A method for producing foam insulation board, the method comprising forming a foam product as part of a continuous process, and monitoring on-line the compressive strength of the foam product.

Polyurethane and polyisocyanurate foam insulation boards are commonly employed in the construction industry. These insulation boards are generally cellular in nature and typically include an insulating compound trapped within the cells of the foam.
The physical characteristics of the board are important to the overall performance of the board. For example, dimensional stability is important because insulation boards are exposed to a full range of weather. Where insulation boards are employed to insulate flat or low-slope roofs, shrinkage of these insulation boards from cold temperatures can cause a loss of insulating efficiency. In particular, when the dimensional stability of the foam matrix is low, the edges (especially the 8′ edges of, for example, standard 4′×8′ boards) are susceptible to edge collapse during exposure to cold temperatures. This collapse can cause the top facers and bottom facers along these edges to bend towards each other.
As a result, it is common in the industry to test insulation boards for cold-age dimensional stability (ASTM D2126). Alternatively, the dimensional stability of insulation boards, primarily the edges, can be determined by analyzing the perpendicular compressive strength of these edges (i.e. the compressive strength in the cross-machine direction). The higher the perpendicular compressive strength of the insulation boards along these edges, the better the cold age dimensional stability of the insulation boards.
The dimensional stability of insulation boards is believed to be impacted, especially near the edges of the board, by the degree of polyurethane crosslinking (isocyanurate formation). Incomplete crosslinking tends to be a problem near the edges of the board because less heat is present at the edges following manufacture of the boards. In other words, the boards are typically stacked or bundled following manufacture, and the heat that is generated and trapped within the boards tends to drive crosslinking; the exposed surface area around the edges of the stacks or bundles allows the edges to cool more rapidly which results in decreased crosslinking.
Also, the dimensional stability of insulation boards is believed to be impacted, especially near the edges of the board, by the shape and orientation of the cells within the foam. Particularly, it is believed that if the cells of the foam matrix are spherically-shaped, instead of being egg-shaped, then the dimensional stability of the roofing board is relatively high; but if the cells are egg-shaped, then the dimensional stability of the roofing board is relatively low along at least one of the three major axes. For example, if the major (as opposed to minor) axes of the egg-shaped cells are aligned parallel to the rise direction of the foam (i.e. perpendicular to the facers), then the dimensional stability perpendicular to the rise direction will be relatively low.
Several solutions have been suggested in the prior art and/or are practiced commercially to improve the dimensional stability of the insulation boards, particularly along edges. These solutions primarily involve adjusting manufacturing parameters. These parameters include, but are not limited to, manufacturing techniques, conditions, ingredients, and ingredient amounts. Thus, one could use compressive strength analysis to glean dimensional stability and alter these manufacturing parameters to produce an insulation board having a technologically useful dimensional stability.
But, the problem encountered derives from the fact that insulation boards are commercially produced in a continuous operation. These continuous manufacturing processes can suffer from quality control issues—particularly related to dimensional stability along the edges because adjustments to these processing parameters are best made during the process. Heretofore in the art, these adjustments to the processing parameters were made only after an insulation board was removed from the process, analyzed for compressive strength, and the data from this test was provided to an operator who could then make the appropriate adjustments. Not only is the removal of the board from the manufacturing process labor intensive, but depending upon the frequency of the quality control tests, hundreds of feet of insulation board could be manufactured before appropriate adjustments could be made to correct for quality control issues.
There is therefore a need to improve the manufacturing process of insulation boards such that quality control, particularly dimensional stability, can be improved.

Method and apparatus to monitor the compressive strength of insulation boards


A GPS timing receiver for providing a GPS-derived time signal. The GPS timing receiver includes a filter for filtering a GPS signal to a certain information bandwidth, a reference clock for generating a reference clock signal having a clock rate at least ten times the information bandwidth, a sampler using the reference clock signal for oversampling the filtered GPS signal, a correlation subsystem including a microprocessor for correlating the sampled GPS signal to the reference clock signal to measure a time difference between the GPS signal and the reference clock signal, and a time clock to issue a GPS-derived time signal based upon the reference clock signal and adjusted by the measured time difference in increments of the period of the reference clock signal. An optional frequency multiplier multiplies the reference clock rate enabling the time clock to adjust the GPS-derived time signal in increments of the period of the frequency multiplied reference clock signal.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to GPS receivers and more particularly to a GPS timing receiver for providing a GPS-derived time signal having a fine incremental time resolution.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The global positioning system (GPS) is commonly used by GPS timing receivers for deriving a GPS time signal. Typically, the GPS-derived time signal has the form of pulse train having one pulse per second, each pulse coincident or having a known offset with the start of each second of GPS time. One application for the GPS-derived time signal is calibrating an atomic clock. Before GPS was available it was sometimes required to transport the atomic clock to the location of a time standard such as the National Bureau of Standards in Colorado in order to perform the calibration. Another application of the GPS-derived time signal is providing a precise time signal for timing TDMA and CDMA receivers in wireless and satellite systems. An important figure of merit for a GPS timing receiver is the fineness of the time steps (incremental time resolution) of the GPS-derived time signal. A fine time step or small incremental time resolution is necessary in order to minimize the time difference between the time provided by the GPS-derived time signal and the actual GPS time.
Existing GPS timing receivers operate by downconverting the GPS satellite signal to a GPS intermediate frequency (IF) signal having a certain pre-detection information bandwidth and then sampling the GPS IF signal with a clock signal. The sampled GPS IF signal is then correlated with an internally generated GPS replica signal to obtain correlation data. The time, repetition rate, and frequency of the GPS replica signal are derived from the clock signal and then adjusted by the correlation data to drive the GPS replica signal to correlate to the time, repetition rate, and frequency of the GPS IF signal. It is desirable for the GPS IF signal to have a narrow pre-detection information bandwidth in order to minimize jamming from spurious signals that are close in frequency to the GPS satellite signal and to achieve the best signal-to-noise ratio. The clock signal must have a frequency at least as high as the Nyquist sampling rule rate of two times the information bandwidth or information will be lost in the sampling process. In order to minimize cost and power consumption, the frequency of the clock signal is typically as low as practical above the Nyquist rate. The GPS-derived time signal is then generated from the clock signal and information in the correlation data using one of several known techniques.
In one technique, the GPS derived time signal is generated by frequency dividing the clock signal to the desired frequency and then delaying the divided signal in an analog delay line having several output taps. A digital signal representing the correlation data for the time difference between the GPS IF signal and the GPS replica signal then selects the output tap that minimizes the time difference. A fine incremental time resolution is obtained by having closely spaced output taps. This technique was used in a GPS receiver model "5000A Timer" that was commercially available from Trimble Navigation of Sunnyvale, Calif. beginning in 1983. However, a disadvantage of this technique is that a tapped analog delay line is required in order to obtain fine time resolution.
Another technique used in existing GPS receivers uses a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) having a small tuning range for providing the clock signal. A digital signal representing the correlation data for the frequency difference between the GPS IF signal and the GPS replica signal is converted to an analog signal in a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) which is then used to drive the VCO to adjust the time and frequency of the clock signal so that the time, repetition rate, and frequency of the GPS replica signal matches the GPS IF signal. The clock signal is then frequency divided to get the desired frequency for the GPS-derived time signal. An example of such a GPS receiver is a model "4000S Surveyor" that was commercially available from Trimble Navigation beginning in 1987. A disadvantage of this technique is that absolute time can be lost in frequency dividing the clock signal. A further disadvantage is that the frequency resolution and accuracy of the GPS-derived time signal is limited by the resolution and accuracy of the DAC. Typically, the DAC is required to be monotonic with a resolution of more than sixteen bits. Such DACs are expensive.
In another technique, the GPS-derived time signal is obtained by frequency dividing the clock signal by a divide number that is dynamically adjusted according to the correlation data for the time difference between the GPS IF signal and the GPS replica signal. A disadvantage of this technique is that dynamically adjusting the divide number creates phase noise or jitter in the GPS-derived time signal. In yet another technique the GPS-derived time signal is obtained by frequency dividing the clock signal by a divide number that is fixed. The frequency divided signal is then digitally delayed in a circuit such as a shift register that is clocked by the clock signal. The incremental time resolution is determined by the period of the clock signal. A fine time resolution is obtained by having a high frequency clock signal. However, GPS receivers using this technique typically suffer from relatively poor jamming immunity and poor signal-to-noise ratio due to having a wide pre-detection information bandwidth corresponding to the high frequency clock signal.
All of the existing or known techniques for generating the GPS-derived time signal having a fine incremental time resolution suffer from one or several disadvantages. What is needed is a GPS timing receiver having a narrow pre-detection information bandwidth and providing a fine incremental time resolution without resorting to an analog delay line.


