An aerosol antiperspirant composition is provided. The aerosol antiperspirant composition includes a propellant and an antiperspirant composition. The antiperspirant composition includes one or more liquid materials, wherein the one or more liquid materials comprise one or more non-volatile silicone fluids having a concentration from 40% to about 70% by weight of the antiperspirant composition; antiperspirant active particulates having a concentration from about 16% to about 32% by weight of the antiperspirant composition; one or more non-antiperspirant active particulates that are substantially inert, wherein the one or more non-antiperspirant active particulates that are substantially inert have a concentration from 10% to 30% by weight of the antiperspirant composition; and wherein the antiperspirant composition has a total particulate concentration from 30% to about 60% by weight of the antiperspirant composition.

Body odor may be generated in the area under the arms due to a high concentration of sweat glands. While perspiration is odorless, it contains natural oils that can be nutrient source for bacteria living on the skin. These bacteria interact with the natural oils, converting them into odor producing compounds. Antiperspirant compositions contain an active, such as an aluminum salt, that reacts with the electrolytes in perspiration to form a plug in the ducts of sweat glands. The plugs prevent perspiration from exiting the duct, thereby depriving the bacteria of water and a food source. Antiperspirant compositions may be applied to the skin in either a contact type product form, e.g., a stick or roll-on, or non-contact type product form, such as an aerosol spray. Aerosol spray devices that dispense an antiperspirant composition are known in the art. Various examples are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,152,416; U.S. Pat. No. 4,806,338; U.S. Pat. No. 4,840,786; U.S. Pat. No. 4,904,463; U.S. Pat. No. 4,935,224; U.S. Pat. No. 5,298,236; U.S. Pat. No. 5,605,682; U.S. Pat. No. 5,814,309; U.S. Pat. No. 7,815,899; EP 674,899; WO 96/04884; WO 2004/014330; and WO 2007/001842.
Many aerosol antiperspirant users often desire a product that minimizes the appearance of residue on the skin, has a dry rather than wet feel, has rapid perceived drying, is not sticky, provides a cool/fresh feeling at time of application, provides long lasting wetness and/or odor protection, is provided in a form factor that is easily portable in purses or small bags (as some users may apply the antiperspirant composition more than once a day) and minimizes the gassy cloud that forms during dispensing. While the relative importance/desirability of these characteristics may vary by geographical region and gender and not all users desire all or the same set of characteristics, there appears to be a generally universal desire among aerosol antiperspirant users for one or more of a dry rather than wet feel, minimizing the appearance of residue and providing long lasting wetness/odor protection or efficacy.
While some currently marketed aerosol spray devices may provide at least some of these characteristics to varying degrees, there are often tradeoffs involved. For example, some currently available aerosol antiperspirant spray devices have relatively high propellant concentrations (e.g., greater than 75% and often greater than 80%). A high propellant concentration dilutes the antiperspirant composition, which in turn may help reduce the risk of clogging. However, a high propellant concentration may also produce a large volume of gas upon exiting the spray device resulting in a gassy cloud and/or a turbulent spray. Deposition efficiency (e.g., the amount of antiperspirant active and/or fragrance deposited on skin compared to the amount dispensed) may in turn be reduced due to the large amount of antiperspirant active and/or fragrance lost to the environment via the gassy cloud rather than deposited on the skin. In addition, these spray devices are typically large (greater than 150 ml) in order to accommodate the high propellant concentration and large amount of antiperspirant composition, resulting in spray devices that may be more difficult to carry in small purses and the like. A high propellant concentration may also result in solubilization of liquid fragrance materials into the propellant during storage, resulting in more of the liquid fragrance material being lost to the environment with the propellant rather than deposited on the skin. Many currently available aerosol antiperspirant compositions also incorporate a volatile liquid (e.g., cyclopentasiloxane) as a carrier for the antiperspirant active. The volatile liquid evaporates following application to the skin, resulting in a dry skin feel, but sometimes leaves behind a visible residue (the antiperspirant active) that is subject to flaking and/or transfer to clothing. Flaking (or transfer) of the antiperspirant active may also reduce antiperspirant efficacy. Therefore, there is continuing desire to provide improved aerosol antiperspirant compositions and products.

Aerosol antiperspirant compositions, products and methods


An actuator for controlling a valve having a valve rod is provided. The actuator includes a manual override arrangement for manually moving the actuator spindle, the manual override arrangement including a locking element, an actuator spindle holder housing at least a portion of an actuator spindle. A guiding arrangement is adapted to guide the actuator spindle along the actuator spindle holder. In a normal operating mode the actuator spindle holder is locked to the locking element, and the actuator spindle is guidable along the actuator spindle holder via the guiding arrangement. In a manual override operating mode, the actuator spindle holder is unlocked from the locking element, and the actuator spindle holder is rotatable together with the actuator spindle via the guiding arrangement.

Fluid distribution systems, for e.g. heating, cooling and water supply are designed to feed a fluid from a source to a consumption point. Each consumption point typically has a calculated and designed flow or differential pressure requirement. However, depending on the type of hydronic system, the flow requirement is often variable over time and can change with factors like seasonality (e.g. summer or winter), that changes the load from the consumption points, temperature changes of the system fluid, changes in consumption of the system fluid (e.g. for drinking water).
Control valves are frequently used in fluid distribution systems and have a variable opening such that the flow rates can be controlled. An actutator for controlling the position of such a valve is often provided. Such an actuator is normally driven by means of a motor which drives an actuator spindle. The actuator spindle is in turn connected to a valve rod for controlling the opening degree of the valve. In some instances, such as before the actuator has been connected to the grid or during installation, it may be desirable to manually override the normal operating mode, by disconnecting the motor-driven operation of the actuator spindle and instead allowing for manual drive of the the actuator spindle. Therefore, some actuators are provided with manual override mechanisms.
Although existing manual override mechansims serve their purpose, it would be desirable to provide a manual override mechanism which is compact and yet reliable.

IMI HYDRONIC ENGINEERING INTERNATIONAL SA


In an example embodiment, a wire grid polarizer includes a plurality of parallel conductors having a pitch (P), a width (W), and a height (H). In example embodiments, a fill-factor (W/P) is greater than approximately 0.18 and less than approximately 0.25. In another example embodiment, a display system includes a light source and a light-valve. The display system also includes a wire grid polarizer that includes a plurality of parallel conductors having a pitch (P), a width (W), and a height (H). In example embodiments, a fill-factor (W/P) is greater than approximately 0.18 and less than approximately 0.25.

Light-valves are implemented in a wide variety of display technologies. For example, display and microdisplay panels are gaining in popularity in many applications such as televisions, computer monitors, point of sale displays, personal digital assistants and electronic cinema to mention a few applications.
Many light valves are based on liquid crystal (LC) technologies. In some LC technologies light is transmitted through an LC device (panel), while in others the light traverses the panel twice, after being reflected at a far surface of the panel.
In operation, an external field or voltage is used to selectively rotate the axes of the molecules of the LC material. As is well known, by application of this voltage across the LC panel, the direction of the LC molecules can be controlled and the state of polarization of the reflected light is selectively changed. As such, by selective switching of the transistors in the array, the LC medium can be used to modulate the light with image information.
In many LCD systems, light modulation results in dark-state light at certain picture elements (pixels) and bright-state light at others, where the polarization state governs the amount of light transmitted by each pixel element. Thereby, an image is created on a screen by the selective polarization transformation by the LC panel and optics to form the image or 'picture.'
While LCD devices are becoming ubiquitous in display and microdisplay applications, there are certain drawbacks associated with known devices. For example, in known devices some of the light from the light source may be irrecoverably lost and the overall brightness of the image adversely impacted.
This loss of light in display systems may be from a variety of sources within the display system. In many LCD systems, the light from a source is selectively polarized in a particular orientation prior to being incident on the LC panel. This selective polarization may be effected by an absorptive polarizer. The LC panel may have a voltage selectively applied to orient the molecules of the material in a certain manner. The polarization of the light that is incident on the LC panel is selectively altered upon traversing through the LC layer. Light in one linear polarization state is transmitted by a polarizer (often referred to as an analyzer) as the bright state light; while light of an orthogonal polarization state is absorbed by the analyzer as the dark-state light. As can be appreciated, approximately one-half of the light energy is lost in such a system, due to absorption by the first linear polarizer.
In other display and microdisplay structures, a reflective polarizer may be used for polarization selectivity. Sometimes, the reflective polarizer is placed between a light source and the LC panel in order to provide light (polarization) recycling, wherein one polarization state is desirably transmitted by the reflective polarizer and one polarization state is reflected back toward the light source. In known systems using reflective polarizers, there are competing objectives that impede the polarization recycling. These competing objectives include light transmission efficiency and polarization extinction. For example, wire-grid polarizers may be used as the reflective polarizer. Known wire-grid polarizers have a relatively high extinction ratio. Such known wire-grid polarizers are not desirable in light recycling because the total light throughput is unacceptably low. This can result in unacceptable contrast and brightness in the viewed image.
Alternatively, plastic reflective polarizers comprising multilayer films or immiscible layered materials may be used in displays. Known plastic polarizers have a relatively low extinction ration and relatively high transmission. Such known plastic polarizers are not desirable in light recycling when used with very strong backlights as the plastics can 'yellow' due to light absorption. This can result in unacceptable coloration of the viewed image. As such, the need for improved light throughput and stability of coloration has not been met via known devices and structures. What is needed therefore is an apparatus that overcomes at least the drawbacks of known devices described above.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Low fill factor wire grid polarizer and method of use


A shut-off valve for pressurized fluids in particular for air cooling/heating apparatus includes at least one condenser and at least one fluid evaporator communicating with each other by a pipe at least one duct which has inside a nozzle coaxially formed with a capillary duct designed to cause rapid expansion of the fluid when it emerges from the nozzle, and a retainer securing the pipe to the valve.

