An optical information processing apparatus for use in optical computing, optical image processing, and the like and, more particularly, a small-sized integrated optical information processing apparatus having multiple arrays, a high pixel density and a large number of pixels. The optical information processing apparatus includes a light emitting device array 11 in which light emitting devices 6 are inserted in through holes provided in a silicon substrate for receiving light emitting devices, a semiconductor arithmetic circuit chip 17, and a glass substrate 16 provided with diffraction type optical devices. Thus, a small-sized optical information processing apparatus having multiple arrays and a high pixel density can be realized.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical information processing apparatus for use in optical computing, optical image processing, and the like.
2. Description of Prior Art
For example, the invention disclosed in the specification of Japanese Patent Application No. H10-113148 is an example of an integrated optical information processing apparatus in which light emitting devices are bonded onto a semiconductor arithmetic circuit chip to form a light emitting device array. The structure of the conventional optical information processing apparatus is illustrated in FIG. 1. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 63 denotes a semiconductor light emitting diode, reference numeral 14 a diffraction type collimator lens, reference numeral 15 a diffraction type focusing lens, reference numeral 16 a glass substrate provided with diffraction type optical devices, reference numeral 17 a semiconductor arithmetic circuit chip, reference numeral 18 a light emitting device driving electrode, reference numeral 19 a light receiving device, reference numeral 64 a gold bump, reference numeral 23 an input signal light beam, reference numeral 24 an output signal light beam, reference numeral 61 a cylindrical glass, and reference numeral 62 a light blocking resin.
The operation of the conventional optical information processing apparatus having such a structure as described above will now be described by illustrating the operation of one pixel among a plurality of arrays. First, the input signal light beam 23 is focused by the diffraction type focusing lens 15 provided on the glass substrate 16 provided with diffraction type optical devices onto the light receiving device 19 provided on the semiconductor arithmetic circuit chip 17 through the cylindrical glass 61. Thus, the input signal light beam 23 is incident upon the light receiving device 19. The light receiving device 19 converts the incident input signal light beam 23 into an electric signal. The semiconductor arithmetic circuit chip 17 receives as its input signal the converted electric signal from the light receiving device 19, and performs an arithmetic operation. The result of the arithmetic operation is output to the light emitting device driving electrode 18 as an electric signal. The electric output signal which is output to the light emitting device driving electrode 18 is then applied to the semiconductor light emitting diode 63 via the gold bump 64, and a current flows through the semiconductor light emitting diode 63 according to the electric output signal. The semiconductor light emitting diode 63 converts the electric output signal into the output signal light beam 24 according to the result of the arithmetic operation. The output signal light beam 24 from the semiconductor light emitting diode 63 is output through the diffraction type collimator lens 14 provided on the glass substrate 16 provided with diffraction type optical devices while suppressing the spatial divergence thereof. The light blocking resin 62 blocks light from a side surface of the semiconductor light emitting diode 63 so that light from the side surface of the semiconductor light emitting diode 63 is not incident upon adjacent light receiving devices 19.
However, such a conventional structure as described above has the following problems. When forming the light emitting device array by bonding the semiconductor light emitting diodes 63 onto the respective light emitting device driving electrodes 18, the bonding is performed while positionally aligning the individual semiconductor light emitting diodes 63 with respect to the respective light emitting device driving electrodes 18. As a result, as the number of pixels provided in an array increases, the number of misaligned semiconductor light emitting diodes 63 increases. Therefore, it is difficult to produce a light emitting device array including the semiconductor light emitting diodes 63 with a good precision.
Moreover, the cylindrical glasses 61 are bonded onto the respective light receiving devices 19 while positionally aligning the cylindrical glasses 61 with respect to the respective light receiving devices 19. As a result, as the number of pixels provided in an array increases, the number of misaligned cylindrical glasses 61 increases. Therefore, it is difficult to provide the array of cylindrical glasses 61 respectively defining optical paths on the light receiving devices 19 with a good precision.
Furthermore, with the light blocking technique using the light blocking resin 62, the light blocking effect is reduced as the interval between each semiconductor light emitting diode 63 and an adjacent light receiving device 19 is reduced. Therefore, it is difficult to reduce the pixel-to-pixel interval of the conventional optical information processing apparatus having such a structure as described above, and thus to increase the integration density of, and thereby reducing the size of, the optical information processing apparatus.
In order to solve these problems in the prior art, the present invention provides an optical information processing apparatus comprising a light emitting device array provided on a semiconductor arithmetic circuit chip, the light emitting device array comprising light emitting devices which are embedded in through holes in a silicon substrate. In addition to such a structure, the optical information processing apparatus of the present invention may additionally comprise a substrate provided with diffraction type optical devices, and further through holes provided in the silicon substrate for defining optical paths for light receiving devices.
Thus, an array of light emitting devices and optical paths for light receiving devices can be easily formed on the semiconductor arithmetic circuit chip with a good precision, thereby providing a small-sized integrated optical information processing apparatus having a large number of pixels.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an optical information processing apparatus, comprising: a semiconductor arithmetic circuit chip; and a light emitting device array integrated onto the semiconductor arithmetic circuit chip, the light emitting device array comprising a substrate (e.g., a silicon substrate) having a through hole and a light emitting device embedded in the through hole. This apparatus functions as follows. The semiconductor arithmetic circuit chip performs an arithmetic operation. The result of the arithmetic operation is applied as an electric output signal to the light emitting device which is embedded in the through hole in the substrate which forms a part of the light emitting device array. The light emitting device is operable to convert the electric output signal into an output signal light beam and output the obtained light beam.
Thus, according to the present invention, it is possible to realize a small-sized integrated optical information processing apparatus having a high pixel density and a large number of pixels by employing the light emitting device array in which the light emitting devices are embedded in the through holes in the silicon substrate.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an optical information processing apparatus, comprising: a semiconductor arithmetic circuit chip; a light emitting device array integrated onto the semiconductor arithmetic circuit chip; and a diffraction type optical device integrated onto the light emitting device array, the light emitting device array comprising a substrate having a through hole and a light emitting device embedded in the through hole. The diffraction type optical device functions to focus an input signal light beam and to suppress spatial divergence of the output signal light beam from the light emitting device.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, a light receiving device is provided on the semiconductor arithmetic circuit chip. The light receiving device functions to convert an input signal light beam into an electric signal.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the substrate further comprises another through hole defining an optical path for the light receiving device. The through hole defining the optical path for the light receiving device functions to transmit the input signal light beam therethrough.
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, the light emitting device is a semiconductor light emitting diode. The semiconductor light emitting diode functions to convert an electric output signal into an optical output signal.
According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, the light emitting device is a semiconductor laser diode. The semiconductor light emitting laser functions to convert an electric output signal into an optical output signal.
According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, the substrate is silicon. Such a structure has an advantage of facilitating the application of circuits to the substrate.
According to a eighth aspect of the present invention, an insulator film is provided on the surface of the substrate including a side surface of the through hole. The insulator film functions to prevent an electric output signal from flowing into the substrate.
According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, the substrate is a plastic, a ceramic, a glass, a semiconductor, a metal or a graphite. The optical information processing apparatus of the present invention can be realized by using any of these materials for the substrate as in the case where a silicon substrate is used. The use of these alternative materials has an advantage that the insulator film may be a silicon dioxide film or a silicon nitride film which is provided by using a vapor deposition apparatus, a sputtering apparatus or a plasma chemical vapor deposition apparatus.
According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, an insulator film is provided on the surface of the substrate including a side surface of the through hole. The insulator film functions to prevent an electric output signal from flowing into the substrate.
According to a eleventh aspect of the present invention, the insulator film is a silicon thermal oxide film. The silicon thermal oxide film functions to prevent an electric output signal from flowing into the substrate.
According to a twelfth aspect of the present invention, the insulator film is a silicon dioxide film. The silicon dioxide film functions to prevent an electric output signal from flowing into the silicon substrate.
According to a thirteenth aspect of the present invention, the insulator film is a silicon nitride film. The silicon nitride film functions to prevent an electric output signal from flowing into the silicon substrate.
Thus, an object of the present invention is to provide a small-sized integrated optical information processing apparatus by precisely and easily producing an array of light emitting devices and optical paths for light receiving devices on a semiconductor arithmetic circuit chip.
This and other objects of the present invention will be more apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiment with reference to the drawings.

Optical information processing apparatus for use in Optical Computing, Optical image processing, and like

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


Tools can be used to assist with the implantation of heart valve prostheses, especially stentless aortic heart valve prostheses. In some embodiments, a heart valve prosthesis includes a plurality of flexible leaflets; a commissure support and a plurality of fasteners inserted into the inner surface of the commissure support and protruding from the outer surface of the commissure support. The fasteners comprise an elongated portion and a tip at an end of the elongated portion. In other embodiments, a heart valve prosthesis includes a plurality of flexible leaflets and a reinforcement secured to an inner surface of a valve commissure support. The reinforcement has an aperture. The heart valve prosthesis and fastener components can be placed into kits. The fasteners can be used to perform improved implantation procedures.

