A synchronous collaboration environment that supports real-time collaboration of multiple participants, each having shared and independent views of the shared workspace. Multiple views per participant are provided. Some of the views seen by a participant can be shared views with the usual common cursor and annotation tools. The shared views need not be homogeneous, which means that for a given view, each participant can see more than just some common data in his or window for the view. What the participant sees separately from the common data can make his or her shared view different from that of other participants. The view can be different due to different data being exposed in the view. Some of the views seen by a participant can be independent views. This allows to the participant synchronous working with the shared workspace alone on his or her own. The collaboration system includes a user interface and support for aligning views including goto and overlaying. Participants can modify the workspace through their views in a synchronized manner provided the sharing and access rights of their views allow them to do so.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to collaborative work by a plurality of participants using computers connected together via a network and, more particularly, to a real-time collaboration system in which each participant can have multiple views of the shared workspace, the views of the shared workspace of different participants are not necessarily the same or homogeneous and, further, the participants may have independent views of the workspace.
2. Background Description
Software for collaborative work, i.e., work involving many users and/or agents falls into two categories of use. One is termed asynchronous collaboration and the other, synchronous collaboration. Examples of software for asynchronous collaboration are groupware such as Lotus Notes and Microsoft Exchange. These along with other examples such as discussion groups where data is changed batchwise have the characteristic that neither do they require, nor do they particularly cater to the concurrent presence of many users and agents in the work environment. The work environment can include all users and agents that use computers that are connected to each other by networks such as the Internet or intranets. In contrast to software for asynchronous collaboration, software for synchronous collaboration is designed to cater to concurrent users and agents. It includes collaboration tools such as chat, concurrent whiteboards and the more sophisticated Same Time environment. These tools provide for real-time interaction among groups using the same shared workspace. Whatever be the workspacexe2x80x94document, spreadsheet, CAD drawing, etc.xe2x80x94it can be seen and modified by the collaborators, simultaneously. Modifications to the workspace are made available to all group members, immediately and synchronously.
Commonly available synchronous collaboration tools place significant restrictions on the kind of shared workspaces. Chat programs operate on text files and concurrent whiteboards operate of shared bitmap images. If a team of users wants to synchronously update, say, a spreadsheet using a concurrent whiteboard, then the team members have to individually update their local spreadsheet copies while staying in synchrony using images of the spreadsheet shared through the whiteboard. The ability to share a larger variety of workspaces than text files and bitmap images, and the ability to view and edit them using their native applications, i.e., collaborate by application sharing, has only recently become available. However, this ability comes with the restriction that all participants are allowed basically the same, shared view of the workspace. In some cases this commonality of view is described as WYSIWIS, i.e., What You See Is What I See. This restriction overlooks the need that effective collaboration may require individual users to have a plurality of views of widely different characteristics for both seeing and editing the synchronous, shared workspace.
Effective real-time collaboration among possibly widely dispersed participants requires making a multiplicity of different views of the shared workspace available to individual participants. In the invention disclosed herein, multiple views per participant are provided. Each view can be shared between a different subset of the participants. The subset can be a singleton set, which means that the view can be an independent viewxe2x80x94the participant with such a view can work with the synchronous workspace, alone or on his own. Within any set of participants sharing a view, the data seen through the view need not be identical for each participant. Since the view need not be homogeneous, i.e., it can be heterogeneous, then beyond some common data each participant can see different data through the view. The invention provides a user interface for the multiple views it supports and for their control. The interface includes a separate/shared window for each view, bookmarks for views, and control buttons/inputs. The invention provides support by which participants can align their views by, say, using a xe2x80x9cGOTOxe2x80x9d command from one view to another, or by overlaying one view on another. Participants can modify the workspace through views in synchronized manner provided that the sharing and access rights of the views allow them to do so. Sharing and access rights, and the authority to change other""s rights can be changed dynamically.
The invention provides a means for carrying out synchronous collaboration wherein collaboration participants are individually allowed a variety of views of the shared workspace. The invention includes a user interface for viewing. For simplicity, one participant per client or collaboration software frontend process running on a user""s machine is assumed in this introduction section. In this invention, participants of a collaboration session can choose to have any number of shared, synchronous views of a shared workspace wherein each view has more than one viewer sharing the view and each viewer has his own separate client for accessing the workspace (see assumption above). The number of such views can be zero, which means that the participants have at most either shared, synchronous views of a solitary viewer each or only independent, synchronous views of the shared workspace.
Each individual participant can see a shared view of the workspace in a separate window in his client. The shared view can be seen by participants in a homogeneous manner. In a homogeneous presentation, each participant sees the same portion of the workspace that other participants sharing the view see. The display characteristics, e.g., scale, font syntax can be different, but the data exposed in each participant""s window is the same. In a heterogeneous presentation each participant sees some data that is required to be common for all participants sharing the view. In addition, each participant can also see data that is not required to be common for all participants. The data that is required to be common can be delineated from other data by, say, a surrounding bounding box. Thus, for example, viewers can be sharing a text document in which the common data everyone is looking at is a paragraph. Some viewers can be seeing just the paragraph in their shared windows. Some viewers can be seeing the paragraph and some text lying below it. Some viewers can be seeing the paragraph and text above it. Other viewers can be seeing other combinations of the paragraph and text.
The display characteristics (syntactic characteristics) of each viewer""s heterogeneous shared window can be different. Within the common region of a shared view (e.g., the delineated region of a heterogeneous shared window and the entire region lying within a homogeneous shared window), the usual tools of shared manipulation are available. For example, participants can manipulate a shared cursor in this region and annotate/select portions of the region. All such changes are synchronized as usual and are made available in the window for the shared view of each participant. The invention provides support for participants to form interest groups for carrying out synchronous collaboration in different parts of the shared workspace. The interest groups operate on the shared workspace concurrently, as a part of the total synchronous collaboration involving all participants. Participants in an interest group can form, say, one shared view for themselves, and the windows for the view are made available within the membership of the interest group only. Support for forming interest groups, for having shared views per interest group, for dynamically starting and/or discontinuing any interest group, for dynamically changing the members comprising any interest group, for dynamically blocking out dynamic changes in the membership of any interest group, for keeping interest groups anonymous, and for keeping the presence of any interest group unknown outside its membership is provided by the invention in order to increase the flexibility of synchronous collaboration.
The invention supports interest groups comprised of only one member. Support for such interest groups includes all the shared views supported for interest groups of larger memberships. One particular kind of a view supported for such interest groups is an independent view. An independent view is an unknown shared view associated with an interest group which has an unchanging membership of one participant only. Independent views of a shared workspace exist in concurrence with any other shared views of the shared workspace. This allows to a participant working on the shared workspace independently, as for example in a slide show wherein a participant may want to see something on a previous slide without dragging the entire group with him, and yet not losing the synchrony of real-time collaboration. For example, consider collaborative development wherein a specialist may be required to incorporate group suggestions into a workspace immediately, and without restricting the group to watching him work. The specialist can work using an independent view. FIG. 2 shows a collaboration containing an independent view along with a shared, heterogeneous view.
Each of the multiple independent views available to a participant can be presented to him in a separate window. As an option, the position of each view is available to him as a bookmark and he can shift from view to view within the same window. The participant can use this option in the context of shared views also to reduce the number of windows available to him at any time. Participants can generate bookmarks for the purpose of keeping track of views/positions in the shared workspace that are of interest to them.
The invention supports various ways of aligning views so as to allow the transfer of views from audience to audience. For example, in order to allow a participant to bring to the notice of a larger audience the view contained in his independent window, the invention provides support for any participant to take control of an ordinary, shared view and use a xe2x80x9cGOTOxe2x80x9d command to make it overlap with an independent view. The xe2x80x9cGOTOxe2x80x9d command can be used to make an independent view coincide with an ordinary, shared view also. Any view can be used to start off another view of the workspace. The new view can be an ordinary, shared view or an independent view. The initial value of the new view is the same as that for the view starting it off. An independent view can be overlaid on top of an ordinary, shared view. In this case, the independent view will coincide with the shared view, and shifts in the shared view will be reflected in the independent view identically until the overlaying of the independent view is turned off. Similarly, an ordinary, shared view can be overlaid on an independent view. The shared view will then reflect the independent view whenever the overlaying is on. Both the xe2x80x9cGOTOxe2x80x9d command and overlaying can be provided to participants as a button, icon, graphical object, keyboard input or some combination thereof.
The invention supports specific access and sharing rights for each participant. For any participant, the rights can be different for each of the workspace views/interest groups available to him. The access rights include read only, and read and write. Sharing rights of a participant for a view or interest group indicate which participants, including himself or herself, the participant can add or remove from the view or interest group. When a participant has only read rights to a shared view, then he cannot add/delete data through that view. At most he can pass his comments on the view to others by manipulating the shared cursor and/or by selecting from-the common data contained in the view. Selected data, if any, is highlighted as usual for all participants sharing the view. Access and sharing rights of any participant can be defined/changed on an individual view or interest group basis or a multiple view or interest group basis. For a participant, the rights can be changed in agreement with the participant, or independently of the participant. The authority to change the access rights of others can be vested in a subset of the collaboration participants. This subset can be changed dynamically. For example, in the case of an interest group, the authority can be delegated to the person in charge of actually running the interest group. The authority can be withdrawn when the interest group is wound up, or whenever it is necessitated earlier. Such authority can be delegated or withdrawn in agreement with the recipient(s) of the authority, or independently of the recipient(s).
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide computer software which supports real-time collaboration of multiple participants, each having shared and independent views of the shared workspace.
According to the invention, there is provided effective real-time synchronous collaboration among possibly widely dispersed participants by making a multiplicity of different views of the shared workspace available to individual participants. Multiple views per participant are provided. Some of the views seen by a participant can be shared views with the usual common cursor and annotation tools. The shared views need not be homogeneous, which means that for a given view, each participant can see more than just some common data in his or window for the view. What the participant sees separately from the common data can make his or her shared view different from that of other participants. Of course, the participant""s view can be different due to a syntactically different display of data, but more fundamentally, the view can be different due to different data being exposed in the view. Some of the views seen by a participant can be independent views. This allows to the participant synchronous working with the shared workspace alone on his or her own. Participants can modify the workspace through their views in a synchronized manner provided the sharing and access rights of their views allow them to do so.