The invention is an improvement in a control system having first, second and third sources of fluid at differing pressures. The improvement comprises a tripath pressure selector network connected to the first and second sources. A pressure-sensing device connects the network and the third source when the third source is at a predetermined minimum pressure. The invention has particular utility in mobile construction machinery having, e.g., steering, implement and brake hydraulic circuits, at differing pressures. In one embodiment, the third source is a brake hydraulic circuit. The improvement helps assure that adequate pilot pressure is available for a "downstream" pilot control valve.

Control systems are in wide use and, as a general statement, function to "multiply" the relatively modest efforts of a machine operator (who manipulates a control device) to provide high-force or high-power output functions well beyond the physical capability of such operator. Such control systems are found in mechanical, electrical and fluid (hydraulic and pneumatic) forms and hybrids of those and other forms. Examples within common experience include the power brakes on an automobile and the electric switch capable of positioning an auto driver's seat (with the driver seated) with but a light touch on such switch.
Another example involves mobile machinery on which various "output" functions are controlled by the operator, often using some type of control system. A more specific example is a front end loader, a type of construction and earthmoving machine. A leading manufacturer of front end loaders and other machinery is Case Corporation of Racine, Wis.
Front end loaders, often mounted on rubber tires, are used to move dirt, rubble and almost any other type of material capable of being picked up by a shovel-like bucket mounted on the front of the machine. In northern climes during winter, such loaders are routinely seen removing piled snow from city streets and loading it into dump trucks.
Front end loaders (as well as many other types of mobile machines) have separate hydraulic systems including separate engine-powered hydraulic pumps which provide hydraulic oil under pressure for vehicle steering, for positioning implements, e.g., the vehicle bucket, and for operating the vehicle brakes. In most modern loaders, the implement-positioning system typically uses hydraulic cylinders for actual implement manipulation. Hydraulic oil under pressure is ported to and from the cylinders by directional valves.
In a larger machine, the implement system is aptly described as a "high horsepower" system in that significant fluid flow rates and fluid pressures are required. Therefore, the directional valves must themselves be large and able to "conduct" at high fluid flow rates and to withstand high flow and high pressure forces. Disregarding the problem of operator hand-to-valve "linkage," such valves do not lend themselves well to manipulation by hand.
In such machines, the directional valves may be positioned away from the operator's compartment (or at least out of easy operator reach) and are constructed to be positioned for bucket raising and lowering, for example, by a hydraulic control pressure rather than by a direct mechanical linkage or the like. Such "pilot operated" valves (as they are often called) have been in wide use for decades.
Such large, high-horsepower pilot operated directional valves are positioned by relatively small, low-effort controller valves, the handles or levers of which are placed to be within easy reach of the machine operator. Using a source of hydraulic pressure as a "power source," such controller valves direct fluid under pressure to the directional valves to position them to, e.g., raise or lower the bucket. In the absence of this power source (or "pilot pressure" as it is often called), the valve spool returns to its center or neutral position under the urging of springs within the valve. Sources of such hydraulic pilot pressure have included the steering and/or implement systems.
These earlier arrangements are characterized by certain disadvantages. In appreciating these disadvantages, it will be helpful to appreciate that fluid pressure (hydraulic or pneumatic) may be developed only if there is fluid flow and resistance to flow.
Consider the analogy of a common garden hose. If the hose has no nozzle and flow is therefore substantially unrestricted, the pressure at the open end of the hose is quite low and water flows freely. On the other hand, if a nozzle restricts flow, the pressure at such end rises appreciably as flow is progressively restricted and/or as flow rate progressively rises. And in either case, when the faucet is nearly or entirely shut off and little or no water flows, there is substantially no pressure at the open end.
It will also be helpful to appreciate aspects of common implement and steering systems. On a front end loader, the pressure in the implement system is a function of the rotational speed of the pump and of the flow "resistance" in the system. When the implement is idle (e.g., a loader bucket is not being raised or lowered), the directional valve is in "neutral." In the neutral position, fluid flows relatively freely through such valve and the system pressure is low, perhaps well below 500 p.s.i. Similarly, if the engine is at low idle and the pump is rotating relatively slowly, system pressure may be very low.
And many vehicle steering systems are not at significant pressure unless the system is being used. That is, system pressure may be very low unless vehicle turning is actually occurring.
Regarding the above-mentioned disadvantages, the operator-manipulated controller valves must have sufficient pilot pressure available to "shift" the large directional valves to, e.g., the bucket raise or bucket lower position. When such pilot pressure is obtained from the implement and/or steering systems, there can be times when such pressure is insufficient for directional valve shifting. This disadvantage can (and does) manifest itself in unusual and annoying ways.
One way a front end loader is commonly used is to smooth an earthen surface by, perhaps, spreading loose dirt across the surface or by smoothing already-loosened dirt. In so doing, the operator positions the loader so that loose dirt is behind the bucket. The bucket directional valve is then placed in the "float" position (using a pilot-pressure controller valve) and the bucket "back-dragged" (by driving the vehicle backwards) so that the curved rear portion of the bucket smooths the earth.
It is to be noted that retention of the directional valve in the "float" position requires that its flow-directing spool be retained at such position by a pilot pressure of some minimum value. Absent such pressure, the directional valve shifts (under the urging of its internal springs) to another position, the bucket is forced downward and the surface intended to be smoothed is, in fact, gouged. Such an eventuality can be disconcerting to the operator and takes valuable time to repair.
Described more broadly, the absence of a consistently-available pilot pressure source may prevent the vehicle from being used to its fullest, most productive advantage.