The present invention relates to heart valve prostheses. In particular, the present invention relates to aortic heart valve prostheses with an efficient and easy to use fastening system for implantation of the prosthesis.
Prostheses, i.e., prosthetic devices, are used to repair or replace damaged or diseased organs, tissues and other structures in humans and animals. Prostheses must be generally biocompatible since they are typically implanted for extended periods of time. For example, prostheses can include artificial hearts, artificial heart valves, ligament repair material, vessel repair, surgical patches constructed of mammalian tissue and the like.
Prostheses can be constructed from natural materials such as tissue, synthetic materials or a combination thereof. For example, prostheses formed from purely synthetic materials, such as mechanical heart valve prosthesis, can be manufactured from, for example, biocompatible metals, ceramics, carbon materials, such as graphite, polymers, such as, polyester, and combinations thereof. Heart valve prostheses can be formed with rigid occluders or leaflets that pivot to open and close the valve, or with flexible leaflets that flex to open and close the valve.
Although mechanical heart valves with rigid pivoting occluders or leaflets have the advantage of proven durability through decades of use, they are associated with blood clotting on or around the prosthetic valve. Blood clotting can lead to acute or subacute closure of the valve or associated blood vessel. For this reason, patients with implanted mechanical heart valves remain on anticoagulants for as long as the valve remains implanted. Anticoagulants impart a 3-5% annual risk of significant bleeding and cannot be taken safely by certain individuals.
Besides mechanical heart valves, heart valve prostheses can be constructed with flexible tissue leaflets or polymer leaflets. Prosthetic tissue heart valves can be derived from, for example, porcine heart valves or manufactured from other biological material, such as bovine pericardium. Biological materials in prosthetic heart valves generally have profile and surface characteristics that provide laminar, nonturbulent blood flow. Therefore, intravascular clotting is less likely to occur than with mechanical heart valve prostheses.
In the heart, blood flow between the atria and the ventricles and out of the ventricles is controlled by heart valves. Blood flow from the right ventricle of the heart passes into the pulmonary artery. Blood flow from the left ventricle of the heart passes into the aorta. Aortic heart valves are located between the left ventricle and the aorta where the aorta connects with the heart. Similarly, pulmonary valves are located between the right ventricle and the pulmonary artery.
The native aortic heart valve has three leaflets that open to allow flow into the aorta and close to prevent back flow into the left ventricle. Tissue leaflets have sufficient flexibility to open and close. This allows for placement of a prosthetic valve within the aorta at or near the opening into the heart. Each of the three leaflets of a natural valve is attached to the wall of the aorta along a nonplanar curve.
Attachment of the stentless aortic valve prosthesis is complicated since suturing must be performed on both the inflow and outflow edges of the prosthesis to secure the prosthesis. Significant pressures are exerted against the valve in use. Thus, it is desirable to suture the prosthetic valve along the commissure supports to ensure that the valve does not pull away from the aorta or pulmonary artery. That suturing along the commissures is difficult because the valve is within the aorta. Thus, attachment of the valve is further complicated since suturing must be performed on both the inflow and outflow edges of the valve to secure the valve.
In a first aspect, the invention pertains to heart valve prostheses comprising a plurality of flexible leaflets, a commissure support and a plurality of fasteners inserted into the inner surface of the commissure support and protruding from the outer surface of the commissure support. The fasteners comprise an elongated portion and a tip at an end of the elongated portion.
In a further aspect, the invention pertains to a heart valve prosthesis including a plurality of flexible leaflets and a reinforcement secured to an inner surface of a valve commissure support. In preferred embodiments, the reinforcement has an aperture.
In another aspect, the invention pertains to a kit comprising a heart valve prosthesis, and fasteners. The prosthesis has a plurality of flexible leaflets and commissure supports. The fasteners have an elongated portion and a tip on the end of the elongated portion.
In addition, the invention pertains to a method for attaching a heart valve prosthesis in a patient, the method including inserting a fastener through the prosthesis into an aortic wall or pulmonary artery wall. The prosthesis includes leaflets and valve commissure supports.
Furthermore, the invention pertains to a fastener applicator for implanting a heart valve prosthesis including an inner shaft, an outer shaft, a suture needle, a base plate connecting the inner shaft and the outer shaft, and a handle. The outer shaft has a sleeve and a plurality of pivots such that a section of the outer shaft can fold to extend the sleeve outward relative to the non-folding portion of the outer shaft. The suture needle rests within the sleeve. The handle provides for the relative motion of the inner shaft and the outer shaft through the folding of the outer shaft at the plurality of pivots.

Efficient implantation of heart valve prostheses


The invention is a cement, water containing composition containing an organic polyglycoside. The composition has at least one of an increased air entraining capacity, a reduced viscosity and a retarded setting time.

Modern day aqueous cement containing compositions are complex mixtures of materials. The cement containing compositions can contain materials which increase or retard the setting rate, reduce the viscosity or slump of the cement containing mixture, increase air entrainment, reduce air entrainment and have other functions.
The present invention relates to an aqueous cement composition. More particularly, the invention concerns the incorporation into a cement composition of a glycoside surfactant composition as a dispersant, setting retarder, air entraining agent or a combination of such properties.
Dispersing agents are valuable in cement slurries in that they reduce the apparent viscosity of the slurry to permit easier handling of the cement slurry. However, the dispersing agents can also be useful in reducing the ratio of water to cement so that a stronger cement containing composition can be obtained.
As is well understood in the art, upon addition of water to Portland cement, an exotherm appears shortly thereafter due to the dissolution and wetting of the cement particles. The initial exotherm subsides and after an induction period, hydration or an accelerated setting phase begins. The two exotherms are clearly shown in FIG. 5 where the first exotherm occurs in about 10 minutes and the second hydration or accelerated setting exotherm occurs at about 490 minutes.
It is also necessary at times to retard the setting of cement. The present invention provides a composition which can retard the setting of cement for extended periods of time. In addition, a small amount of the additive of the present invention can substantially increase the air entrained in a cement containing composition. If the reduction in slump or the length of time the setting of cement must be retarded requires a substantial amount of the additive of the present invention, it may be necessary to introduce into the composition a foam inhibitor to reduce the amount of air entrained in the cement.

Dispersant, setting retarder and air entrainment additive for cement


The present invention provides a threaded member with antirust effect. An oil reservoir is formed inside the threaded member and multiple conduits are formed on an outer circumference of the stem body of the threaded member in communication with the oil reservoir. An absorption material is installed in the oil reservoir and soaked with an antirust liquid. The antirust liquid in the oil reservoir can slowly seep out of the conduits to the outer circumference of the stem body so as to protect the threaded member from rust.

Most of the conventional threaded members are made of metal materials. The metal materials have high activity so that the threaded members tend to oxidize and rust when exposed to the atmosphere. Under such circumstance, the threaded members are often jammed in a work piece and hard to unscrew. Accordingly, more strength and time are necessary for forcedly unscrewing the rusted threaded members. In some cases, it is necessary to break the rusted threaded members or the work piece for removing the threaded members. This is quite inconvenient.
A conventional way to prevent the threaded member from rusting is such that the periphery of a threaded member can be oiled. However, after a period of use, the oil is likely to dry out and lose its antirust capability.


Disclosed is a light emitting device. The light emitting device includes a light emitting semiconductor layer including a first conductive semiconductor layer, an active layer on the first conductive semiconductor layer and a second conductive semiconductor layer on the active layer. A passivation layer is disposed on a surface of a light emitting semiconductor layer. A first electrode layer is disposed on the first conductive semiconductor layer and a second electrode layer is disposed on the second conductive semiconductor layer. Plurality of protrusion parts are disposed on a top surface of the first conductive semiconductor layer.

Recently, a light emitting diode (LED) is spotlighted as a light emitting device. Since the LED can convert electric energy into light energy with high efficiency and long life span of about 5 years or more, the LED can remarkably reduce the energy consumption and repair and maintenance cost. In this regard, the LED is spotlighted in the next-generation lighting field.
Such an LED is prepared as a light emitting semiconductor layer including a first conductive semiconductor layer, an active layer and a second conductive semiconductor layer, in which the active layer generates light according to current applied thereto through the first and second conductive semiconductor layers.
Meanwhile, since a material constituting the light emitting semiconductor layer has a refractive index lower than that of external air, light generated from the active layer is not effectively emitted to the outside, but totally reflected from a boundary surface and extinguished at an inside of the light emitting semiconductor layer.
To solve this problem, a concave-convex light extracting structure is formed on the first conductive semiconductor layer or the second conductive semiconductor layer provided at one side of the active layer. However, the electrical characteristics of the LED may be degraded due to the light extracting structure.


A user equipment transmits a data packet using a selected signature in a time slot of a radio frame within a superframe of a random access channel. The superframe being time divided into radio frames. A base station identifies the selected signature, transmission time slot and transmission radio frame of the data packet. The base station determines an uplink scrambling code for the user equipment based on in part the identified signature, transmission time slot and transmission radio frame. The base station selectively transmits an acknowledgment message based on in part an availability of the determined uplink scrambling code. The user equipment receives the acknowledgment message and transmits a subsequent data packet using the determined uplink scrambling code.

