The invention relates to novel pharmaceutically acceptable salts of anticonvulsant derivatives, processes for preparation of and pharmaceutical compositions containing said salts, useful in the treatment of epilepsy.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,513,006, which is hereby incorporated by reference, discloses a class of novel anti-epileptic compounds. One of these compounds, 2,3,4,5-bis-O-(1-methylethylidene)-β-D-fructopyranose sulfamate, known as topiramate, has been demonstrated in clinical trials of human epilepsy to be effective as adjunctive therapy or as monotherapy in treating simple and complex partial seizure and secondarily generalized seizures (E. Faught, B. J. Wilder, R. E. Ramsey, R. A. Reife, L. D. Kramer, G. Pledger, R. M. Karim, et al., Epilepsia, 36 (S4) 33, (1995); S. K. Sachdeo, R. C. Sachdeo, R. A. Reife, P. Lim and G. Pledger, Epilepsia, 36 (S4) 33, (1995)). U.S. Pat. No. 4,513,006 , No. 5,242,942, and No. 5,384,327, which are hereby incorporated by reference, disclose processes for the preparation of these novel anti-epileptic compounds.
Topiramate is currently marketed for the treatment of simple and complex partial seizure epilepsy with or without secondary generalized seizures in Great Britain, Finland, the United States and Sweden and applications for regulatory approval are presently pending in numerous countries throughout the world.
Ehrenberg et al in U.S. Pat. No. 5,998,380 disclose pharmaceutically acceptable derivatives of the following formula (A)

wherein the substituents are a described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,998,380. By pharmaceutically acceptable derivative is meant any pharmaceutically acceptable ester or salt of such ester of the compounds of the formula (A) or any other compounds which upon administration to the recipient is capable of providing (directly or indirectly) a compound of the formula (A) or an anti-migraine active metabolite or residue thereof.
Pharmaceutically acceptable salts of the compounds of the formula (A) include those derived from pharmaceutically acceptable, inorganic and organic acids and bases. Examples of suitable acids include hydrochloric, hydrobromic, sulfuric, nitric, perchloric, fumaric, maleic, phosphoric, glycollic, lactic, salicylic, succinic, toluene-p-sulphonic, tartaric, acetic, citric, formic, benzoic, malonic, naphthalene-2-sulphonic and benzenesulphonic acids. Other acids such as oxalic acid, while not in themselves pharmaceutically acceptable, may be useful in the preparation of salts useful as intermediates in obtaining compounds useful in the method of the patent and their pharmaceutically acceptable acid addition salts.
Salts derived from appropriate bases include alkali metal (e.g. sodium), alkaline earth metal (e.g. magnesium) ammonium and NR4 (where R is C1-4alkyl) salts.
McElroy, S. L. in PCT application WO 00/50020 disclose pharmaceutically acceptable salts of compounds of the following formula (B)

wherein the substituents are as described in PCT application WO 00/50020. Pharmaceutically acceptable salts of the compounds of the formula (B) include, for example, alkali metal salts, such as sodium and potassium; ammonium salts, monoalkylammmonium salts; dialkylammonium salts; trialkylammonium salts; tetraalkylammonium salts; and tromethamine salts. Hydrates and other solvates of the compound of the formula (B) are also included within the scope of compounds.
Pharmaceutically acceptable salts of the compounds of formula (B) can be prepared by reacting the compound of the formula (B) with an appropriate base and recovering the salt.
Dewey et al, in PCT application WO 00/07583 disclose pharmaceutically acceptable salts of topiramate. As defined in the specification, pharmaceutically acceptable salts include those salt-forming acids and bases which do not substantially increase the toxicity of the compound. Some examples of suitable salts include salts of mineral acids such as hydrochloric, hydroiodic, hydrobromic, phosphoric, metaphosphoric, nitric and sulfuric acids, as well as salts of organic acids such as tartaric, acetic, citric, malic, benzoic, glycollic, gluconic, gulonic, succinic, arylsulfonic, eg. p-toluenesulfonic acids, and the like.
We now describe novel salt forms of anticonvulsant derivatives, including novel salt forms of topiramate, which forms are suitable for use in the preparation of pharmaceutical formulations.


The present invention provides an article to be worn about a wearer including a surface fastening system having a primary direction of load bearing. The surface fastening system has a first surface fastening element and a second surface fastening element. The first fastening element is joined to the article, and the second fastening element is disposed so as to be generally in a face to face relationship with the first fastening element when the surface fastening system is in a fastened configuration. The surface fastening system has a peel resistance in a direction other than the primary direction of load bearing greater than or equal to about 1000 grams.

Absorbent articles and disposable absorbent articles such as diapers, training pants, bibs, sanitary napkins and the like are well known in the art. Such articles are typically used to absorb and contain bodily exudates such as feces, urine and/or menses. Until fairly recently, many of the absorbent articles identified above were made from reusable materials such as woven cloth materials including cotton and other absorbent fabrics. Lately, however, many consumers have found that using disposable absorbent articles is more convenient than using reusable articles for various reasons. Accordingly, many different types of disposable absorbent articles, including disposable diapers such as those described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,151,092 entitled "Absorbent Article With Dynamic Elastic Waist Feature Having Predisposed Flexural Hinge" issued to Buell et al. on Sep. 22, 1992 have achieved wide acceptance and commercial success.
Over the years, there have been many advancements related to disposable absorbent articles, including improvements in fastening systems, absorbency and aesthetics. However, there is still a need for improvement relating to fit, comfort, aesthetics and overall performance of such articles. For example, disposable diapers often do not look or feel like garments. Further, disposable diapers are often difficult for the user, whether it be the caregiver or child, to properly fasten about the wearer. This can lead to poor fit which can result in leaks and/or reduced comfort for the wearer. Further, in diapers for active wearers and in refastenable pull-on diapers, such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,987,545 issued to Kline et al., multi-directional resistance to disengagement is important to ensure that the fasteners remain engaged while pulling up the product so that the product does not come apart during application.
One example of an attempt to improve on fastening systems for absorbent articles is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,984,911 issued to Siebers et al. The patent discloses a fastening system including a foldable trapping panel with a base stationary on the front of the article and a flap panel which extends out from the base. Both the base and the flap include the loop components of a hook and loop fastening device. A complementary hook fastening element is attached to the back of the diaper. Although this system is disclosed to provide improved performance for hook and loop type fastening system, it may not provide the specific performance necessary to function as needed for all product designs, such as for a refastenable pull-on diaper. Further, a fundamental understanding of how such a system works is not disclosed, nor are embodiments that take full advantage of the system.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide an absorbent article with an improved fastening system. It would also be desirable to provide an absorbent article with improved aesthetics. It would also be desirable to provide an absorbent article with improved fit and overall performance. Further, it would be desirable to provide an absorbent article with an improved fastening system that provides easier and more reliable fastening performance.

Absorbent article with improved fastening system


A load balancer in a wireless access protocol network receives a request from a client terminal. The load balancer selects one of a plurality of gateways to process the request. The load balancer sends a re-direct message to the client terminal that includes information identifying the selected gateway. The client terminal then sends out a subsequent request that includes the information identifying the selected gateway. The subsequent request is transferred to the selected gateway for processing without further intervention by the load balancer.

A Wireless Access Protocol (WAP) load balancer is a device that distributes WAP traffic received over a wireless network on a User Datagram Protocol (UDP) bearer network among a group of WAP gateways. Each WAP gateway translates requests from the WML stack to a WWW protocol stack, such as HTML and TCP/IP. The WAP gateway encodes and decodes web content to reduce the size and number of packets traveling over the wireless network. The WAP gateway interfaces with subscriber databases in order to provide client specific services.
Because of the growth and size of the wireless subscriber market, content customers providing WAP services are quickly experiencing more bottlenecks at their WAP gateways. The WAP load balancer is used to distribute WAP traffic among WAP gateways in order to relieve and avoid bottlenecks in the system.
A Wireless Session Protocol (WSP) is a session layer protocol for operation between a WAP client and a WAP gateway. The WSP provides connection oriented and connection-less oriented session services with optional security to upper level application layers. For a connection oriented service, the client establishes a reliable session with a server and releases that session in an orderly manner. The association between client and server session is with a session identifier. The WAP gateway maintains the session state based on the session identifier for all session management packets.
With multiple WAP gateways, the WAP load balancer must ensure that all packets associated with a single session are sent to the same WAP gateway. This becomes problematic when a gateway re-directs a request to a different port and/or Internet Protocol address in order to obtain the necessary information to satisfy the request. Therefore, it is desirable to be able to re-direct a request in a multiple gateway environment.

