. The temperature of the subject to be transported lowers from the bottom side.
When plural transported articles are transported, the heat transfer among the respective transported article is difficult, with the result that the temperature of each transported article varies. As a result, the subject to be transported that cannot be kept within a desired temperature range might be generated. In the case where an open-air temperature is low, or in the case where the time taken for the transportation is long, the amount of heat dissipation increases. Therefore, the heat storage amount should be increased for implementing the heat dissipation. However, the added thermal storage medium might not effectively be utilized due to the insulating function.


A method for fabricating a liquid crystal display, includes: preparing a first substrate having a first region and a second region positioned at at least one side of the first region, and a second substrate attached to the first region of the first substrate; forming a plurality of gate lines and a plurality of data lines such that they cross each other to define unit pixel regions on the first region of the first substrate, and forming switching elements at crossings of the gate lines and data lines; and extending the gate lines and the data lines of the first region to the second region of the first substrate to form a plurality of pads constituting at least one group, wherein the intervals between pads at every region constituting the single group are the same, and the pad width is different as it goes from the pad positioned at the center toward the outermost pad. When FCTs with a small width size (L/α), namely, a width size of 35 mm, having 642 channels, based on the 17-inch or 19-inch LCD, are attached, misalignment between the pads of the liquid crystal panel and the output wirings of the FCTs attached to the pads can be prevented, and accordingly, a defective LCD can be reduced.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display (LCD) and a fabricating method of an LCD capable of designing a fine pitch of a pad and an FCT (Film Carrier Tape) output line of a liquid crystal in applying an FCT such as a TCP (Tape Carrier Package), a COF (Chip On Film) or the like having 642 channels of a 35 mm size to a liquid crystal panel based on a liquid crystal display (LCD) of 17 inches or 19 inches, to thereby preventing the occurrence of a short phenomenon due to misalignment of the liquid crystal panel and the FCT.
2. Description of the Related Art
As the Information Age advances, demands for display devices are increasing in various forms, and various flat panel display devices such as LCDs, PDPs (Plasma Display Panels), ELDs (Electro Luminescent Displays), VFDs (Vacuum Fluorescent Displays), or the like, have been studied, some of which have been utilized as display devices in various equipments.
Of them, the LCD having the advantages that it has good picture quality, is light and thin, and consumes low power is commonly employed to replace CRTs (Cathode Ray Tubes) for a mobile video display device. Also, the LCD is used for a mobile device such as a monitor of notebook computers or for a monitor of TVs or computers for receiving and displaying broadcast signals.
In general, the LCD is formed such that two substrates each having electrodes thereon are attached in a facing manner, between which a liquid crystal material is injected, and voltage is applied to the electrodes to generate an electric field to move liquid crystal molecules to thereby display an image according to transmittance of light that varies.
The LCD includes a liquid crystal panel formed by injecting liquid crystal between two substrates, a backlight disposed under the liquid crystal panel and used as a light source, and a driver positioned at an outer edge of the liquid crystal panel and driving the liquid crystal panel.
Here, the driver includes a driving IC in which driving circuits are integrated to apply signals to gate and data wirings (or gate and data lines) of the liquid crystal panel, and the driving circuit is divided into a COG (Chip On Glass), a TCP, a COF, etc., according to how the driving ICs are mounted on the liquid crystal panel.