Control system with tri-pressure selector network


A method of manufacturing a nail tip sizing tool is performed by providing a handle with at least one slot and a set of artificial nail tips of different widths and lengths with each nail tip having a cuticle end and a tip end. The tip ends of at least selected ones of the nail tips are cut to establish a substantially uniform nail tip length as measured between the cuticle end and the cut tip end. The cut tip ends are then inserted equal distances into at least one slot of the handle such that the cuticle ends of the nail tips are substantially aligned and the nail tips are in adjacent side-by-side relationship in progressively nail tip width size. Since the nail tip sizing tool has nail tips identical to the nail tips stored in "tip boxes" of the operator, once sizing is performed, the selected artificial nail tip is identical to the sized artificial nail tip of the nail tip sizing tool. This assures decreased downtime as well as corresponding aesthetics because of the identity between the nail tips used for sizing via the nail tip sizing tool and the identical nail tips selected from the operator's "tip box."

Prior to applying nail tips or nail forms to one's own hands or those of a client, such hands must be first cleaned and sanitized, each nail plate is then gently etched, debris is dusted off and a pre-primer or other nail preparation is applied to all ten nail beds. By being extra careful, such preparation can proceed relatively quickly absent adverse effects, such as applying excessive primer to the client's skin which can cause skin allergies or burn, not to mention the downtime required to clean up a flood of primer on the client's nails and/or cuticles.
However, the biggest time-waster during the process of applying artificial nail tips to fingers is selecting proper artificial nail tips or nail forms and applying the same to the fingers. Improperly sizing nail tips for the nail bed or poorly fitting the nail tips/nail forms thereto not only results in excessively wasted time, but improperly sized nail tips may have to be removed, discarded, re-sizing begun anew, etc., resulting in both downtime and product waste (discarded nail tips).
Disclosures directed to the proper selection and application of artificial nail tips or nail forms to fingers are disclosed in the following patents:
Enzetti U.S. Pat. No. 3,722,104 PA1 Trematerra U.S. Pat. No. 5,070,892 PA1 LaJoie et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,450,864 PA1 Wienslaw U.S. Pat. No. D 293,839 PA1 Wienslaw U.S. Pat. No. D 299,878 PA1 Lajoie U.S. Pat. No. D 309,196 PA1 Carroll et al. U.S. Pat. No. D 386,823
Though the latter-noted lists of patents seek a solution to the problem of nail tip/form sizing, such has not been achieved in practice, and it is to the optimum selection and application of nail tips/nail forms to fingers that the present invention is directed.

Nail tip sizing tool and method of manufacture thereof


A method executed by a computer under the control of a program includes the step of establishing a compound structure in the form of a virtual unit of multi-dimensional storage. The compound structure includes a rack with a horizontal arrangement of target structures linked by an alias backbone representing a dimension of information. The horizontal arrangement of target structures selectively includes further compound structures and base structures containing data, in any combination. The compound structure is referenced to obtain information. The method is particularly useful in On-Line Analytical Processing (OLAP).

This invention relates generally to computer databases. More particularly, this invention relates to a technique for organizing data in databases using compound structures and On-Line Analytical Processing.
On-Line Analytical Processing (OLAP) generally refers to a technique of providing fast analysis of shared multi-dimensional information stored in a database. OLAP systems provide a multi-dimensional conceptual view of data, including full support for hierarchies and multiple hierarchies. This framework is used because it is the most logical way to analyze businesses and organizations.
Unfortunately, it is difficult to handle large volumes of multi-dimensional information in a computer. The first problem is one of size. While small volumes of multi-dimensional data can be handled in Random Access Memory (RAM), this technique does not work for large problems. Multi-dimensional information is typically very large. Because OLAP is used for interactive analysis, it must respond very rapidly to queries, even when the data volumes grow.
The second problem is that multi-dimensional data is almost always sparse. In fact, in large multi-dimensional applications, it is not unusual to have only one cell populated for every million cells that are defined.
The sparsity problem discourages the storage of data in simple, uncompressed arrays, except in certain special cases. The simplest way of dealing with sparse data might seem to be to store only cells containing data in some indexed form. However, this approach has two problems. First, the index and keys are likely to take much more space than the data. Moreover, it is relatively time consuming to search them. Second, access will be inefficient because multi-dimensional data is often clustered, consisting of regions of relatively dense data separated by large, extremely sparse or totally empty sections. As a result, related data cells are unlikely to be placed physically close to each other.
A typical prior art approach to these problems is to break the data into smaller, denser multi-dimensional objects. Some techniques do this implicitly, presenting all the data to the user in what is known as a xe2x80x9chyper-cubexe2x80x9d format in which all the data in the application appears to be in a single multi-dimensional structure. Other techniques do it explicitly in what is known as the xe2x80x9cmulti-cubexe2x80x9d approach, in which the multi-dimensional database consists of a number of separate objects, usually with different dimensions. That is, the database is segmented into a set of multi-dimensional structures, each of which is composed of a subset of the overall number of dimensions in the database. Each segmented structure might be, for example, a set of variables or accounts, each dimensioned by just the dimensions that apply to that variable. It is also possible to identify two main types of multi-cubes. Block multi-cubes use orthogonal dimensions so there are no special dimensions at the data level. A cube may consist of any number of the defined dimensions, and both measures and time are treated as ordinary dimensions, just like any other. Series multi-cubes treat each variable as a separate cube (often a time series), with its own set of distinct dimensions.
In general, multi-cubes are more versatile, but hyper-cubes are easier to understand. End-users relate better to hyper-cubes because of their higher level view. Multi-cubes provide greater tunability and flexibility. In addition, multi-cubes are a more efficient way of storing very sparse data.
It would be highly desirable to develop an OLAP technique that combines the conceptual benefits of hyper-cubes with the processing benefits (e.g., versatility, tunability, and flexibility) of multi-cubes.
A method executed by a computer under the control of a program includes the step of establishing a compound structure in the form of a virtual unit of multi-dimensional storage. The compound structure includes a rack with a horizontal arrangement of target structures linked by an alias backbone representing a dimension of information. The horizontal arrangement of target structures selectively includes further compound structures and base structures containing data, in any combination. The compound structure may also include a stack with a vertical arrangement of racks linked by the alias backbone. The top level rack of the stack has read and write functionality, while the bottom level of the stack has read-only functionality. The compound structure is referenced to obtain information.
The invention provides the benefits of both multi-cubes and hyper-cubes. That is, the invention allows versatile, tunable, flexible and space efficient multi-cubes to be joined together into a compound structure that can be easily comprehended and manipulated by application developers and end users. The invention allows the underlying design of the structures to be changed without disturbing the view of the data which is accessed at the higher level. Another advantage of this architecture is that it provides a completely scalable and adaptable infrastructure. The complete scalability arises from the freedom to divide a multi-dimensional problem into manageable base structures, and then to efficiently process those structures in series or in parallel. That is, the processing of the base structures can be spread over many processors, either inside a single multi-processor system or across a loosely clustered network of machines. Because each of the underlying physical structures can be accessed and manipulated independently, it is possible for each of them to be sent to a different CPU for processing before recombination through the compound structure.
Another advantage of this architecture is that compound structures act as high level indices into the underlying data, which in turn relieves some of the pressure on the indices inside the target structures and gives improved performance. In general, the better management of sparsity and more logical organization of the multi-dimensional storage possible with the invention leads to improved performance.