It is known in the art of air conditioners of the need to cause circulation of the ambient air through two heat exchangers which form respectively the condenser and the evaporator of the refrigerating cycle.
It is also known that the condenser and the evaporator must be placed in communication with each another by means of shut-off valves and devices, such as for example thermostatic valves or capillaries designed to cause rapid expansion of the cooling fluid when the latter passes from one component to another.
The valves and expansion means are normally arranged inside the conditioner if the latter is of the conventional type with a single body; If the conditioner is of the type with a separate evaporator to be positioned inside the room, the valve is positioned outside and the expansion means inside the conditioner itself.
More particularly, expansion may be performed upstream of the shut-off valve, i.e. in the condenser, or downstream of the shut-off valve, i.e. in the evaporator.
Since the dimensioning of the means for expansion of the cooling fluid depends on the efficiency of the conditioner in relation to the different external temperatures, the technical problem which is posed is that of providing an expansion element which is accessible externally and easily interchangeable. The latter should be designed in accordance with the variation in the said external temperatures at which the air conditioner is used and the length of the pipes thereof, without the need for complex welding operations.

Shut-off valve with incorporated expansion nozzle, for pressurized fluids of air cooling/heating apparatus


A perpendicular magnetic recording medium including a perpendicular magnetic recording layer placed over a substrate, and a multi-layered perpendicular orientation underlayer placed between the substrate and the perpendicular magnetic recording layer and having first and third underlayers each made of Pt or an alloy thereof. Due to the use of a three-layered perpendicular orientation underlayer, an excellent perpendicular orientation and a consistent crystal lattice of a Pt underlayer are obtained. Also, the perpendicular orientation underlayer has small crystal grains. Thus, the perpendicular orientation underlayer having excellent perpendicular orientation and small crystal grains enables a perpendicular magnetic recording layer to have a good thermal stability, a high recording density, and a high SNR.

This application claims the priority of Korean Patent Application No. 2002-44462, filed on Jul. 27, 2002, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to perpendicular magnetic recording media, and more particularly, to a perpendicular magnetic recording medium with an increased recording density.
2. Description of the Related Art
Perpendicular magnetic recording media generally have high recording density, as compared to longitudinal magnetic recording mechanism. Hence, recent hard disk drives (HDDs) use perpendicular magnetic recording media to obtain a high recording density. Perpendicular magnetic recording media have a magnetization that is perpendicular to the-main plane of the media. The recording density of such perpendicular magnetic recording media is greatly affected by the properties of a perpendicular magnetic recording layer and by an underlayer which perpendicularly orients a magnetization in a magnetic recording layer.
FIG. 1 shows the layer structure of a conventional perpendicular magnetic recording medium having a single magnetic layer. FIGS. 2 and 3 show the later structures of conventional perpendicular magnetic recording media having two magnetic layers.
Referring to FIG. 1, a perpendicular magnetic recording layer 13, where information is recorded, is placed over the upper surface of a substrate 11. A perpendicular orientation underlayer 12 for perpendicularly orienting the magnetization of the perpendicular magnetic recording layer 13 is placed between the substrate 11 and the perpendicular magnetic recording layer 13. A protection layer 14 is formed on the perpendicular magnetic recording layer 13 to protect the perpendicular magnetic recording layer 13. A lubricating layer 15 is formed on the protection layer 14 to reduce abrasion of a magnetic head of an HDD and the protection layer 14 due to collision and sliding of the protective layer 14 and the magnetic head.
Referring to FIG. 2, a perpendicular magnetic recording layer 23, where information is recorded, is placed over the upper surface of a substrate 21. A soft material layer 22, which forms a magnetic path of a perpendicular magnetic field generated by a magnetic head of an HDD, is placed between the substrate 21 and the perpendicular magnetic recording layer 23. A protection layer 24 and a lubricating layer 25 are sequentially formed on the perpendicular magnetic recording layer 23.
Referring to FIG. 3, a perpendicular magnetic recording layer 224, where information is recorded, is placed over the upper surface of a substrate 221. A perpendicular orientation underlayer 223 and a soft material layer 222 are placed between the substrate 221 and the perpendicular magnetic recording layer 224. A protection layer 225 and a lubricating layer 226 are sequentially formed on the perpendicular magnetic recording layer 224.
The types and composition ratio of elements that form each of the perpendicular magnetic recording layers 13, 23, and 224 greatly affect the types and structures of the corresponding perpendicular orientation underlayers 12 and 223 and the soft magnetic layer 22. An existing perpendicular orientation underlayer formed of Ti or Pt is greatly affected by the characteristics of a perpendicular magnetic recording layer. If a perpendicular orientation underlayer is formed of Ti, a thick initial growth film is formed between the perpendicular magnetic layer and the Ti perpendicular orientation underlayer due to the difference in the crystal lattice constant between them. Thus, the orientation characteristic of the perpendicular magnetic recording layer is deteriorated. A perpendicular orientation underlayer formed of Pt has an excellent perpendicular crystal orientation because it has a small difference in the lattice constant from the perpendicular magnetic recording layer. However, the excellent perpendicular crystal orientation shown in some perpendicular magnetic recording layers causes crystal grains to be enlarged and exchanged coupling to be increased, thereby degrading a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) upon information recording/writing.


The present invention provides a binder for a secondary battery electrode, a secondary battery electrode and secondary battery including the same, a composition for a secondary battery electrode for producing the secondary battery electrode, and a method for producing the secondary battery electrode, wherein in the binder for a secondary battery electrode, a copolymer includes a polyvinyl alcohol-derived unit and an ionically substituted acrylate-derived unit, and is cross-linked to each other.

In recent years, with the technology development and demand increase for mobile devices, demand for batteries as an energy source has rapidly increased, and accordingly, various studies on batteries to meet the various demands have been conducted. Particularly, research on a lithium secondary battery having a high energy density and excellent life-time and cycle characteristics as a power source of the devices is being actively conducted.
A lithium secondary battery includes: a positive electrode including a positive electrode active material capable of intercalating/deintercalating lithium ions; a negative electrode including a negative electrode active material capable of intercalating/deintercalating lithium ions; and an electrode assembly, in which a microporous separator is interposed between the positive electrode and the negative electrode, including a non-aqueous electrolyte which contains lithium ions.
Lithium metal oxide is used as the positive electrode active material of the lithium secondary battery, and a lithium metal, a lithium alloy, crystalline or amorphous carbon, a carbon composite, silicon-based active material, etc. are used as the negative electrode active material. Among them, the silicon-based active material is used alone or in combination with other negative electrode active materials in order to improve capacity of the secondary battery.
However, there is a problem that a volume is excessively expanded as charging and discharging of the battery proceed when the silicon-based active material is used. Accordingly, separation between the electrode active materials or between the electrode active material and a current collector occurs due to the deformation of the electrode structure, so that the electrode active material is separated or the electrode active material is unable to fulfill a function. Furthermore, the electrode is deformed (e.g., a solid electrolyte interface (SEI) film is damaged) due to the volume change of the electrode during charging/discharging to cause lithium, which is contained in an electrolyte solution, to be consumed much more, thereby leading to deterioration of the electrode active material and battery due to the depletion of the electrolyte solution.
Binders, such as carboxymethylcellose (CMC) and styrene butadiene rubber (SBR) have been conventionally used in order to suppress the electrode deformation due to the volume expansion. However, even when such binders are used, there are problems that the deformation of the electrode structure due to the volume expansion is unable to be effectively controlled, and a conductive path in the electrode is difficult to ensure, thereby increasing resistance.
Accordingly, a binder for a secondary battery electrode which may effectively suppress the deformation of the electrode structure even when the volume change of the silicon-based active material occurs as charging/discharging proceeds, and which may improve the conductivity of the electrode is required.

Binder for secondary battery electrode, secondary battery electrode and secondary battery including same, composition for secondary battery electrode for producing said secondary battery electrode, and method for producing said secondary battery electrode


The present invention provides novel, isolated, tumor-associated antigens, and methods for identifying such antigens in a biological sample, and of screening for the presence of such an antigen in a biological specimen, wherein the tumor antigen identified reacts with serum from a subject treated with a vaccine comprising a cytokine and proliferation-incompetent tumor cells which express the tumor-associated antigen. Also provided are kits for carrying out the methods of the invention.