The COG includes a driving IC on an array substrate of the liquid crystal panel, so the volume of the LCD is increased. The TCP or the COF includes driving ICs by using a separate film, so the driving IC-installed film can be bent to a rear surface of the liquid crystal panel, making the LCD compact. Thus, recently the TCP or the COF is commonly used, and in general, the TCP or the COF is also called a film having the driving ICs installed therein.
The structure of the LCD using the COF will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 shows the structure of a general LCD, and FIG. 2 is a sectional view of taken along line I-I′ of a pad part and a COF attached to the pad part in FIG. 1.
With reference of FIGS. 1 and 2, the liquid crystal panel 10 includes an array substrate 11 and a color filter substrate 12 attached to each other with a uniform cell gap maintained therebetween, and a liquid crystal layer formed by injecting liquid crystal between the two substrate 11 and 12. In this case, the array substrate 11 has a larger area than the color filter substrate 12, so it has a non-image region that is not covered by the color filter substrate 12, on which a plurality of gate and data pads for applying signals to the liquid crystal panel are formed.
Here, the gate pads and data pads on the array substrate 11 are connected with output wirings formed at one side of the COF 30, and in this case the COF 30 includes input wirings formed to be separated from the output wirings, FCTs 31 formed as opened IC regions between the input wirings and output wirings, and driving ICs 32 mounted at the opened IC regions and driving a liquid crystal panel 10.
The input wirings formed at the other side of the COF 30 are connected with a PCB 20. A plurality of elements such as ICs (Integrated Circuits) are formed on the PCB 20 to form drivers, and the drivers generate various control signals and data signals for driving the liquid crystal panel 10 and transfer them to the liquid crystal panel 10.
An anisotropic conductive film (ACF) is commonly used to connect the COF 30 with the driving ICs 32 mounted thereon to the liquid crystal panel 10 and the PCB 20. The ACF, which is formed such that small conductive particles are included in a sort of thermosetting resin film, is attached on a pad of the liquid crystal panel 10 and that of the PCB 20. And then, the COF 30 is attached to fit the pads of the liquid crystal panel 10 and the PCB 20, and then thermo-compressed, so as to electrically contact with each other in a vertical direction.
In this case, however, when the pad of the liquid crystal panel 10 and the output wirings of the COF 30 are thermo-compressed during the TAB (Tape Automated Bonding) processing, a minute misalignment occurs due to heat expansion of the terminal as shown in FIG. 2.
If it is assumed that an overall size (L) of one COF 30 having 642 channels is 48 mm based on a 17-inch or 19-inch LCD like the related art LCD, pitches between the adjacent pads of the liquid crystal panel 10 and pitches between the adjacent output wirings are designed to be about 58 μm, so leeway can be secured to a degree in spite of such misalignment.
However, as efforts for reducing the fabrication cost of the LCD by cutting down the costs of the COF, in case of the 17-inch or 19-inch LCD, the overall size (L) of a single COF including the pad with 642 channels formed thereon and output wirings contacting with the pad of the liquid crystal panel is reduced from 48 mm to 35 mm, resulting in that pitches between the adjacent pads of the liquid crystal panel and pitches between the output wirings of the COF are accordingly reduced to 40 μm.
With the pitch of 40 μm uniformly maintained between the adjacent pads of the liquid crystal panel and between the adjacent output wirings of the COF, a short is generated between the mutually adjacent pads of the liquid crystal panel or between the output wirings of the COF, causing a defective LCD.