Apparatus and method for re-directing a client session


Beaded panels and method of forming beaded panels. A beaded panel as described herein includes a base structure comprising a sheet of material, and beads that comprise a protrusion on a first side of the base structure, and a concavity on an opposing second side of the base structure. A geometry of the beads comprises a center section having a conic shape about a longitudinal axis, flared sections symmetric about the center section along the longitudinal axis, and a transition section that curves outward from a base of the center section and the flared sections to blend with a flat surface on the first side of the base structure.

Thin, flat sheets of material are used in a variety of applications as structural components, such as in aircraft, aerospace vehicles, automobiles, floating vessels, etc. The light-weight properties of thin sheets of material may be desirable for applications, but the bending stiffness of the thin sheets may be less than desirable for these same applications. To improve the stiffness of a thin sheet, bead stiffeners may be added to the thin sheet to form a beaded panel. A bead stiffener (referred to herein as a "bead") is an alteration to the cross-section of a sheet to improve stiffness or rigidity. For example, a bead stiffener in a metal sheet may comprise a feature that is stamped into the sheet so that the bead protrudes from one side of the sheet and is recessed on the other side of the sheet. The static and dynamic characteristics of a sheet are enhanced by bead stiffeners without any increase in the mass of the beaded panel. The bending or flexural stiffness of a sheet depends on the material properties of the sheet and its cross-section geometry. By changing the geometry of the sheet with the bead stiffeners, the stiffness of the sheet is increased. In addition to bead geometry, the stiffness of a sheet may be further altered by bead location and bead orientation.


An electrosurgical generator is disclosed. The generator includes a radio frequency output stage configured to generate a radio frequency waveform and a sensor circuit configured to measure a property of the radio frequency waveform during a predetermined sampling period to determine whether an arc event has occurred. The generator also includes a controller configured to determine a total charge and/or total energy deposited by the radio frequency waveform during the predetermined sampling period associated with the arc event. The controller is further configured to adjust the output of the electrosurgical generator based on at least one parameter to limit arcing.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to electrosurgical apparatuses, systems and methods. More particularly, the present disclosure is directed to electrosurgical generators configured to control energy output on a per arc basis. The generator detects aberrations within continuous or pulsed waveforms indicative of sudden changes in the current. In particular the generator monitors for deviations from the sinusoidal or pulsed sinusoidal current waveforms as compared to the voltage waveform.
2. Background of Related Art
Energy-based tissue treatment is well known in the art. Various types of energy (e.g., electrical, ultrasonic, microwave, cryogenic, heat, laser, etc.) are applied to tissue to achieve a desired result. Electrosurgery involves application of high radio frequency electrical current to a surgical site to cut, ablate, coagulate or seal tissue. In monopolar electrosurgery, an active electrode delivers radio frequency energy from the electrosurgical generator to the tissue and a return electrode carries the current back to the generator. In monopolar electrosurgery, the active electrode is typically part of the surgical instrument held by the surgeon and applied to the tissue to be treated. A patient return electrode is placed remotely from the active electrode to carry the current back to the generator.
Ablation is most commonly a monopolar procedure that is particularly useful in the field of cancer treatment, where one or more RF ablation needle electrodes (usually having elongated cylindrical geometry) are inserted into a living body and placed in the tumor region of an affected organ. A typical form of such needle electrodes incorporates an insulated sheath from which an exposed (uninsulated) tip extends. When an RF energy is provided between the return electrode and the inserted ablation electrode, RF current flows from the needle electrode through the body. Typically, the current density is very high near the tip of the needle electrode, which tends to heat and destroy surrounding issue.
In bipolar electrosurgery, one of the electrodes of the hand-held instrument functions as the active electrode and the other as the return electrode. The return electrode is placed in close proximity to the active electrode such that an electrical circuit is formed between the two electrodes (e.g., electrosurgical forceps). In this manner, the applied electrical current is limited to the body tissue positioned immediately adjacent the electrodes. When the electrodes are sufficiently separated from one another, the electrical circuit is open and thus inadvertent contact with body tissue with either of the separated electrodes does not cause current to flow.
During electrosurgical procedures, the magnitude and temporal characteristics of the voltage and current as supplied by the electrosurgical generator determine energy density pathways and tissue temperatures. This may be accomplished by keeping the total delivered power constant while varying other energy properties, such as voltage, current, etc. These configurations are not configured for detecting and controlling arcing conditions between the active electrode and tissue. It is particularly desirable to prevent the occurrence of uncontrolled electrical arcs and concomitant energy deposition on a half cycle or shorter time scale, in order to avoid inadvertent tissue damage and to achieve optimum conditions. Thus, there is a continual need for electrosurgical generators which are configured to sense tissue and energy properties to determine arcing conditions and control energy output based on these determinations.

Real-time arc control in electrosurgical generators

Colorado State University Research Foundation


The new and distinct plant cultivar of hardy Hibiscus named ‘Sultry Kiss’ comprising heavily branched purple tinted stems containing three-lobed maple-like foliage with burgundy tinting, and flowers with heavily overlapped magenta red petals and crimson red eye, over at least 12 weeks during the summer and early fall until frost.

The present invention relates to the new and distinct hardy hibiscus plant, Hibiscus 'Sultry Kiss' hybridized by Kevin A. Hurd in the summer of 2006 at a nursery in Zeeland, Mich. The new Plant, originally assigned the breeder identification number 06-210-01 is a cross between Hibiscus 'Fantasia' U.S. Plant Pat. No. 11,853 as the female parent (pod parent) times Hibiscus 'Fireball' U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,634 as the male parent (pollen parent). Hibiscus 'Sultry Kiss' has been asexually propagated both by shoot tip stem cuttings and sterile tissue culture at the same nursery in Zeeland, Mich. first since 2008. The resultant plants have been found to be stable and true to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction.


A system and method for reserving conference resources for a multipoint conference includes receiving a request for a multipoint conference reservation and a list of participants. Communication paths for a plurality of the participants may be predicted. A multipoint control unit resource requirement may be estimated. A first multipoint control unit may be selected to host the multipoint conference. The availability of the multipoint control unit resource requirement at approximately a scheduled start time of the multipoint conference may be determined. A second multipoint control unit may be selected to host the multipoint conference, if the first multipoint control unit does not have the multipoint control unit resource requirement available at the scheduled start time and for the duration of the conference.

Historically, telecommunications have involved the transmission of voice and fax signals over a network dedicated to telecommunications, such as the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) or a Private Branch Exchange (PBX). Similarly, data communications between computers have historically been transmitted on a dedicated data network, such as a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN). Currently, telecommunications and data transmissions are being merged into an integrated communication network using technologies such as Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP). Since many LANs and WANs transmit computer data using Internet Protocol (IP), VoIP uses this existing technology to transmit voice and fax signals by converting these signals into digital data and encapsulating the data for transmission over an IP network. However, the integration of telecommunications and data transmissions is ongoing, and many features and functionality that were available to users of traditional telecommunications networks have not been made available to users of VoIP and similar technologies.
Traditional communication networks often support multipoint conferences between a number of participants using different communication devices. A multipoint control unit (MCU) is used to couple the devices, which allows users from distributed geographic locations to participate in the conference. Each MCU includes a finite amount of MCU resources to accommodate one or more multipoint conferences, at a given point in time. The conference may be audio only (e.g., teleconference), or videoconferencing/broadcasting may be included. A single MCU may be used to accommodate thousands of participants, in a multipoint conference.