Apparatus and method for compound on-line analytical processing in databases


Low-frequency Noise Cancellation Method for Optical Measurement Systems. The present disclosure provides a low frequency noise cancellation method for optical measurement system, An optical measurement system has a transmitter to drive an LED and a receiver connected to a photodiode. The LED driver will generate a pulse signal to drive the LED and act as the radiation source for the optical measurement. Consequently, the receiver will convert the received photo-diode current to a voltage signal. The signal will then be digitized by an ADC for further processing. A current DAC circuit IDAC is added at the front of the receiver and has the same timing control with the LED driver to cancel the DC portion of the received current.

Flicker noise is a type of electronic noise with a 1/f power spectral density. It is therefore often referred to as 1/f noise or pink noise, though these terms have wider definitions. It occurs in almost all electronic devices and can show up with a variety of other effects, such as impurities in a conductive channel, generation and recombination noise in a transistor due to base current, and so on.
1/f noise in current or voltage is usually related to a direct current, as resistance fluctuations are transformed to voltage or current fluctuations by Ohm's law. There is also a 1/f component in resistors with no direct current through them, likely due to temperature fluctuations modulating the resistance. This effect is not present in manganin, as it has negligible temperature coefficient of resistance.
In electronic devices, it shows up as a low-frequency phenomenon, as the higher frequencies are overshadowed by white noise from other sources. In oscillators, however, the low-frequency noise can be mixed up to frequencies dose to the carrier, which results in oscillator phase noise.
Flicker noise is often characterized by the corner frequency fc between the region dominated by the low-frequency flicker noise and the higher-frequency "flat-band" noise. MOSFETs have a higher fc (can be in the GHz range) than JFETs or bipolar transistors, which is usually below 2 kHz for the latter.
It typically has a Gaussian distribution and is time-reversible. It is generates by a linear mechanism in resistors and FETs, but a non-linear mechanism in BJTs and diodes.
The flicker-noise voltage power in MOSFET is often modeled as:
   K         C    ox      ·   WLf
where, K is the process-dependent constant, Cox is the oxide capacitance in MOSFET devices, W and L are channel width and length respectively. This is an empirical model and generally thought to be an oversimplification.
Oximeters are photoelectric devices which measure the oxygen saturation of blood. Historically, these devices were first used in clinical laboratories on samples of blood taken from patients. In recent years, non-invasive oximeters have been developed and are now widely used in intensive care units to monitor critically ill patients and in operating rooms to monitor patients under anesthesia. Early non-invasive devices relied on dialization of the vascular bed in, for example, the patient's ear lobe to obtain a pool of arterial blood upon which to perform the saturation measurement.
More recently, non-invasive devices known as "pulse oximeters" have been developed which rely on the patient's pulse to produce a changing amount of arterial blood in, for example, the patient's finger or other selected extremity. Pulse oximeters for home use are small, lightweight monitors that painlessly attach to a fingertip to monitor the amount of oxygen carried in the body. An oxygen level of greater than 95% is generally considered to be a normal oxygen level. An oxygen level of 92% or less (at sea level) suggests a low blood oxygen.
Pulse oximetry is a noninvasive method for monitoring a person's oxygen saturation (SO2). Though its reading of SpO2 (peripheral oxygen saturation) is not always identical to the more desirable reading of SaO2 (arterial oxygen saturation) from arterial blood gas analysis, the two are correlated well enough that the safe, convenient, noninvasive, inexpensive pulse oximetry method is valuable for measuring oxygen saturation in clinical use.
Pulse oximeters measure oxygen saturation by (1) passing light of two more selected wavelengths, e.g., a "red" wavelength and an "IR" wavelength, through the patient's extremity, (2) detecting the time-varying light intensity transmitted through the extremity for each of the wavelengths, and (3) calculating oxygen saturation values for the patient's blood using the: Lambert-Beers transmittance law and the detected transmitted light intensities at the selected wavelengths.
Less commonly, reflectance pulse oximetry is used as an alternative to transmissive pulse oximetry described above. This method does not require a thin section of the person's body and is therefore well suited to a universal application such as the feet, forehead, and chest, but it also has some limitations. Vasodilation and pooling of venous blood in the head due to compromised venous return to the heart can cause a combination of arterial and venous pulsations in the forehead region and lead to spurious SpO2 results. Such conditions occur while undergoing anesthesia with endotracheal intubation and mechanical ventilation or in patients in the Trendelenburg position.
For people with COPD, asthma, Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) and other conditions, puke oximetry is a technology used to measure the oxygen level in your blood and your heart rate. Using a clip to a patient's fingertip, a finger pulse oximeter is equipped with technology to detect changes in your blood oxygen level.
In its most common (transmissive) application mode, a sensor device is placed on a thin part of the patient's body, usually a fingertip or earlobe, or in the case of an infant, across a foot. The device passes two wavelengths of light through the body part to a photodetector. It measures the changing absorbance at each of the wavelengths, allowing it to determine the absorbances due to the pulsing arterial blood alone, excluding venous blood, skin, bone, muscle, fat, and (in most cases) nail polish.
A plethysmograph (PPG) detector is a device for measuring biological events within body tissue. Using a plethysmograph (PPG) detector, and other devices for detecting biological events, operate by measuring changes in transmission or diffuse reflectance from the body tissue or subject under active illumination.
The radiation used for measuring plethysmograph (PPG) signals can span wavelengths from blue to infrared. In classic applications, light emitting diodes (LEDs) of two colors—often 660 nm and 940 nm—are used for measuring blood oxygen saturation. These devices are in large volume production and are readily available. In yet another application, a simple single-color LED—say at 940 nm—may be used to measure heart rate by measuring the periodic variation in a return signal. In some cases, a green LED is used to pick up variation in absorption caused by blood flow on the wrist.
Plethysmograph (PPG) signals are generated by measuring the changes in the transmission or diffuse reflectance of body tissue under active illumination by LED of a particular wavelength. The beating of the heart changes both the mechanical dimensions of the arteries and also blood volume in those arteries. These effects lead to variation in the received light intensity. A typical plethysmograph (PPG)signal makes a signal estimate required to measure parameters such as blood oxygen.