Liquid crystal display device and fabricating method thereof


The present invention is a method that uses an absorption column for the cleavage and recovery of taxanes, which are not normally detected as free taxanes. The method processes a first solution that contains standard detectable taxanes and other undetectable taxane compounds to generate a second solution that contains a higher percentage of detectable standard taxane then the first solution. The first step of this method is loading a column having a first opening and a second opening with an ion exchange media. The next step is placing the first solution in the first opening of the column so that the first solution passes through the ion exchange media in the column and flows to the second opening. Thus, the taxane compounds are converted to standard taxanes by an ion exchange reaction and the second solution is formed. Then the next step is collecting, from the second opening of the column, the second solution and recovering from the second solution a larger percentage of standard taxanes then was detectable in the first solution. The ion exchange media of the present solution is an ion exchange resin. The ion exchange resin can be a mixture of an anion exchange resin and a cation exchange resin. The anion exchange resin is in the OH-form. The cation exchange resin is in the H.sup.+ form. Preferably, the ion exchange resin is alumina.

In test studies, taxol has been shown to possess antitumor activity in various cancerous tumors. Taxol is a natural product which, unfortunately, is found in only small concentrations in the Taxus brevifolia species such as the Pacific Yew tree. In view of the limited supply of taxanes and the large commercial demand for taxanes, chemists have expended significant energies in finding various methods to increase the yield of taxanes from extraction of the Yew trees. Specifically, taxol, Baccatin III, 10-deacetylbaccatin V, 7-epitaxol, 10-deacetylbaccatin III and cephalomannine, (the standard taxanes) and other members of the taxane family of diterpenes have attracted the interest of cancer researchers Taxol has the structure below: ##STR1##
The above identified structure is recognized as taxol by high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC). However, some compounds (which are not standard taxanes) that contain taxol or the taxol nucleus, i.e., the 20 carbon ring structure are not recognized as taxol by HPLC. These compounds may be unrecognized because the taxane nucleus may be bound to other large molecules so that the resultant molecule is not recognized as standard taxane by the standard tests. For example, sugar bound taxol is not readily recognized as a standard taxane by HPLC.
There has been some sugar bound taxols, such as 7-xylosyl taxol and 7-xylosyl-10-deacetyltaxol isolated and identified in the literature. See, V. Senilh et. al., Journal of Natural Products, 47, 131-137 (1984). It is highly possible that taxol which is insoluble is transported within the Yew tree in a bound form that is soluble. The addition of a sugar molecule to taxol would be expected to make the taxol significantly more soluble and thus more readily transported throughout the needles and twigs of the live Yew tree.
The same article mentioned above, indicates that an alumina adsorption column has been employed in the purification of an extract containing taxanes. In the paper written by Senilh et. al. Journal of Natural Products, Vol. 47, No. 1, pg. 131, January-February (1984), it appears that a relatively purified taxane sample was passed through an alumina column. This article reported that the miscelle, i.e. crude taxane sample, was extracted from Taxus brevifolia biomass by ethanol. Then the crude extract was subjected to evaporation and then subjected to a liquid/liquid partition using H.sub.2 O/CH.sub.2 Cl.sub.2. Next, the aqueous phase of the separation was discarded and the organic phase of the separation was combined with various solvents. Thereafter, the taxane material, which was in the relatively purified state, was passed through a silica gel column and then an alumina column.
This paper does not appear to have reported an increase in the taxol recovered from the extract. The lack of a reported increase is most probably due to the fact that the aqueous phase of the liquid/liquid partition was discarded. Assuming that undetectable taxanes are water soluble, then these water soluble taxanes were probably discarded with the aqueous phase of the H.sub.2)/CH.sub.2 Cl.sub.2 liquid/liquid partition step. Thus, no increase in yield could be reported because the soluble taxanes such as sugar bound taxanes were discarded. There remains a need for a process that will isolate, purify and cleave taxanes that are present in an extract but are not readily detectable.

Method of using ion exchange media to increase taxane yields


The present invention provides an oven slide rail handling mechanism with a locking function, comprising a connecting frame mounted on inner walls of both sides of an oven body, and a rail body, a lower rail of the rail body connects to a connecting component. The connecting component includes a guide snap and a front holder, the front holder and the guide snap are respectively mounted at two ends of bottom surface of the lower rail, the guide snap is provided with a snap-fitting position, and the front holder is provided with a latch rod. The mechanism is able to quickly assemble or disassemble the slide rail, is able to hold in multiple directions, and has locking function, preventing the slide rail from being disengaged from the connecting frame, improving the reliability of structural performance, ensuring the use effect of the slide rail and the use quality of an oven.

An oven, after being used, still has a high temperature. It is not only inconvenient to operate but also is easy to cause a scalding accident when taking out food from or placing food in the oven having such high temperature, having a potential safety hazard.
Therefore, an oven liner is now equipped with a slide rail and a connecting frame, the connecting frame is fixed to inner walls of both sides of an oven, a lower rail of the slide rail is fixedly mounted on the connecting frame, and a baking tray placed in the oven is fastened on an upper rail of the slide rail, so that the baking tray slides with respect to the connecting frame. The structure is simple, and the use is convenient and safe.
However, because the slide rail takes up considerable space of the oven liner, the slide rail is equipped with a holding component facilitating assembly or disassembly in general. An existing holding component includes a horizontal holding part and a vertical holding part, the horizontal holding part and the vertical holding part being held on a transverse rod and a vertical rod respectively.
Although the holding component of the above structure can be tightly held, it is difficult to disassemble the holding component after holding, and is easy to damage the holding component during disassembly.
In view of the above problem, though there is a removable slide rail mounted on left and right grids of an embedded oven in the market, the slide rail including an outer rail of a guide rail and an inner rail of the guide rail which are assembled together by a rolling mechanism, a plurality of hooks being arranged on both sides of the inner rail of the guide rail, the slide rail being hooked on the grids of the oven by the hooks, because the slide rail of the structure is arranged on the racks of the oven by the plurality of hooks, the support area is small, the structural performance is not reliable, being easy to cause the slide rail to come off, affecting the normal use of the oven.

Oven slide rail handling mechanism with locking function