The immune system plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of neoplasia. The shortcomings of the immune system in this disorder can be broadly considered as the failure to develop a sufficiently potent response to a deleterious target. Standard medical treatments for cancer, including chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation therapy, have clear limitations with regard to both efficiency and toxicity. While prevention of primary and/or metastatic cancer would be ideal, these approaches typically have met with little success. New strategies which stimulate the immune system to mount a successful attack on neoplastic cells are greatly needed.
It is known that the presence of a neoplasm may elicit a cellular immune response. For example, blood and tumor infiltrates from melanoma and renal carcinoma patients contain circulating cytotoxic precursor cells with specific reactivity for autologous melanoma (see, e.g., Darrow et al. (1989) J. Immunol. 142:3329–35; Crowley et al. (1991) J. Immunol. 146:1692–9; Crowley et al. (1992) Cancer Res. 52:394) and renal carcinomas (see, e.g., Belldegrun et al. (1988) Cancer Res. 42:206–214; Radrizzani et al. (1989) Cancer Immunol. Immunother. 28:671; Belldegrun et al. (1990) Cancer Immunol. Immunother. 31:1; Ikemoto et al. (1992) Cancer Immunol. Immunother. 34:289; Koo et al. (1991) J. Immunol. Ther. 10:347; Alexander et al. (1990) J. Cancer. 45:119). This cellular response may result from the presence of tumor rejection antigens on the surface of tumor cells (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 5,763,155). However, a serological response to the tumor has been difficult to demonstrate.
Several hypotheses for this inability exist, such as that tumor cells are poor antigen-presenting cells, have low or absent MHC molecules expressed on the cell surface, secrete suppressor factors, or that T-cell receptor (TCR) engagement by the tumor antigens without a costimulatory signal induces anergy. The inability of the immune system to elicit an antibody response may also or alternatively result, in part, from the inability of the immune system to distinguish a neoplastic cell from a normal, non-cancerous cell due to the possession of common surface antigens.
Immunotherapy for cancer is based on the premise that the immune system can be activated or manipulated to recognize and eradicate tumors. Systemic immune responses to tumor cells have been shown to be capable of mediating tumor rejection in animal models and in some patients with cancer (Joannides, et al. (1993) Immunol. 37:413–442; Urban et al. (1993) Ann. Rev. Immunol. 10:617–644; Van der Bruggen, et al. (1991) Science 254:1643–1647; Porgador, et al. (1994) Nat. Immunol. 13:113–130; and Pardoll (1993) Curr. Op. Immunol. 5:719–725).
Approaches to activate the immune system have included the use of vaccines. A vaccine is a way of delivering an antigen to the immune system such that the immune system recognizes the antigen as foreign and rejects or destroys any cells bearing that antigen. Proliferation-incompetent allogeneic or autologous tumor cells have been used as vaccines. For example, polyvalent allogeneic melanoma vaccines have been reported to improve survival of patients with metastatic melanoma (Sanda et al. (1994) J. Urol. 151:622–628). In addition, vaccines derived from allogeneic melanoma tumor cell lines have not been associated with clinically significant toxicity when given alone (Dranoff et al. (1993) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. (USA) 90:35–39). However, such immunity has been short-lived.
Autologous cancer cells also have been used as vaccines to augment anti-tumor immunity (Oettgen et al. in Biologic Therapy of Cancer (1991), Devita et al., eds., 5 Lippincott Co., pp. 87–119). Such vaccines, in theory, should be very powerful because they are highly specific for the tumor from which the vaccine was prepared. However, the immunogenicity of cancer cells is generally too weak to elicit a pronounced immune reaction sufficient to overcome the disease, perhaps due to the theories described above. Patient responses to these "raw" vaccines have generally been only partial and relatively-short lived. Thus, methods of increasing the immune system recognition of and response to neoplastic cells are greatly needed.
One strategy to improve the efficacy of such vaccinations has included the use of non-specific adjuvants or immunostimulants such as BCG and Corynebacterium parvum. However, this has resulted in little improvement.
Another approach has been to increase the immunogenicity of tumor cells by treating the cells to be injected in different ways to enhance the exposure of their surface antigens. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,931,275 describes, using as a vaccine, cells treated with pressure or cholesteryl hemisuccinate, or using as vaccines plasma membranes or membrane proteins from these cells.
Another approach has focused on the interaction of cytokines and the immune system. Cytokines and combinations of cytokines have been shown to play an important role in the stimulation of the immune system. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,098,702, describes using combinations of TNF, IL-2 and IFN-β in synergistically effective amounts to combat existing tumors. U.S. Pat. No. 5,078,996 describes the activation of macrophage nonspecific tumoricidal activity by injecting recombinant GM-CSF to treat patients with tumors. However, because the doses of cytokines necessary to effect tumor development are often systemically toxic, direct treatment of patients is frequently not feasible (see, e.g., Asher et al., (1991) J. Immun. 146:3227–3234 and Havell et al., (1988) J. Exp. Med. 167:1067–1085).
To avoid such toxicity, non-neoplastic cells genetically modified to express a cytokine have been administered as vaccines. For example, autologous fibroblasts genetically modified to secrete IL-2 have been administered with a tumor antigen at a site other than an active tumor site. In a related approach, the fibroblast has been genetically modified to express both a cytokine and the tumor antigen (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 5,674,486 Sobel, et al.).
In an alternative approach, tumor cells, themselves, have been genetically modified to express a cytokine. These vaccines have been to potentiate tumor-associated antigen presentation to T cells of a subject. For example, studies have shown that the introduction of cytokine genes into murine tumor cells induced increased immunogenicity and decreased tumorigenesis (see, e.g., Gansbacher et al., (1990) Cancer Res. 50: 7820–7825; Fearon et al., (1990) Cell 60: 397–403; Ley et al., (1981) Eur. J. Immunol. 21:851–854; Watanabe et al., (1989) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. (USA) 86:9456; Gansbacher et al., (1990) J. Exp. Med. 172:1217–1224; Gansbacher et al., (1992) Proc. Am. Assoc. Cancer Res. 33: 351; Tepper et al., (1989) Cell 57:503–512; Hock et al., (1991) J. Exp. Med. 174:1291–1298; and Porgador et al., (1992) Cancer Res. 52:3679). In addition, localized high concentrations of certain cytokines delivered by genetically modified cells have led to tumor regression in animals and humans (see, e.g., Gansbacher et al., (1990) Cancer Res., 50:7820–7825; Fornis et al., (1988) Cancer Met. Rev., 7:289–309; Fearon et al., (1990) Cell. 160:397–403; and published (GM-CSF gene modified tumor vaccine, also known as GVAX® vaccine patent applications and patents) directed to cancer cells that have been rendered proliferation-incompetent and have been genetically engineered to express the cytokine, GM-CSF, and in some cases, tumor immunity (Fearon et al., (1990) Cell 60;397–403). Thus, activating the immune system to respond to a tumor is a viable therapeutic alternative to irradiation and chemotherapy. Accordingly, improved, more efficacious activation methods specific for certain cancers are greatly needed.
One method of activating the immune system is to identify novel tumor-associated antigens such as tumor rejection antigens. U.S. Pat. No. 5,763,155 describes the identification of the MACE oncofetal family of tumor rejection antigens which are melanoma-associated. These antigens are recognized by host human T cells, but may not elicit an antibody response. Unfortunately, clinically relevant tumor rejection antigens for immune therapy for the treatment of most other types of cancer have not yet been identified.
Thus, the identification of clinically relevant, tumor-associated antigens is needed to provide improved methodologies for stimulating the immune system to recognize a tumor cell not normally targeted such that the tumor cell will elicit an effective cellular and serological or humoral response. Also needed are methods of screening for such antigens.

Cancer-associated antigens and methods of their identification and use


A cryogenic current limiting fuse is disclosed together with a method of manufacturing a cryogenic current limiting fuse, the cryogenic current limiting fuse comprising a first cryogenic composite and a second cryogenic composite wherein at least one of the first and the second cryogenic composites has a non-linear and increasing resistivity with respect to at least one of temperature and current.

Current limiting fuses have been employed in power networks for many years and the basic technology is fairly old. However, due to the large ratio, approximately two orders of magnitude, of limited current to nominal current, their use is restricted to low values of nominal currents, typically under 200 Amperes.
One of the most basic designs of a passive current limiting fuse requires a multitude of arcs to be created after the melting of series of constrictions along a thin ribbon of metal such as silver. This multitude of arcs withstands the voltage of the network in which the fuse is inserted and auto-extinguishes in a fraction of a cycle.
This auto-extinction is usually achieved by embedding the element in a highly compacted sand or quartz powder.
In normal operating conditions, the melting point of constrictions, as the AC current is very slowly increased, determines the maximum nominal operating current. In fault conditions however, the current rises very quickly above the nominal value and when it is high enough to have provided sufficient energy to heat the constrictions to a high temperature, it will cause them to melt. This increases their resistance and initiates the series of arcs that complete the action of the fuse.
Advantages are that such fuses are fail safe, silent and passive, no external triggering is required. The main disadvantage is that the resistivity of the metals used, for instance silver, does not increase rapidly with temperature. This leads to large ratios of peak limited current to maximum nominal current and high let-through energies.
Recent developments, to increase the range of nominal currents for the application of fuses to power networks, have led to active fuses that are triggered by an explosion in a high nominal current element in parallel with a more conventional fuse element that is used to deviate the current from the high nominal current element whilst its explosion and extinction occurs.
Subsequently, this more conventional element operates in the usual manner to completely interrupt the fault current. In this way, the operating maximum nominal current may be increased without duly increasing the peak limiting current and the let-through energy. However, disadvantages are that the action is active, and as non-operation may cause considerable damage, this type of fuse requires a very reliable triggering system. Moreover, often the explosive charge has to be renewed periodically, and the fuse operation may also cause a loud noise.
In view of the above, there is a need for a method and apparatus that will overcome the above-identified drawbacks.


The present invention relates to an electrophoretic particle that includes: a core part including an inorganic particle; a shell layer formed on the core part; and a protective layer formed on the shell layer, a method of producing the electrophoretic particle, and an electrophoretic display device including the electrophoretic particle.