Shared and independent views of shared workspace for real-time collaboration

International Business Machines Corporation


A novel contact structure and method for a multilayer gettering contact metallization is provided utilizing a thin layer of a pure metal as the initial layer formed on a semiconductor cap layer. During formation of the contact structure, this thin metal layer reacts with the cap layer and the resulting reacted layer traps mobile impurities and self-interstitials diffusing within the cap layer and in nearby metal layers, preventing further migration into active areas of the semiconductor device. The contact metallization is formed of pure metal layers compatible with each other and with the underlying semiconductor cap layer such that depth of reaction is minimized and controllable by the thickness of the metal layers applied. Thin semiconductor cap layers, such as InGaAs cap layers less than 200 nm thick, may be used in the present invention with extremely thin pure metal layers of thickness 10 nm or less, thus enabling an increased level of integration for semiconductor optoelectronic devices. In addition, because pure metal layers are used in the ohmic contact, fewer impurities are introduced in the formation of the contact than with prior art alloy contacts.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of ohmic contacts for semiconductor electronic devices and, more particularly, to a low-penetration ohmic contact providing a gettering function to remove impurities from semiconductor devices and to a method of forming it.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, communications systems have been developed in many parts of the world that take advantage of optical fiber technology to increase the speed of information transfer. Demand for ever-higher information transfer rates has resulted in pressure to advance the state of the art of optoelectronic communications technology, including the design and manufacturing of semiconductor lasers.
Semiconductor lasers are the power sources for optoelectronic communications. They transform electronic signals into light with specific properties of intensity and spectral purity designed to allow for transmission of information over optical fiber networks. Although prior art semiconductors most commonly employed the elements Si and Ge, listed in Group IV of the Periodic Table, other materials, such as intermetallic compounds, have also been found to exhibit properties useful in the formation of semiconductor lasers.
Modern semiconductor lasers are precision devices in which many layers of semiconductors are used to control the flow of current and light. The device may have as many as twenty or more semiconductor substructures and require up to 4 or 5 crystal growth steps. The active region of the laser, the area in which the conversion of electrons and holes to photons occurs, may be made up of a number of substructures called quantum wells, some of which may be only 10 atoms thick.
In order to provide high efficiency of conversion of electrical to optical power, the electrical fields inside the active region should be controlled. This implies a high degree of control of the dopant impurities in the neighborhood of the active region. Impurities deliberately introduced into the semiconductor to modify the carrier density and control conductivity type should be controlled with respect to position and density to a high degree of spatial precisionxe2x80x94a few nanometers (nm).
The contact metallization, or the part of the laser that interfaces with the outside world to provide chemical barriers and electrical contacts, has generally received less attention in design efforts than the active region itself. Designs for the contact structure have been nearly frozen for a long time. However, in recent years it has become apparent that the control of dopant diffusion into the active region requires that the other layers be optimized with respect to thickness and doping density. This has in turn placed additional requirements on the contact metallization, or ohmic contact.
Ohmic contacts to semiconductor devices are the point at which the outside world in the form of electricity flowing in wires influences the semiconductor. In addition to the obvious function of conducting electricity, ohmic contacts provide chemical isolation of the active region from impurities that can affect device performance. These impurities are often generated by further processing of the device during manufacturing or during normal usage. Ohmic contacts also provide an important path for heat to escape from the active region, and they may also be required to provide mechanical isolation of the device during bonding processes. To perform these functions, the contact structure applied to the semiconductor may be comprised of many layers, all of which should be compatible with each other and with the semiconductors and other elements of the device.
In modern ohmic contacts, the ohmic function is provided by one or a few layers of metal and the other functions (chemical barrier, mechanical protection, etc.) are provided by other layers specifically aimed at those purposes. Ohmic metallization recipes of the xe2x80x9calloyedxe2x80x9d type incorporate a solvent metal such as Au which reacts strongly with the semiconductor and a dopant element such as Sn or Ge for N-type III-V materials and Be or Zn for P-type materials. The purpose of the solvent is to break up the semiconductor and form a strong physical bond. The purpose of the dopant is to increase the concentration of acceptors or donors in the immediate neighborhood of the interface and thereby reduce the contact resistance. Such an xe2x80x9calloyedxe2x80x9d ohmic contact recipe is primarily designed to optimize contact resistance.
The classic ohmic contact used in many current optoelectronic devices is produced using an alloyed ohmic contact recipe and consists of Au and Be. This contact is used for P-type materials and consists of an alloy of Au and Be which is evaporated as a single film from a source of mixed metal. The Au is a solvent and the Be a P-type dopant. The vapor pressures of Au and Be are similar enough to allow material of essentially constant composition to be applied by physical evaporation, typically in an vacuum chamber at pressures below 5xc3x9710xe2x88x927 Torr using an electron-beam gun as a power source. The AuBe alloy is applied to the semiconductor through a patterned photoresist mask and the excess metal lifted off when the photoresist is dissolved in acetone. The AuBe layer is then annealed (heated) at a temperature of 350-420 degrees Celsius to form the metallurgical bond and other metal layers are applied in subsequent fabrication steps to form the protective barrier and mechanical bond layers.
At the end of the complete metallization process, the metals in the stack may comprise up to 5 microns of metal in 7 to 10 distinct layers. For example, a typical metallization might have the sequence: AuBe Ti Pt Au Au Pt Au (i.e., AuBe is first deposited, Ti is deposited on the AuBe, Pt is deposited on the Ti, etc.), in which the AuBe layer functions as the ohmic contact interface to the semiconductor, the sequence Ti Pt Au functions as the barrier metallization for chemical protection, and the sequence Au Pt Au functions as the bonding layer for mechanical protection. It is desirable to use Au as a final layer of a metal sequence which will be exposed to air or processing materials. This is because Au is the least reactive and most easily cleaned metal.
Between the semiconductor and the metal layers, a layer of low-bandgap, lattice-matched semiconductor is often applied as the final xe2x80x9ccap layerxe2x80x9d interface to reduce the Schottky barrier height and further facilitate the contact. In the case of the InGaAsP alloy system, the lattice-matched material is InGaAs. An additional benefit of using InGaAs as the cap layer is that it has a higher solubility for the preferred P-dopant Zn than does InP.
However, the use of an InGaAs cap layer presents a hazard of introducing additional impurities into the active region of the semiconductor. Uncontrolled diffusion of Zn, an impurity, in the neighborhood of the active region occurs mainly during the growth of the InGaAs cap layer. Therefore, it is desirable to minimize the amount of time spent forming the cap layer, thus reducing the desired cap layer thickness. In the past, most laser devices used a 500 nm thick cap layer. Recently, this was reduced to 200 nm and more recently to a minimum of 50 nm.
Because of the concern to reduce the thickness of the InGaAs cap layer, development efforts were aimed at producing a xe2x80x9clow penetration contactxe2x80x9d which was designed to react with a controlled minimum amount of semiconductor. The depth of reaction with the semiconductor is controlled by the thickness of the layers of metallization which interacted directly with the semiconductor. The idea is that the complete reaction of the layers of metal which combine with the semiconductor consumes only a small amount of semiconductor cap layer material. In order to make sure that the total penetration of the metal is kept to a desired limit, it is necessary to use very thin layers at the semiconductor/metal interface. For purposes of manufacturability, it is desirable that the very thin layers be made of single elements, not alloys, mixtures, or compounds.
The classic AuBe ohmic contact was found to be unsuitable for use with thin (approximately 50 nm) InGaAs cap layers. The depth of reaction of AuBe with the cap layer is highly variable, sometimes resulting in excess penetration of AuBe into the underlying InP substrate. Thus, a thick cap layer of about 200 nm or more is usually required for satisfactory reliability of the AuBe contact.
In addition to the Zn impurity hazard, Copper (Cu) is an even more dangerous impurity for InGaAsP semiconductor devices. Even at very low levels, Cu ions act as efficient destroyers of electrons and holes via a process called non-radiative recombination. Cu also diffuses rapidly through the semiconductor. Cu is most often introduced as an impurity in the contact metallization, either in the original AuBe source material or due to processing steps. Thus it is desirable to use metallization source materials unlikely to contain Cu impurities. Cu impurities are often present in the AuBe source metal, degrading reliability of the resulting semiconductor device and requiring extensive composition control of the alloy during contact formation. These problems are distinctly alloy-related; they are not significant in contact recipes using only pure metal layers.
An ohmic contact recipe containing pure metal layers was proposed for use with thin InGaAs cap layers in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/017,103, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein. In this application, a contact metallization with sequence Pt Ti Pt Au Ti Pt Au Au Pt Au was used and tested with a 50 nm thick InGaAs cap layer on a III-V semiconductor device. This metallization sequence effectively replaces the AuBe alloy with a sequence of pure metal layers: Pt Ti Pt Au. The resulting contact showed excellent contact resistivity, very low depth of reaction into the cap layer, and was thought to contain few impurities.
However, detailed analysis of this contact metallization suggested that the resulting device may be further improved. Secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS) and Auger electron spectroscopy showed indications that Zn impurities in the InGaAs cap layer, which were deliberately introduced as a dopant during epitaxial growth of the cap layer, did not appear to migrate upward from the p-type semiconductor material, including the cap layer, as may have happened in the AuBe layer of the classic AuBe contact during alloying. Improvements in device reliability could be obtained if Zn migration into the pure metal layers could be encouraged with this metallization.
Therefore, there is a desire and need for an ohmic contact recipe compatible with thin (50 nm) InGaAs cap layers, containing few impurities, exhibiting minimal resistivity, made of single elements capable of being manufactured in extremely thin layers, and resulting in devices showing improved reliability characteristics.
The present invention provides a novel ohmic contact metallization structure and method utilizing a thin pure metal layer designed to react with the semiconductor cap layer to getter Zn and other interstitial impurities. The resulting contact structure exhibits favorable reliability and resistivity characteristics and enables a higher level of integration for semiconductor devices by permitting the use of very thin layers in a low-penetration contact structure.
The present invention also provides an alternative to the prior art design scheme for ohmic contact structures. Prior art contact structure design was primarily concerned with minimizing contact resistance. The present invention provides an improved ohmic contact design scheme in which device reliability is the primary design goal, rather than minimal contact resistance. An ohmic contact metallization recipe showing improved reliability, excellent resistivity, and increased levels of integration can be obtained using the present invention.
The above and other features and advantages of the invention are achieved by forming a multilayer gettering contact metallization including a thin layer of a metal as the initial layer formed on the semiconductor cap layer for trapping impurities, dopants and self-interstitials. During formation of the contact structure, impurities, self-interstitials and other defects present in the cap layer and in other nearby layers diffuse into metal layers forming the contact structure, preventing further migration into active areas of the semiconductor device. The contact metallization is formed of pure metal layers compatible with each other and with the underlying semiconductor cap layer such that depth of reaction is minimized (low-penetration) and controllable by the thickness of the metal layers applied. Thin semiconductor cap layers, such as InGaAs cap layers less than 200 nm thick, may be used in the present invention with extremely thin pure metal layers of thickness 10 nm or less, thus enabling an increased level of integration for semiconductor optoelectronic devices. In addition, because pure metal layers are used in the ohmic contact, fewer impurities are introduced in the formation of the contact than with prior art alloy contacts.