System and method for reserving conference resources for a multipoint conference using a priority scheme


A method for manufacturing and mounting a semiconductor device in which a void in a bonding portion is eliminated. A material which is to be formed into a protruding electrode is placed on a semiconductor element. The protruding electrode material is heated in a depressurized atmosphere so as to be melted. Then, the protruding electrode material is heated in a pressurized atmosphere which provides a pressure greater than a pressure in said depressurized atmosphere. Finally, the protruding electrode material is cooled so as to be solidified while the pressurized atmosphere is maintained. The semiconductor device is mounted to a mount board after a surface layer is electroplated on an electrode of the mount board.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device and a method for mounting a semiconductor device and, more particularly, to a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device which has protruding electrodes such as a solder bump and a method for mounting such a semiconductor device to a mount board or circuit board.
2. Description of the Related Art
In order to achieve a high-speed operation of a computer, it is required to decrease a propagation delay in signal transmission. The path for transmitting signals includes a path provided inside a semiconductor element and a path provided outside the semiconductor element. Recently, a high-speed operation of signal transmission in the semiconductor element has been achieved. Thus, it is desired to decrease a propagation delay of signals generated in connecting parts provided outside semiconductor elements and a propagation delay generated in wiring parts of a mount board to which the semiconductor elements are mounted.
A flip chip bonding reduces the propagation delay of signals. In the flip chip bonding, a bump such as a solder bump, a gold bump or a conductive material bump is used for bonding a semiconductor element to a mount board or circuit board. Accordingly, the length of a wiring portion between the semiconductor device and the mount board is reduced, resulting in a reduction in the entire length of the wiring parts. Thus, the propagation delay of signals can be reduced since the delay of signals in the wiring parts is proportional to the length of the wire parts.
In order to achieve the flip chip bonding, solder bumps, for example, must be formed on at least one of the semiconductor element and the mount board. As a method for forming the solder bumps, a solder paste printing method, a solder ball method, a vapor deposition method, a transfer method and an electroplating method are known.
The vapor deposition method, the transfer method and the electroplating method have superiority in forming many fine bumps. For example, solder bumps can be formed on the electrodes of a semiconductor element by plating a solder material. The solder bumps thus formed are aligned with corresponding electrodes of a mounting board, and then the solder bumps are melted to bond the semiconductor element to the mounting board.
One of the problems of the flip chip bonding is a decrease in the strength of the soldered portion due to presence of a void in the soldered portion. Such void may expand during a mounting process of the semiconductor element to the mount board which may result in fracture of the soldered portion. The cause of formation of the void may be a gas being trapped in an area between the electrode and the solder in which area the electrode is insufficiently wet by the molten solder.
Conventionally, several methods have been suggested to eliminate a void in the soldered portion as mentioned below.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No.61-75531 discloses a method in which a soldering operation is performed while a surface on which a solder is provided is slanted so that the soldering operation is progressed while a gas is pressed out by the flow of solder. However, this method is not applicable to fine bumps.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Applications No.63-90160, No.3-82146 and No.6-275733 disclose a method for providing a passage (a through hole) through which a gas in a void can escape. Additionally, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Applications No.63-130258 and No.6-285622 disclose a method in which an oxidation layer of the solder is broken so as to prevent generation of a void. However, these methods are also not applicable to fine bumps.
Additionally, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No.3-208346 discloses a method for removing a gas in a void by sticking a needle into the solder. However, this method is not practical for fine bumps formed on a chip having a few thousands of terminals.
Further, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No.4-360557 discloses a method for soldering in a sealed manner which is not applicable to a fine solder bump. Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No.5-226386 discloses a method for soldering while swinging which is not applicable to fine solder bumps provided with a fine pitch. Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No.7-22744 discloses a method for pressing gas by applying a pressure to the solder. However, it is difficult in practice to apply a pressure to a fine bump.
In order to eliminate a void without the above-mentioned problems, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Applications No.63-226031, No.63-304655, No.2-79453, No.1-278959, No.3-91254 and No.6-69387 suggest a method for bonding without a void by using adhesive material. In this method, the adhesive material is provided to encircle a surface to be bonded. The adhesive material is rendered to be flowable under a low-pressure condition. Then, a high pressure is applied so as to flow the adhesive material inwardly and solidify the adhesive material.
In order to apply the above-mentioned method to a solder bump, the solder must be formed in a shape which encircles an electrode. However, it is difficult in practice to form the solder in such a shape to encircle a fine electrode having a diameter of a few tens of micrometers. Additionally, when a pitch is a few tens to a few hundreds of micrometers, there is a problem in that there is a high probability of short-circuiting adjacent electrodes.
As mentioned above, there is no publicly known method which is practically effective to reduce formation of voids in a solder bump. Accordingly, in a practical manufacturing process of a semiconductor device, a gas evacuation of a solder bump is performed in a relatively simple manner such as annealing in a vacuum condition or in an inert gas atmosphere, although it is recognized that such a method is not sufficient.
Another problem raised by the flip chip bonding is that a defective soldering occurs in a mounting process for mounting a semiconductor element to a mount board when an oxidation layer is present on a surface of a solder bump. Accordingly, the oxidation layer must be removed before a mounting process is performed. However, it is difficult to remove the oxidation layer under the vacuum condition or the inert gas atmosphere.
A further problem raised by the flip chip bonding is in that it is possible to lose an electrical contact between a solder and an electrode. That is, diffusion of solder material in the electrode may weaken the electrodes. Additionally, a fracture may occur in a metal compound formed by reaction of a solder material and an electrode material which metal compound is hard and brittle. Accordingly, a metal layer must be formed between the solder and the electrode so as to prevent diffusion of the solder material.

Method for manufacturing a semiconductor device and a method for mounting a semiconductor device for eliminating a void


A radio keyboard supports a potentiometer on its rear surface and a popout control in the front surface. The control includes a housing between the keyboard and the radio trim plate, inner and outer stationary cams, and a rotatable cam follower on a shaft which controls the potentiometer. The cams index the cam follower each time a knob on the shaft outer end is depressed. The cams alternately hold the follower and the shaft in retracted and extended position.

It is often desired to maintain a radio control button in a retracted position during standby mode and then to extend the button for operating mode so that it is easy to manipulate. Such buttons are called popout controls. Usually this is accomplished by a dual position arrangement wherein the button mode is changed by pressing in and then releasing the button so that it alternately assumes a retracted position and an extended position.
A common arrangement for popout controls is shown in FIG. 1. There an open-fronted radio case 10 contains a main circuit board 12 in a horizontal plane, and a vertical keyboard 14 is supported outside the case by a front plate 16 which closes the front of the case. A trim plate 18 covers the front of the radio assembly and includes apertures for operating controls including pushbuttons 19 which connect to the keyboard. A plurality of popout controls 20 within the case 10 are mounted on a horizontal auxiliary board 22 and each control 20 has a threaded tubular part 24 which protrudes through the front plate 16 and is held in place by a nut 28. Each popout control comprises a shaft 30 extending through the trim plate 18 and having a knob 32, and a potentiometer packaged with a dual position arrangement 33 on the board 22 to control the shaft and knob position between a retracted position shown in solid lines and an extended position shown in dashed lines. The auxiliary board 22 is coupled to the main board by a cable 34 and connector 36, and the keyboard 14 is similarly coupled to the main board by a cable 38 and a connector 40. This arrangement has the drawbacks of requiring many parts such as the auxiliary board, cable and connectors required to provide the popout function and the space required in the radio case for those parts.
Commercially available popout controls lack stable support of the shaft 30. That is, when the knob is in extended position the knob can wobble from side to side. Further those controls must be assembled separately from the radio circuit boards and then later assembled into the radio. Generally prior popout controls employ a fixed follower which is engaged by a movable cam profile on a shaft which affects the linear position of the shaft.


Porous resin particles are disclosed that comprise a polymer of a monomer mixture. The monomer mixture includes: a mono(meth)acrylate-based monomer in an amount of 3 wt % to 40 wt % containing: an ethylenic unsaturated group only in a (meth)acrylic acid residue; and a hydroxyl group and at least either an ether group or an ester group in an alcohol residue; another monofunctional vinyl-based monomer in an amount of 10 wt % to 69 wt % containing a single ethylenic unsaturated group; and a polyfunctional vinyl-based monomer in an amount of 30 wt % to 70 wt % containing two or more ethylenic unsaturated groups.