Electronic paper, also referred to as e-paper, is a type of an electronic device that can play a role of paper because, just like a paper book, a newspaper, or a paper magazine, one can readily carry it around and conveniently read and make notes on it whenever one wants.
Such electronic paper may take a form of an electrophoretic display, which is advantageous in that not only is it flexible enough to be bent, but it can also be produced at a much lower cost than conventional flat panel displays and is far superior in energy efficiency since there is no need to furnish an additional backlight. The electronic paper shows high definition and a wide viewing angle, and may have a memory function such that the letters displayed thereon will not disappear completely even in the absence of power sources.
Such markedly advantageous characteristics of the electronic paper hold great potential for a wide variety of applications such as an electronic book having a paper-like plane and a moving illustration, a self-renewable newspaper, a reusable paper display for cell phones, a disposable TV screen, and electronic wallpaper, and its latent market surely seems to be huge. Depending on the realization method, the electronic paper can be typically classified into an electrophoresis type, a liquid crystal type, a toner (QR-LPD) type, a MEMS type, and the like. Among them, the electrophoretic type is based on electrophoresis of charged pigment particles suspended in a dielectric solvent. When a voltage is applied across the electrodes being opposite to each other, the charged pigment particles are made to migrate toward an electrode bearing a contrary charge to that on the particles by attracting forces, thereby expressing a color or light and shade.
Among such electrophoretic displays, the microcapsule type and the micro-cup type technologies, which are most likely to be commercialized soon, take advantage of particles as a color display element. The microcapsule type of electrophoretic display is a display device wherein a dispersion including charged particles and a flowing fluid is encapsulated in a microcapsule and placed between the opposite electrodes. The micro-cup type of electrophoretic display is a display device wherein a recessed unit as defined by a partition between the opposite electrodes has charged particles or a slurry of charged particles enclosed therein.
However, the electrophoretic display devices hitherto known have failed to sufficiently show color reproducibility or contrast to be actually applied in various fields and did not secure appropriate reactivity to a driving voltage and a capability of appropriately maintaining an afterimage when the driving voltage is eliminated.
In addition, the electrophoretic particles are typically used in the electrophoretic display device as they are dispersed in a flowing fluid, but the electrophoretic particles hitherto known often fail to be stably dispersed in the flowing fluid, resulting in the formation of agglomerates. Moreover, the electrophoretic particles of the prior arts tend to be partially dissolved in the flowing fluid or absorb some of the flowing fluid to swell, showing changes in their properties or true specific gravity themselves, and this can even lead to a decrease in contrast or response speed of the electrophoretic display.

Electrophoretic particles, production methods of electrophoretic particles, and electrophoretic display devices


A digital camera includes a digital memory system having a control unit for checking for proper format initialization of a removable digital memory element and for performing format initialization of the memory element when necessary.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to an electronic still video camera and in particular to an improved electronic still camera which converts a still picture of an object or scene into an operator selectable compressed digital signal format for storage utilizing a compression/decompression algorithm, such as the Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG) algorithm standard for example, formatted into Personal Computer (PC) compatible format retaining the images"" color information, and stored on a PC compatible memory diskette. For example, the diskette can be a three and a half (3xc2xd) inch digital diskette. The digital diskette is removeable from the electronic camera for direct insertion into a PC which contains the previously loaded corresponding decompression algorithm whereby the digital image is in a format compatible for immediate use with word processing, desk top publishing, data base, and multi-media applications.
2. Description of the Prior Art
FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram showing structure of a conventional prior art electronic still camera system, in which a CCD image sensor element 1a converts a still image of an object into an analog color video signal when the shutter control circuitry 2a is activated. The output color video signal of the image sensor element is then routed to the signal processing subsystem 3a where the signal is converted to National Television System Committee (NTSC) or other composite video formats (such as the European video standard Phase Alternating Line-PAL) and logged in analog format onto a mass memory storage device such-as an analog video floppy disk, Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory (EEPROM), analog audio cassette, bubble memory, or other storage device 5a. Power is supplied by a rechargeable/removeable battery system 4a.
An electronic camera that converts an image into electronic image signals and transferred to a memory storage device is disclosed in the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,131,919; 4,456,931; 4,758,883; 4,803,554; and 4,837,628.
Conventional prior art electronic still cameras, for example of the types disclosed in the aforementioned references, produce an electronic signal corresponding to a desired image in analog format such as the National Television System Committee (NTSC) or similar on magnetic or electronic storage media for either permanent or temporary storage to facilitate viewing on a television or video monitor. With the current state of the art, it is expensive and time consuming to convert the analog image equivalent to a digital format for direct utilization with PC software applications. Currently, to convert an image captured on an electronic still camera to a PC compatible format one must convert the signal back to either a composite-NTSC or ROB video signal and use a conversion device such as a xe2x80x9cframe grabberxe2x80x9d (a digital circuit board installed into PCs that convert video images into PC compatible formats) of the type sold commercially by Aapps Corporation, Orange Micro, RasterOps, and others or convert the image to a hard-copy print (a photograph) and utilize an electronic xe2x80x9cscannerxe2x80x9d, a piece of equipment that connects to a PC, which converts an image into a digital format. The later technique is employed extensively within the desktop publishing industry.
It is the object of this invention to provide an improved electronic still camera with operator selectable picture compression in one of a plurality of operator selectable digital data formats recordable on a standard removeable magnetic diskette common to personal computers.
It is a further object of this invention to provide an improved electronic still camera that provides digital image files for immediate and direct incorporation into popular word processing, desktop publishing, and other software programs on PCs.
It is another object of this invention is to provide an improved electronic still camera that, under user selection, can record and store still images selectively compressed in a directly insertable digital memory storage device into a PC in either color or black and white formats thus facilitating storage of a large number of images with the signal flag indicating the degree of compression selected by the operator as well as the color/black and white mode selection being stored as digital values on the digital memory storage device with each image frame.
An additional object of this invention to provide an electronic still camera device that can rapidly capture a series of images automatically as well as singularly. Also, this camera provides multiple outputs in both video format for monitor and display of images and digital formats to facilitate data transmission, additional processing, or storage to a variety of storage media.
It is still another object of this invention is to provide a more efficient electronic still camera that can take a still picture with operator selectable high, medium, or low resolution in either color or black and white by electronic shutter and exposure control by utilizing a variety of electro-optical sensors including Charge Coupled Devices (CCD), Infrared (IR), and Ultra Violet (UV) which can be directly or remotely controlled by analog, digital, or radio frequency (RF) control signals.
A further object of this invention is to provide a programmable video picture translator device for efficiently converting electronic still images in analog composite video format into digital data format readable by a PC. This translator device also provides additional video inputs and outputs for capturing video images, monitoring video images on monitors and displays, and can transmit either compressed or unprocessed digital image data through a variety of output I/O channels in various formats such as serial, parallel, etc. Also, this invention can incorporate sound/voice with images thru additional interface circuitry and audio digitizers.
Finally, it is the object of this invention to provide an electronic still camera that is efficient in design and permits extended periods of portable operation and which provides the user with operational status through the use of continuous internal self-test software routines and operator displays.

Digital camera with memory format initialization

St. Clair Intellectual Property Consultants, Inc.


An improved paintball gun uses a low-pressure pneumatic sear to hold the firing valve closed against the high pressure gas occupying the other side of the valve. In this manner, only one operation is required between depressing the trigger and the firing of the paintball gun because a double-acting cylinder is not required as an interface between the trigger depression and actuation of the valve. The paintball gun is also substantially faster than existing electro-pneumatic paintball guns because it uses a blow forward bolt, in which higher-pressure gas is held directly behind the bolt and has only one direction to travel during the firing of the paintball gun.

This invention relates generally to the construction of compressed gas guns and more particularly to the guns designed to propel a liquid containing frangible projectile, otherwise known as a "paintball". As used herein, the term "compressed gas" refers to any mean known in the art for providing a fluid for firing a projectile from a compressed gas gun, such as a CO2 tank, a nitrous tank, or any other means supplying gas under pressure. Older existing compressed gas guns generally use a mechanical sear interface to link the trigger mechanism to the hammer or firing pin mechanism. In these guns, a trigger pull depresses the sear mechanism which allows the hammer, under spring or pneumatic pressure, to be driven forward and actuate a valve that releases compressed gas through a port in the bolt, which propels a projectile from the barrel.
This design, however, has many problems, including increased maintenance, damage after repeated cycles, and a higher amount of force is required to drive the hammer mechanism backwards to be seated on the sear. Also, because the sear and resulting hammer must be made of extremely hard materials, the gun is heavy. Such weight is a disadvantage in paintball, where a player's agility works to his advantage.
To overcome the problems of a mechanical sear, people developed other solutions. One solution uses a pneumatic cylinder, which uses spring or pneumatic pressure on alternating sides of a piston to first hold a hammer in the rearward position and then drive it forward to actuate a valve holding the compressed gas that is used to fire the projectile. Although the use of a pneumatic cylinder has its advantages, it requires the use of a stacked bore, where the pneumatic cylinder in the lower bore and is linked to the bolt in the upper bore through a mechanical linkage. It also requires increased gas use, as an independent pneumatic circuit must be used to move the piston backwards and forwards. A further disadvantage is that adjusting this pneumatic circuit can be difficult, because the same pressure of gas is used on both sides of the piston and there is no compensation for adjusting the amount of recock gas, used to drive it backwards, and the amount of velocity gas, which is the amount of force used to drive it forward and strike the valve. This results in erratic velocities, inconsistencies, and shoot-down. In addition, this technology often results in slower cycling times, as three independent operations must take place. First, the piston must be cocked. Second, the piston must be driven forward. Third, a valve is opened to allow compressed gas to enter a port in the bolt and fire a projectile. Clearly, the above design leaves room for improvement.
Single-bore designs have also been developed which place the cylinder and piston assembly in the top bore, usually behind the bolt. This reduces the height of the compressed gas gun, but still requires that a separate circuit of gas be used to drive the piston in alternating directions, which then actuates a valve to release compressed gas, which drives the bolt forward to launch a paintball. These are generally known as spool valve designs. See, for instance, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,644,295, 5,613,483 and 5,494,024.
Existing spool valve designs have drawbacks as well. Coordinating the movements of the two separate pistons to work in conjunction with one another requires very precise gas pressures, port orifices, and timing in order to make the gun fire a projectile. In the rugged conditions of compressed gas gun use, these precise parameters are often not possible. In addition, adjusting the velocity of a compressed gas gun becomes very difficult, because varying the gas pressure that launches a paintball in turn varies the pressure in the pneumatic cylinder, which causes erratic cycling.
What is needed is a compressed gas gun design that eliminates the need for a separate cylinder and piston assembly and uses a pneumatic sear instead of a pneumatic double-acting cylinder to hold the firing mechanism in place prior to firing a projectile. This allows the gun to be very lightweight and compact, and simplifies adjusting the recock gas used to cock the bolt and the gas used to fire the projectile.