The invention relates generally to resource allocation in a wireless code division multiple access (CDMA) communication system. More specifically, the invention relates to assigning uplink scrambling codes in a CDMA communication system.
FIG. 1 depicts a wireless spread spectrum Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) communication system 20. A base station 22 communicates with user equipment (UE) 241–24n in its operating area. In a spread spectrum CDMA system 20, data signals are communicated between UEs 241–24n and the base station 22 over the same spectrum. Each data signal in the shared spectrum is spread with a unique chip code sequence. Upon reception, using a replica of the original chip code sequence, a particular data signal is recovered.
Since signals are distinguished by their chip code sequences (code), separate dedicated communication channels are created using different codes. Signals from the base station 22 to the UEs 241–24n are sent on downlink channels and signals from the UEs 241–24n to the base station 22 are sent on uplink channels. For coherent detection of downlink transmissions by the UEs 241–24n, pilot signals are transmitted to all of the UEs 241–24n within the base station's operating range. The UEs 241–24n condition their receivers based on the pilot signals to enable data reception.
In many CDMA systems, a random access channel, such as the common packet channel (CPCH), is used for some uplink transmissions. A CPCH is capable of carrying packets of data from different UEs 241–24n. Each packet is distinguishable by its code. For detection by the base station 22, the packets have a preamble which also distinguishes it from other packets. The CPCH is typically used to carry infrequently communicated data at high rates.
FIG. 2 illustrates a CPCH time slot and frame structure. The CPCH structure is time divided into radio frames 301–30m having time slots 281–28n, such as eight time slots proposed for the Third Generation Mobile Telecommunications System (IMT-2000)-UMTS. A radio frame 301–30m in IMT-2000 is 10 milliseconds in duration and each time slot is 1.25 ms. The radio frames 301–30m are grouped into superframes 32. Each superframe 32 has a fixed number of radio frames 301–30m, such as 72 radio frames in IMT-2000.
To allow more than one UE 241–24n to use a given time slot 281–28n, multiple signatures are used to distinguish the UEs 241–24n. In IMT-2000, sixteen different signatures are used. A particular signature used within a particular time slot is referred to as an access opportunity. FIG. 3 illustrates the access opportunities 2611–26nm of the CPCH. For instance, as proposed for IMT-2000, for each of the 8 time slots, one out of 16 signatures is available to be chosen, resulting in 128 access opportunities. Each access opportunity 2611–26nm is preassigned an uplink scrambling code. The scrambling code is a function of the time slot TK and the signature SK that the UE used for access. Accordingly, the uplink scrambling code, CK, is a function of the time slot, TK, and signature, SK, of the access opportunity 2611–26nm as in Equation 1.CK=8*TK+SK  Equation 1The UE 241 transmits a data packet using a selected access opportunity 2611–26mn. Upon identifying a particular access opportunity 2611–26nm, the base station 20 sends out an acknowledgment message (ACK) if the corresponding scrambling code is available. The ACK message may be one of several types, such as simply being a downlink transmission of the signature associated with the UE's access attempt. If the scrambling code is not available, a negative acknowledgment (NAK) is sent. After receiving the appropriate ACK message, the UE 241 selects the proper uplink scrambling code to transmit the packet data on the CPCH. If the UE 241 receives a NAK, it will re-attempt access by transmitting another packet.
This approach for assigning uplink scrambling codes has drawbacks. A typical scrambling code is only 10 ms in length. A transmitted data packet may last more than one radio frame 30. Since a data packet may last for multiple radio frames, the scrambling code used for that packet can only be reassigned after the transmission of that packet is complete. As a result, the number of CPCH users is limited by the number of scrambling codes assigned to the access opportunities 2611–26mn, such as 128 scrambling codes. Additionally, if a second user uses the same access opportunity 2611–26mn as an already transmitting first user, the second user will receive a NAK. Repeated negative access attempts lower the efficiency of the system 20 which is undesirable.
Accordingly, it is desirable to use alternate scrambling code assignment schemes.

Uplink scrambling code assignment for a random access channel


A large group of lipophilic, pharmacologically active compounds can be effectively delivered across intact skin by applying them topically in a binary, penetration-enhancing vehicle containing (1) a C.sub.3 -C.sub.4 diol, diol ester, or diol ether and (2) a cell envelope-disordering compound. This vehicle provides surprising enhancement of skin penetration for the pharmacological active, compared to either component alone.

1,2-propanediol ("propylene glycol") and the C.sub.10 -C.sub.14 alcohols have been used, separately, in cosmetic and pharmaceutical formulations. In particular, propylene glycol has been described in several articles in the literature as enhancing the penetration of certain pharmacologically active agents, such as the corticosteroids.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,535,422, Cox, et al., Oct. 20, 1970 relates to stable benzoyl peroxide compositions containing organic emollients. The compositions include emollients selected from the C.sub.4 -C.sub.20 aliphatic alcohols, C.sub.2 -C.sub.3 glycols, C.sub.12 -C.sub.20 fatty acids and their esters, and mixtures thereof.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,070,462, Ecker, issued Jan. 24, 1978, describes topical steroid compositions containing 6% propylene glycol and 1% propylene glycol monosterate.
Canadian No. 1,072,009, describes topical antimicrobial compositions containing C.sub.5 -C.sub.10 straight chain alcohols or C.sub.17 branched chain alcohols in which the longest chain is C.sub.5 -C.sub.10.
CA 92:153,181j; describes an indomethacin ointment containing 10% propylene glycol and 1.1% diisopropanolamine.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,990,331, Neumann, et al., issued June 27, 1961, describes tetracycline compositions containing carboxylic acid alkylolamides.
H. Barnes, et al., Br. J. Derm. 93, 459 (1975) describe testing of fluocinonide and fluocinolone acetonide in a vehicle describes as fatty alcohol propylene glycol (FAPG).
P. J. W. Ayres, et al., Br. J. Derm., 99, 307 (1978), report comparative skin penetration of cortisol from commercially available cortisol ointments.
Schaaf and Gross, Dermatologica, 106, 357 (1953) note that unsaturated fatty acids and C.sub.6 -C.sub.14 saturated fatty acids are particularly active in provoking epidermal thickening.
J. Zatz, et al., J. Pharm. Sci., 67, 789 (1978) study the effect of formulation factors on penetration of hydrocortisone through mouse skin.
S. K. Chandrasekaran, et al., J. Pharm. Sci., 67, 1370 (1978) discuss the pharmacokinetics of drug permeation through human skin.
B. Idson, Cosmetics & Toiletries, 95, 59 (1980), states the factors affecting drug penetration and, consequently, in most cases effectiveness, are complex. He observes that the vehicle that provides ideal conditions for one drug may prove unsatisfactory for another. The author concludes that prediction is not simple and product suitability must be assessed by human trials. The same article indicates that Synalar Cream, a topical corticosteroid preparation, contains sorbitan monooleate and propylene glycol.
M. M. Rieger, Cosmetics & Toiletries, 94, 32-37 (1979) and 95, 26-38 (1980), provides reviews of current literature in the area of skin penetration.
J. A. Sands, et al., The Pharmacological Effect of Lipids, 76 (1978) report that fatty acids and fatty acid derivatives are agents which can "interact with lipids and membrane proteins" to inhibit reproduction of lipid containing bacteriophage in controlled studies. No mechanism or structure-function relationship is elucidated.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 084,252, filed Oct. 12, 1979, describes a composition for the treatment of acne by using diisopropyl sebacate as a penetration enhancer for an erythromycin derivative in combination with an alcohol.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,990,331, Neumann, et al., describes the parenteral administration of tetracycline salts from a stable aqueous solution.
CA 79: 122,308, describes an electromagnetic study of n-alkyl ionic surfactants as aiding in human epidermis penetration.

Penetrating topical pharmaceutical compositions


Cookies having a shelf-stable plurality of textures are prepared from a composite dough comprising a filler cookie dough laminated to a casing cookie dough. The casing dough comprises a humectant in an amount greater than 25% by weight, based upon the sugar solids content of the casing dough. The filler dough comprises a humectant for imparting softness to the inner portion of the cookie. The water content of the filler dough is greater than the water content of the casing dough to facilitate control over the moisture content of the cookie. Cookies baked from dough pieces having a filler dough enrobed by a casing dough retain a firm and tender textured crumb structure on the outside and a soft textured crumb structure on the inside for extended times in proper packaging when the dough pieces are baked to an end-point moisture content of at least about 6% by weight, based upon the weight of the cookie.

Cookies with a moisture content above about 6% by weight are usually soft but cohesive. To produce cookies which retain enough moisture to be classified as soft cookies, numerous humectants have been used. Exemplary thereof are fructose, dextrose, invert sugar, high fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, glycerine, raisins, raisin pastes, etcetera. Without the use of such humectants, cookie doughs which contain sufficient water to compensate for volatilization during baking: (1) do not exhibit sufficient cohesiveness for forming into pieces on conventional commercial scale cookie forming equipment, (2) exhibit raw flavor or color qualities, and (3) most importantly, lose their soft texture within a week or within a few days even when properly packaged in air-tight packaging.
Liquid humectants such as high fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, glycerin, sorbitol, and molasses are readily dispersed through a dough to provide a homogeneously soft texture in the cookies baked from the humectant containing dough. However, these liquid humectants increase the adherent properties or "stickiness" of cookie doughs. Sticking or adherence of the dough to rotary cutters, reciprocating cutters, cutter aprons, oven belts, and wire cutters place an upper limit on their use in producing soft cookies on a commercial scale which have extended shelf stability.


The conductive path of the current-limiting device is made of a strip-shaped super conductor, whereby the structure thereof has a metallic strip, at least one oxidic buffer, a type AB2Cu3Ox super conductive layer and a metal cover layer which is arranged thereon. An intrinsically stable bifilar coil is embodied with said super conductor, and a distance is maintained between adjacent coil windings, wherein a distance maintainer is arranged which is transparent to the coolant.