Conventional skin care products and other external preparations contain resin particles to fix skin flaws (to cover up spots, freckles, pores, etc.) by means of multiple light scattering effects and to improve spreading upon their application to the skin, as well as for various other purposes. Those resin particles are also blended with coating materials and light diffusion members to exploit multiple light scattering effects for matting or light diffusing purposes.
The external preparations containing the resin particles are in some cases required to have improved sweat and sebum absorbance so that they can render the skin smooth and silky when applied to the skin. Therefore, the resin particles used with the external preparations desirably have some water and oil absorbance.
For example, Patent Document 1, discloses a spherical polymer having an average particle diameter of 1 μm to 50 μm and an apparent specific gravity of 1.0 or less, each particle including one, two, or more spherical hollow tiny spaces inside it. The spherical polymer has some water and oil absorbance, absorbing 89.5 g to 110 g of water and 57.8 g to 82.3 g of oil (oleic acid) per every 100 g.
Patent Document 2 discloses porous spherical cellulose fine particles having an outer shell layer and a porous inner core having a porosity of 5% to 50%. The porous spherical cellulose fine particles have some water and oil absorbance, absorbing 170 g of water and 70 g of oil per every 100 g.
Patent Document 3 discloses porous spherical resin powder having particle diameters of 1 μm to 40 μm and an average particle diameter of 2 μm to 20 μm, the powder including pores of various sizes on the spherical surface with the mode pore diameter ranging from 5 angstroms to 160 angstroms (0.5 nm to 16 nm). The porous spherical resin powder has some water and oil absorbance, absorbing 74.6 g to 78.2 g of water and 81.4 g to 87.6 g of oil (oleic acid) per every 100 g.
Patent Document 4 discloses hollow flattened polymer fine particles having a shell wall made of an organic macromolecular compound. The hollow polymer fine particles become spherical upon absorbing a liquid substance and have some water and oil absorbance.

Porous resin particles, method for manufacturing the same, dispersion liquid, and use thereof


A video monitor displaying a plurality of menu screens three-dimensionally is provided. Each of the screens corresponds to a particular mode/amenity of the vehicle. Each of the screens is displayed as a collection of switches corresponding to various functions of the corresponding amenity. An input device is provided to enable the driver to select a screen, i.e., an amenity, and then select a particular switch. In the preferred embodiment the input device is formed as two joysticks commonly structured on a single lever, so that selection of a particular screen and a particular switch within that screen can be done in a single operation.

1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a display unit for a vehicle and an input device therefor. More particularly, the present invention relates to a display unit for a vehicle suitable for use, for example, in a car navigation system, and which allows global control of various functions of the vehicle's amenities using a single input device.
2. Description of Related Art
A car navigation system has been proposed in which various switches are graphically displayed on a monitor screen so that the driver can select switches by moving a cursor on the screen using a joystick. Such a vehicle display unit is demonstrated by the technique shown in FIGS. 16 through 18, which is disclosed in JP-U-2-54616. A description of this technique is provided below with reference to FIGS. 16-18, to facilitate a better understanding of the present invention.
As shown in FIG. 16, a switch selection screen 43 is displayed on a display monitor 42 attached in a position suitable for the driver's viewing. A "cross-hair" cursor 46 is controlled by means of a mouse 44 (FIG. 17), or the like, which is provided on the floor console. The operation of this system can be explained using a specific example, in this case: changing the temperature setting of the automatic climate control.
For example, when the driver wishes to change the temperature setting of the climate control, the driver must first select the "air-conditioning" menu from the initial screen (FIG. 18A) on which various switches 45 for "air-conditioning", "radio", "navigation", etc., are displayed. Then, from the "air-conditioning" menu display the driver selects "temperature" (FIG. 18B). Finally, on the next screen the driver can reset the value of the temperature (FIG. 18C). As can be readily seen, in this particular example the driver has to go through three operations, i.e., three "mouse-clicking".
In the aforementioned vehicle display unit, the video device performs single-plane display so that screens are displayed in a hierarchical structure. Accordingly, the driver must carry out several operations in order to select a desired switch. Specifically, the driver first needs to manipulate the cursor to select the required mode from the mode selection screen. Then the driver needs to select the desired function from the mode screen. Finally, the driver has to select the desired setting from the function screen.
In this manner, substantial time is required for selection because it is necessary for the driver to repeatedly move the cursor and click the mouse to arrive at the desired mode, function and setting screens. Furthermore, in the case where the mode selection screen is to be changed, the driver cannot see the arrangement of the switches on the next screen before the next screen having the arrangement of switches is actually displayed. That is, for example, in any particular instant the driver may wish to change the temperature setting, but a different mode screen, such as a "radio" screen or the like, may be displayed because of a previous operation or of the driver's mistaken operation. Under such condition, the driver cannot arrive at the temperature setting screen until the driver exits the displayed mode and changes to the "air-conditioning" mode.

Vehicle display unit with three-dimensional menu controlled by an input device which has two joysticks


Described our medical compositions and methods including a particulate extracellular matrix tissue in admixture with sugar. Such medical compositions, in dried forms, can demonstrate enhanced rehydration properties. Medical compositions and products as described herein find particular use in treating diseased and/or damaged tissue, such as wound repair. Related methods of manufacture and use are also described.

The present invention resides generally in the field of medical compositions and in particular aspects to medical compositions that incorporate extracellular matrix materials.
As further background, a variety of extracellular matrix (ECM) materials have been proposed for use in medical grafting, cell culture, and other related applications. For instance, medical grafts and cell culture materials containing submucosa derived from small intestine, stomach, or urinary bladder tissues, have been proposed. See, e.g. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,902,508, 4,956,178, 5,281,422, 5,554,389, 6,099,567 and 6,206,931. Medical materials derived from liver basement membrane have also been proposed, for example in U.S. Pat. No. 6,379,710. As well, ECM materials derived from amnion (see e.g. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,361,552 and 6,576,618) and from renal capsule membrane (see International PCT Patent Application No. WO/03/002165 published Jan. 9, 2003) have been proposed for medical and/or cell culture applications. In addition, Cook Biotech Incorporated, West Lafayette, Ind., currently manufactures a variety of medical products based upon small intestinal submucosa under the trademarks SURGISIS®, STRATASIS® and OASIS®.
In certain applications, medical materials have been formed into fluidized compositions and used in conjunction with a variety of components directed towards treating a particular condition. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,206,931 describes forming a fluidized composition from an extracellular matrix material. Such fluidized compositions are typically formed into gels for use as an injectable graft. Similarly, International PCT Application No. WO 05/020847 discloses an ECM material formed as a gel and including a bioactive component, such as FGF-2. This gel material can also include a particulate ECM material, which is suggested to provide additional material that can function to provide bioactivity to the gel and/or serve as scaffolding material for tissue ingrowth.
A need remains for additional medical compositions and products that can be used in a wide variety of medical applications. The present invention provides such medical compositions and products, as well as methods for preparing and using the same.


The footprint of a document scanning unit such as a copier, facsimile machine or document scanner or combinations thereof is reduced by causing overlap of the leading and trailing edges of long document sheets to be scanned in the document delivery roller system downstream of the scanning station. Differential slippage of the overlapping ends between a drive roller and a pinch roller is provided in a first embodiment. A second embodiment uses a moveable pinch roller in the document delivery system to selectively open and close a gap to permit slippage of the leading and trailing edges of the document. A third embodiment uses three document delivery rollers defining two spaced nips in which the leading and trailing edges of a long document are simultaneously present and a crenellated roller surface to guide the leading edge of the document to the desired nip in the delivery system.