Variable pneumatic sear for paintball gun


An optoelectronic apparatus is provided having a carrier device that has at least one optoelectronic transmitter and/or at least one optoelectronic receiver at an upper side; at least one first optical element, a second optical element, and a third optical element that are arranged in a layer arrangement above the carrier device, with the second optical element being arranged above the first optical element and the third optical element being arranged above the second optical element, and with each of the at least three optical elements comprising a lens element, an aperture element or a filter element; and a holding device that holds at least the first optical element and the second optical element relative to the carrier device and partly surrounds them, with the holding device furthermore either holding the third optical element relative to the carrier device and partly surrounding the third optical element or forming the third optical element.

Such optoelectronic apparatus are in particular configured as optoelectronic sensor apparatus to be able to optically scan and electronically detect properties of objects. An application for such sensor apparatus is in the sector of commercially available printer devices, i.e. apparatus for a computer-assisted printing of paper by means of known printing technologies, e.g. laser printing technology or ink-jet printing technology. To allow an operation of a printer (or of a multifunctional device comprising a printer) that is as fully automatic and as user-friendly as possible, different operating parameters of the printer such as a quantity or a type of the paper placed into the reception tray of the printer, a provided paper format, the relative position of a paper edge and the like are determined and are monitored as necessary. There is furthermore a need for an automatic analysis of a respective print result or of a paper to be scanned in order e.g. to check the content type (image vs. text) of the paper to be scanned or the correct configuration (e.g. mechanical alignment of a printing unit of the printer) with reference to a print result.
An individually adapted optoelectronic apparatus is typically provided for each operating parameter to be measured and is configured to compare an emitted optical signal with a detected, e.g. reflected, optical signal to be able to determine the respective operating parameter from the difference of these optical signals. The optical signals are generally electromagnetic radiation of a visible or non-visible wavelength, in particular infrared. The apparatus frequently comprises both an optoelectronic transmitter and (at least) one optoelectronic receiver. The apparatus can thus, for example, act as a proximity sensor. Apparatus having a plurality of transmitters and receivers are furthermore possible, with an apparatus e.g. being able to determine a plurality of operating parameters, in particular simultaneously, (e.g. by a distinction between diffuse and reflective reflection).
Due to the large number of operating parameters to be measured, a corresponding variety of optoelectronic apparatus is required, which is associated with an unwanted cost effort in manufacture and storage. Furthermore, an optoelectronic apparatus for measuring a respective operating parameter has to satisfy specific optical properties that may differ greatly in dependence on the respective operating parameter and may require a high development effort in this respect. The optical properties are in particular to be understood as the guiding, shaping or filtering of beams or of optical signals that are transmitted by the optoelectronic transmitter and/or are received by the optoelectronic receiver for the measurement of the respective operating parameter. In this respect, a geometrical restriction of the beams may also be necessary, with in particular a cross-sectional extent and/or an angular range of the beams being fixed.

Optoelectronic apparatus, carrier device, optoelectronic transmitter and optoelectronic receiver


Embodiments of the present invention provide a dynamic expert system comprising a control database, a master rules database, an operations database, an initialization module, a dynamic knowledge module and an application of knowledge module. The control database comprises a plurality of available data structures. The master rules database comprises one or more of the available data structures populated with a plurality of rules. The initialization module causes one or more of the available data structures and corresponding rules to be copied, as a project/product database, to the operations module. The dynamic knowledge module provides for modifying the data structure, rules and/or operating parameters to be captured of the project/product database. The application of knowledge module provides for applying the modifiable project/product database to the project, product or the like.

Modern businesses are utilizing expert system to manage schedules, reduce costs, and improve products and services, and/or the like. Referring to FIG. 1, a block diagram of an expert system according to the conventional art is shown. As depicted in FIG. 1, the expert system comprises a rules engine and a database of knowledge. The expert system is utilized to control the plurality of processes that comprise a project, product or the like. A rules engine of the expert system applies a knowledge base, contained in the database, according to a set of rules.
Conventional art expert systems are problematic in that the best-known processes are static. Currently, expert systems allow a user to modify the organization of knowledge. However, if the user is able to modify the organization of knowledge, the expert system is unable to provide for the collection of operating parameters during execution of the project, process or the like. Alternatively, if the system is able to collect operating parameters then the user cannot modify the organization of the knowledge.


A device combining a two-way valve and a carbon canister includes a hollow can, which can be further combined with a fuel tank. The device has a first chamber for regulating inner pressure of the fuel tank and a second chamber containing active carbon. The first chamber is installed with a gas tube which is connected to the fuel tank and a gas channel connected to the second chamber. The second chamber is installed with a gas return tube so as to form the device combining the two-way valve and the carbon canister. The hollow can is assembled to a lateral wall of the fuel tank and the gas tube can be embedded into the fuel tank to form an integral structure.

The present invention relates to a combination structure, and in particular to a device combining a two-way valve and an active carbon canister and a fuel tank with this device.
In convention, to resolve the problem of evaporation of fuel gas in the fuel tank of a car, generally, a fuel gas reverting tube is added to the fuel tank. Via the negative pressure in the fuel gas inlet end of the engine, the fuel gas is attracted to return to the gas inlet end of an internal combustion engine, so as to be used by the engine. Thereby the fuel gas cannot vent to outside to pollute the environment
In above-mentioned gas reverting tube, a carbon canister (C/N) is arranged for absorbing evaporated fuel gas. To regulate an expansion pressure of the fuel gas or a vacuum pressure in the tank, a two-way valve is added to the gas reverting tube for the pressure within the fuel tank to maintain the same state as the atmospheric pressure. Besides to prevent an over large expansion pressure of the fuel gas in the fuel tank to induce explosion or deformation of the fuel tank, a bypass valve is serially connected to the gas reverting tube adjacent to the fuel tank. When the fuel tank, two-way valve or the gas reverting tube is blocked, the bypass valve can be opened for releasing the pressure of fuel gas to protect the fuel tank.
Conventionally, the gas reverting tube connected the fuel tank and the gas inlet of the engine is formed by using soft tubes to be connected between the two-way valve and the carbon canister or connected between the two-way valve, the carbon canister and the bypass valve. However, when the longer the soft tubes or the more the soft tubes are, the resistance in the gas reverting tube is greater, so as to reduce the absorption force of negative pressure of the gas reverting tubes. Thereby fuel gas cannot be reused smoothly. Furthermore, the two-way valve, carbon canister and bypass valve have complicated structures so that the manufacturing and assembled processes are time consuming and cost ineffective. Also the soft tubes are easily arranged disordered to occupy a larger space.

Device combining two-way valve and carbon canister and fuel tank with the same


A reactor core for use in a chemical reactor includes first and second reactor core sections. Each core section includes heat transfer fluid conduits extending through the core section in a first direction, the lengths of the conduits defining a core section width. Each core section further includes spaced apart parallel plates arranged into a plate stack, with the conduits extending through the stack. Surfaces of the plates have a catalyst coating applied to them. The plates are rectangular and define a core section depth and a core section length, the core section depth being substantially smaller than both the core section width and length. Channels are defined by the spaces between adjacent plates, and are open to flow through the reactor core section in both the core section depth and length directions. The first core section is adjacent to the second core section in the depth direction.