There is (developing interest to measure plethysmograph (PPG) signals continuously by incorporating plethysmograph (PPG) sensors/systems in devices that can be attached to a subject, for example, wrist band, watch, in-the-ear buds, etc. In such applications, these devices have to function with very low power and every photon emitted from the LED is precious as it is a drain on a battery. Furthermore, space constraints force the use of small photodiodes to collect diffuse light coming from the tissue. As a result, the signal is small and any reduction in noise of the system can be immediately applied to conserve battery power and increase the time to recharge or replace batteries.
Thus, much attention has been paid to reduce the noise of the receiver systems and noise in the LED drive circuits. Many noise reduction techniques for LED drivers and receivers require extra power. To make matters worse, many visible light LEDs themselves exhibit fairly large "1/f" noise in the generates light. This noise is a result of both 1/f noise in the LED driver as well as the physical mechanisms in the LED, such as the thermal fluctuations and the generation-recombination noise.
Since a heart beats at a relatively low frequency in the range of 0.5-5 Hz (30 to 300 beats per minute), this low frequency noise essentially limits the ability to measure the plethysmograph (PPG) signal. This becomes even more crucial for blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) systems where accurate determinations of both AC and DC components of the plethysmograph (PPG) signal must be made.
A survey of all commercially available PPG systems have ƒD<0.01. Accordingly, the inventors perceive a need in the art for PPG system that permits reduction of noise in plethysmograph (PPG) signals captured by such systems. Additionally, there is a need for other vital sign monitors, such as, ECG, Biopotential, etc. to be incorporated into wearable devices.
Biopotential measurement is can be used in modern medical procedures. For example, biopotentials can be used for electrocardiogram (ECG), electroencephalogram (EEG), electromyography (EMG), etc.
ECG lead systems are used to obtain biopotential signals containing information indicative of the electrical activity associated with the heart and pulmonary system. To obtain biopotential signals, EGG electrodes are applied to the skin of a patient in various locations and coupled to an ECG device, e.g., an "ECG monitor" or "ECG telemetry." Placement of the electrodes is dependent on the information sought by the clinician.
The placement of the ECG electrodes on the patient has been established by medical protocols. The most common protocols require the placement of the electrodes in a three-lead, a five-lead, or a twelve-lead configuration. A three-lead configuration requires the placement of three electrodes; one electrode adjacent each clavicle bone (RA, LA) on the upper chest and a third electrode adjacent the patient's lower left abdomen (LL). A five-lead configuration requires the placement of the three electrodes in the three-lead configuration with the addition of a fourth electrode adjacent the sternum (Va) and a fifth electrode on the patient's lower right abdomen (RL). A twelve-lead configuration requires the placement of ten electrodes on the patient's body.
Four electrodes, which represent the patient's limbs, include the left arm electrode (LA lead), the right arm electrode (RA lead), the left leg electrode (LL lead), and the right leg electrode (RL lead), Six chest electrodes (V1-V6 leads) are placed on the patient's chest at various locations near the heart. Three standard limb leads are constructed from measurements between the right arm and left arm (Lead I), the right arm and the left leg (Lead II) and the left arm to left leg (Lead III). Other conventional lead configurations include a 14 leads system that incorporated additional leads located on a back surface.
An ECG lead set typically includes an array of three, five, or twelve cads as determined by the intended clinical protocol. Each individual lead wire includes, at a patient end thereof (e.g., distal end), an ECG cad wire connector configured to operably couple the lead wire to an electrode pad affixed to the body of a patient. At the opposite (e.g., proximal) end, the individual lead wires are gathered into a common coupler that is configured to operably couple the array of lead wires to an ECG device.
Leads sets are typically provided with a generous length of lead wire sufficient to reach from the patient to the ECG device. In some instances, however, the lead wire may fall short, in which case a lead wire extension cable having appropriate distal and proximal couplers may be employed. In some instances, the cad wire coupler of an ECG lead set and/or ECG lead extension may be incompatible with an available ECG device, in which case an ECG adapter may be employed that facilitates operable coupling of the otherwise-incompatible physical and/or electrical characteristics of the disparate couplers.
There is a demonstrated need in the art for a wearable device with the capacity to monitor a plurality of vital signs. The inventors of the present disclosure have recognized that an impediment to implementation is noise, and more specifically, background. As such, the inventors contemplate the cancellation of signals generated by ambient light in a dynamic environment.
This overview is intended to provide an overview of subject matter of the present patent application. It is not intended to provide an exclusive or exhaustive explanation of the invention. Further limitations and disadvantages of conventional and traditional approaches will become apparent to one of skill in the art, through comparison of such systems with some aspects of the present invention as set forth in the remainder of the present application with reference to the drawings.

Low-frequency noise cancellation in optical measurements

Analog Devices International Unlimited Company


A fuel dispenser is disclosed. The fuel dispenser has a housing which contains two chambers, one contains a computer and the other the hydraulic parts of the dispenser. Fiber optic cables connect a fiber optic switch which detects the cradling of a nozzle to a computer, and other fiber optic cables connected to a pulser signal the flow of fuel in the meter of the dispenser to the computer. The computer controls a liquid crystal display which prompts the customer to actuate keys on a keyboard adjacent to the display. A pivotal boot supported by a horizontal shaft receives the nozzle. This boot pivots to permit better access to the hydraulic area of the housing. The shaft, itself, is rotatable to actuate a switch to indicate, through fiber optic cable, to the computer that the nozzle is stored and to shut down pumping. A fiber optic pulser feeds light signals to the computer for indicating the flow of fuel through the meter. A temperature probe adjacent to the display signals the temperature of the display to the computer so that the computer automatically controls the voltage bias, and thus the contrast, of the liquid crystal display. The computer provides selective screens which enables the parameters of operation of the dispenser to be changed and supplies diagnostic data on screens for repairs.