The present invention relates to the feeding of individual document sheets to be scanned in a document scanner and, more particularly to the document delivery system which receives the scanned documents and, if desired, routes the individual sheets back to the scanning region for duplex scanning, i.e., scanning of both sides of the document sheet. As used herein, the term xe2x80x9cdocument scanning devicexe2x80x9d is intended to be broadly defined to include, but not necessarily be limited to, stand alone document copiers, facsimile machines, document scanning machines and combinations of such units.
Automatic document feed and delivery systems in large copiers capable of duplex scanning generally require a document feed path that is as long as the document that is to inverted during duplex scanning. While this is not a great disadvantage in a large piece of multi-user office equipment, in a small multi-function peripheral copier or scanning apparatus, it is of great impact on the footprint size of the apparatus. Large footprint size requires significant desk space which must be kept available. In such units, the length of the duplexing section alone approaches half of the document length. This is considerably large when duplex scanning legal size documents for example. Other disadvantages of a longer duplexing path are added cost due to additional rollers and guides to manage the extra length of media and the increased potential of document jamming due to the increased complexity. One manner of avoiding a long duplexing path is to eject the document outside the duplicating apparatus onto a tray which projects from the side of the machine. This solution also consumes space and has the added disadvantage of increased propensity for damage to the document while it is outside of the protective confines of the unit.
It is accordingly of considerable advantage to provide a more compact document scanning device by utilizing a more compact duplexing section.
The present invention provides a method of feeding and duplex scanning a document in a document scanning device comprising the steps of:
a) transporting individual sheets of said document from a stack thereof to a scan region of a scanning system;
b) scanning a first face side of said document sheet at said scan region;
c) transporting said sheet from said scan region to a pair of opposed document exit transport rollers;
d) gripping opposite face sides of said sheet in a nip between said exit transport rollers and rotating said exit transport rollers in an exit direction to pull said sheet therebetween in an exit direction to move a trailing edge of said sheet away from said scan region;
e) reversing the direction of rotation of said exit transport rollers before said trailing edge of said sheet passes therebetween to feed said sheet to said scan region in face inverted orientation for scanning a second face side of said document sheet;
f) scanning a leading portion of said second face side of said sheet and transporting a leading edge of said sheet to said nip between said exit transport rollers before a trailing edge of said sheet passes said nip in a feed direction to cause buckle formation in said sheet between said nip and said scan region;
g) again reversing the direction of rotation of said exit transport rollers to rotate said exit transport rollers in said exit direction to consume sheet buckle in said nip without causing differential slippage of adjacent leading and trailing portions of said sheet in said nip;
h) continuing to rotate a driven one of said exit transport rollers in said exit direction to pull a trailing portion of said sheet to said scan region and scanning said trailing portion of said second side of said sheet while permitting said trailing portion of said sheet to slip past a leading portion of said sheet in said nip; and
i) rotating said exit transport rollers in said exit direction to eject said sheet from between said transport rollers.
In apparatus terms, a first embodiment of the present invention comprises a duplex document scanning device comprising:
a) a document input support for holding a stack of document sheets to be scanned;
b) a document feed system for transporting document sheets to a document scan region;
c) a document scanning system for scanning individual document sheets during movement thereof through said scan region;
d) a document output support for holding scanned document sheets;
e) a document delivery system for transporting scanned document sheets from said scan region to said output support, said delivery system including a driven roller, a pinch roller opposed to said driven roller and defining a document transport nip therebetween, said driven roller having a document contact surface which has a greater coefficient of friction than the coefficient of friction of the surface of the document sheets to be transported; and
f) a drive arrangement for selectively rotating said driven roller in opposite directions.
A second embodiment of the invention provides a method of feeding and duplex scanning a document in a document scanning device comprising the steps of:
a) transporting individual sheets of said document from a stack thereof to a scan region of a scanning system;
b) scanning a first face side of said document sheet at said scan region;
c) transporting a leading edge of said sheet from said scan region into a gap between a pair of spaced document delivery rollers;
d) moving said document delivery rollers together to grip opposite face sides of said sheet in a nip between said document delivery rollers and rotating said document delivery rollers in a document delivery direction to pull said sheet therebetween and to move a trailing edge of said sheet away from said scan region;
e) rotating said document delivery rollers in a feed direction before said trailing edge of said sheet passes therebetween to feed and guide said sheet to said scan region in face inverted orientation for scanning a second face side of said sheet;
f) scanning said second face side of said sheet and transporting a leading edge of said sheet in a delivery direction toward said document delivery rollers before a trailing edge of said sheet passes said nip while moving in a feed direction;
g) separating said document delivery rollers from each other to form a gap therebetween to permit said leading edge of said sheet to pass said trailing edge of said sheet during sheet movement between said document delivery rollers;
h) allowing said trailing edge of said sheet to pass between said separated document delivery rollers and then moving said rollers together to rotate said document delivery rollers in said document delivery direction to eject said sheet from between said document delivery rollers.
The apparatus aspects of the second embodiment of the invention provides a duplex document scanning device comprising:
a) a document input support for holding a stack of document sheets to be scanned;
b) a document feed system for transporting document sheets to a document scan region;
c) a document scanning system for scanning individual document sheets during movement thereof through said scan region;
d) a document output support for holding scanned document sheets;
e) a document delivery system for transporting scanned document sheets from said scan region to said output support, said delivery system including a driven roller, a pinch roller opposed to and mounted for movement toward and away from said driven roller and defining a document transport nip therebetween;
f) a drive arrangement for selectively rotating said driven roller in opposite directions and for moving said pinch roller toward and away from said driven roller; and
g) a gate for guiding movement of said sheet between said scan region and said document delivery system.
In a third embodiment the present invention provides a method of feeding and duplex scanning a document in a document scanning device comprising the steps of:
a) transporting individual sheets of said document from a stack thereof to a scan region of a scanning system;
b) scanning a first face side of said document sheet at said scan region;
c) transporting said sheet from said scan region to a first pair of opposed document delivery rollers, said pair comprising a driven roller and an opposed first pinch roller;
d) rotating said first pair of opposed document delivery rollers in a document delivery direction;
e) causing a leading edge of said document sheet to engage a rotating sheet edge guiding surface of said driven roller to move said leading edge in engagement with said surface toward and to be gripped in a nip between said first pair of document delivery rollers to pull said sheet therebetween in a document delivery direction to move a trailing edge of said sheet away from said scan region;
f) reversing the direction of rotation of said first pair of document delivery rollers to rotate said document delivery rollers in a document feed direction before said trailing edge of said sheet passes therebetween to feed said sheet to said scan region in face inverted orientation for scanning a second face side of said document sheet;
g) scanning said second face side of said sheet;
h) transporting a leading edge of said scanned sheet in said delivery direction to engage said sheet edge guiding surface of said driven roller to cause said leading edge to move toward and be gripped in a nip between a second pair of document transport rollers comprising said driven roller and an opposed second pinch roller; and
i) continuing rotation of said second pair of document delivery rollers in said exit direction to eject said sheet from between said second pair of document delivery rollers.
The apparatus aspects of the third embodiment provide a duplex document scanning device comprising:
a) a document input support for holding a stack of document sheets to be scanned;
b) a document feed system for transporting document sheets from said document input support to a document scan region;
c) a document scanning system for scanning individual document sheets during movement thereof through said scan region;
d) a document output support for holding scanned document sheets;
e) a document delivery system for transporting scanned document sheets from said scan region to said output support, said delivery system including a driven roller having a surface for engaging and moving the leading edge of a document sheet in the direction of rotation of said driven roller, a first pinch roller opposed to said driven roller and defining a first document transport nip therebetween and a second pinch roller opposed to said driven roller and defining a second document transport nip therebetween; and
f) a drive arrangement for selectively rotating said driven roller in opposite directions.
FIGS. 1a through 1j are sequential schematic side elevation cross sectional views of a document feeder according to the present invention showing progress of a duplex scanned document therethrough in accordance with a first embodiment using document buckling and differential slippage through opposed exit drive and pinch rollers.
FIGS. 2a through 2f are sequential partial schematic side elevation views of a second embodiment using a moveable pinch roller and a document guide gate.
FIGS. 3a through 3c are sequential partial schematic side elevation views of a third embodiment using a three roller document transport with crenellated center roller.

Duplexing in automatic document feeder utilizing a path shorter than the length of the document to be duplexed