Method of forming a laser circuit having low penetration ohmic contact providing impurity gettering and the resultant laser circuit


An axial turbine includes an upstream turbine stage that includes: a cover disposed at a distal end of an upstream bucket and opposed to an inner wall of an upstream diaphragm outer ring across a gap; and a downstream diaphragm outer ring that is disposed downstream of the upstream turbine stage and that has an inner peripheral-side end wall shaped into a flare. The inner peripheral-side end wall of the downstream diaphragm outer ring has a flare angle formed to be greater than a slant angle of an inner peripheral-side wall of the cover. In the axial turbine, the inner peripheral-side end wall of the downstream diaphragm outer ring is formed to have a meridional shape that has at least one inflection point between the upstream turbine stage and a downstream turbine stage and such that a tangent at the inflection point with respect to a steam flow direction has a positive gradient.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an axial turbine.
2. Description of Related Art
Gas turbines and steam turbines used in, for example, power plants are broadly classified into the following three types: an axial turbine, a diagonal turbine, and a radial turbine according to the direction in which a working fluid flows. The working fluid flows: in a direction along a rotational axis of a turbine in the axial turbine; in a direction diagonally expanding from the rotational axis of the turbine in the diagonal turbine; and in a radial direction with respect to the rotational axis of the turbine in the radial turbine. Of these three types of turbines, the axial turbine is particularly suitable for power plants having medium to large capacities and is widely applied to steam turbines in large-scale thermal power stations.
Recent growing interest in improved economy and reduced environment load has prompted a need for even greater power generation efficiency in power plants. Providing turbines with enhanced functions is thus an important issue to be addressed. Factors that govern turbine performance include stage loss, exhaust loss, and mechanical loss. It is considered to be effective to have a greater annulus area, specifically, to increase a blade height or a pitch circle diameter to thereby increase kinetic energy of the working fluid recovered in a last stage and to thus reduce the exhaust loss.
Increasing the annulus area, however, involves the following problems: (1) increased stress acting on a bucket and a rotor; (2) a stronger likelihood that loss will increase because of an inlet velocity becoming supersonic on a bucket tip side; (3) a stronger likelihood that separation will occur at an enlarged passage portion on an outer peripheral side; and (4) a stronger likelihood that an erosion amount will increase caused by droplets on the bucket tip side. Of the foregoing four problems, the problem of (3) "a stronger likelihood that separation will occur at an enlarged passage portion on an outer peripheral side" is extremely critical, because the problem not only constitutes a factor for occurrence of loss, but also can affect a flow pattern in a turbine stage disposed downstream of the separation.
As a solution, to the foregoing problem, a technique has been developed in which an annular baffle plate that follows a profile of a diaphragm outer ring is disposed between the diaphragm outer ring and a diaphragm inner ring in the turbine stage of the last stage (see, for example, JP-2013-148059-A). The technique causes the annular baffle plate to form an annular passage, thereby allegedly preventing occurrence of a separation and a reverse flow at an enlarged passage portion on an outer peripheral side.


An apparatus is provided for blousing a pant leg. The central hole of a tubular, torus shaped, horizontally positioned, elastic sleeve is of a size to accept a calf of a person's leg. The sleeve includes a pair of opposing slits that each provide entry into the interior of the sleeve from above. A pair of foundation forms each have a curved, horizontally extending first portion positioned within the sleeve for providing conformal alignment of the sleeve with the natural curvature of a human calf. Each form further includes a second portion contiguous with the first portion and extending vertically from the first portion for protruding through one of the slits of the sleeve. A strap attachment slit is further included on each second portion for engaging at least one elastic anchoring strap, the strap holding the sleeve in place on the calf at a position adjacent to, and above, the top of a boot. As such, the sleeve encircles the calf, and the pant leg is bloused around the outside of the sleeve and folded under and upward between the sleeve and the calf, whereby the pant leg is elastically held between the sleeve and the calf.

People who frequently wear uniforms, such as military personnel, police officers, and the like, know that their appearance is extremely important and subject to constant inspection. Almost every uniform includes a pair of pants. Pants, however, have a tendency to cling to one side of the leg, to bunch up around the wearer's socks, and to seek their flat, pressed shape. As such, it has been difficult for many pant wearers to achieve and maintain a full, bloused look with their pant legs. Such a full, bloused appearance creates a more distinguished, proper, uniform appearance overall, and is consequently sought by many uniform wearers.
Several devices exist for blousing pant legs, several of which are supplied by the military. For example, one such device is simply an elastic braided rope having small interconnecting hooks on each end. The rope is typically of a color suitable for military uniforms, and is strapped around the leg and the pant leg. The pant leg is then pulled up and folded over the strap to hang in a bloused fashion. The most significant drawback to devices of this type is that the strap moves up the leg when a person walks, runs, reaches for objects in a high location, and the like. As such, the deice and the pant leg must frequently be pulled down into a proper position.
Another device, taught in U.S. Pat. No. 4,825,475, issued on May 2, 1989, illustrates a strap with hooks for engaging the hem of a pant leg and a hook-and-loop type fastener on each of its end. Such a device has many of the same drawbacks of the aforementioned rope device in that it has a tendency to ride up on a person's leg as he or she walks, runs, stretches, or the like. Another similar device is a metal band sewn into or attached to the hem of the pants. Such a device keeps the pant leg in a circular, bloused shape, yet is difficult to use in that it must be removed before being washed, and adds significant weight to the pants. Further, such a device is also prone to riding up on a person's leg during stretching or the like.
Stirrups of the type worn with baseball uniforms are less likely to ride-up on a person's leg during exercising. Pant legs are typically tucked-up under an elastic band of such stirrups. However, pant legs tend to become untucked from such elastic stirrups easily, necessitating frequent monitoring by the wearer. Further, such stirrups are visible while worn, which is not always appropriate.
Clearly, then, there is a need for a pant blousing device that is more effectively blouses a pant leg. Such a needed device would be inexpensive to manufacture, would not be visible when worn, would be completely adjustable, and would be extremely easy to use. Such a needed device would not require constant monitoring by the wearer. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides further related advantages.