In the past, quite a number of fuel dispensers or pumps have been produced which incorporate, thereon, electrical controls in combination with computers which provide signals both to the dispenser and to a display on the dispenser for indicating various parameters relating to credit card acceptance, price, delivery of fuel to a purchaser and automatically records of the transactions. Such an operation requires electricity, supplied via various cables and wires to various parts of the dispenser including the hydraulic portion of the dispenser. Thus, there is always a danger of fumes and fuel being ignited by an electrical spark. Therefore, special precautions must be taken to reduce the likelihood of generating sparks in the hydraulic area.
Many prior art fuel dispensers have switches, which must be actuated by a customer. These switches are in various places on the housing, including switches for the selecting which grade of fuel to deliver and which nozzle is to be used so that the customer must, locate the appropriate switch and remove the appropriate nozzle for the selected grade of fuel to be delivered.
Servicing of the various components of the prior art dispensers has been difficult, due to the inaccessibility of these components. The servicing, itself, of electrical components of the dispenser may result in sparks being generated so as to ignite gas fumes which have accumulated in the hydraulic area. Thus, strict regulations have been devised for fuel dispensers requiring, in "Class 1, Division I areas" explosive proof conduits and intrinsically safe barriers.
Another problem with fuel pumps which use electric displays is that, if fuel crystal displays are used, the temperature will affect the readability of the display. Thus, when heated, some fuel crystal displays become difficult to read.


The disclosure relates to processes and systems utilizing one or more extraction towers in the recovery and recycle of acid catalysts used in the production of carboxylic acids. The carboxylic acids may be neo-acids produced through the hydrocarboxylation of olefins or olefin mixtures.

Neo-acids, including trialkylacetic acids, are generally carboxylic acids having at least one carboxyl group and at least one carbon connected directly to four other carbon atoms. Salts and other derivatives of neo-acids generally are very stable due primarily to the steric hindrance provided by their molecular structure. In particular, the alkyl groups on the alpha substituted carbon atom create a steric effect and hinder the ability of the neo-acid or its derivative to react. As a result, neo-acids or their derivatives have broad industrial applications, such as, for example, polymers and polymer additives, pharmaceuticals, agricultural chemicals and herbicides/pesticides, cosmetics, metal working and metal extraction fluids, vinyl chemical manufacturing, catalysts carriers and catalyst additives, aroma chemicals, fuels, lubricants, adhesives, transmission fluids, hydraulic fluids, tire manufacturing, electrical and electronic applications, etc. Common derivatives of neo-acids include acid chlorides, peroxyesters, metal salts, vinyl esters, and glycidyl esters.
Two industrial processes have been used to produce neo-acids on a large commercial scale. The first is commonly referred to as Shell's versatic acid process and the second as the Exxon process. Schematics and descriptions of each production process may be found in Carboxylic Acids (Trialkylacetic Acids), Johnson et al., Kirk-Othmer Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology Fourth Ed., Vol. No. 5, pages 192-206. In particular, the Exxon process may generally include reaction, degassing, catalyst recovery, and fractionation. Both processes use, as starting materials, olefins, carbon monoxide (CO), and acid catalysts in continuous stirred tank reactors to produce carboxylic acids. Typical reactions conditions include 40 to 100° C. and 70 to 100 bar carbon monoxide pressure with H3PO4/BF3/H2O in the ratio of 1:1:1 (Shell) or BF3.2H2O (Exxon).
Background references include U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,061,621; 3,068,256; 3,349,107; 3,527,779; 4,256,913; 4,311,851; 4,518,798; 5,241,112; 6,677,481; 6,717,010; 6,881,859; 6,919,474; U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0197507; GB 1,167,116; GB 1,174,209; and EP 0 590 087 B.
Due to the catalysts employed, a series of washing steps and settling drums are generally used primarily to recover and recycle catalyst and secondarily to remove metals and other catalysts components, such as, for example, residual salts and corrosion byproducts, from the crude carboxylic acid reactor effluent. Despite satisfactory approaches of the past, improvements in the removal of these materials remain highly desirable.

Extraction towers and processes for using the same


A flux injector apparatus and method adapted to distribute a predetermined amount of flux to an associated pool of molten aluminum. The flux injector apparatus includes a pressurized tank adapted to store and feed the flux under pressure. A feed mechanism operative to discharge a predetermined amount of flux to an outlet and a controller for monitoring and operating the apparatus. The feed mechanism includes a housing having an inner wall defining a cavity with an inlet and an outlet. A feed wheel is positioned within the cavity and operative to receive a predetermined amount of flux from the inlet, translate the flux within the cavity and discharge the predetermined amount of flux through the outlet of the pressurized tank.

The present exemplary embodiment relates to an apparatus and method for introducing a refining agent into molten metal. It finds particular application in conjunction with a system for introducing a predetermined amount of chloride flux into a trough of molten aluminum, and will be described with particular reference thereto. However, it is to be appreciated that the present exemplary embodiment is also amenable to other like applications.
Molten metals such as aluminum are known to include high levels of oxide and/or nitride debris that have a negative effect on the solidification of the particular alloy. The melted or liquefied form of aluminum also attracts the formation and absorption of hydrogen within the molten aluminum. Hydrogen evolves as porosity during the solidification of aluminum alloys and is detrimental to the mechanical properties of the solid alloy. Degassing is an effective way of reducing hydrogen caused porosity.
One example of degassing involves introducing a mixture of an inert gas such as argon or nitrogen with a reactive gas such as chlorine or sulfur hepa-fluoride into the molten aluminum to collect hydrogen and de-wet solid impurities. The gas mixture bubbles to the surface with the hydrogen and oxide impurities.
However, these materials are highly noxious and can cause harmful effluent bi-products. Improper use of these gasses creates environmental problems. Accordingly, there is significant governmental regulation. The proper storage, transport and use of these gasses is burdensome and expensive due to its harmful effects and the associated federal regulations.
Molten aluminum can also be subject to a flux degassing process. Flux degassing is the process of introducing a powdered or granulated salt mixture such as chloride and/or fluoride into the molten aluminum via a carrier gas such as nitrogen or argon. The salt flux can be introduced by a rotary degassing apparatus. An exemplary rotary apparatus includes a central hollow shaft attached to a rotor inserted into a pool of molten aluminum and rotated such that the salt flux travels down the hollow shaft and is dispersed within the molten aluminum through apertures in the rotor.
There remains a need to provide an apparatus and method to efficiently and safely handle the injection of a predetermined amount of degassing flux into the molten metal.