A method transmits data packets on a data transmission link between two communication subscribers. The data packets respectively contain a check character which is calculated from the other data in the data packet. One communication subscriber uses the check character from the last data packet received by the other communication subscriber as start value for calculating the check character for a subsequent data packet which is to be sent to the other communication subscriber.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method of transmitting data packets on a data transmission link between two communication subscribers and to an automation system having two communication subscribers which are connected via a data transmission link and which respectively have an interface unit.
2. Description of the Related Art
In automation systems for controlling machines, the assurance must be given that even if the automation system fails there is no risk to humans and the environment. Automation systems therefore normally operate on the basis of what is known as the failsafe principle, according to which the automation system changes to a safe state in the event of important components failing. Fundamental demands on the automation system when executing safety-related control functions on the basis of the failsafe principle are in this case that the process data from the machine sensors are processed in current and uncorrupted form during execution of the safety control functions and that a safe process state is always indicated to the machine actuators.
In the case of automation systems, however, the number of safety-related control functions is normally much lower than the number of non-safety-related control functions which are used for maintaining normal operation in the automation system. To ensure that the functionality of safety-related control functions is not influenced by the non-safety-related control functions in the automation system, the safety-related control functions are conventionally combined in a standalone safety program which is isolated from the non-safety-related control functions.
Complete isolation of safety-related and non-safety-related control functions is achieved if the safety program is executed on a standalone automation computer, which is often also connected to the emergency off switches, light barriers and other components ensuring machine safety by means of dedicated wiring. To reduce this additional hardware complexity through an additional automation computer in the automation system, automation systems are already known in which a safety program and a non-safety-related control program are implemented on the same hardware components by extending the non-safety-related control program by what is known as a safety layer.
Modern automation systems are normally of a decentralized design, with the process peripherals, i.e. the sensor and actuator levels, communicating with the control computers via local area networks, preferably a field bus system. For the purpose of machine control, the control computers read in the input signals for the control programs via the field bus from the process peripherals and, following real-time processing by the control computer, output the output signals to the process peripherals via the field bus. To be able to use the field bus in the automation system for simultaneously also transmitting process signals from a safety program, the field bus system is expanded by what is known as a safety layer, which minimizes the probability of a fault corrupting the transmission of the data between the process peripherals and the control computers such that this corruption is no longer identified to an admissible minimum degree, so that the field bus can also be used for transmitting safety-related data.
Such additional safety layers in field bus systems normally contain an additional address relationship between the two communication subscribers on the field bus, in order to allow a distinct association. In addition, the safety-related data packet transmitted between the communication subscribers is provided with an additional check character which is calculated from the transmitted process data and addresses, in order to be able to identify data corruption reliably. To be able to check the correct order of the safety-related process data which are to be transmitted and their prompt arrival at the communication subscribers, the safety-related data packet is also normally provided with a consecutive sequence number. In this context, the sequence number is normally taken from a prescribed numbering block which is then reset again after the complete pass.
A known automation system in which the control program and the safety program can be implemented on the same hardware components is the Simatic system from Siemens. In this case, the field bus system used is the Profibus system, which is expanded by what is known as a Profisafe protocol for transmitting safety-related data packets. However, the automation system with the safety program can be expanded only within the context of this precisely stipulated configuration and data processing environment.
In automation systems, however, the Ethernet protocol is increasingly being used besides the known proprietary field bus protocols in order to transmit process signals. The Ethernet protocol is the most widely used technology in office communication for transmitting data at high speeds in local area communication networks. On account of the advantages of the Ethernet concept when using standard hardware and software components and also the opportunity to achieve high data transmission rates with simple networking technology, Ethernet field bus systems are increasingly also being used in industrial production for data interchange between the actuator/sensor level and the control computers.
It would therefore also be desirable to be able to equip Ethernet field bus systems with a safety layer so as also to be able to execute safety programs on the Ethernet field bus besides conventional control programs. However, Ethernet networks are normally designed using "switches" in order to prevent data collisions on the network. Switches are data packet switching nodes with a plurality of inputs and outputs, where the data packet arriving at an input is switched through exclusively to the output which knows the receiver station. However, data packet switching using switches in an Ethernet network gives rise to time delays, since the data packet received by the switch at one input is buffer-stored and only then switched through to the desired output.
The delayed forwarding of the data packets in the Ethernet equipped with switches means that there is the risk with conventional safety layers, such as the Profisafe protocol, that an incorrect process state will arise. Since the safety data packets are provided with a consecutive sequence number from a numbering block with a prescribed number of numbers, the buffer-storage of the data packets in a switch means that the sequence number can overflow, which can then result in incorrect safety data being transmitted. In the case of the Profisafe protocol, for example, the safety data packets are transmitted with an 8-bit sequence number, i.e. a data packet in which the process data do not change is repeated every 255 cycles during data transmission in the automation system, since at that time the sequence number overflows, 0 being an impermissible sequence number. As a result, an emergency off switch cannot then be identified promptly or machine protection cannot be switched off promptly and hence it is not possible to ensure a safe process state for the machines in the automation system.

Data transfer method and automation system used in said data transfer method


A speech processing apparatus which can playback a sentence using recorded-speech-playback or text-to-speech is provided. It is determined whether each of a plurality of words or phrases constituting a sentence is a word or phrase to be played back by recorded-speech-playback or a word or phrase to be played back by text-to-speech. When each of the plurality of words or phrases is to be played back in a first sequence using the determined synthesis method, it is selected whether to playback each of the plurality of words or phrases in the first sequence or a sequence different from the first sequence, based on the number of times of reversing playback using recorded-speech-playback and playback using text-to-speech. Each of the plurality of words or phrases is played back in the selected sequence using the selected synthesis method.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a speech processing apparatus and method.
2. Description of the Related Art
Speech synthesis methods include a recorded-speech-playback method and a text-to-speech method. Recorded-speech-playback synthesizes speech by connecting recorded words and phrases. Recorded-speech-playback provides high speech quality but can only be used for repetitive sentences. Text-to-speech analyzes an input sentence and converts it into speech. This technique may receive pronunciations and phonetic symbols instead of sentences. Text-to-speech can be used for all kinds of sentences but is inferior in speech quality to recorded-speech-playback and is not free from reading errors.
Conventionally, some speech processing apparatus designed to output guidance speech by speech synthesis uses a method using both recorded-speech-playback and text-to-speech (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-97094).
According to the above conventional technique, however, frequently changing recorded-speech-playback and text-to-speech in one piece of guidance speech will make it difficult to hear the guidance due to the difference in speech quality between the two techniques.

Speech processing apparatus having a speech synthesis unit that performs speech synthesis while selectively changing recorded-speech-playback and text-to-speech and method


Microporous diaphragms adapted for wet-consolidation with composite cathodes for use in electrolytic cells, e.g., chlorine/soda electrolysis cells, comprise a sintered, fluoropolymer microconsolidated asbestos-based microporous fibrous sheet material, such sheet material including from 3% to 35% by weight of fluoropolymer binder, from 1% to 50% by weight of a uniformly distributed gel of an oxohydroxide of at least one metal of Groups IVA, IVB, VB and VIB of the Periodic Table or of the lanthanide or actinide series thereof, and from 20% to 95% by weight of fibers, at least 1% by weight of such fibers being asbestos fibers.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to novel diaphragms comprising asbestos fibers adapted for use in electrolytic cells, to the coupling of such diaphragms with a cathode component of such cells and to a process for producing such diaphragms and coupling such diaphragms with a cathode component.
This invention especially relates to improved diaphragms produced via a wet route, based on asbestos fibers, and adapted for use in chlorine/soda electrolysis cells.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Asbestos fibers have long been employed in this art as a conventional material for producing the diaphragms used in electrolytic cells. These diaphragms are fabricated by depositing asbestos fibers contained in an aqueous mash onto a cathode which is permeable to the electrolytes, the deposition operation being carried out under vacuum. Thus, French Patent No. 2,213,805 describes preparing microporous separators by depositing a layer of asbestos, said layer being consolidated by a fluoropolymer. The porosity of such a layer can be better controlled by adding a pore-forming agent according to the technique described in French Patent No. 2,229,739.
As is well known to this art, such preparation of microporous separators by depositing, under vacuum, an aqueous mash containing fibers and a binder presents a very great advantage, both from a technological standpoint, as well as from an economic standpoint. However, the quality of the separators thus produced is not fully satisfactory.
Indeed, the Faraday yield is insufficient, and this is reflected in a high energy consumption per ton of chlorine produced. The higher the sodium hydroxide concentration, the more the yield in question is lowered on an industrial level. Thus, it is of the greatest importance to be able to operate with concentrated sodium hydroxide, in order to reduce the energy cost of the evaporation which is subsequently required to concentrate the sodium hydroxide produced. It would, therefore, be desirable to provide an improved diaphragm based on asbestos fibers and capable of being produced by a wet route.
In published European Patent Application No. 132,425 cathode components have been described, composite material produced by the coupling of an elementary cathode including a highly porous metal surface such as a metal grid having a mesh opening ranging from 20 .mu.m to 5 mm and of a sheet containing fibers and a binder, the coupling and the sheet resulting from the programmed suction under vacuum of a suspension containing essentially electrically conductive fibers and a fluoropolymer, directly through said elementary cathode, followed by drying, and then melting the binder. Such composite materials that are adapted to themselves constitute the cathode of an electrolysis cell and may be coupled with a diaphragm, it being possible for the diaphragm to be manufactured directly by a wet route on the composite.
Various improvements have also been made, both to the composite materials themselves, as well as to the process for the manufacture thereof.
In published European Patent Application No. 214,066 materials are described, containing carbon fibers exhibiting a monodisperse length distribution, materials whose quality and properties are very appreciably improved, and this is reflected in a much more favorable performance/thickness relationship.
In published European Patent Application No. 296,076 electroactivated materials are described which contain an electrocatalytic agent uniformly distributed within their bulk mass, said agent being selected from among Raney metals and Raney alloys from which most of the easily removable metal(s) has (have) been removed.
The assemblage of proposed cathode components which ensure an appreciable distribution of the current is adapted for use in an electrolytic cell which will comprise a membrane or a diaphragm between the anode and cathode compartments. Additional technical details are described in the aforementioned European patent applications, hereby expressly incorporated by reference in respect of the construction of said cathode components.