The invention relates to a superconducting current-limiter device of the resistive type, whose conductor track is formed by a superconductor in the form of a strip, whose oxidic high-Tc superconductor material of the AB2Cu3Ox type is applied to a substrate strip composed of a normally conductive substrate metal, with A being at least one rare earth metal including yttrium, and B being at least one alkaline earth metal. In this case, the conductor track is in the form of a bifilar coil, with a distance through which a coolant can flow being maintained between adjacent coil turns. A corresponding current-limiter device is disclosed in EP 0 503 448 A2.
Superconducting metal-oxide compounds with high critical temperatures Tc of above 77 K have been known since 1986, which are therefore referred to as high-Tc superconductor materials, or HTS materials, and, in particular, allow a liquid-nitrogen (LN2) cooling technique. Metal-oxide compounds such as these include in particular cuprates based on specific substance systems, for example of the AB2Cu3Ox type, with A being at least one rare earth metal including yttrium, and B being at least one alkaline earth metal. The main representative of this substance system of the so-called 1-2-3-HTS type is so-called YBCO (Y1Ba2Cu3Ox where 6.5≦x≦7).
The aim is to deposit this known HTS material on different substrates for different purposes, in which case the general aim is to achieve a superconductor material with as high a phase purity as possible. In particular, metallic substrates are therefore provided for conductor applications (see, for example, EP 0 292 959 A1).
In the case of the current-limiter device which is disclosed in the EP-A2 document cited initially, a type of superconductor in the form of a strip, inter alia, is used and has a substrate which is provided with a coating composed of the HTS material. In order to form the current-limiter device, this conductor can be wound as a bifilar coil, with a spacer in the form of strip in each case being arranged for the construction process between two successive conductor sections or coil turns. This bifilar coil should then be held on a base plate which is porous or is provided with a large number of holes. Once the coil has been mounted on this base plate, the spacers arranged between the conductor sections are finally removed again. The distance between the individual coil turns and the porosity of the base plate thus result in flow paths between the coil turns for a coolant for cooling the superconducting material.

Resistive type super conductive current-limiting device comprising a strip-shaped high-T


The present invention 10 discloses a device for use by patients having incontinence. Disclosed is a cup 16 for receiving the penis of the user. The cup 16 contains a urine pad 30 for absorbing urine which cup is supported in the proper position by a waist belt 22 with buckle 24 having additional straps 12 with buckles 14 for attachment of the cup 16. Clip strings 18 having clip attachment members 20 thereon connect the straps to eyelets 26 disposed on the top rim of the cup 18. The cup 18 is divided into an upper 15 and lower 19 chamber by a funnel-like partition 23 having a drain hole 38 therein. The urine pad 30 is located in the lower chamber 19 of the housing.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to absorbent urine pads and, more specifically, to a urine collection device having disposable absorbent pads contained therein. The present device is comprised of a waist belt assembly having and a urine collection member. The urine collection member is comprised of a cup having a cover element which has an aperture for insertion of and retention of a penis. Further the cup has an absorbent pad contained therein which can be selectively discarded and replaced. As the urine is discharged from the penis to the holding cup, the urine is funneled into the lower compartment in which the urine is than absorbed by the urine pads. The urine collecting and absorbing cup also comprises four loop type eyelets located at the top of the cup's rim providing means for selectively attaching/detaching the cup member from the waist harness using the harnesses four rubber clips.
The urine collection device can be used by patients of prostate or urine path surgery. The harness assembly is comprised of adjustable buckles located on the main waist belt and two waist straps. The urine collecting and absorbing harness assembly can be manufactured using elastic material for stretch and comfort to wearer. The urine collection member may be removed and replaced by unhooking the rubber holding clips, located at the rim of the urine cup. Once the four clips are removed from the urine cup, the cup is free to be replaced. The harness device remains on the patient during the removal and replacement of urine absorbent cups. The urine collecting and absorbing cups are disposable and replaced with a new cup as required. The present invention is applicable to any kind of patient, with physical injuries requiring a urine discharge collecting and absorbing device, and will contribute to the care and sanitary conditions without causing leaking or spilling of absorbed and collected urine. The urine collection and absorbent device of the present invention provides means for storage of expelled urine prior to ultimate disposal.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are other urine absorbent device designed for the absorbing of urine discharge. Typical of these is U.S. Pat. No. 4,886,510 issued to Iwao Matsuura on Dec. 12, 1989.
Another patent was issued to Leopoldine Walsh et al. on Feb. 19, 1991 as U.S. Pat. No. 4,994,051. Yet another U.S. Pat. No. 5,645,541 was issued to Richard Bouser on Jul. 8, 1997 and still yet another was issued on Jul. 22, 1997 to Morton Cohen as U.S. Pat. No. 5,649,913.
Another patent was issued to James Marran on Aug. 11, 1998 as U.S. Pat. No. 5,792,127. Yet another U.S. Pat. No. 5,792,132 was issued to Lucia Garcia on Aug. 11, 1998.


A pad for individually supporting portions of a human body relative to a mattress. The inventive device includes a flexible pad positionable atop a mattress of a bed. An individual support assembly is coupled to an upper surface of the flexible pad and includes a plurality of separate chambers individually filled with a viscous gel to individually support each contacting portion of a human body relative to the mattress. In a preferred embodiment the flexible pad is a foam cushion that is substantially thicker than the height of the gel filled chambers.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to bedding devices and more particularly pertains to a compartmented mattress pad for individually supporting portions of a human body relative to a mattress.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of bedding devices is known in the prior art. More specifically, bedding devices heretofore devised and utilized are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
Known prior art bedding devices include U.S. Pat. No. 5,167,999; U.S. Pat. No. 4,858,259; U.S. Pat. No. 4,788,730; U.S. Pat. No. 4,445,240; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,689,948.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not disclose a compartmented mattress pad for individually supporting portions of a human body relative to a mattress which includes a flexible pad positionable atop a mattress of a bed, and an individual support assembly coupled to an upper surface of the flexible pad which includes a plurality of separate chambers individually filled with a viscous gel to individually support each contacting portion of a human body relative to the mattress.
In these respects, the compartmented mattress pad according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of individually supporting portions of a human body relative to a mattress.

Mattress pad with gel filled chambers coupled to a foam cushion


In a vertical-type semiconductor device, a method of manufacturing the same and a method of operating the same, the vertical-type semiconductor device includes a single-crystalline semiconductor pattern having a pillar shape provided on a substrate, a gate surrounding sidewalls of the single-crystalline semiconductor pattern and having an upper surface lower than an upper surface of the single-crystalline semiconductor pattern, a mask pattern formed on the upper surface of the gate, the mask pattern having an upper surface coplanar with the upper surface of the single-crystalline semiconductor pattern, a first impurity region in the substrate under the single-crystalline semiconductor pattern, and a second impurity region under the upper surface of the single-crystalline semiconductor pattern. The vertical-type pillar transistor formed in the single-crystalline semiconductor pattern may provide excellent electrical properties. The mask pattern is not provided on the upper surface of the single-crystalline semiconductor pattern in the second impurity region, to thereby reduce failures of processes.

1. Field
Example embodiments relate to a vertical-type semiconductor device, a method of manufacturing the vertical-type semiconductor device and a method of operating the vertical-type semiconductor device. More particularly, example embodiments relate to a semiconductor device having a vertical-type pillar transistor suitable for a cell array structure, a method of manufacturing the semiconductor device and a method of operating the semiconductor device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, as semiconductor devices become highly integrated, dimensions of active regions are reduced, and channel lengths of MOS transistors formed in the active regions are reduced. As the channel length of the MOS transistor is reduced, electric fields or potentials in the channel regions are dramatically affected by a source or drain, and the short channel effects arise. When the short channel effects occur, a leakage current is increased, a threshold voltage is decreased and a current effected by a drain voltage is increased. Accordingly, it becomes difficult to control the MOS transistor by a gate.
Thus, methods of scaling down devices formed on a substrate and improve characteristics of the device has been researched. For example, a vertical-type pillar transistor including in a channel region formed in a vertical direction with respect to a substrate has been researched. That is, in the vertical-type pillar transistor, a semiconductor pattern having a pillar shape on the substrate is used as the channel region. Even though a horizontal area in the substrate is not widened, the height of the semiconductor pattern having a pillar shape may be controllable to be increased to provide a desired channel length.
Since the vertical-type pillar transistor is formed in the semiconductor pattern, not in the bulk substrate, characteristics of the semiconductor pattern may be very important for performances of the transistor. That is, when the semiconductor pattern has any crystal defect, leakage current properties and threshold voltages in the vertical-type pillar transistor formed in each of the semiconductor patterns may not be uniform. However, because it is considerably more difficult than the bulk substrate to form the semiconductor pattern without any crystal defect, it may be not easy to ensure electrical properties of the vertical-type pillar transistors.
Additionally, processes of forming a gate and a source/drain in the pillar-shaped semiconductor pattern are considerably more complicated than those in the substrate. Further, when the vertical-type pillar transistors are formed to have an array structure, more complicated processes need to be additionally performed, such that the incidence of process failures increases. Accordingly, it may be difficult to manufacture a memory device of an array structure including the vertical-type pillar transistors.
Further, in order to manufacture a highly-integrated semiconductor memory device including the vertical-type pillar transistor, a method of reducing dimension of the substrate for each unit cell and providing a sufficient process margin is required.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Method of manufacturing a vertical-type semiconductor device and method of operating a vertical-type semiconductor device


An integrated circuit capacitor and method for making the same utilizes a ferroelectric dielectric, such as lead-zirconate-titanate ("PZT"), to produce a high value peripheral capacitor for integration on a common substrate with a ferroelectric memory array also utilizing ferroelectric memory cell capacitors as non-volatile storage elements. The peripheral capacitor is linearly operated in a single direction and may be readily integrated to provide capacitance values on the order of 1-10 nF or more utilizing the same processing steps as are utilized to produce the alternately polarizable memory cell capacitors. The high value peripheral capacitor has application, for example, as a filter capacitor associated with the on-board power supply of a passive radio frequency ("RF") identification ("ID") transponder.