Chemical reactors to at least partially convert a reactant flow stream into a product flow stream by promoting chemical reactions between the constituents of the reactant flow stream are known. The reactant flow stream is typically pre-conditioned to a suitable temperature and pressure for favoring the desired chemical reactions, and is subsequently routed through the chemical reactor, wherein the reactants are placed into contact with suitable catalysts to promote those chemical reactions.
These chemical reactions are oftentimes exothermic, although in some cases the reactions can be endothermic. At the same time, the reactions are often highly sensitive to the reaction temperature. It can be beneficial for the heat that is produced (or consumed, in the case of endothermic reactions) by the reaction to be removed from (or provided to, in the case of endothermic reactions) the reaction surfaces directly, rather than in a separate heat exchanger downstream of the reactor. The benefits that can be achieved by doing so include higher throughput of reactants and better selectivity of the reaction, among others.
A prime example of such a chemical reaction is the Fischer-Tropsch reaction, whereby carbon monoxide and hydrogen are reacted over a catalyst (typically Cobalt) to produce long hydrocarbon chains, which can subsequently be turned into liquid fuel. This reaction is exothermic, and heat needs to be removed from the reaction as it occurs in order to maintain a constant temperature. At large scales, Fischer-Tropsch reactors are usually slurry bubble reactors, wherein the catalyst consists of small particles suspended in a slurry. The gaseous reactants bubble up through the slurry, reacting as the bubbles contact the catalyst.
Due in part to the decreasing costs of natural gas (which can provide the feedstock chemicals for the reactions) coupled with the increasing cost and scarcity of liquid fuels, the desirability of producing fuel via the Fisher-Tropsch process is increasing. However, oftentimes the production rate of the feedstock fuel is insufficient to support the large cost associated with conventional, large scale Fisher-Tropsch reactors. Transporting the natural gas feedstock to a centralized location for processing is often impractical or economically prohibitive. As a result, much attention is now focused on process-intensified reactors to enable the economic production of Fischer-Tropsch fuels at a substantially smaller scale than can be achieved using the aforementioned conventional technology.
While such small scale Fischer-Tropsch reactors have been demonstrated, there is still much room for improvement. Such small scale reactors typically include long channels containing catalyst, through which the reactants flow and react to form a paraffinic wax. The reactant flow is typically in the direction of gravity, so that the wax can drip down out of the channels. It is preferential to have many channels with small hydraulic diameters in order to decrease the resistance to mass transfer and heat transfer. A coolant (boiling water, for example) flows through coolant channels in the reactor in order to absorb the heat of reaction and maintain a near-isothermal temperature.
One challenge in constructing such a small-scale reactor is that it can be difficult to place the required catalyst in a long channel. The typical approach is to apply the catalyst as a coating to inserts that are then placed into the long channels. Such an approach is described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,749,466 and US patent application 2010/0324158. This approach has several disadvantages, including the need to handle multiple parts (thereby adding cost), as well as the lack of good thermal contact between the catalyzed surfaces and the channel surfaces through which the heat must be transferred.
An alternative approach is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,278,363. In that approach, the reactor includes multiple compact finned-tube heat exchangers, each of which are coated with catalyst on the external finned surfaces. The heat exchangers are arranged in series with respect to the reactant flow, and cooling water is separately plumbed to each heat exchanger. However, since the depth to which the catalyst coating can be applied is relatively shallow, and the flow length is relatively long, this approach can require a great number of heat exchangers. For example, the depth to which the catalyst coating can be applied is typically in the range of 1-2 inches, whereas the desired flow length is typically in the range of 30-50 inches.

Reactor core for use in a chemical reactor, and method of making the same


A fuel injector, a method of mounting a fuel injector, a combination injector and clamping, and a clamp are all provided for ensuring the fuel injector is mounted in a proper rotative position in an injector mounting bore of any one of multiple internal combustion engine platforms requiring different injector mounting positions. The injector includes a first alignment feature having a first geometry corresponding to a first engagement feature of the first engine platform and adapted to be engaged by the first engagement feature to secure the injector to the first engine platform. The fuel injector further includes a second alignment feature having a second geometry different from, and incompatible with, the first geometry and corresponding to a second engagement feature of the second engine platform thereby ensuring the fuel injector is circumferentially oriented in a correct rotative position required by a given engine platform.

In many diesel engine platforms, or configurations, it is desirable, or necessary, to specifically orient a given cylinder's fuel injector to accommodate the positioning of the fuel line inlet connection, to position the injector's fuel spray orifices to obtain a desired fuel disbursement pattern within the cylinder, or to properly position an electrical connection.
It is known in the industry to employ mechanical means to obtain such fuel injector orientation such as taught in U.S. Pat. No. 3,343,798, issued to Karl Senfit, wherein mating indexes are used to properly position the fuel injector within the cylinder.
In an engine manufacturing facility producing engines having various engine configurations, or platforms, it is common to use a given fuel injector type for all engines. However, because of the differing engine platforms often having different fuel injector packaging requirements, such as the location of the fuel supply plumbing relative to the fuel injector, it is necessary to correctly position the fuel injector in accord with the particular engine's platform. For example, the fuel injector's fuel inlet may require a differing injector orientation for each of the various engine platforms being manufactured. With the teachings of Senfit, a distinct injector configuration, and respective part number, would be necessary for each engine platform and possibly for each individual cylinder of a given cylinder head resulting in numerous injector configurations and part numbers.

Fuel injector, clamping assembly and method of mounting a fuel injector


An audio system sets a signal line path between the medium of an audio device and an external device and uploads a digital audio file from the external device to the audio device according to a user's manipulation of the audio. In addition, a communication system selectively uses USB and UART communications by commonly using a single USB connector and connects a connector of an external device and an audio/USB/UART common connector through a single cable, so that audio/USB or audio/UART signals are selectively outputted through a common audio signal line. Accordingly, the audio system can interface with various kinds of external devices without external modification or additional installation of a dedicated interface in the audio device with a USB connector. In addition, the USB/UART common communication system can commonly use the USB connector without regard to USB and UART connection signals and can selectively output the audio/USB or audio/UART signals through the single cable in the audio device.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an audio system, in which a signal line path is set by the medium of an audio device and an external device using a universal serial bus (USB) or an expansion connector, a digital audio file stored in the external device is uploaded according to a user's manipulation, and sound is outputted through the audio device.
In addition, the present invention relates to a USB/UART common communication system, in which USB and UART connection signals are automatically detected using a single USB connector, and USB and UART communications can be selectively used by using the detected USB and UART connection signals as a common signal line.
Further, the present invention relates to a USB/UART common communication system, in which a connector of an external device and an audio/USB/UART common connector are connected through a single cable and an audio device selectively outputs an audio/USB or audio/UART signal through a common audio signal line.
2. Description of the Related Art
As various media players become popular, consumers increasingly want to listen to songs stored in a media player through a speaker system of a car audio or home audio device. To this end, an FM transmission function is added to a conventional media player such that a song played by a media player is transmitted over a specific FM frequency. Further, an audio device outputs an audio signal through frequency tuning in an FM reception mode.
In addition, an Aux-line in a conventional audio device is separately extended and connected to an earphone jack of a media player. Like this, as digital media technologies become popular, consumers increasingly want to directly play digital contents stored in a USB memory through a speaker system of a car audio or home audio device.
To this end, there is a patent application entitled "A MEDIAL PROCESSING DEVICE USING AN EXTERNAL STORAGE DEVICE", filed by the present applicant on Apr. 4, 2002 (Korean Patent Application No. 2003-21307) and issued on Oct. 15, 2003 (Korean Patent Registration No. 403,376). According to this patent, an audio device includes a USB host interface to directly read and play contents stored in a USB memory.
A media storage or media player using the above-described digital media technology includes a product group of MP3 player or USB flash disk (UFD) using a standard USB, and a product group of Apple iPod using universal asynchronous receiver/transmitter (UART) and IEEE 1394 as an interface.
In the Apple iPod illustrated in FIG. 1, an MP3 player 10 includes a 32-pin connector 11 and an IEEE 1394 connector 12. The IEEE 1394 connector 12 is connected to an Apple PC and used to download an MP3 file. The MP3 player 10 is connected to a remote controller and used to control the device in a UART communication scheme and display song information.
In addition, as illustrated in FIG. 2, the 32-pin connector 11 of the MP3 player 10 is connected to a 32-pin connector 21 additionally installed in a car audio 20. The car audio 20 receives song information in a UART communication scheme and provides device control information to the MP3 player 10. In this way, a car audio package using the 32-pin connector is provided. Such a car audio is called an "iPod ready" and an analog audio is separately connected through an Aux-line.
In recent years, USB connectors tend to be mounted in the car audio. Therefore, in order to implement the iPod ready or UART communication, the car audio must include both an expansion connector and a USB connector, causing space deficiency and design problem.
Because the Apple iPod can be connected only through a dedicated interface and a player using the UART communication has an expansion connector and a USB connector different from each other, there is a limit in using the conventional scheme, if the interface of the car audio is not additionally provided. Although consumers purchase a lot of the Apple iPods or UART communication products, the utilization is not high.
Moreover, USB, UART, and AUDIO connectors are separately provided in the existing car audio or home audio system. Thus, when the USB and the AUDIO connectors are used, a USB cable and an AUDIO cable must be separately used. In addition, when the UART and AUDIO connectors are used, a UART cable and an AUDIO cable must be separately used.

Audio system, and USB/UART common communication system for the same


Process for clearing an autonomous machine including first evaluating operation at a high curvature offline location. Following acceptable operation, the machine is placed into service and evaluated at a worksite. Following acceptable worksite operation, online operating speed of the machine is increased incrementally, and performance reevaluated. Following acceptable performance characteristics, online operating speed of the machine continues to be increased and revaluated until the machine reaches maximum designated operating speed, or is evaluated as unacceptable, in which case the machine continues to operate at the last acceptable online operating speed and identifies the unacceptable performance characteristic for further evaluation.