A lower level tray has a pair of protruding sections on both end sides in a width direction at tip ends in an insertion direction. Arrangement spaces are provided on both sides which interpose the lower level tray, which is in a mounting position in an apparatus body, in the width direction. A holding mechanism of a supply mechanism configured to be operated by engaging with a first protruding section while the lower level tray is mounted and be released from operating due to terminating the engaging with the first protruding section while the lower level tray is taken out, is arranged in one of the arrangement spaces. A circuit board connected through a wiring with a second sensor which is configured to detect mounting and taking out of the lower level tray using the second protruding section as the target for identification is arranged in the other arrangement space.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a printing apparatus which is provided with a sensor which is able to detect inserting and extracting of a medium accommodating section, such as a supply tray where a medium such as paper sheets are accommodated, with regard to an apparatus body.
2. Related Art
As this type of printing apparatus, there is disclosed a printing apparatus where it is possible for a supply tray (which is an example of a medium accommodating section), where it is possible for a medium such as paper sheets to be accommodated, to be mounted so as to be able to be attached to and detached from an apparatus body, inserting and extracting (mounting and taking out) of the supply tray with regard to an apparatus body is identified using a sensor, and designated processing is performed based on the result of the identifying (for example, PTL 1 and 2 and the like)
For example, in a printing apparatus described in PTL 1, a configuration is disclosed where a sensor which identifies inserting and extracting of a supply cassette (which is an example of a medium accommodating section) is provided at an end on the far side of the supply cassette in an insertion direction and a contact switch, which is on when abutting with the supply cassette and is off when separated from the supply cassette, is used. In addition, a feature where it is possible to use a noncontact sensor instead of a contact switch is also described in PTL 1.
Here, in the printing apparatus described in PTL 1, it is necessary for the sensor which identifies inserting and extracting of the supply tray to be wired with a circuit board where a control circuit, which carried out controlling in order use various types of control in the printing apparatus, and the like are installed.
In addition, the supply tray, a supply mechanism which send out paper sheets from the supply tray, a transport mechanism which transport paper sheets which are sent out to a recording position, a recording mechanism which includes a recording head which carries out recording on paper sheets at the recording position, and the like are arranged in the printing apparatus. Since the central section of the printing apparatus is used as a region for arranging the supply tray and as a printing region where supplying, transporting, and printing is performed with regard to the paper sheets, parts in a control system such as the circuit board and parts in a driving system such as a motor and a gear train are arranged using empty space other than a central section such as a front section, side sections on the left and right, and a back section in the apparatus body.
In addition, a mechanism which is driven by engaging or releasing engaging with the supply tray when inserting and extracting (which includes a mechanism which is driven due to pressure using at least a portion of the supply tray without the engaging being limited to actually engaging) is provided in the printing apparatus. For example, there is the example of a supply mechanism which has a holding mechanism where, when the supply tray is mounted, a supply roller, which is held at a holding position (a separating position) of being separated from the paper sheets on the supply tray, is moved to a position which abuts with the paper sheets on the supply tray which is mounted and the supply roller is returned to the original holding position when the supply tray is taken out.
In the printing apparatus, it is necessary for the parts in the control system, the parts in the driving system, and the various types of mechanisms to be efficiently arranged in the apparatus body in an arrangement space which is relative narrow under designated restriction conditions. At this time, an operation for routing the wiring where the sensor is wired with the circuit board is troublesome as well as a configuration for routing the wiring becoming complicated when the sensor, which identifies inserting and extracting of the supply tray, and the circuit board are at positions which are separated. For this reason, adjustment of the layout of the mechanism which is driven by engaging with the supply tray, the circuit board and the sensor is necessary.


The present invention provides a wiring method and apparatus to wire two wiring board assemblies, each of which comprises: an insulating substrate; and a plurality of pressure terminals or busbars secured to the substrate, each having a press-connection portion formed with a slot. Wire connection is made by pressing the wires into the slots of the pressure terminals. The process of wiring is as follows. With two or more pairs of front and rear wire laying heads arranged on a wire laying plate that holds the insulating substrate, (a) a plurality of wires are parallelly laid between the two wiring board assemblies; (b) each wire is supported at two points of an intermediate portion of the wire to keep both end portions of each wire straight; (c) the wire laying heads are moved in a direction perpendicular to the wire laying direction and the first row wire is positioned on specified slots of the pressure terminals on the two wiring board assemblies; (d) the first row wire is pressed into the slots and cut; (e) the steps (c) and (d) are repeated to press the second to final row wires into specified slots of the pressure terminals on the two wiring board assemblies and cut these wires; and (f) the steps (a) to (e) are repeated.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of and apparatus for wiring one or two wiring board assemblies in an electric junction boxes used for interconnecting wiring harness.
2. Description of the Prior Art
FIG. 33 is an exploded perspective view of a conventional electric junction box, showing its internal circuit composed of a busbar wiring board, wires and pressure terminals.
Designated i is an upper case made of synthetic resin, 2 a lower case, and 3 an insulating substrate on which a plurality of busbars 4 are arranged. Each busbar 4 is formed with branched tabs 4a, 4b, 4c, which are pressed into a tab insertion holes 5, 5' in the upper and lower cases 1, 2 and led into fuse cavities 6 and a framed housing 6' indicated by a dashed line. Denoted 7 is a female-female junction terminal used to interconnect the tab 4b and fuse 8. Pressure terminals 9 and 9' are of the same construction and have a male terminal portion 9a at one end and, at the other end, a wire receiving slot 9b, these terminals being pressed into the tab insertion holes 5, 5'.
The tabs 4b of the busbars 4 are connected to the upstream side of the fuse 8 while the pressure terminals 9 are connected to the downstream side of the fuse 8. A plurality of wires 10.sub.1, 10.sub.2, 10.sub.3, . . . are pressed at one end into the slot 9b of each pressure terminal 9 and at the other end connected to one or more pressure terminals 9'.
Since the above electric junction box has the circuit upstream of the fuse 8 arranged on a busbar wiring board a and the downstream circuit formed of pressure terminals 9, 9' and wires 10 (10.sub.1, 10.sub.2, . . . ), addition or deletion of option circuits and changes in circuit can be dealt with easily and swiftly without changing the busbar pattern by increasing the number of pressure terminals 9' downstream or changing their positions, allowing this electric junction box to be used for a wide range of applications regardless of the kind and class of automobiles.
In the manufacture of a wiring board assembly in a conventional electric junction box, because the work for wiring between the pressure terminals 9 and 9' is carried out manually, this work not only takes time but also has a problem of human errors, such as using wrong sizes of wire and wrong pressure-connecting positions.

Method of and apparatus for wiring board assemblies


An impedance matching device that is particularly suited for high speed, high power applications is disclosed. The impedance matching devices employ magnetic coupling allowing their usage in a "frequency-agile" environments such as communication as well as communication jamming and deception techniques without creating high current, high voltage and thermal conditions that might otherwise damage the related switching devices. The impedance matching device provides a predetermined impedance to transform a load impedance Z.sub.L into a desired characteristic impedance Z.sub.0 over a frequency range having a lower and an upper band. The device comprises one or more first and second inductive components. Each of the first inductive components has an impedance characteristic associated with said lower band, whereas each of the second inductive component has an impedance characteristic associated with the upper band. The device further comprises switch means having an active and an inactive state and being of a predetermined number at least equal to the predetermined number of second components. Each of the switch means in its active state bypassing its corresponding second component and effectively shorting out its respective first component.