Room temperature curable polymeric composition A room temperature curable polymeric composition comprising (A) at least one hydrolyzable silyl group-containing polymer selected from the group consisting of alkylene oxide polymers blocked by a hydrolyzable silyl group at a terminal end of molecular chain thereof and organopolysiloxanes blocked by a hydrolyzable silyl group at a terminal end of molecular chain thereof, (B) an epoxy compound, (C) a carbonyl group-containing organic compound, (D) an amino group-containing organic compound, and (E) a curing catalyst for the component (A). The composition is excellent in fast-curing property and deep portion curing property, and a cured product obtained therefrom has good rubber properties.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a room temperature curable polymeric composition which is useful as constructional sealing material, coating material, encapsulating or potting material for electric and electronic components, fiber-treating agent, adhesive for automotive, constructional and electric or electronic uses, and so forth.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As a condensation-curing type room temperature curable composition comprising an alkylene oxide polymer or an organopolysiloxane as base polymer, there have been known those of one-pack type in which the amount of crosslinking agent is reduced to an utmost degree and crosslinking rate is enhanced by hydrolysis of hydrolyzable groups introduced into the base component and those of two-pack type in which a crosslinking agent and a curing agent are enclosed in separate packs.
However, the one-pack type compositions need a considerable length of time for curing to their deep portions, though they have a high rate of cure from the surface thereof. The two-pack type compositions are comparatively better in deep portion curing properties, but they are disadvantageous in that, because their two parts in separate packs are not formulated for a mixing ratio of 1:1 by volume or by weight, they are poorly processable in quantity measurement or mixing operations and are not well suited to use with mixing machines or the like. In the two-pack type compositions, furthermore, suitable ranges for addition amounts of crosslinking agent and curing agent necessary for complete cure to deep portions of the composition are very narrow and, accordingly, it is necessary to specify strictly the addition amounts of the crosslinking agent and curing agent or to add water as a deep portion curing agent.
Recently, curable compositions comprising as main constituents thereof a so-called crosslinkable silyl group-containing alkylene oxide polymer, i.e. an alkylene oxide polymer containing a hydrolyzable silyl group whose hydrolysis is accompanied by crosslinking, and an epoxy resin have been developed (See Japanese Pre-examination Patent Publication (KOKAI) Nos. 61-268720 (1986), 62-283120 (1987), 2-145674 (1990), 2-145675 (1990) and 2-228365 (1990)). In this type of compositions, crosslinking and curing of the crosslinkable silyl group-containing alkylene oxide polymer proceeds separately from that of the epoxy resin. Namely, the crosslinkable silyl group-containing alkylene oxide polymer is cured by crosslinking which results from formation of siloxane linkages under the action of moisture, whereas the epoxy resin is cured by crosslinking which accompanies catalytic opening of epoxy rings.
Major uses of these curable compositions include, for example, application as an adhesive for areas where aseismatic properties are required in the fields of electric and electronic industry and construction materials. In such applications, the curable compositions are required to have high cure rate and adhesive strength, and cured products thereof are required to be elastic.
However, the above-mentioned curable compositions comprising a crosslinkable silyl group-containing alkylene oxide polymer and an epoxy resin as main components need a considerable length of time for curing to deep portions thereof, because the silyl group-containing polymer is cured by moisture in air. On the other hand, where water is preliminarily added to the curable composition in order to shorten the period of time necessary for deep-portion curing, shelf life of the composition is lowered.

Room temperature curable composition containing a hydrolyzable silyl group-containing polymer and epoxy compound


A magnetic recording which is useful as a mirror image duplication video tape master is made from another magnetic recording by anhysteretic transfer at a temperature at which the coercive force of the master is much less than the coercive force of the other recording. Preferably, the magnetic recording layer of the master comprises fine particles of a manganese bismuth alloy, the coercivity of which decreases with decreasing temperature, and the other record comprises a magnetic recording layer having a coercivity which increases with decreasing temperature. The master record may subsequently be used to duplicate copies of the recording by anhysteretic transfer to a copy record having a coercive force which, at the temperature at which the transfer is made (typically room temperature), is substantially lower than the coercive force of the master.

The present invention relates to magnetic recording and particularly to methods for duplicating magnetic records.
More particularly, this invention relates to methods for duplicating magnetic video records, such as may be recorded on magnetic tapes and discs.
There has existed for some time the need to make duplicate video recordings which provide high quality pictures when played back and yet are producible at low cost. The quality of the pictures depends in large measure on the strength of the signal which is recorded on the copy. The cost of the copy depends upon the complexity of the duplication technique and the time required to duplicate each copy. In the case of video magnetic records the problem is complicated by the need for recording magnetic signals on high coercivity materials (typically at least 300 to 500 Oersteds (Oe)) and at short wavelengths (typically about 1 .mu.m (micrometer). The coercivity of the tape is the ability of the tape to resist demagnetization.
One technique for duplicating video magnetic recordings is to merely play back the original magnetic signals and simultaneously re-record such signals, using a conventional magnetic head, onto a copy. The main limitation of this technique is that the rerecording takes place at the same speed as the original recording, i.e. a one hour program takes one hour to copy. The process is quite time consuming and, hence, costly.
The process of anhysteretic transfer has been examined with the view to reducing the time needed to make the copies. In anhysteretic transfer the master record and the copy are placed in face-to-face contact in the presence of an AC magnetic field. The AC field causes the magnetization pattern on the matter to transfer to the copy. In order to prevent the master record from being erased, the transfer field cannot exceed the coercive force of the master. Thus, the magnetic signal intensity on the copy is limited by the coercivity of the master. U.S. Pat. No. 3,913,131 proposes a technique for overcoming this limitation; namely, to effect anhysteretic transfer between the master and the copy at low temperatures where the coercive force of the master increases to a greater extent than the coercive force of the copy. A gain in differential coercive force of the master with respect to the copy of about 2.5 times is indicated in the patent to be obtained at low temperatures (e.g. 233 K).
In order to use the aforedescribed technique to duplicate magnetic tapes bearing slant track recordings, as is characteristic of conventional video tapes, it is necessary that the magnetic signals on the master be a mirror image of the signals which are to be anhysteretically transferred to the copy material. To produce such mirror image signals on the master, the aforementioned patent suggests using a special video recorder which records an inverted image of the signal presented to it. Such recorders tend to be costly and add significantly to the overall duplication costs. Also, like other conventional recording machines using magnetic heads, the intensity of the signals recorded by these recorders is limited because the heads used to record the signals on a magnetic material of relatively high coercivity tend to saturate at the high field levels required. Finally, the process described above requires that the master and each final copy be cooled to low temperatures so that the amplified transfer can be effected. This slows the process and, hence, increases the cost of the final copy. Thus, the problem of providing at low cost a magnetic master of very high coercivity at room temperature still remains.
There has been mentioned in the literature magnetic materials made of manganese bismuth (MnBi) particles of small dimensions (smaller than one micrometer (.mu.m)). Such materials exhibit a unique coercivity vs. temperature characteristic, viz., a coercivity which is exceptionally high, say 16,000 Oe at room temperature, and which drops dramatically to a moderately low coercivity, say 300 Oe, at 77 K, the temperature of liquid nitrogen. See, for instance, Kishimoto and Wakai, J. Appl. Phys. 48, 4640 (1977). This material has been suggested for use in a magnetic tape which is recorded at relatively low temperatures (e.g. between 170 K and 200 K) (see Japanese Patent Publication No. 134593, published on May 14, 1977).

Magnetic recording using recording media having temperature dependent coercivity


A system used in a blood vessel when an interventional procedure is being performed in a stenosed or occluded region, which is capable of enabling an expandable cage assembly therein, adapted to filter the blood in a blood vessel, to be expandable, so as to capture any embolic material that may be created and released into the bloodstream during the interventional procedure. The system includes a catheter which is positionable in a blood vessel at the interventional procedure site. The system further includes an expandable cage assembly, which is expandable and which may be deployed in the blood vessel distal to the interventional procedure site, which includes a plurality of struts, adapted to be expandable from unexpanded condition thereof, wherein each of the plurality of struts includes an element for varying the stiffness along the length thereof, for enabling the expandable cage assembly to be expandable, portions thereof which are in contact in the unexpanded condition, wherein the expandable cage assembly is capable of expanding, while preventing the unexpanded in contact portions thereof from sticking together during expansion and deployment thereof.