The present invention relates, in general, to techniques for the integration of a high value capacitor with a ferroelectric memory on a common substrate. More particularly, the present invention relates to an integrated circuit and process for forming a relatively high value capacitance in an integrated circuit which additionally includes at least one ferroelectric memory device cell and does not require any additional processing steps to produce the high value capacitor.
Modern data processing systems require that a substantial portion of the information stored in its memory be randomly accessible to ensure rapid access to such information. Due to the high speed operation of memories implemented in semiconductor technologies, random access memories ("RAMs") have been developed in which a bit of binary information is stored in a single memory cell, which may comprise but a single transistor and associated capacitor, with a multiplicity of memory cells being grouped together into an array. Commonly available RAMs utilizing typical integrated circuit capacitor dielectrics include both dynamic RAMs ("DRAMs") and static RAMs ("SRAMs"). SRAMs utilize a memory cell structure which includes a number of transistors configured as a flip-flop, or a device having two stable states. The bi-stable states of the device then define either a logic level "one" or "zero." Because SRAM cells require a larger number of transistors than DRAMs, the amount of on-chip "real estate" needed for each individual cell is relatively large and it is, therefore, difficult to integrate such devices as densely. However, an inherent advantage of SRAMs over DRAMs is that they do not require refresh circuitry to continually restore the charge in the memory cell capacitor and they are capable of operating with extremely fast access speeds.
As previously mentioned, DRAM memory cells store data in a capacitor which is formed in the substrate of the integrated circuit semiconductor material. Because the logic level determined by the charge is stored in a capacitor and not in the current state of a bi-stable logic device, the charge tends to dissipate and therefore needs to be refreshed periodically in order to preserve the memory contents.
In conventional single transistor DRAM memory cells, the charge stored in the memory cell capacitor is selectively coupled through the source-drain path of an access transistor to the memory bit line. The access transistor then also has its gate electrode coupled to a word line. By turning on the access transistor, the charge stored in the capacitor is coupled through the source-drain path to the bit line where it is generally compared against another charge reference, such as a dummy memory cell or complementary bit line, in order that the state of the memory cell indicated by the charge stored in the capacitor may be determined.
With the increasingly higher level of integration of DRAM devices, since they generally comprise the aforementioned one transistor/one capacitor type, the individual memory cells must be decreased in size to the limits of available processing technology. This in turn, has the effect of ultimately reducing the available capacitance of the capacitor in the memory cell. Thus, one of the greatest difficulties in achieving higher integration of DRAM devices is to increase the charge storage capacity of the individual memory cell capacitors despite the reduction of the lateral dimensions of the capacitor to allow for the fabrication of such higher density memory arrays. Since capacitance is inversely proportional to the separation between the two capacitor plates and directly proportional to the dielectric constant, the capacitance increase may be accomplished by reducing the thickness of the dielectric (typically silicon dioxide or silicon nitride) separating the two plates or by increasing the dielectric strength. The dielectrics used in DRAMs have an already inherently low dielectric constant and are also limited in how thin they can be fabricated.
In fact, the dielectric constant of these typical dielectric materials is so low that they are also totally unsuited for use in fabricating relatively large value peripheral capacitive elements on the same substrate as the memory cell capacitors, as may be required in specific applications. Such large value capacitors would necessitate a device having physical dimensions consuming sufficient on-chip "real estate" to substantially preclude their integration, if the same IC process is used.
Capacitance is also directly related to the dielectric constant of the material between the capacitor plates. Therefore, even though it is theoretically possible to manufacture such a large value capacitor on the same substrate as a conventional memory device using a separate, relatively higher dielectric constant material, as a practical matter, it is extremely undesirable to add the additional processing steps and materials to the memory device process flow in order to provide such a capacitor. Such relatively high value peripheral capacitors are, nevertheless, most desirably integrated on a common substrate with the memory device, in order to obviate the requirement of using discrete, off-chip capacitors for the same function.
Ramtron International Corporation of Colorado Springs, Colo., assignee of the present invention, has pioneered the use of ferroelectric materials for use as the dielectric in memory cell capacitors. Ferroelectric materials exhibit an inherently high dielectric constant. RAMs using ferroelectric capacitors for memory cells, such as those utilized in Ramtron's FRAM.RTM. memory devices, also exhibit the significant advantage of being non-volatile. The non-volatility of ferroelectric RAMs is achieved by virtue of the fact that a ferroelectric capacitor includes a pair of capacitor plates with a ferroelectric material between them which has two different stable polarization states which can be defined with a hysteresis loop depicted by plotting the polarization against applied voltage. By measuring the charge which flows when a voltage is applied to a ferroelectric capacitor, the polarization state of the ferroelectric material can be determined. By arbitrarily assigning a logic level "zero" to one polarization state and a logic level "one" to the opposite polarization state, ferroelectric capacitors can be used to store binary information in a RAM memory array. The obvious advantage of a non-volatile memory is that data will continue to be stored within the memory cell even though power to the device may be interrupted or removed.
In accordance with the previously noted need for integrating a ferroelectric memory array with other associated circuitry on a common substrate, it is possible that a relatively high value peripheral capacitor, for example having a capacitance more than 100 to 100,000 times a typical memory cell capacitor such as for filtering supply voltages and the like, may be required. Utilizing conventional silicon dioxide and silicon nitride dielectric capacitors, the aforementioned inherent size constraints for fabricating such a relatively high value capacitor render integrating the same with a ferroelectric memory array prohibitive in terms of on-chip area and, as a consequence they must generally be furnished as discrete peripheral elements. Moreover, while ferroelectric capacitors have been utilized in a memory array cell, they have not heretofore been utilized to produce a linear integrated, high value peripheral capacitor for the integrated circuit.

Integration of high value capacitor with ferroelectric memory


A filament assembly configured for generating electrons and including nanoparticles and/or nanofilaments. The filament assembly is optionally incorporated an analytical systems such as a mass analyzer or x-ray source. The nanoparticles and/or nanofilaments are configured to produce improved electron generation, thermal stability, and/or other properties relative to the prior art. Methods of using the filament assembly are described.

Field of the Invention
The invention is in the field of scientific instrumentation and more specifically in the field of electron generation.
Prior Art
Electron sources are used in a variety of systems. These include, for example, electron guns, electron microscopes, and electron ionization systems. A typical electron source includes a filament, such as a wire or ribbon heated by the passage of a current. These sources include disadvantages such as substantial heating of the filament. In various instances heating limits filament lifetime, causes undesirable reactions with background gasses, results in heating of surroundings and/or causes movement of the filament. All of these results may limit utility of an electron source.
"Field emission" electron sources utilize a fine tip or tips, such as a needle or series of microneedles to produce a very high electric field. As a result of the high field electrons are spontaneously emitted. Unfortunately the wide distribution in electron energies that results from this source makes it unsuitable or inconvenient for many applications. In addition, microneedles typically consist of micro-scale carbon structures having an abundance of reactive sites. The reactive sites result in operational lifetimes or stability periods that are limiting. These carbon structures have an abundance of reactive sites because they are typically poorly ordered structures.


Methods and systems that (a) adaptively segment a raw data stream(s) of different type biomedical signals; (b) assign attribute values to each segment; (c) determine an attribute domain based on a point corresponding to said segment attribute value; (d) generate a cluster set(s) in said attribute domain that includes a combination of points; (e) obtain a probability of order of appearance of each cluster point, according to its property value; (f) use said probability to update each point's property value; (g) repeat (d) through (f) while varying combinations of points in clusters according to their most updated property values and points derived from additional raw data stream adaptive segmentations; (h) associate at least one updated cluster with a normal/abnormal physiological state based on reference clusters in said domain; and (i) obtain the change probability between normal/abnormal physiological states using said probability of the order of appearance.