Method of making microporous asbestos diaphragms/cathodes for electrolytic cells


Herein disclosed is a durable, ecofriendly, pet diaper fabricated from durable, washable materials enabling repeated use is disclosed. The diaper includes an impervious exterior layer and a pervious and breathable interior layer joined at an outer rim. An absorbent pad is positioned distally from the outer rim creating a gap between the pad and outer rim. The diaper includes securing members and is designed for maximum comfort and commodious fit to the animal.

It is known that a diaper is a type of underwear that allows the wearer to defecate or urinate without the use of a toilet by absorbing or containing waste products to prevent soiling of outer clothing or the external environment. When diapers become soiled, they require changing. Often, an animal, including household pets, are incontinent and therefore require use of a pet diaper. For example, whether as a result of advanced age, medical condition, or natural physiological processes, dogs and cats may exhibit a permanent or temporary inability to control their waste discharges, particularly urinary discharges, leading to numerous and problematic waste discharge in the home, automobile, etc. Moreover, female dogs and cats in estrus may secrete blood or other estrus related fluids which a pet owner may desire to contain. Pet owners visiting ether residences (e.g., friends and family) as well as owners traveling long distances may not, be in a position to walk their pets and pet waste containment is desirable.
Generally, such pet diapers are based on disposable pamper-style diapers for humans, but are adapted for use of four-legged animals having tails. The diaper for a pet has a structure that increases the length of the inguinal area of the pet, and contains a tail hole to enable passage of the tail. However, most diapers are not intended for reuse, creating an expensive proposition of replacement after every waste discharge. Diapers that are designed for reuse often contain a disposable and replaceable insert that is not ecofriendly or odor controlling. Also, these pet diapers often do not fit the pet comfortably, unnecessarily expose skin surface to wet material causes abrasion and irritation, and/or do not provide the needed protection for the pets. In addition, these pet diapers frequently slide off male pets and do not properly accommodate the anatomical differences between male and female pets often resulting in exposure of a male pet's penis to the outside environment. Moreover, male pet urine has a tendency to spray (squirt) out of the diaper due to location of the male urethra.
Other proposals have involved pet diapers. The problem with these diapers is that they are not reusable or washable. Also, the pet diapers do not fit the pet comfortably and securely, so as to enable optimal free movement by the pet while remaining secured. Even though the above cited pet diapers meet some of the needs of the market, a durable washable pet diaper configured for incontinent pets, fabricated from materials that enable reusability and washing, and tailored to fit commodiously on the pet's body for optimal pet comfort, is still desired.

Durable pet diaper and method of using the same


A lead fixation device that includes a helix having a surface, and a layer of electrically insulating material that covers one or more selected regions of the surface leaving one or more additional regions of the surface exposed. The insulating material defines one of a plurality of individual exposed portions along the length of the helix having a plurality of different configurations, e.g. shapes and sizes, or an insulating strip that wraps around the helix while advancing along the length of the helix.

1. Technical Field
The invention relates generally to body implantable leads for conducting electrical signals to and from tissue. More specifically, the invention relates to a lead fixation device made of an electrically conductive material that is selectively coated with an electrically insulating material to increase the impedance of the lead fixation device.
2. Background
Many implantable medical devices ("IMDs") use body implantable leads (hereinafter "leads") having one or more electrodes to deliver stimulation pulses to, or sense electrical impulses that are output from, tissue within a patient. An example IMD is a heart stimulation device, e.g., a pacemaker, a cardioverter, a defibrillator, or any other type of stimulating/sensing instruments, which uses one or more leads to deliver electrical stimulation pulses to a heart and to sense electrical impulses generated by the heart. Thus, the leads are used by the IMD to assist in the reversal, via defibrillation or cardioversion, of certain life threatening arrhythmias, or to stimulate, via pacing, the contraction of the heart.
During use, a microcontroller within the IMD interprets electrical signals that are sensed by the electrode(s). In response to the sensed electrical signals, the IMD's microcontroller can decide to pace or shock the heart via transmission of electrical energy from a power source, e.g., a battery, within the IMD through the lead and electrode(s), and into heart tissue. Thus, the lead functions as an electrical conduit through which electrical pulses can be delivered from the IMD to heart tissue and electrical signals that are sensed at the heart tissue can be delivered to the IMD.
Typically, a lead has a proximal end, which is configured to interface with the IMD, and a distal end, which includes the electrode(s) and is configured to contact tissue within the patient. During installation of the IMD and its associated lead(s), the distal end of each lead is inserted through the patient's venous system and into the patient's heart. After it is determined that the distal end of the lead is adjacent to a desired tissue location, a lead fixation device, e.g., a sharpened helix, located at the distal end is used to secure the distal end of the lead to the tissue. The lead fixation device can be made of a conductive material, and the lead fixation device can be electrically coupled to an electrode at the lead distal end. In these instances, the lead fixation device and/or the electrode can be used to emit and sense electrical signals.
When designing a lead electrode and/or lead fixation device that is to be implanted within a patient's body, one of the more important design requirements is that a high value of impedance exists at the interface between the tissue and the electrode and/or the lead fixation device. A high value of impedance at the interface is desirable because it decreases the amount of current necessary for stimulating the tissue, and consequently increases the life span of the IMD power source, e.g., battery, and therefore lengthens the over all life of the IMD.
It should therefore be appreciated that there is a need for a lead that includes a high-impedance lead fixation device that provides the lead with adequate mechanical stability, and does not excessively drain the IMD power, and thus, extends the life of the IMD. The present invention satisfies these needs.


Methods and apparatus are provided for managing data communications between hosts (9) of a switched Ethernet network (8). Hosts (9) are assigned to logical groups of hosts such that the hosts participating in a data communication are assigned to the same group. In a switch (1) of the network, each group is associated with a service class indicative of requirements for forwarding data across the switch (1) for data communications between hosts (9) in that group. Data received by the switch (1) is forwarded across the switch in a manner dependent on the service class of the group to which hosts (9) participating in the data communication are assigned. In the switch (1), data communications between hosts (9) in one or more of said groups are disabled when required to satisfy the forwarding requirements for at least one said service class.