The present invention relates generally to a system which can be used when an interventional procedure is being performed in a stenosed or occluded region of a blood vessel to enhance the expansion and deployment of an expandable cage filter for filtering the blood in a blood vessel so as to capture embolic material that may be created and released into the bloodstream during the procedure. The system of the present invention is particularly useful when performing balloon angioplasty, stenting procedures, laser angioplasty or atherectomy in critical vessels, such as the carotid, renal, and saphenous vein graft arteries, where the release of embolic debris into the bloodstream could possibly occlude the flow of oxygenated blood to the brain or other vital organs which can cause devastating consequences to the patient.
A variety of non-surgical interventional procedures have been developed over the years for opening stenosed or occluded blood vessels in a patient caused by the build up of plaque or other substances on the walls of the blood vessel. Such procedures usually involve the percutaneous introduction of the interventional device into the lumen of the artery, usually through a catheter. One widely known and medically accepted procedure is balloon angioplasty in which an inflatable balloon is introduced within the stenosed region of the blood vessel to dilate the occluded vessel. The balloon catheter is initially inserted into the patient""s arterial system and is advanced and manipulated into the area of stenosis in the artery. The balloon is inflated to compress the plaque and press the vessel wall radially outward to increase the diameter of the blood vessel.
Another procedure is laser angioplasty which utilizes a laser to ablate the stenosis by super heating and vaporizing the deposited plaque. Atherectomy is yet another method of treating a stenosed blood vessel in which a cutting blade is rotated to shave the deposited plaque from the arterial wall. A vacuum catheter may be used to capture the shaved plaque or thrombus from the blood stream during this procedure.
In another widely practiced procedure, the stenosis can be treated by placing a device known as a stent into the stenosed region to hold open and sometimes expand the segment of the blood vessel or other arterial lumen. Stents are particularly useful in the treatment or repair of blood vessels after a stenosis has been compressed by percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA), percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) or removal by atherectomy or other means. Stents are usually delivered in a compressed condition to the target site, and then are deployed at the target location into an expanded condition to support the vessel and help maintain it in an open position.
Prior art stents typically fall into two general categories of construction. The first type of stent is expandable upon application of a controlled force, often through the inflation of the balloon portion of a dilatation catheter which, upon inflation of the balloon or other expansion means, expands the compressed stent to a larger diameter to be left in place within the artery at the target site. The second type of stent is a self-expanding stent formed from, for example, shape memory metals or super-elastic nickel-titanum (NiTi) alloys, which will automatically expand from a compressed state when the stent is advanced out of the distal end of the delivery catheter into the body lumen. Such stents manufactured from self-expandable materials allow for phase transformations of the material to occur, contributing to the expansion and contraction of the stent.
The above non-surgical interventional procedures, when successful, avoid the necessity of major surgical operations. However, there is one common problem associated with all of these non-surgical procedures, namely, the potential release of embolic debris into the bloodstream which can occlude distal vasculature and cause significant health problems to the patient. For example, during deployment of a stent, it is possible that the metal struts of the stent can cut into the stenosis and shear off pieces of plaque which become embolic debris that can travel downstream and lodge somewhere in the patient""s vascular system. Pieces of plaque material can sometimes dislodge from the stenosis during a balloon angioplasty procedure and become released into the bloodstream. Additionally, while complete vaporization of plaque is the intended goal during a laser angioplasty procedure, particles are not always fully vaporized and may enter the bloodstream.
When any of the above-described procedures are performed for example in the carotid arteries, the release of emboli into the circulatory system can be extremely dangerous to the patient. Debris that is carried by the bloodstream to distal vessels of the brain may cause these cerebral vessels to occlude, resulting in a stroke, and in some cases, death. Therefore, although carotid percutaneous transluminal angioplasty has been performed in the past, the number of procedures performed has been limited due to the justifiable fear of causing an embolic stroke should embolic debris enter the bloodstream and block vital downstream blood passages.
Medical devices have been developed to attempt to deal with the problem created when debris or fragments enter the circulatory system following treatment utilizing any one of the above-identified procedures. One approach which has been attempted is the cutting of any debris into minute sizes which pose little chance of becoming occluded in major vessels within the patient""s vasculature. However, it is often difficult to control the size of the fragments which are formed, and the potential risk of vessel occlusion still exists, making such procedures in the carotid arteries a high-risk proposition.
Other techniques which have been developed to address the problem of removing embolic debris include the use of catheters with a vacuum source which provides temporary suction to remove embolic debris from the bloodstream. However, as mentioned above, there have been complications with such systems since the vacuum catheter may not always remove all of the embolic material from the bloodstream, and a powerful suction could cause problems to the patient""s vasculature.
Further techniques which have had some limited success include the placement of a filter or trap downstream from the treatment site to capture embolic debris before it reaches the smaller blood vessels downstream. However, there have been problems associated with filtering systems, particularly during the expansion and deployment of the filter within the blood vessel. The filter stiffness profile is important for enabling the filter to track through the very tight and small anatomy in the blood vessels. If the filter is substantially flexible and then becomes substantially stiff, it tends to generate kinks in the guide wire, making it difficult to track through the blood vessel. Further, the filtering system may not expand substantially freely and deploy distal to the interventional procedure site, inhibiting the filtering of embolic material.
What has been needed is a reliable system and method for treating stenosis in blood vessels which improves the expansion and deployment characteristics of an expandable cage filter to enable the expandable cage to be substantially-freely expandable in the blood vessel from unexpanded condition thereof, for capturing embolic debris in the bloodstream that can cause blockage in vessels at downstream locations. The system and method should be capable of filtering embolic debris which may be released into the bloodstream during the treatment to the vessel, and yet allow a sufficient amount of oxygenated blood to flow past the filtering device to supply vital organs downstream from the treatment site. The system and method should be relatively easy for a physician to use and should provide a nearly failsafe filtering system capable of removing embolic debris released into the bloodstream. Moreover, such a system should be relatively easy to deploy and remove from the patient""s vasculature. The inventions disclosed herein satisfy these and other needs.
The present invention provides a system and method for capturing and retaining embolic debris from a blood vessel which may be created during the performance of a therapeutic interventional procedure, such as a balloon angioplasty or stenting procedure, in order to prevent the embolic debris from lodging and blocking blood vessels downstream from the interventional site. The present invention is particularly useful while performing an interventional procedure in vital arteries, such as the carotid arteries, in which critical downstream blood vessels can become blocked with embolic debris, including the main blood vessels leading to the brain or other vital organs. As a result, the present invention provides the physician with a higher degree of confidence that any and all embolic debris is being collected and removed from the blood vessel when performing high-risk interventional procedures.
The present invention is deployed in the blood vessel at a location distal to the area of treatment in the interventional procedure site, passes the blood therethrough to enable blood to flow past the filter, and filters the blood to capture and retain any embolic debris which may be created during the interventional procedure.
In the present invention, the system includes an emboli-capturing filter attached to an expandable cage to filter the blood vessel and to capture and retain embolic material, and a plurality of openings in the filter to enable some amount of blood to flow past the deployed filter. The emboli-capturing filter of the present invention directs the blood flow through the area where the interventional procedure is to be performed and through the filter located distal to the interventional site, which is designed to capture and retain friable plaque deposits. Additionally, the present invention allows blood to flow past the filter to provide a substantially continuous stream of blood to the organs located downstream.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the system includes an expandable cage and filter which can be deployed within the blood vessel for filtering blood flow past the expandable member at a location distal downstream to the interventional procedure site. The expandable cage and filter is adapted to be relatively flexible towards the distal end, and relatively stiff towards the proximal end, to provide gradual stiffness for efficient tracking through the blood vessel, and for effective expansion and deployment of the expandable cage and filter. The expandable cage and filter may include a plurality of struts, adapted to be expandable from unexpanded condition thereof. The expandable cage and filter may further include filter material which includes a plurality of openings which may be formed therein, which are adapted to pass blood therethrough while preventing embolic material from passing therethrough.
In a particular embodiment of the present invention, the system comprises a catheter, including an elongated shaft having a distal end portion adapted to be positioned in a blood vessel at an interventional procedure site. A filter device is adapted to be located in the distal end portion of the catheter shaft and is mounted on a guide wire, to be deployed distal to the interventional procedure site, and to pass blood therethrough to capture embolic material which may be released into the bloodstream during the interventional procedure. The filter device includes an expandable cage assembly, adapted to be expandable to capture embolic material, and to be collapsible to retain the captured embolic material. The expandable cage includes an element for varying the stiffness along the length of the expandable cage, for enabling the expandable cage to be substantially-freely expandable responsive thereto. The expandable cage is adapted to be positioned in the distal end portion of the guide wire, such that, for variable stiffness of the expandable cage, wherein the distal end portion is relatively flexible and the proximal end portion is relatively stiff, positioning of the expandable cage in the blood vessel is enhanced. The expandable cage further includes a plurality of struts for expansion thereof, and in another embodiment also includes a marker tip at a free end of each of the plurality of struts, adapted to be radiopaque, for enabling verification of the location of the expandable cage in the blood vessel and the opening or closing of the expandable cage.

Expandable cage embolic material filter system and method


When reproducing AV data transmitted from a source device by multicast wireless transmission, a sink device can check the wireless connection status of other sink device which reproduces AV data from the same source device. The sink device (2a) includes: an AV reception portion which receives AV data through multicast wireless transmission from the source device (1); a reproduction portion which extracts and reproduces AV data transmitted to the sink device (2a) from the received AV data; and a device information receiving portion that wirelessly receives a portion or whole of the sink device information managed in the source device (1). The sink device information correlates identification information for identifying a plurality of sink devices (2a, 2b, . . . ) containing the sink device (2a) with state information indicative of wireless connection status of the sink devices (2a, 2b, . . . ).