Biomedical signals "suffer" from common problem of poor signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). This problem becomes acute whenever it comes to measuring ElecroEncyphalogram (EEG) and ElecroMyogram (EMG) signals, since the magnitude of such signals is generally in the μVolt range. The signals picked-up by corresponding detectors, which are attached to different portions of the patient body, are forwarded to the analyzing system by wires, which may add significant noise to the already weak signal. In addition, the characteristics of the wires may change according to the ambient conditions, a problem that must be overcome by utilizing special hardware and/or software resources. Another problem arises whenever the patient changes his relative position. Under such circumstances, the analyzing system may interpret false signals as valid pathological events. Therefore, it would be advantageous to have an analyzing system that is capable of recognizing and disregarding such false events.
In some conventional systems, wherein several physiological parameters of a patient are examined (e.g., EEG, ECG and EMG and respiratory), each parameter is analyzed regardless of other physiological parameters. However, in some cases, several parameters could be strongly interrelated. For example, an 'irregular' heartbeat rate (HBR) of a patient might be interpreted by a clinician as pathological HBR if analyzed regardless of other factors. However, it might be interpreted as proper HBR if correlated with brain waves indicating to the analyzing system that the patient is dreaming. Currently, in such systems a clinician has to 'manually' correlate the various raw measurements, which are related to different physiological aspects, and reach conclusions therefrom.
Therefore, it would be advantageous to have an analysis system, which would allow measuring several types of physiological signals, and could introduce to the clinician already-correlated data, i.e., a data that is already correlated with (other) relevant physiological parameters so as to eliminate artifacts and other types of noises/interference. Such a system would introduce to the clinician relevant, more accurate and well-characterized selected physiological events, and save the clinician analyzing/interpretation time. For example, it would be advantageous to combine abdominal effort, Oxygen saturation, patient's, movement or arousals, and sleep stages in order to reach a decision regarding apneas.
Different patients are likely to introduce different 'normal' physiological activities due to the variance of, e.g., heartbeat morphology (see FIGS. 1a and 1b). Therefore, it would be advantageous to have a system that would be capable of automatically adapting itself to the specific heartbeat morphology of a person being monitored, because such system would allow more accurate detection of physiological abnormalities.
Other conventional systems, generally called 'semi-automatic' systems, are capable of sampling, processing and analyzing electro-physiological signals. However, these systems configuration allows them to only analyze physiological signals between two 'rigid' boundaries, in time and/or in magnitude, which must be predetermined by the clinician. The two predetermined boundaries are selected on a random base, and, therefore, processing and analyzing the raw data contained within these boundaries usually does not yield satisfactory results. In some cases, the results could be even meaningless. Therefore, the clinician must iterate a sequence of operations, on a 'trial and error' basis, until meaningful results are obtained. Therefore, it would be advantageous to have a system that would be capable of 'self-tuning' to the required data portion, without needing to depend on specific or predetermined boundaries of any type, between which the raw data is to be processed and analyzed.
There are several common diseases associated with heart conditions, which are characterized by the corresponding irregularities in the heart behavior between distinguishable points in a heartbeat cycle (commonly known as points 'P', 'Q', 'R', 'S' and 'T'). FIGS. 1(a) and 1(b) illustrate typical heartbeats, in which the 'P', 'Q', 'R', 'S' and 'T' points are marked. Conventional systems utilize algorithms of rather limited flexibility (e.g., using 'rigid' predetermined boundaries). Therefore, they offer solutions that focus on limited aspects of heart analysis. For example, one system focuses on analyzing irregularities between points 'S' and 'T', another system on irregularities between points 'P' and 'R' etc. It would be advantageous to have a system that would be capable of isolating and classifying essentially every type of irregularity associated with a heart condition, regardless of the deformation (see FIGS. 1(b), 1(d) and 1(e)) and relative location of such irregularity.
Conventional systems usually display measurement results graphically on paper stripe or on electronic display, after which they are reviewed and estimated by a clinician or therapist. In some cases, these results are stored in an electronic storage media. Sometimes, the physiological activity of a patient is monitored for several hours but the clinician/therapist is interested only in small portions of the recorded data, which are associated with abnormal physiological activity of the patient. In conventional systems, the rest, and sometimes most, of the recorded data is useless because it is either too corrupted or it does not contribute anything to the assessment of the patient physiological condition, and is, therefore, dumped away (whenever a paper stripe is used), or a data storage place is unnecessarily consumed (whenever an electronic storage media is used), which leads to wasted resources. Other applications require collecting physiological signals of specific patient for several hours in order to allow good assessment of the patient physiological condition. In this case, the clinician must review and analyze an enormous amount of data, which is usually a burdensome process. The analysis lasts a long period of time and changes with technician tiredness. It would be advantageous to have a system, which is capable of performing the analysis with the same reliability.
In connection with sleep disorders, most current sleep (polysomnographic) studies are carried out in Sleep Centers, where patients need to spend at least one night in a hospital or private laboratory. The fact that patients need to sleep in the laboratory facilities presents significant difficulties. First, with the growing awareness to sleep disorders, waiting lists are growing, and delays of months and years are common. Second, the sleep study is expensive and thus the availability of sleep monitoring is more difficult. But more important fact is that the patient's sleep is affected whenever studied in a non-familiar laboratory setting. For example, sleep efficiency and patterns are badly affected due to the phenomena generally known as the "first night" effect. Therefore, in order to achieve a genuine sleep behavior of a patient, it is necessary to study the patient (especially for clinical research) for at least two consecutive nights, a fact that increases the expenses.
The advantages of conducting sleep studies at the patient home include increased flexibility of scheduling, less disruption to the routine of the child and family, and the ability to study the patient, especially a child, in his, or her, natural environment. While this has not yet been documented, it seems that home studies will be more cost-efficient than laboratory polysomnography, as a hospital admission is not required. Moreover, because such studies usually do not require the attendance of technicians, technician time is substantially decreased, or it could even be evaded. These factors become even more important when more than one night of recording is required.
More and more Sleep Centers are trying to screen their patients by performing partial ambulatory sleep studies at home. Although this is a growing field in sleep medicine, lacking automatic signal processing and monitoring greatly complicates the unattended tests.
A home video and partial cardiovascular electrode are successfully employed in Montreal, using a customized computer program. The possibility of using a simple, non-invasive data acquisition at home, monitored via a computer/Internet, on line, may facilitate home sleep monitoring for millions of patients. A patient will be able to remain in his own bedroom, for as long as required, while being continuously monitored and the data inspected on-line by a technician, enabling him to handle a problematic signal from the center or even call the patient at his home, to prevent waste of time due to disrupted data acquisition. In addition, the data will be analyzed on-line, in real time and automatically by the computer, thereby saving a lot of technician working hours and making the results readily available for both patient and his clinician.
Conventional systems produced by companies like Compumedics, Flaga, Respironoics, etc., are capable of automatically analyzing the mentioned signals. However, in order to achieve reliable results, an array of thresholds should be provided and adjusted manually in order for these systems to overcome the problem of different patients having different inherent signal variations and, thereby, to manually converge to the patient self-parameters.
There are major three frequency bands which characterize the EEG signal during sleep. The statistical characteristics of the frequency content of each group statistically differ from one person to another. Therefore, it is essential that a sleep monitoring system would have an adaptive mechanism, which would allow it to reach correct decisions regarding the interpretation of each frequency group on individual basis.
All of the methods described above have not yet provided satisfactory solutions to the problem of automatically adapting and optimizing the biomedical analyzing system to a patient being monitored. Additionally, the prior art methods have not yet provided satisfactory solutions to the problem of integrating analysis of ECG, EMG, EEG and respiratory signals.

Self-adaptive system for the analysis of biomedical signals of a patient


In a device and processes for inspecting an object (1), particularly a piece of luggage, in which radiation is emitted by a stationary radiation source (2) while the object (1) is transported in a straight line through the radiation with intensity levels of unabsorbed radiation being detected by a detector arrangement (3) and processed into an image of the object (1), the object (1) is rotated by a rotating device (8) through an angle after a pass through the radiation in order to change its transport position, and is subsequently transported through the radiation again with another image being produced. This facilitates improved inspection by reducing so-called xe2x80x9cdark alarms.xe2x80x9d

This application claims a priority from German application 101 39 672.4, filed Aug. 11, 2001, and the contents of that application are incorporated herein by reference.
The invention relates to a method for inspecting an object, particularly a piece of luggage, in which radiation is emitted by a stationary radiation source while the object is transported in a straight line through the radiation and intensity levels of unabsorbed radiation are detected by a detector arrangement and processed into an image of the object, as well as to an apparatus for implementing such a method.
Processes and apparatus are known for inspecting objects, for example for security inspection of baggage at airports, wherein an object is transported in a straight line through radiation emitted by a stationary radiation source. The radiation not absorbed by the object is detected by a detector arrangement and processed into an image of the object, which is displayed on a screen for an operator. The inspection is typically performed using X-rays.
Since the unabsorbed radiation is detected in the inspection, a region in which the radiation is completely or almost completely absorbed is displayed on the image as a dark area. If it cannot be ruled out that another item, relevant from a security standpoint, is located behind the item that largely absorbs the radiation inside the object, a so-called xe2x80x9cdark alarmxe2x80x9d is triggered during the inspection. The object must then be subjected to an additional time-consuming security inspection; for example, suitcases are opened and examined manually.
An inspection system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,088,423 that has three radiation sources that are arranged at different positions relative to a transport plane and emit radiation in three parallel planes. The radiation detected by three detector arrangements is processed by an analysis unit to determine probable outside contours of three-dimensional objects, one goal of which is to prevent false alarms.
An object of the invention is to provide a method and an apparatus for inspecting an object that permit improved inspection by reducing dark alarms with a low level of design complexity.
According to principles of this invention, with regard to the method, the object being inspected is rotated through an angle after a pass through radiation by a rotating device for changing its transport position and is subsequently transported through the radiation again with another image being produced. With regard to the apparatus, a transport device has the rotating device for rotating the object after the pass through the radiation to change its transport position.
According to the invention, only a single stationary radiation source is required. If the image generated by the first pass contains dark areas to be inspected, the object being inspected is rotated into a different transport position and an additional image is generated by the same radiation source. This process, controlled manually by an operator or automatically by a machine, can be repeated as many times as necessary until sufficient information has been obtained about the dark area in the first image.
In the simplest embodiment, an operator decides, based on the images available to him, whether and in what position the object is to be re-transported through the radiation and re-inspected. The analysis unit prepares the individual images of an object appropriately for this decision; preferably they are displayed next to each other or sequentially on a screen, and all facing in the same direction.
To provide as much support as possible to an operator for manual control of the inspection, current status parameters, or values, of the inspection process are displayed, in particular the angular position of the object and the number of passes that have been made through the radiation. Preferably the information is displayed on the screen of the analysis unit, although a separate display is also possible.
In a further enhanced embodiment, the process can be automated such that the discovery of a dark area triggers an automatic inspection routine. To this end, a computer automatically controls the number of passes and/or the angle of a pass as a function of parameters of the dark area. The particular angle of rotation and the chronological sequence of the display of the individual images of an object can be chosen such that the impression of a rotating object is produced on the screen. This type of display makes it easier for the operator viewing the image to decide whether the object should undergo another inspection stage or be examined manually as well.
In principle, rotation about all three spatial axes is possible in order to change the position of the object before another pass. Preferably, a direction of the rotational axis and a size of the angle are chosen such that the probability is greatest that no dark area will be produced on the next pass.
In the simplest embodiment, the object is rotated about only one axis. In this case, rotation about an axis perpendicular to the transport plane is preferred, since this can be accomplished with the least expense.
Preferably the object""s direction of transport through the radiation is reversed each time, with an image generated at each pass through the radiation. Alternatively, it is also possible to produce images only during transport in a single direction. This simplifies analysis of the images for line-by-line detection, since they are all produced in the same direction relative to the radiation and thus can be displayed directly. To this end, either the object is not inspected when it is transported backward in a straight line past the radiation source, or the object is transported back for the next pass on a transport loop that leads outside and around the radiation source.