Autonomous worksites are designed to provide productivity gains through more consistency in processes. Such worksites may employ a plurality of autonomous machines such as, for example, off-highway haul trucks, motor graders, and other types of heavy equipment to perform a variety of tasks. Primary operation of such machines may be controlled by a combination of on-board and off-board computers, processors, and other electronic controllers rather than human operators. As a result, autonomous operation may enhance the productivity of the machines, and reduce the human resources required for controlling the operation of the work-site.
To operate the autonomous machines safely and efficiently on the worksite, the machines are usually equipped with sensors for detecting objects on the worksite. For example, RADAR (radio detection and ranging) sensors, SONAR (sound navigation and ranging) sensors, LIDAR (light detection and ranging) sensors, IR (infrared) and non-IR cameras, and other similar sensors may be used. The sensed objects may include specific geographical features of the worksite (for example, berms, markers, rocks, etc.), the other machines on the worksite, and any obstructions on the worksite. The machines are also generally equipped with sensors for detecting information regarding characteristics of the machine itself (for example, engine speed, travel and/or work speed, steering angle, transmission gear or gear ratio, orientation such as pitch and roll, geographical location, load weight, and load distribution). A vehicle model, which is a computer model that is used in autonomous operation of the machine on the worksite, may be stored in a computer memory of the machine.
On-board controller may cause machine to autonomously follow a route generated by a path planner associated with worksite. Upon introduction of a machine at a worksite or reintroduction of a machine at a worksite following repair or service, it may be necessary to evaluate machine operation in order to ensure that the machine satisfactorily follows a route generate by the path planner. This procedure is often referred to as a planner checkout. Should the machine not pass an applicable planner checkout, further calibration or removing the machine from operation may be required.
To perform planner checkout or calibration of the vehicle model, the autonomous machine may undergo a series of specific tests. The tests measure the actual performance of the machine under a variety of conditions, including different loads, speeds, steering angles, and orientations of the machine. After the conclusion of the testing, the actual performance of the machine under the various conditions is compared to the performance that was predicted by the standard vehicle model under those same conditions.
The area required for effective planner checkout or calibration-related activity may be relatively large. As a result, autonomous worksites may not have the physical space to set aside a dedicated area for complete test related activity. When an autonomous machine goes through assembly or repair at an autonomous worksite, the machine is often transported to an area designated specifically for planner checkout or calibration-related activity. The designated area may be a significant distance from the autonomous worksite. Further, it may take a significant amount of time to complete all of the specific tests required for complete planner checkout of the vehicle model. Thus, the autonomous machine may not be available to perform any task on the autonomous worksite for a relatively long period of time, until the machine is completely calibrated and has passed an applicable planner checkout, at which time the autonomous machine is transported back to the worksite. Subsequent service of the machine may result in similar disadvantages, since it may be necessary to transport the autonomous machine back to the designated area to again undergo the series of specific tests associated with the planner checkout, and calibration, if necessary.
A method of modifying a worksite a method of managing a worksite to facilitate calibration-related activity are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 9,008,886 and 9,182,760 to Braunstein et al. The Braunstein patents discloses methods designing a haul road to accommodate the calibration process and directing the machine to particular portions of a worksite that include characteristic for calibration.
The foregoing background discussion is intended solely to aid the reader. It is not intended to limit the innovations described herein, nor to limit or expand the prior art discussed. Thus, the foregoing discussion should not be taken to indicate that any particular element of a prior system is unsuitable for use with the innovations described herein, nor is it intended to indicate that any element is essential in implementing the innovations described herein. The implementations and application of the innovations described herein are defined by the appended claims.

InCycle planner checkout for autonomous vehicles


An engine ECU executes a program including the steps of calculating an in-cylinder injector's injection ratio; if the ratio is 1, calculating an amount of cold state spark advance by employing a function f(1) having the engine's temperature as a parameter; if the ratio is 0, calculating an amount of cold state spark advance by employing a function f(2) having the engine's temperature as a parameter; and if the ratio is larger than 0 and smaller than 1, calculating an amount of cold state spark advance by employing a function f(3) having the engine's temperature and the ratio as parameters.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a control apparatus for an internal combustion engine having a first fuel injection mechanism (an in-cylinder injector) for injecting a fuel into a cylinder and a second fuel injection mechanism (an intake manifold injector) for injecting a fuel into an intake manifold or an intake port, and relates particularly to a technique for determining a timing of ignition with a fuel injection ratio between the first and second fuel injection mechanisms considered.
2. Description of the Background Art
An internal combustion engine having an intake manifold injector for injecting a fuel into an intake manifold of the engine and an in-cylinder injector for always injecting a fuel into a combustion chamber of the engine, and configured to stop fuel injection from the intake manifold injector when the engine load is lower than a preset load and to cause fuel injection from the intake manifold injector when the engine load is higher than the set load, is known.
In such an internal combustion engine, one configured to switch between stratified charge combustion and homogeneous combustion in accordance with its operation state is known. In the stratified charge combustion, the fuel is injected from the in-cylinder injector during a compression stroke to form a stratified air-fuel mixture locally around a spark plug, for lean combustion of the fuel. In the homogeneous combustion, the fuel is diffused in the combustion chamber to form a homogeneous air-fuel mixture, for combustion of the fuel.
Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2001-020837 discloses a fuel injection control apparatus for an engine that switches between stratified charge combustion and homogeneous combustion in accordance with an operation state and that has a main fuel injection valve for injecting a fuel directly into a combustion chamber and a secondary fuel injection valve for injecting a fuel into an intake port of each cylinder. This fuel injection control apparatus for the engine is characterized in that the fuel injection ratio between the main fuel injection valve and the secondary fuel injection valve is set in a variable manner based on an operation state of the engine.
According to this fuel injection control apparatus for the engine, the stratified charge combustion is carried out using only the main fuel injection valve directly injecting the fuel into the combustion chamber, while the homogeneous combustion is carried out using both the main fuel injection valve and the secondary fuel injection valve (or using only the secondary fuel injection valve in some cases). This can keep the capacity of the main fuel injection valve small, even in the case of an engine of high power. Linearity in injection duration/injection quantity characteristic of the main fuel injection valve in a low-load region such as during idling is improved, which in turn improves accuracy in control of the fuel injection quantity. Accordingly, it is possible to maintain favorable stratified charge combustion, and thus to improve stability of the low-load operation such as idling. In the homogeneous combustion, both the main and secondary fuel injection valves are employed, so that the benefit of the direct fuel injection and the benefit of the intake port injection are both enjoyed. Accordingly, favorable homogeneous combustion can also be maintained.
In the fuel injection control apparatus for the engine disclosed in Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2001-020837, the stratified charge combustion and the homogeneous combustion are employed according-to the situations, which complicates ignition control, injection control and throttle control, and requires control programs corresponding to the respective combustion manners. Particularly, upon switching between the combustion manners, these controls require considerable changes, making it difficult to realize desirable controls (of fuel efficiency, emission purification performance) at the time of transition. Further, in the stratified combustion region where lean combustion is carried out, the three-way catalyst does not work, in which case a lean NOx catalyst needs to be used, leading to an increased cost.
Based on the foregoing, an engine has also been developed which does not provide stratified charge combustion, and thus does not need control for switching between the stratified charge combustion and the homogeneous combustion and does not require an expensive lean NOx catalyst.
In controlling the engine to be ignited with its coolant having lower temperature, spark advance is introduced for correction. This is because when the coolant has lower temperature (poorer atomization is provided) lower combustion rates are provided and the engine is less prone to knock. The spark advance can provide an increased period of time between ignition and exhaust, and despite lower combustion rates the air fuel mixture can sufficiently be combusted.
In a cold state, however, for a range shared by an intake manifold injector injecting fuel into an intake manifold (or port) having low temperature in a cold state and an in-cylinder injector injecting the fuel into a cylinder having high temperature despite the cold state to both inject the fuel the fuel is atomized differently. As such, the fuel injected through the in-cylinder injector and that through the intake manifold injector have different conditions, respectively. The fuel atomized differently forms air fuel mixtures having different conditions and hence combusting differently, and the air fuel mixtures combusting differently require different optimal timings of ignition. As such, using the coolant's temperature alone to calculate an amount of spark advance cannot provide an accurate timing of ignition (or an accurate amount of spark advance). Furthermore, not only in the cold state but a transitional period from the cold state to a warm state as well, for a range shared by the intake manifold and in-cylinder injectors to both inject the fuel the temperature in the cylinder and that at the intake port increase at different rates. As such, using the coolant's temperature alone to calculate an amount of spark advance cannot provide an accurate amount of spark advance. Note that Japanese Patent Laying-open No. 2001-20837 only discloses that each injector is driven to achieve a fuel injection ratio corresponding to the operation state of interest and a timing of ignition is set, and the document does not provide a solution to the problem described above.

Control apparatus for internal combustion engine


A grommet mainly made of soft, pliable material has a flange section for sealing against a first side of a vehicle panel around an aperture through the panel. A groove separates the flange section from a conical section that tapers from the groove to a narrower tubular section for tightly fitting around a wire harness passed through the grommet. The conical section has a wider end adjacent the groove that presses against a second, opposite side of the panel when the groove receives an edge of the aperture and the grommet is seated on the panel. The conical section has a region that engages the edge of the aperture as the grommet is pulled to an installed position. A plurality of raised, hard, rigid contact pads are arranged in a circumferential row around the engagement region to provide low friction while sliding past the edge of the aperture when the grommet is pulled through the aperture. The contact pads are spaced apart by recesses that maintain the compressibility of the grommet and keep the soft grommet material between the pads from contacting the edge of the aperture during installation. Angled tabs extend from undersides of the contact pads to help secure the pads on the grommet. The contact pads are connected by a ring structure embedded in the conical section.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates in general to grommets for routing wire harnesses through vehicle panel apertures and more particularly to a grommet having a raised, rigid material on an insertion engagement surface for lowering the force required to mount the grommet in the aperture.
2. Discussion of Related Art
Typical grommets have historically been difficult to install in vehicle bulkhead or panel apertures because of the high friction arising between an interface region or engagement surface of the grommet and an edge or edges of the aperture during insertion. The vehicle panel is usually made of sheet metal and the grommets often made of soft rubber. The edge of the aperture tends to bite or dig into the rubber, making it difficult to slide the grommet into the sealing position. Various methods have been used to reduce the force required to mount a grommet in an aperture of the panel through which a wire harness is to be routed. Sometimes a lubricating liquid is sprayed on the engagement surface at the assembly location. The lubricant often spreads to other vehicle locations and parts, and can foul the assembly area.
Other attempts to reduce friction include finishing the engagement surface in some manner to reduce contact at the insertion interface. FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a prior art solution that configures the engagement surface to reduce friction. A grommet 10 has a generally circular flange section 12 that seals against a wet side of the panel. The wet side could, for example, be an engine compartment, and an opposite, dry side of the panel could be a passenger compartment. An annular groove 14 separates the flange section 12 from a wider end 16 of a conical section 18. The groove 14 is sized to receive an edge of the aperture through the panel. The wider end 16 of the conical section 18 presses against the dry side of the panel. The conical section 18 tapers to a narrower end 20 integral with a tubular section 22. The tubular section tightly fits around a wire harness passed through the flange and conical sections.
To mount the grommet 10 in the panel aperture, the conical section 18 is pulled through the aperture until the edge of the aperture is received in the groove 14. To provide a tight fit and seal, an outer surface 24 of the conical section 18 adjacent the groove 14 must be wider than the aperture. The grommet 10 uses circumferential ridges or stipples 26 around the conical section 18 at the location of this outer surface 24. The ridges 26 are meant to provide more flexibility to the outer surface. However, these ridges 26 can catch on the sheet metal of the panel and often make it difficult to know when the grommet 10 is seated properly.
Another attempt to reduce the contact friction is disclosed in commonly assigned, co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/212,751, filed Aug. 29, 2005. Circumferential rows of depressions are set into the engagement surface to reduce the amount of surface area coming into contact with the aperture edge during insertion of the grommet.