A wireless network represented by a wireless LAN (local area network) is conventionally used for data transmission between devices such as personal computers (PC). Such a wireless network can be constructed such that data is transmitted through multicast transmission from an access point to devices.
Patent Document 1 discloses a wireless transmission apparatus that wirelessly communicates with other communication stations within a wireless network. This wireless transmission apparatus includes a wireless processing means that transmits and receives a wireless signal, and a control means that sets a predetermined frame cycle received by the wireless processing means based on management information from surrounding communication stations, that defines a predetermined position within the prescribed frame cycle as a management information transmission area, that prescribes a plurality of slots in the management information transmission area to allow communication stations to transmit management information through one of the slots, that prescribes a portion of the slots as a new entry slot in advance, and that executes processing for involving a transmission source of a specific signal in a wireless network, when the specific signal is recognized at a predetermined new entry slot position.

Sink device and wireless transmission system


A seal testing system provides an indicator of the tightness of seals in packaging of the seal testing system includes at least partially light permeable thermoplastic film providing two flexible layers that are impermeable for liquid and that are circumferentially sealed to define chambers that store a seal testing fluid and that are interconnected via a narrowed intermediate passage. At least section of a seal between the film layers is weakened to allow release of the seal testing fluid when pressure is introduced in the chambers.

Pursuant to IPC, the invention refers to processing of plastics, namely to formation or interconnecting and subsequent treatment of formed products, and quite exactly to connecting each product by means of a thermally shrinkable film. Moreover, the invention may also refer to multi-layered packaging containing artificial resins, in particular polyester. Still further, the invention may also refer to physics, namely to testing and in particular to constructional concept of indicators.
In this, the purpose of the invention is to create an indicator for proving of tightness of a packaging consisting of at least partially light permeable thermoplastic film, wherein such indicator should enable occasional i.e. periodical testing by means of a penetration dye, by which each user and each environment should be prevented from any risks of pollution by said penetration dye.
A method of detecting tightness of weakness of welded packaging is generally disclosed in WO 2005/159500 A1 or in CN 101726395 B.
The invention generally refers to a packaging, namely to testing of said packaging, and in particular to proving tightness of seals in a sterilization or any other packaging, which is produced either in industrial processes, or in the sterilization area by means of specific welding appliances.
Quite exactly, the invention refers to proving quality of seals in a soft sterilization packaging, which is usually made of a layer, which is permeable for each sterilization media and represents sterilization paper or any other filtering layer, as well as of a non-permeable translucent synthetic layer, usually a PET/PP or PET/PE laminated film. When such packaging is closed, both layers are welded along the edges by means of special welding apparatus and by means of temperature and pressure, by which a closed sterilization packaging is produced, which is permeable for sterilization media and provides a barrier for microorganisms.
Such welding appliances are capable to realize at least 6 mm wide seal between said laminated film and said barrier layer, wherein due to various reasons from time to time such seal is not continuous and tight. This means that such seal contains non-welded areas in the form of channels, which extend between said non-welded layers towards the exterior and enable microorganisms to intrude towards each sterilized content.
The invention is dealing with proving of tightness and quality of seals in such packaging. The object of the invention is to create a test, namely an indicator for proving tightness of sterilization, which should comply with the standard ISO EN 11607 and ASTM F 1929, to which ISO EN 11607 refers, and which would also be user friendly and would enable daily routine control.
Pursuant to said standard ASTM F 1929, tightness of seals is tested by means of colored dye like the fluid TRITON X-100, which is characterized by extremely efficient intruding into pores, so that each irregularity in the seal becomes visible as soon as the dye has penetrated into it.
The method of such testing is however not quite user friendly, since the liquid must be introduced drop by drop into each packaging, which means that the packaging must be open i.e. not welded on at least one end portion thereof, which may lead to pollution of the surrounding with said testing liquid. Due to its penetration efficiency, removing of liquid is then extremely difficult, which leads to huge problem in various tests, since in most cases pollution occurs despite to due care.
Commercially available state of the art sets like e.g. HAWO INK TEST (www.hawo.com) include said testing liquid, which is then introduced, preferably drop by drop, into each examined packaging. Such test is characterized by set in kit comprising 75 ml of testing liquid and twenty pipettes, which are suitable for introducing of testing liquid into each examined packaging. There is always a high risk of pollution of the surrounding, since said testing liquid must be drop by drop introduced into open flexible packaging, which is held by one hand, by simultaneously observing penetration of said testing liquid. All known providers offer the same principle of testing.
The invention solves this problem by means of a container, in which the testing liquid is stored and which is then inserted and welded into each packaging, upon which said container is broken within the closed packaging, so that the testing liquid is released within the packaging, which is then followed by visual observing i.e. evaluation of quality of seals in accordance with ASTM F 1929.
Container can be provided in various embodiments like a rigid one or a flexible, or in any other acceptable form, however, it must enable releasing of testing liquid by means of breaking or in any other way within the closed packaging. A rigid container is e.g. a capsule made of a rigid disintegratable material, which is due to a mechanical loading broken, by which the testing penetration liquid is released.
A flexible container is furnished with regular seals, which form two chambers, which are separated by means of a narrowed passage i.e. meander, which makes extraction of testing liquid easier, since upon inserting the indicator into each examined packaging in vertical position the testing liquid is transposed from the first chamber into the second chamber adjacent to a weakened seal, upon which said narrowed passage is pressed and interrupted, by which the required hydrostatic pressure is easily established in order to discontinue said weakened seal and extract the testing liquid.
Testing by using such approach requires inserting such container into each examined packaging, which is followed by closing i.e. welding of packaging and then also with releasing of the testing fluid by means of breaking the container.
The same container and the same procedure of releasing the testing liquid can also be used for introducing said liquid into reusable sterilization packaging, wherein the liquid assures maintaining surgical instrument in wet conditions and prevented from drying each waste thereon prior to cleaning.
When said liquid is introduced into a reusable packaging, then a slightly greater container is required as an independent unit, which can be inserted into said reusable packaging in order to release the liquid, or said container can also be conceived as a part of said reusable sterilization packaging.
Method for introduction of said testing penetration liquid for the purpose of identification of irregularities of seals of a sterilization or any other packaging, or for introduction of penetration liquid into a reusable sterilization packaging, comprises releasing of the liquid from a rigid or flexible or any other container by means of disintegration thereof upon being inserted into each examined packaging, which can be closed.
The container for introduction of said testing penetration liquid for the purposes of identification of irregularities in seals of each sterilization or any other packaging is characterized by releasing of testing liquid on the basis of disintegration of a weakened seal in a flexible container, or of any other seal or any other part of the container, which is achieved by exposing each packaging, together with the indicator inserted therein, to each required pressure.
The previously described container for testing liquid is further characterized by seals, the regular seals of which form two chambers for storage of testing liquid, which are separated by means of a narrowed passage, which makes extraction of testing liquid easier, since upon inserting the indicator into each examined packaging in vertical position the testing liquid is transposed from the first chamber into the second chamber adjacent to a weakened seal, upon which said narrowed passage is pressed and interrupted, by which the required hydrostatic pressure is easily established in order to discontinue said weakened seal and extract the testing liquid.
The invention proposes an indicator for proving tightness of seals in a packaging consisting of at least partially light permeable thermoplastic film, wherein such indicator is conceived as a cushion consisting of two liquid-impermeable flexible film layers, which are welded to each other along the complete circumference and between which a penetration liquid is stored, and wherein said layers are welded to each other in such manner that two chambers are formed between them, which are connected with each other in the area of a narrowed passage and with the possibility of transposition of said penetration fluid between each other, and wherein at least one section of the seal between said film layers is weakened.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, said first chamber is located on the first end portion of the indicator, the second chamber is located on the second end portion of the indicator, and said weakened section of the seal is arranged on the terminal area of the second chamber, which is located on the second end portion of the indicator and faced away from the first chamber.
The previously mentioned embodiment is furthermore characterized in that said seal between the layers comprises, in addition to said weakened section, at least two longitudinal sections, which are spaced apart from each other, as well as at least one transversal section, while said narrowed passage between both chambers is formed by means of two meanders, which are deflected towards each other and arranged at least approximately in the central region of said longitudinal sections of the seal.
The preferred embodiment of the invention further provides that said weakened section of the seal is trapezoidal and comprises a central transversal section and two lateral sections, which extend to the firstly mentioned section towards the second chamber and converge in a direction towards the first chamber.
The invention moreover preferably provides that the circumference of the indicator is arrow-shaped and adapted due to visualization of a direction of extraction of the penetration liquid from the first chamber into the second chamber towards the weakened section of the seal. Within the said context, the circumference of the indicator can be formed by two longitudinal edges, which extend at least approximately parallel to each other, the first transversal section, which is arranged on the first end portion and is deflected towards the first chamber, and the second transversal section, which is arranged on the second end portion and is deflected in a direction away from the second chamber.