Method and apparatus for inspecting an object, particularly a piece of luggage


A system is provided for the identification and separation of heterogeneous material, the system comprising: a hyperspectral identification system for capturing spectra of material; a computer receiving and analyzing data from the hyperspectral identification system and selecting desired materials from the heterogeneous materials; and an ejection system, whereby the desired materials are ejected from the system.

Recycling of post consumer and industrial material requires that composite materials be sorted and separated according to color, composition, shape, size, or any of several criteria. Such sorting has traditionally been done manually, wherein sorters visually identify objects to be sorted, and transfer them from one conveyer belt to another running parallel to the first. This is labor intensive and expensive. Automated systems have been developed to replace this traditional hand sorting. In such systems, materials are identified by conventional optical scanner and are transferred from a first conveyer by means of a mechanical or pneumatic force to a second conveyer. Such systems typically are imprecise in their sorting, allowing materials to be mixed, which must then be resorted before pelletization. This lack of precision is due both to the optical scanning mechanism, and the imprecise mechanical and pneumatic sorting mechanism.
Known optical sorting techniques carry materials on a conveyor or vibratory deck and then rely on air jet propulsion methods and or finger push methods that lift or push desired picked materials past an outboard barrier. Unselected items typically fall off the end of the optics conveyor or shaker deck and often dropped on a conveyor below that would transport that material to another optical system where the process occurs again. The selected ejected items that have been propelled either land on another belt or vibratory conveyor and deposited in a holding bunker often with some type of post sorting to qualify the material is correctly identified. Such a system requires extensive room, both horizontally and vertically to allow for conveyers and dropping of the materials.
What is needed therefore is a means for automated sorting heterogeneous material with high degrees of precision.

Method and apparatus for sorting heterogeneous material


A driving control device that performs overtaking control, includes: a preceding vehicle information acquisition unit configured to acquire preceding vehicle information about a speed of a preceding vehicle; a determination unit configured to determine propriety of the overtaking control, based on a traveling environment; an overtaking vehicle speed calculation unit configured to calculate an overtaking vehicle speed of a host vehicle, based on the preceding vehicle information, in response to a determination by the determination unit that the overtaking control is possible; and a driving control unit configured to execute the overtaking control using the overtaking vehicle speed, wherein the overtaking vehicle speed calculation unit is configured to calculate an overtaking vehicle speed which is faster than a speed of the preceding vehicle and in which a speed difference relative to the speed of the preceding vehicle becomes a predetermined speed difference.

In the related art, as described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2003-63273, as a driving control device of a vehicle such as an automobile, a driving control device is known which performs driving control such that a host vehicle is driven at a certain setting vehicle speed set by a driver, in a case where a preceding vehicle does not exist in front of the host vehicle, and performs driving control such that the host vehicle is driven while maintaining an inter-vehicle distance between the preceding vehicle and the host vehicle, in a case where a preceding vehicle exists in front of the host vehicle.
In the device of Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2003-63273, in a case where the speed of the host vehicle becomes slower than the setting vehicle speed due to the speed of the preceding vehicle being slower than the setting vehicle speed and an overtaking lane exists, driving control is performed such that the host vehicle overtakes the preceding vehicle.


The present invention is directed to an apparatus and method for collecting the discharged grass clippings of a lawn mower. The lawn mower includes a discharge opening at the lateral side or the rear side of the lawn mower. Grass clippings are directed through the discharge opening to a conveyor member, thereafter the clippings are deposited in a catcher. The present invention does not require a high speed air flow to discharge the grass clippings. Further, since the grass clippings are discharged by a conveyor member into the top opening of a catcher the level of grass clippings positioned in the catcher may readily be observed so that it is very easy to determine when the catcher should be emptied.

1. Filed of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for collecting grass clippings by a lawn mower without scattering the grass clippings.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
Lawn mowers are known in the prior art which are provided with a receiving box or bag into which the lawn clippings are blown and collected with the help of a high speed air flow produced by the rotational movement of the cutting blade of the lawn mower. These prior art lawn mowers experience difficulty in depositing the grass clippings into the receiving box or bag.
To overcome the difficulty in depositing the grass clippings in the receiving box or bag it has been proposed in the prior art to rotate the cutting blade at a higher speed than that necessary for mowing the lawn. Further, it has been proposed to partially bend the cutting blade or to provide a special fan plate to increase the production of high speed air flow. In addition, it has been proposed to provide the lawn mower on its inner periphery with a special wind tunnel to produce a high speed air flow. However, even if discharging the grass clippings under the influence of a high speed air flow there is a tendency for the grass clippings to stick to an outlet of the lawn mower or to an inlet of the receiving box or bag. The adhering of the grass clippings to various elements of the lawn mower is increased when the grass clippings are wet with rain or dew. Further, the adhering of the grass clippings results in a clogging of the outlet of the lawn mower or the inlet of the receiving box or bag soon after the start of the mowing operation.
Operating a lawn mower at a high speed to produce a high speed air flow considerably decreases the life expectancy of the lawn mower. Further, this high operational speed often results in damage to the lawn mower. In addition, the energy consumption, namely, electrical power consumption or gasoline consumption, is increased by operating the lawn mower at a high speed. Still further, this high operational speed is dangerous and results in an increase in noise.
Another disadvantage of the prior art lawn mowers is that the high speed air flow throws pebbles and other debris together with the grass clippings outwardly from beneath the lawn mower. Therefore, to decrease the danger of the debris from striking an operator the receiving box or bag is usually positioned to one side of the lawn mower. However, this arrangement remarkably decreases the mobility and the working performance of the lawn mower.

Method and apparatus for collecting grass clippings


A switching regulator comprises a PWM controller that controls switching of a power converter via a PWM control signal. The switching regulator detects load transients in the load driven by the power converter. Responsive to the detection of a load transient, the switching regulator resets a PWM clock synchronously with a fast clock operating at a higher frequency than the PWM clock. By doing so, the switching regulator beneficially responds more quickly to changes in the load than with conventional architectures that utilize only the slower PWM clock. This provides improved transient response without sacrificing power efficiency.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to power electronics and, more specifically, to a switching voltage regulator.
2. Description of the Related Arts
Switching voltage regulators are commonly utilized in a wide variety of electronic circuits because of their high power conversion efficiency. A common concern in the design and use of switching regulators is switching loss. Generally, switching loss increases as the switching frequency of the regulator increases. Thus, to reduce switching loss, a slower switching frequency should be used. However, as the switching frequency decreases, the load transient response of the switching regulator also becomes slower. A slow transient response may cause the output voltage to deviate from its desired value because the regulator cannot respond quickly enough to changing load demands.
FIG. 1A is a block diagram illustrating a conventional switching regulator 100. Switching regulator 100 comprises boost converter 102 and PWM controller 104. Other conventional circuit components are omitted for clarity of description. Boost converter 102 receives input voltage VIN and supplies regulated output voltage VOUT to drive a load 106. PWM controller 104 controls switching of boost converter 102 via control signal PWM_CTRL according to a conventional pulse width modulation (PWM) technique. PWM_CTRL comprises a series of variable width pulses outputted at a fixed frequency. PWM controller 104 outputs one pulse of PWM_CTRL for each clock cycle of CLK_IN. PWM controller 104 also monitors various characteristics of boost converter 102 via feedback control signal FB_CTRL, and varies the duty cycle of PWM_CTRL to achieve the desired output power regulation.
FIG. 1B is a waveform diagram illustrating the transient response problem in the context of conventional switching regulator 100. The waveforms illustrate a load current IL through load 106, clock signal CLK_IN, and PWM control signal PWM_CTRL. Between times t0 and t1, load current IL remains constant and PWM_CTRL controls switching of boost controller 102 according to a fixed duty cycle. At a time t1, the load demand changes and load current IL increases. To meet the increased load demand, PWM controller 104 must increase the duty cycle of PWM_CTRL. However, PWM controller 104 cannot begin adjusting the duty cycle of PWM_CTRL until the start of the next clock cycle at time t2. Thus, there is a transient delay, td=t2−t1, during which VOUT may begin to droop. This transient delay problem is exacerbated further as switching frequency is reduced. As a result, designers and users of conventional switching regulators are faced with an undesirable tradeoff between power efficiency and transient response when selecting a switching frequency.