Ethernet is the predominant network technology in the local area network (LAN) market, driven by its relatively low cost in comparison with other competeing technologies. Although technologies such as ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode) have been proposed as the network technology for support of multimedia to desktop, the large installed base of 10Mbps Ethernet networks, the rapid proliferation of of 10/100Mbps Ethernet (Fast Ethernet) and the emerging Gigabit Ethernet technologies suggest that Ethernet will be the underlying technology for supporting real-time, continuous media services to the desktop. With increasing interest in IP (Internet Protocol) telephony services, first by the information technology sector and now by telecommunications companies, demand for commercial products supporting continuous media to the desktop is to be expected.
Ethernet has evolved as a shared media technology without support for QoS facilities that are available on ATM networks, i.e. resource guarantees for services through bandwidth and buffer allocation. Recently, however, IEEE 802.1 Higher Layer LAN Protocols Working Group has introduced the IEEE 802.1p specification where switches and hubs can prioritize traffic classes. Implementation of 802.1p requires extensions to the Ethernet frame format in order to support priority tagging for differentiating between different traffic classes according to some set policy within the switch. This, together with mechanisms which allow the implementation of Virtual Bridged LANs (VLANs), is discussed in the IEEE 802.1Q specification. Briefly, hosts can indicate the priority to be afforded to data communications by indicating a user-priority value in a user-priority field of the data packet, or frame, format. This user-priority is utilized by the forwarding process of the switch which is responsible for forwarding received frames across the switch onto the appropriate outbound LAN segment. Specifically, the user-priority value is mapped to one of a number of traffic classes defined in the switch. The requirements for forwarding a received frame across the switch are indicated to the forwarding process by the traffic class, the forwarding process selecting frames for forwarding in an order dependent on the traffic class. As a simple example, a switch may support eight traffic classes which correspond directly to eight user-priority values, and the forwarding process may forward all received frames in the highest traffic class before forwarding frames in the next-highest traffic class, and so on down through the traffic classes. Clearly, the architectures of switches and network interface cards must be modified for implementation of this system.
The IEEE specifications referenced above describe operation of the prioritized traffic class system at the network level. The IETF (Internet Engineering Task Force) Internet Draft entitled "A Framework for Integrated Services Over Shared and Switched IEEE 802 LAN Technologies", (draft-ietf-issll-is802-framework-07.txt), June 1999 discusses mechanisms for supporting QoS at the IP level and how these might interface with existing Ethernet systems.
While the prioritized traffic class system provides a basic mechanism for supporting different quality of service levels, the system does not provide any QoS guarantees. In particular, if there are hosts deliberately or inadvertently generating traffic in a manner that undermines the policies in place for allocating network bandwidth between different traffic classes, then QoS cannot be guaranteed. For example, if buffers at a switch port become congested, then the MAC (Media Access Control) entity at the port will jam the connected LAN segment, blocking transmissions from all hosts on that segment via the standard CSMA/CD (Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Detection) mechanism. Thus, hosts transmitting high-priority data can be penalized equally with hosts transmitting low-priority data, so that QoS cannot be guaranteed even for high-priority data.
According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a method for managing data communications between hosts of a switched Ethernet network, the method comprising:
assigning hosts to logical groups of hosts such that the hosts participating in a data communication are assigned to the same group;
in a switch of the network, associating each said group with a service class indicative of requirements for forwarding data across the switch for data communications between hosts in the group, and forwarding received data across the switch in a manner dependent on the service class of the group to which hosts participating in the data communication are assigned; and
in the switch, disabling data communications between hosts in one or more of said groups when required to satisfy the forwarding requirements for at least one said service class

International Business Machines Corporation


A dosage size multi-chambered, container having separate sealed compartments is provided and includes constituent materials for forming a wallboard joint compound. The container includes a first compartment containing a first mixture including calcined gypsum, a set preventer and water, and a second compartment sealed from the first compartment with a seal and containing a second mixture including a set initiator and water, wherein upon breaking of the seal, the first and second mixtures are combinable by kneading action to provide a dose of the wallboard joint compound.

The present product relates generally to cementitious compositions which are particularly useful as wallboard joint compounds, such as are used in finishing gypsum wallboard panels. More specifically, a joint compound is provided in a single dose self contained package having a long shelf life.
Joint compounds are applied to complete the installation of gypsum panels by filling the space between adjacent panels, typically in combination with paper or fiberglass tape. The joint compound is forced into the space between the panels, either before or after the tape is applied. After the space between the panels has been filled, an additional coat or coats of joint compound, either the same as the first or formulated for the purpose, are generally applied to provide a smooth transition between the panels, after which the panels will usually be painted or receive some other surface finish. Joint compounds are also used to repair wall surfaces for the purposes of providing an esthetically pleasing uniform finish ready for final decoration.
Generally, joint compounds include a filler, a binder, and a rheology modifier, typically a thickener. Conventional fillers include calcium carbonate, calcium sulfate dihydrate (gypsum), and calcium sulfate hemihydrate (plaster of Paris). Calcium sulfate hemihydrate sets by hydration to gypsum, while compounds using other fillers harden by simple drying. Thus, joint compounds are usually divided into two types, setting or drying, depending on whether the filler contains a substantial amount of calcium sulfate hemihydrate.
When a powdered setting-type joint compound is mixed with water, the calcium sulfate hemihydrate will react with the water to form gypsum. Typical set times for setting type joint compounds usually are between 5 and 300 minutes and are set by the user in selecting a bag of dry compound having a factory determined setting time. Consequently, water is not typically added to powdered setting-type joint compounds until just prior to use, at which time the setting process begins shortly after the addition of water. Thus, a drawback of setting type joint compounds when used in patching applications is that there is a likelihood of waste, where a portion of the compound often sets before it can be used, or the user mixes too much or too little compound for the particular job.
In addition, there are drawbacks related to the extra step required in mixing a powder with water prior to use. First it requires that potable water be available at the location which is not always the case for new construction. Second, setting type joint compounds can be difficult to mix properly.
To overcome problems of adding water at the time of use, joint compounds have been formulated to prevent the reaction of the hemihydrate with water so that premixed setting-type joint compounds can be manufactured. Setting compounds also have an advantage relative to drying-type joint compounds, since drying-type compounds will shrink during drying, requiring multiple coats and sufficient drying time between coats, making it difficult to achieve a smooth surface suitable for decorating in a timely manner.
Premixed setting-type joint compounds have been suggested in previous patents. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,661,161 discloses a set retarding composition in which a proteinaceous ingredient formed from animal tissues and a set preventing agent for calcium ions is used. A set initiator including a compound having a higher log K value than calcium is mixed with the joint compound when setting is desired.
Other ready-mixed, setting type joint compounds are described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,805,741 and in US Patent Publication No. 2008/0229981, which are incorporated by reference.
As noted in U.S. Pat. No. 5,746,822, which is also incorporated by reference, the shelf life of such ready-mixed setting joint compound is not sufficient, since the activity of the set preventer was found to be degraded with time. Thus, the '822 patent discloses an improved setting-type joint compound which includes non-calcium bearing phosphate additives to prevent setting of a premixed calcium sulfate hemihydrate based joint compound which includes water. The shelf life is said to be at least several months.
Thus, there is a need for providing a joint compound with the performance advantages of setting-type compounds without the potential for waste during application due to chemical setting, inconvenience of requiring potable water at the site, and difficulty related to the blending of powders with water via hand mixing.

Ready mixed setting type joint compound and set initiator in chambered pouch


A hinge for wings or doors, in particular of electrical appliances, having a first element, a second element and a rocker lever for connecting the first and second elements; the lever pivots on the second element and has a first arm integral with the first element to render the first and second elements movable relative to one another with a tilting action between a closed position and an open position; the second element consisting of a substantially box-shaped body containing both elastic parts, inserted between the second element and a second arm of the lever to apply an elastic action on the lever, and a damping device, for applying a damping action on the lever during the reciprocal motion of the first and second elements, when the closed position is almost reached.

The present invention relates to a hinge for wings or doors.
The use of a hinge made in accordance with the present invention is particularly advantageous for constraining the door of an electrical appliance to the respective supporting frame.
In the following description and by way of example only, without limiting the scope of the invention, the present invention is described with reference to an oven.
In known types of ovens hinges usually comprise two separate elements, kinematically connected to one another and both having a box-shaped structure. More precisely, one of the two box-shaped structures is fixed to the oven supporting frame, at one side of the oven mouth, whilst the other is fixed to one edge of the door, which is that way is rendered movable with a tilting action relative to the above-mentioned frame.
Between the two box-shaped structures a lever, usually a rocker lever, is operatively inserted, pivoting on one of the two box-shaped structures, usually on the one fixed to the door, and having a first arm rigidly constrained to the other of the two box-shaped structures. The second arm of the lever, coplanar with the first, is operated on by elastic elements which influence the movement of the door, for both opening and closing. Said elastic elements are housed in the box-shaped structure to which the lever is hinged and, more precisely, operate between that box-shaped structure and a rod positioned inside it. The free end of the rod, that is to say the end not interacting with the elastic elements, pivots at the above-mentioned second arm of the lever.
During door rotation starting from the closed position, the elastic elements oppose, during a first step, the detachment of the door from the oven supporting frame and, in a second step, subsequent rotation of the door and its consequent lowering to an end of stroke position in which the oven mouth is completely open. In this second opening step, the door, under the combined action of its own weight which promotes its descent and of the elastic elements which apply a braking action, performs a gradual rotation.
During door rotation starting from its open end of stroke position, the action of the elastic elements is first balanced by the weight of the door, initially guaranteeing gradual closing rotation; however, then, in the absence of a braking action by the user, the elastic elements push the door towards the oven frame with such a force that it often closes in a rather sudden and noisy way.