Indicator for proving tightness of seals in a packaging consisting of at least partially light permeable thermoplastic film


A laundry machine is provided that includes a tub to receive wash water, a drum rotatably disposed in the tub, a shaft connected to the drum, a bearing housing to support the shaft, a tub back including a rim that extends in a front to rear direction and coupled to the bearing housing at a front thereof, a rear gasket coupled to the rim of the tub back, and a suspension configured to reduce vibration of the drum. The rear gasket is connected between the tub back and the tub rear.

Generally, laundry machines are electric appliances which remove various kinds of contaminants attached to clothes, beddings, cloth items and the like (hereinafter, laundry) by way of a friction force of water currents generated by rotation of a drum and a shock applied to laundry including clothes and the other items. A full-automatic laundry machine released in recent has a series of cycles including a washing, rinsing, dry-spinning cycle which are implemented automatically.
In stead of pulsator type laundry machine having a tub rotatable in a state of standing vertically, drum type laundry machines having little problems of entangled laundry and a lot of wrinkles generated in the laundry have been more and more popular recently.
As a structure of such a drum type laundry machine mentioned above is described schematically, the drum type laundry machine includes a cabinet configured to define an exterior appearance thereof, a tub located in the cabinet to receive wash water, with being supported by a damper an a spring, and a cylindrical drum located in the tub to receive laundry therein. The drum receives a driving force from a driving part to implement washing for the laundry loaded into the drum.
According to the structure of the drum type laundry machine mentioned above, the drum is rotated to wash and dry-spin the laundry loaded therein and it is vibrated because of the rotational force of the drum and eccentricity of the laundry. The vibration generated by the rotation of the drum may be transmitted outside via the tub and the cabinet.
Because of that, a spring and a damper are provided essentially between the tub and the cabinet to prevent the vibration transmitted to the tub from transmitted to the cabinet.
The drum type laundry machine mentioned above may be installed in an existing installation circumstance, for example, in a sink or built-in circumstance, not installed separately. As a result, the size of the drum type laundry machine may be installed limited to be adjustable to its installation circumstance.
As mentioned above, it is limited for the structure of the spring and damper dampening the vibration of the tub and the cabinet to change an inner structure of the drum type laundry. As the installation circumstance of the laundry machine is limited, it is limited to change the size of the laundry machine.
A lot of researches and developments have been in progress to improve washing capacities of laundry machines for user convenience and the increased washed laundry amount. However, it is difficult to enlarge the size of the tub in the conventional drum type laundry machine to increase the washing capacity, because of the limitation condition mentioned above.
As a result, laundry machines having various types of structures have been under development to improve the washing capacity as mentioned above.


A printer ribbon distinguishing method and apparatus therefor, distinguishes a color ribbon, a black ribbon with a clear patch and a black ribbon without a clear patch in a sublimating type color printer. The apparatus has a first sensor having a characteristic in that light generated from a light emitting unit penetrates yellow, magenta and clear patches of a ribbon but does not penetrate cyan and black patches; a second sensor installed on a straight line with the first sensor widthwise of the ink ribbon and having a characteristic in that the light generated from the light emitting unit penetrates the yellow and clear patches of the ink ribbon but does not penetrate magenta, cyan and black patches; a third sensor installed on an opposite side of the first and second sensors widthwise of the ink ribbon but not on a straight line with the first and second sensors, and having a characteristic in that the light generated from the light emitting unit penetrates the yellow and clear patches but does not penetrate the magenta, cyan and black patches.

FIG. 1 is a drawing of a conventional color printer illustrating how to distinguish a color ink ribbon 100 having a yellow patch 100a, magenta patch 100b and cyan patch 100c continuously coated with three colors (yellow, magenta and cyan) of sublimating type ink.
There are formed transparent and colorless clear patches 30, 31 and 32 among the yellow patch 100a, magenta patch 100b and cyan patch 100c.
Black markings (30a) (31a) (32a, 32b) are formed on each clear patch 30, 31 and 32 in order to distinguish the yellow patch 100a, magenta patch 100b and cyan patch 100c of the color ink ribbon 100.
An apparatus for distinguishing the aforesaid color ink ribbon 100 has first and second sensors 10 and 20 each having a light emitting element and a light receiving element, and first and second reflecting panels 10a and 20a for reflecting to the light receiving elements the light generated from the first and second light emitting elements 10 and 20.
Accordingly, in FIG. 1, if the color ink ribbon 100 is moved to thereby locate the clear patch 30 between the first and second sensors 10 and 20 and the first and second reflecting panels 10a and 20a, the light generated by the light emitting element of the first sensor 10 passes through the color ink ribbon 100 to thereby be reflected at the first reflecting panel 10a.
However, the light generated by the light emitting element of the second sensor 20 cannot penetrate the black marking 30a, so that the same cannot be incident upon the light receiving element.
Accordingly, a signal of high level is outputted from the first sensor 10 and a signal of low level is outputted from the second sensor 20.
As mentioned in the aforesaid, if the signals of high level and low level are respectively outputted from the first and second sensors 10 and 20, a microcomputer (not shown) recognizes the yellow patch 100a.
Likewise, if the color ink ribbon 100 is moved to thereby locate the clear patch located between the first and second sensors 10 and 20 and the first and second reflecting panels 10a and 20a, the first sensor 10 outputs a signal of low level by way of the black marking 31a, and the second sensor 20 outputs a signal of high level.
As seen from the foregoing, if the low level and high level of signals are respectively outputted from the first and second sensors, the microcomputer recognizes the magenta patch 100b.
Furthermore, if the color ink ribbon 100 is moved to thereby dispose the clear patch 32 between the first and second sensors 10 and 20 and the first and second reflecting panels 10a and 20a, the first and second sensors 10 and 20 respectively output signals of low levels due to the black markings.
If signals of low levels are respectively outputted from the first and second sensors 10 and 20, the microcomputer recognizes the cyan patch 100c.
However, by the method thus described, there has been a problem in that it is necessary to include a black marking on the ink ribbon for color recognition. Furthermore, in case a black and white ribbon is mistaken for a color ribbon, it has been impossible to distinguish this error.
Furthermore, because a first end of the black and white ink ribbon cannot be .detected, there has been a problem in that the ink ribbon has been excessively consumed.

Printer ribbon distinguishing method and apparatus thereof


Circuits, methods, and apparatus that prevent detection and erasure of a configuration bitstream or other data for an FPGA or other device. An exemplary embodiment of the present invention masks a user key in order to prevent its detection. In a specific embodiment, the user key is masked by software that performs a function on it a first number of times. The result is used to encrypt a configuration bitstream. The user key is also provided to an FPGA or other device, where the function is performed a second number of times and the result stored. When the device is configured, the result is retrieved, the function is performed on it the first number of times less the second number of times and then it is used to decrypt the configuration bitstream. A further embodiment uses a one-time programmable fuse (OTP) array to prevent erasure or modification.

The present invention relates to configuring field programmable gate arrays generally, and more particularly to protecting configuration bitstreams from detection or alteration.
Field programmable gate array devices are logic or mixed signal devices that may be configured to provide a user-defined function. FPGAs are typically configured by receiving data from a configuration device. This data may be referred to as a configuration bitstream or program object file (POF). This bitstream opens and closes switches formed on an FPGA such that desired electrical connections are made.
Modern FPGAs contain hundreds of thousands of logic gates, as well as processors, memories, dedicated analog function blocks, and other circuits. This extensive circuitry requires a correspondingly long configuration bitstream to configure it. For example, 55 Megabits of configuration data are now needed by some FPGAs.
This configuration data represents an FPGA user design that is the outcome of a huge investment in manpower and research and development costs, often in the million dollar range. To protect this investment, configuration bitstreams are often encrypted. The encrypted bitstream is decrypted using a key stored on the FPGA, and the FPGA is then configured. When the FPGA is configured by a configuration device, the bitstream that is susceptible to detection is encrypted and thus protected.
Unfortunately, at least three problems remain even with encryption. First, if the encryption key can be determined, for example by examining an FPGA, the encrypted bitstream can be copied and the protected device can be cloned. Second, if the key can be erased or modified, then the protected device can be reconfigured to perform a new function. This can be particularly problematic if the device is performing an important function, such as a network security device. Third, if there is no validity check, a rogue encrypted bitstream could be used to configure an FPGA.
Thus, what is needed are circuits, methods, and apparatus that modify an encryption key such that the modified key used to encrypt a configuration bitstream cannot readily be determined. It is also desirable that embodiments further check the validity of an encrypted configuration bitstream.