Load transient detection and clock reset circuit


A new and distinct variety of Ficus plant named ‘ESPE1703’ which is characterized by the combination of a compact growth habit, large foliage relative to the small stems, dark green foliage that is blotched yellow-green and irregularly and broadly margined yellow to green-white, and the stability of all characteristics from generation to generation.

Parentage: 'ESPE1703' originated as a naturally occurring, whole-plant mutation of Ficus benjamina 'Twilight'. In the summer of 2016, the inventor discovered the mutation at his commercial greenhouse in Gravenzande, The Netherlands, growing amongst a cultivated population of 'Danielle' plants. The mutation was noted for its compact habit and variegated foliage and was subsequently isolated for further evaluation in order to confirm the distinctness and stability of the characteristics first observed. Upon confirmation of distinctness and stability, 'ESPE1703' was selected for commercialization.
Asexual Reproduction: Asexual reproduction of 'ESPE1703', by way of stem cuttings, was first initiated in the summer of 2016 at a commercial greenhouse in Gravenzande, The Netherlands. Through five subsequent generations, the unique features of this cultivar have proven to be stable and true to type.


An absorbent article with an outer perimeter is disclosed having a cover, a baffle, an absorbent core and a barrier means for intercepting fluid migrating from the absorbent core toward the outer perimeter of the sanitary napkin. The absorbent core has a protuberance that extends above a plane that is parallel to the absorbent core periphery. The barrier can encircle the protuberance so that in use the barrier effectively forms a gasket between the wearer's body, such as the crotch and/or thighs and the absorbent article.

All manner and variety of absorbent devices or appliances have been configured for the absorption of body fluids, such as menses, and are well known. Sanitary napkins are the most frequently used of these devices.
In the formation of such absorbent devices for the absorption of human exudate, the sanitary napkin commonly includes a liquid-permeable, bodyfacing cover, an absorbent core and a liquid-impermeable backing sheet or baffle. These absorbent devices, whether utilized as diapers, incontinence garments or sanitary napkins are subject to failure resulting in the movement of fluid across the face of the cover and/or through the absorbent core and leaking onto the wearer or the wearer's undergarment. In the area of sanitary napkins, it has been suggested that at least 20-25 percent of all sanitary napkins have side leakage. This incidence of leakage increases especially for those sanitary napkins having increased absorbency designed primarily for medium to heavy flow.
To overcome the problem of side leakage, sanitary napkins have been constructed having elasticized sides that urge the sides upward or cause the sanitary napkin to form a cup shape.
Another method of preventing side leakage has been to extend wings from the edges of the sanitary napkin. The wings generally extend over the edges of the undergarment crotch portion and adhere to the crotch portion or to themselves. The wings typically assist the garment adhesive, if present, to hold the sanitary napkin in position during use. However, it is possible that these elasticized edges or wings will fold inward, partially occluding the cover surface and thereby diminishing the efficacy of the sanitary napkin. In some cases this folding results in the edges actually contributing to incidence of failure.
Therefore, there remains a need for a sanitary napkin that will be comfortable to wear while decreasing the chance of side leakage associated with the use of sanitary napkins during the menstrual period.

Absorbent article having barrier means and medial bulge


Shoe sole equipped with studs 2 comprising a base 4 and a head 2. The base 4 is inserted into the sole and held in a position such that its lower surface 5 is kept flush with the walking surface 6 of the sole by a means of insertion 11 which is recessed from said lower surface. The tip of the stud is connected to this lower surface by means of a curved surface 7 whose arched shape is tangent to said surface 5 and which rises toward the head cover at least the first third 8 of the functional height 9 of the stud.

Soles equipping sports shoes of this type are subjected to relatively intensive use and abrasion because of the nature and the variety of golf courses, more commonly called "greens," and by the great distances covered. Users remark particularly on the rapid wearing, and indeed even of the breakage, of the stud heads, as well as on the accumulation of dirt and grass which stick to the bases of the studs, thereby reducing their functional life. Furthermore, because the number of studs under the walking sole is limited, the supporting surface provided by this sole becomes greatly reduced, especially on hard courses where gripping is exerted only by the heads of the studs. As a result, the pressures channelled to the studs often cause deformations of the sole, which produce painful sensations on the golfer's soles.
A large number of studded soles intended in particular for golfing have been designed so as to ensure conditions which facilitate the gripping of the ground. In addition, some soles are equipped with studs whose heads are made of a relatively hard material to reduce wear and tear.
The Japanese Patent No. 59.28902 may be cited as an example. This patent describes both studs whose structure may comprise heads of a hard material and methods for fastening such studs within the thickness of the shoe sole. As the drawings show, the hard head of the stud is not anchored in the body of the stud, whose point of attachment, in a first illustrated case, is greatly recessed from the tip and from the walking surface, or, in a second illustrated case, is almost flush with said walking surface and exerts a renewed gripping action on the walking surface by means of a raised flange. A structure and an fastening system of this kind do not protect against the possible loss of the hard tip, given the absence of anchoring, and they do not prevent the accumulation of dirt and/or grass, since the connection of said tip in relation to the walking surface forms a sharp angle, i.e., a raised edge.
Other studded soles, of the type described in the German Patent Application No. Dgm 75 01 105, comprise studs whose attachment within the sole is composed of a dovetail slide-track, and whose heads, substantially in the shape of a conical frustum, are attached at a sharp angle to said studs. A stud design of this type, according to which the base is flush with the walking surface of the sole, does not lessen the risks of accumulating dirt, and proves to be relatively complicated and troublesome because of the means of attachment.


A method for manufacturing an isolating layer onto a crucible includes the steps as follows: providing a spraying device for the following spraying steps; heating the crucible and measuring the heated crucible to get a first temperature; spraying a slurry on the inner wall of the crucible to form an isolating layer by a spraying unit with a predetermined spraying manner; measuring the isolating layer to get a second temperature; obtaining a value for the difference between the first and second temperatures and judging whether the difference value in a within predetermined difference scope or not, in which the predetermined difference scope is about 6° C.˜12° C.; when the difference value is not in the predetermined difference scope, adjusting the predetermined spraying manner; when the difference value is in the predetermined difference scope, implementing the above spraying steps to the crucible.

1. Field of the Invention
The instant invention relates to a method for manufacturing an isolating layer; in particular, to a method for manufacturing an isolating layer onto a crucible and a spraying device related thereto.
2. Description of Related Art
Nowadays, silicon ingots for the semiconductor or solar industry are manufactured using a necessary element, the crucible. The conventional crucible is made of quartz, but quartz will react with molten silicon to cause the molten silicon to adhere on an inner wall of the crucible, thus causing damage to the crucible. Accordingly, the inner wall of crucible needs to be coated with a silicon nitride layer to form an isolating layer, thereby extending the life of the crucible and ensuring the molten silicon within the crucible can be formed into silicon ingots with good quality. However, when forming an isolating layer on the crucible, thickness and uniformity of the isolating layer cannot be determined. Specifically, in a conventional method for manufacturing an isolating layer, the isolating layer formed on the inner wall of crucible cannot be manufactured to a desired thickness and uniformity, such that a crack easily occurs on the isolating layer resulting in reduction of the quality of the silicon ingots.
Moreover, in the polycrystalline-growth process of the solar industry, an isolating layer is prepared with high-purity for preventing molten silicon from directly contacting with a crucible, and the isolating layer is used as a release agent. When the isolating layer is not uniform enough or the isolating layer has a crack, the molten silicon may directly contact and adhere on the crucible. Specifically, the material of a polycrystalline crucible (SiO2) has a thermal expansion characteristic different from the silicon, so the silicon adhered on the crucible may increase a residual stress of the silicon ingots and may decrease yield of the silicon ingots in the cooling or processing processes. Furthermore, when the molten silicon directly contacts the crucible, impurity adhered on the inner wall of the crucible may diffuse into the molten silicon, thus reducing the quality of silicon ingots.
Therefore, how to provide an innovative method for manufacturing an isolating layer onto a crucible has become an important goal, in which the method needs to ensure quality and life of the crucible, good quality of the silicon ingots, and yield of the silicon ingots, thereby solving the conventional problems and reducing cost. Moreover, Taiwan patent No. 201033771 discloses a method for manufacturing an isolating layer, but this method needs to measure the inner wall of a crucible in a complicated way and needs to spray with high accuracy. However, the inner wall of each crucible is different and non-smooth, so the method disclosed in the above patent must gradually measure the inner walls of crucibles, which is obviously time-consuming. Accordingly, the method disclosed in the above patent needs to be improved.
To achieve the abovementioned improvement, the inventors strive via industrial experience and academic research to present the instant disclosure, which can provide additional improvement as mentioned above.

Method for manufacturing isolating layer onto crucible and spraying device related thereto