An electrical connector includes a wafer having flexible members that allow the wafer to expand or contract in response to movement of solder pads on a PCB. As a PCB to which a connector is attached is heated during, for example, normal use, it may expand, which may result in the outward movement of the solder balls at the point of connection with the PCB. The flexible members in the wafer enable the wafer to likewise expand so that it does not impede the movement of the solder connections and cause a stress to be placed on the solder connections at the PCB connection point.

Substrates such as printed circuit boards ("PCBs") are commonly used to mount electronic components and to provide electrical interconnections between those components and components external to the PCB. During use of a connector, the connector and the PCB may be heated, causing each to expand. The rate of expansion of the connector may be different from the rate of expansion of the PCB. This difference may result in strain being placed at the point of connection of the connector to the PCB. For example, a connector may be mounted to a circuit board through the use of solder balls that are attached to connector contacts and soldered to the PCB. As the PCB and connector are heated or cooled during operation, the connector may expand to a greater or lesser degree than the PCB, resulting in a stress being placed on one or more contact solder joints at the PCB. The stress may break one or more soldered connections and result in degradation of electrical connectivity between the connector and PCB. Similar problems may be encountered when contacts are in a press-fit engagement with a PCB.

Electrical connector stress relief at substrate interface


Methods for treating inflammation-mediated conditions of the eye are described, comprising: implanting into the vitreous of the eye of an individual a bioerodible implant comprising a steroidal anti-inflammatory agent and a bioerodible polymer, wherein the implant delivers the agent to the vitreous in an amount sufficient to reach a concentration equivalent to at least about 0.05 μg/ml dexamethasone within about 48 hours and maintains a concentration equivalent to at least about 0.03 μg/ml dexamethasone for at least about three weeks.

Glucocorticoids are an important part of treatment in severe anterior, intermediate, posterior, and panuveitis. A major problem with present drug therapy is the inability to achieve adequate intraocular drug concentration. In particular, uveitis is well known for its long duration due in part to the difficulties associated with poor intraocular penetration of topical medications into the posterior segment (Bloch-Michel E. (1992). "Opening address: intermediate uveitis," In Intermediate Uveitis, Dev Opthalmol. W. R. F. Boke et al. eds., Basel: Karger, 23:1-2; Pinar, V. Intermediate uveitis. Massachusetts Eye & Ear Infirmary Immunology Service; Rao, N. A. et al. (1997). "Intraocular inflammation and uveitis" In Basic and Clinical Science Course. Section 9 (1997-1998) San Francisco: American Academy of Opthalmology, pp. 57-80, 102-103, 152-156; Boke, W. (1992). "Clinical picture of intermediate uveitis," In Intermediate Uveitis, Dev Opthalmol. W. R. F. Boke et al. eds., Basel: Karger, 23:20-7; Cheng C-K et al. (1995). "Intravitreal sustained-release dexamethasone device in the treatment of experimental uveitis," Invest Opthalmol Vis Sci. 36:442-53). Systemic glucocorticoid administration may require prolonged exposure of high plasma concentrations (administration of 1 mg/kg/day for 2-3 weeks) so that therapeutic levels can be achieved in the eye (Pinar, V. "Intermediate uveitis," Massachusetts Eye & Ear Infirmary Immunology Service). These high drug plasma levels often lead to systemic side effects such as hypertension, hyperglycemia, increased susceptibility to infection, peptic ulcers, psychosis, and other complications (Cheng C-K et al. (1995). "Intravitreal sustained-release dexamethasone device in the treatment of experimental uveitis," Invest Opthalmol Vis Sci. 36:442-53; Schwartz, B. (1966). "The response of ocular pressure to corticosteroids," Opthalmol Clin North Am 6:929-89; Skalka, H. W. et al. (1980). "Effect of corticosteroids on cataract formation," Arch Opthalmol 98:1773-7; Renfro, L. et al. (1992). "Ocular effects of topical and systemic steroids," Dermatologic Clinics 10:505-12). In addition, overall drug delivery to the eye may be poor due to the short drug plasma half-life limiting exposure into intraocular tissues. The most efficient way of delivering drug to the posterior segment is to place it directly in the vitreous (Maurice, D. M. (1983). "Micropharmaceutics of the eye," Ocular Inflammation Ther 1:97-102; Lee, V. H. L. et al. (1989). "Drug delivery to the posterior segment" Chapter 25 In Retina. T. E. Ogden and A. P. Schachat eds., St. Louis: C V Mosby, Vol. 1, pp. 483-98; Olsen, T. W. et al. (1995). "Human scleral permeability: effects of age, cryotherapy, transscleral diode laser, and surgical thinning," Invest Opthalmol Vis Sci 36:1893-1903). Intravitreal injections have shown promising results, however, due to the short intraocular half-life of glucocorticoids (approximately 3 hours), intravitreal injections must be repeated to maintain drug levels which increases the potential for side effects such as retinal detachment, endophthalmitis, and cataract (Maurice, D. M. (1983). "Micropharmaceutics of the eye," Ocular Inflammation Ther 1:97-102; Olsen, T. W. et al. (1995). "Human scleral permeability: effects of age, cryotherapy, transscleral diode laser, and surgical thinning," Invest Opthalmol Vis Sci 36:1893-1903; Kwak, H. W. and D'Amico, D. J. (1992). "Evaluation of the retinal toxicity and pharmacokinetics of dexamethasone after intravitreal injection," Arch Opthalmol 110:259-66). Topical, systemic, and periocular glucocorticoid treatment must be monitored closely due to toxicity and the long-term side effects associated with chronic systemic drug exposure sequelae (Rao, N. A. et al. (1997). "Intraocular inflammation and uveitis" In Basic and Clinical Science Course. Section 9 (1997-1998) San Francisco: American Academy of Opthalmology, pp. 57-80, 102-103, 152-156; Schwartz, B. (1966). "The response of ocular pressure to corticosteroids," Opthalmol Clin North Am 6:929-89; Skalka, H. W. and Pichal, J. T. (1980). "Effect of corticosteroids on cataract formation," Arch Opthalmol 98:1773-7; Renfro, L and Snow, J. S. (1992). "Ocular effects of topical and systemic steroids," Dermatologic Clinics 10:505-12; Bodor, N. et al. (1992). "A comparison of intraocular pressure elevating activity of loteprednol etabonate and dexamethasone in rabbits," Current Eye Research 11:525-30).
U.S. Pat. No. 5,501,856 discloses controlled-release pharmaceutical preparations for intraocular implants to be applied to the interior of the eye after a surgical operation for disorders in retina/vitreous body or for glaucoma.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,869,079 discloses combinations of hydrophilic and hydrophobic entities in a biodegradable sustained release implant, and describes a polylactic acid polyglycolic acid (PLGA) copolymer implant comprising dexamethasone. As shown by in vitro testing of the drug release kinetics, the 100-120 μg 50/50 PLGA/dexamethasone implant disclosed did not show appreciable drug release until the beginning of the fourth week.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,824,072 discloses implants for introduction into a suprachoroidal space or an avascular region of the eye, and describes a methylcellulose implant comprising dexamethasone.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,997,652 and 5,164,188 disclose biodegradable ocular implants comprising microencapsulated drugs, and describes implanting microcapsules comprising hydrocortisone succinate into the posterior segment of the eye.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,164,188 discloses encapsulated agents for introduction into the suprachoroidal of the eye, and describes placing microcapsules and plaques comprising hydrocortisone into the pars plana.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,443,505 and 5,766,242 discloses implants comprising active agents for introduction into a suprachoroidal space or an avascular region of the eye, and describes placing microcapsules and plaques comprising hydrocortisone into the pars plana.
Zhou et al. disclose a multiple-drug implant comprising 5-fluorouridine, triamcinolone, and human recombinant tissue plasminogen activator for intraocular management of proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR) (Zhou, T, et al. (1998). "Development of a multiple-drug delivery implant for intraocular management of proliferative vitreoretinopathy," Journal of Controlled Release 55: 281-295.)
There is a continued need for efficacious intraocular sustained release drug therapies for patients with inflammatory conditions.
All references cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.

Implants and methods for treating inflammation-mediated conditions of the eye