FPGA configuration bitstream encryption using modified key


A method for producing metal chalcogenide nanoparticles, the method comprising: (i) producing hydrogen chalcogenide-containing vapor from a microbial source, wherein said microbial source comprises: (a) chalcogen-reducing microbes capable of producing hydrogen chalcogenide vapor from a chalcogen-containing source; (b) a culture medium suitable for sustaining said chalcogen-reducing microbes; (c) at least one chalcogen-containing compound that can be converted to hydrogen chalcogenide vapor by said chalcogen-reducing microbes; and (d) at least one nutritive compound that provides donatable electrons to said chalcogen-reducing microbes during consumption of the nutritive compound by said chalcogen-reducing microbes; and (ii) directing said hydrogen chalcogenide-containing vapor into a metal-containing solution comprising a metal salt dissolved in a solvent to produce metal chalcogenide nanoparticles in said solution, wherein said chalcogen is sulfur or selenium, and said chalcogenide is sulfide or selenide, respectively. The invention is also directed to metal chalcogenide nanoparticle compositions produced as above and having distinctive properties.

Nanoparticles having metal non-oxide compositions (i.e., "semiconductor" or "quantum dot" nanoparticles) are increasingly being used in numerous emerging applications. Some of these applications include electronics (e.g., transistors and diode lasers), LED displays, photovoltaics (e.g., solar cells), and medical imaging. Quantum dot nanoparticles are also being investigated as powerful new computer processing elements (i.e., qubits). Semiconductor nanoparticles often possess a metal chalcogenide composition, such as CdS, CdSe, ZnS, and ZnSe.
As a consequence of its small size, the electron band structure of a quantum dot differs significantly from that of the bulk material. In particular, significantly more of the atoms in the quantum dot are on or near the surface, in contrast to the bulk material in which most of the atoms are far enough removed from the surface so that a normal band structure predominates. Thus, the electronic and optical properties of a quantum dot are related to its size. In particular, photoluminescence is size dependent.
Several physical methods are known for synthesizing semiconductor nanoparticles. Some of the physical techniques include advanced epitaxial, ion implantation, and lithographic techniques. The physical techniques are generally useful for producing minute amounts of semiconductor nanoparticles with well-defined (i.e., tailor-made, and typically, uniform) morphological, electronic, magnetic, or photonic characteristics. The physical techniques are typically not useful for synthesizing semiconductor nanoparticles in commercially significant quantities (e.g., grams or kilograms).
Several chemical processes are also known for the production of metal chalcogenide nanoparticles. Some of these methods include arrested precipitation in solution, synthesis in structured media, high temperature pyrolysis, and sonochemical methods. Although the foregoing chemical processes are generally capable of producing semiconductor nanoparticles in more significant quantities, the processes are generally energy intensive (e.g., by generally requiring heating and a post-annealing step), and hence, costly. Accordingly, commercially significant amounts of the resulting nanoparticles tend to be prohibitively expensive.
By some methods, commercial (bulk) hydrogen sulfide gas is bubbled into a solution containing a metal salt to produce metal sulfide particles. However, the bulk hydrogen sulfide process generally results in a significant proportion of the hydrogen sulfide being wasted to the atmosphere, which is not only costly but presents a significant health risk. Moreover, the bulk hydrogen sulfide process is generally not amenable to producing metal sulfide particles of a specific size. In particular, the bulk hydrogen sulfide process is generally substantially limited in its ability to produce nanoparticles in the lower nanoscale size range, e.g., below 100 nm.
The microbial synthesis of semiconductor nanoparticles is known. These processes are also referred to herein as "conventional nanofermentation" or "conventional NF". See, for example, P. R. Smith, et al., J. Chem. Soc., Faraday Trans., 94(9), 1235-1241 (1998) and C. T. Dameron, et al., Nature, 338: 596-7, (1989). These processes are generally more capable of controlling the particle size and even shape or crystallinity of the resulting particles. However, there are significant obstacles that continue to hamper such microbially-mediated methods from being commercially viable. For example, current microbial methods are generally limited to the production of semiconductor nanoparticles on a small research scale. In addition, current microbial processes generally produce semiconductor nanoparticles that are contaminated with microbial components (e.g., cell membranes) or components in the culture medium necessary for sustaining the microbes. Accordingly, numerous separation and washing steps are generally required.
Moreover, as the conventional microbial process requires the microbes to be in contact with the metal ions to produce the semiconductor particles, the chemical and physical conditions used in producing the metal semiconductor nanoparticles are substantially limited to those conditions in which the microbes can be sustained. Thus, the conventional microbial process is incapable of optimizing the chemical conditions for growth of the particles in a manner that is independent of the conditions required for sustaining the microbes. For example, the conventional microbial process generally requires a completely aqueous medium, the use of metal ions and metal concentrations well below a lethal limit, and the use of non-toxic chemical components, all of which generally excludes the use of many of the additives and conditions that can be used in purely chemical processes for careful selection of particle size, shape, and crystalline form.

Microbially-mediated method for synthesis of metal chalcogenide nanoparticles


The specification describes a process for ion beam etching fine patterns in a substrate using a protected resist mask which prevents erosion of the mask. First, a resist pattern is formed on the surface of a substrate to expose pre-selected areas of the substrate. Next, a selected material is deposited on the resist mask at a predetermined controlled angle of incidence with respect to the surface of the mask to form a relatively thin protective layer on the resist mask, having edges and patterns replicated from the edges and patterns of the resist mask and a negligible amount of the selected material deposited on the exposed substrate. Then, a beam of ions at a chosen energy is directed through openings in the protected mask to the substrate to etch the pre-selected areas. During etching, the protective layer on the resist prevents erosion of the resist mask and provides improved pattern definition for the etched region. In a preferred embodiment, metal contacts to the etched regions are subsequently formed by depositing a selected metal from a directional source and then lifting off the resist and the undesired metal.

In the fabrication of integrated circuitry, increased miniaturization of electronic devices is an important goal. In the fabrication of thin film integrated optic components, such as light guides, modulators, directional couplers, and polarizers, high resolution pattern formation of submicrometer size is required, as well as high quality edge smoothness of the pattern. In order to decrease the size of the devices, one key step in the fabrication of these small geometry devices such as field-effect transistors, for example, is the accurate and precise definition of the patterns used to define gate, source, or drain regions or to define metal contact areas thereto. Using known processes, a photoresist pattern is defined on the surface of a substrate or a layer formed thereon, as described by William S. DeForest in the book entitled, "Photoresist Materials and Processes," McGraw-Hill Book Company, New York, 1975. Then, a chemical etchant which is specific for the substance to be removed is applied through openings in the photoresist pattern to etch selected regions of the substrate or layer formed on the substrate. Chemical etching has, however, several disadvantages, one of which is to cause delamination of the resist by attacking the resist-substrate interface and thus causing a loss of edge definition of the resist pattern and less precise definition of the etched pattern. In some cases, the etchant required for the material to be removed would chemically attack and destroy the photoresist material. In addition, in chemical etching, lateral etching of the substrate, or undercutting, can occur, in which portions of the substrate which it was desired to maintain are etched away, thus interfering with the formation of the desired structure.
In order to alleviate some of the problems associated with the use of chemical etchants, an energetically controlled beam of ions has been used to etch a surface through a patterned mask, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,860,783, and further in 3,988,564, the latter being assigned to the present assignee. The patterns produced by ion beam etching are more sharply defined than those produced by chemical etching and the quality of the pattern definition and therefore the performance of the resulting device are improved. Ion beam etching is the result of a transfer of momentum between the incident ions and the target atoms, in which the surface atoms of the target are imparted with sufficient energy to allow them to escape from the surface. For given conditions of incident ion species and bombardment energy, different materials are etched at different rates, which have been related, at least in part, to atomic numbers. (See N. Laegreid and G. K. Wehner, Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 32, p. 365 (1961).) The formation of stable compounds, such as oxides or nitrides, on the surface of the target has been found to reduce the ion beam etching rate at these surfaces. When a target is etched by an ion beam which is applied through openings in a resist mask to the target, molecules of the resist as well as molecules of the target are etched. Thus, it is necessary in order to maintain the desired pattern, to provide an initial resist layer of sufficient thickness that some resist will remain when the target material has been etched to the desired depth. As the resist is etched during the ion beam etching process, however, the sharpness of the resist pattern deteriorates, i.e., the edge profile of the openings in the resist is not maintained. In addition, the deeper the substrate is etched, the more severe is the erosion of the resist pattern.
This problem of resist erosion is of particular importance where the resist used as the ion beam etching mask remains in place to further serve as a mask for metal deposition to establish metal contacts to the device. The resist profile is of primary importance to the function of defining metal patterns with respect to edge quality and the thickness attainable. When the resist pattern becomes eroded during the course of a prior art ion beam etching process, the edges of the resist pattern at the top surface take the form of gradually sloped walls, rather than a sharp edge approximating 90.degree.. When metal is subsequently deposited over this photoresist, the metal conforms to the shape of photoresist layer and forms a continuous layer over the top surface of the photoresist, the sloping walls of the photoresist which lie on either side of the etched region of the target, and the bottom surface of the etched region of the target. A metal layer of this configuration has structural strength and uniformity of coverage which cause difficulty during lift-off procedures when the resist is dissolved and the unwanted metal is removed with the resist. In some cases, the undesired metal must actually be torn away from the desired metal. Naturally, the thicker the layer of metal which is deposited, the greater the strength of the layer and the more severe the problem at lift-off. Thus, by prior art processes, the thickness of the deposited metal layer is limited.

Process and mask for ion beam etching of fine patterns