Traditional impedance matching devices are usually based on either the ".pi." network or the "T" network, both of which are well known electronic circuits, and which are illustrated in FIGS. 1(a) and 1(b), respectively.
In the .pi. network of FIG. 1(a) (so called because the network diagram resembles the Greek letter .pi.), impedance matching is achieved by a single series impedance Z2 and two parallel impedances Z1 and Z3 to ground, one located at the input and one located at the output of Z2. Typically, series impedance Z2 is modelled as an inductor L, while parallel impedances Z1 and Z2 are modelled as capacitors C.sub.1 and C.sub.2, respectively. The impedances may be fixed, but it is usually preferred that they be variable in order to give the circuit a range in frequencies over which the impedances may be matched. Thus, the .pi. network of FIG. 1(a) is illustrated as comprising a series impedance in the form of a variable inductor and parallel impedances in the form of variable capacitors.
In the T network (so called because it resembles the letter T), impedance matching is achieved by using two series impedances Z1 and Z3 and a single parallel impedance Z2 to ground located at the node between Z1 and Z3. In the T network, the series impedances are also modelled as variable inductors L, and L.sub.2 and the parallel impedance as a variable capacitor, as illustrated in FIG. 1(b).
The .pi. and T networks form the building blocks for most conventional impedance matching circuits. They are well understood, can be modelled using existing computer-aided design methods, and can be used to form other, more complex impedance matching circuits. Although used in many conventional antenna coupler configurations, the .pi. and T matching sections present certain drawbacks for applications, such as an antenna coupler.
If large magnitude impedance transformations are required, it is possible to develop extremely high RF potentials on one or more of the matching networks. For this reason it is often necessary to, in the case of a .pi. section device, choose a capacitor or switch, for example, capable of withstanding voltages in excess of 10,000 volts. In some cases, this voltage can ionize the air and cause a shorting path. For this reason, vacuum capacitors and relays such as those manufactured by the Jennings Corporation are often used. Solid state circuits matching circuits based on a .pi. or T configuration can expose the solid state switches to extreme current and voltage conditions especially when attempting to match a "short antenna" at the low end of the HF frequency range (HF is typically 2 to 30 MHz). For example, when using a .pi. section for matching to a 15 foot monopole antenna, a current as high as 10 amperes may flow through the inductor Z.sub.2, when attempting to transmit 1 to 2 kw power due to the typical impedance of this antenna varying from 0.5-j 900 ohms at 2 MHz to 400+j 500 ohms at 15 MHz. The inductor of the matching network may be shorted-out during a portion of this frequency range in order to obtain the needed impedance matching which, in turn, may cause its related solid state switch to experience a current as high as 20 amperes for this short duration. Furthermore, the voltage across the inductor at the 2 megahertz frequency may be in excess of 10 KV, and unless each turn forming the inductor is switched separately, the required voltage rating for the solid state switches, in their off-state, may be substantially over 1 KV. These high current and voltage conditions caused by the .pi. as well as the T matching sections impose high stress on the solid state devices. Also, because it is desired to mount the switches in close proximity to the inductor for high frequency applications in order to overcome the disadvantages of switch lead inductance, a serious thermal problem may arise because of the heat transferred from the inductor to the solid-state switch. These high voltage, current, and thermal conditions may contribute to the premature failure of the solid state devices.
There is a need for an impedance matching device that overcomes the drawbacks of the conventional impedance matching .pi. or T circuits. In particular, there is a need for an impedance matching device that reduces or even eliminates the high voltage stresses that are placed on the switches used at high power and high frequency applications to prevent the use of semiconductor switches such as diodes or the switch described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,808,859. Further, the impedance matching device should perform over a wide range of frequencies so that the related antenna or other device can be properly matched to the desired impedance.
In addition to overcoming the drawbacks of the .pi. and T matching sections, there is a need to minimize the number of solid state switches associated with impedance matching devices. The numbers of switch devices are directly related to the number of switchable segments of the matching sections, wherein one switching device operatively connects or disconnects a corresponding switchable segment. It is desired that means be provided to reduce the number of switching devices needed for impedance matching devices.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide impedance matching devices that reduce the number of switching devices, especially for high power and high frequency applications.
It is another object of the present invention to provide impedance matching devices that overcome the drawbacks of conventional impedance matching .pi. or T circuits related to the high current, voltage and thermal stress conditions of the switching devices.

Multilayer magnetically coupled suspended stripline for impedance matching


An article that is a porous, dissolvable solid structure that dissolves easily due to the shape, product orientation and/or method of manufacturing the porous, dissolvable solid structure. The process of making the Article involves preparing a pre-mixture, aerating the pre-mixture, dosing the pre-mixture into individual cavities in molds, and drying the pre-mixture to an Article having an open celled foam with a % open cell of from about 80% to about 100%.

Dissolvable porous solid personal care products have been disclosed, comprising a water-soluble polymeric structurant and a surfactant or other ingredient. However, existing processes for making these dissolvable porous solid structures have less optimal cost, rate of manufacture, and product variability parameters.
A need still exists for a process that results in a desired flexible, dissolvable porous solid structure which can be manufactured within the desired cost and rate parameters. Furthermore, a need exists for a process that results in a dissolvable porous solid structure that dissolves easily. Additionally, it is desirable to improve the dissolving properties of the porous solid personal care product to facilitate improved consumer satisfaction with the product.

Personal care composition in the form of a dissolvable article


An electronic device includes a cover glass, a touch sensor disposed under the cover glass and sensing proximity of or contact by an external object, a touch integrated circuit (IC) electrically connected to the touch sensor, a fingerprint sensor disposed under the cover glass adjacent to the touch sensor, including an active area for sensing a biometric pattern of the external object and an inactive area surrounding a periphery of the active area, a fingerprint IC electrically connected to the fingerprint sensor, and a processor electrically connected to the touch IC and the fingerprint IC. The processor is configured, if an input by the external object is sensed by both the touch sensor and the fingerprint sensor, to calculate coordinates of the input based on at least part of data sensed by the touch sensor and data sensed by the fingerprint sensor.

The present disclosure generally relates to a technology that determines touch coordinates using touch sensors and fingerprint sensors.
With the development of electronic technologies, various types of electronic products are being developed and distributed. In particular, electronic devices capable of a variety of functions, such as smartphones, tablet PCs, or wearable devices are currently widely distributed. These above-described electronic devices may each include a display panel serving as an output device for outputting visual information. Each electronic device may also include a touch sensor serving as an input device, which enables touch inputs by the user. Each electronic device may also include a fingerprint sensor for recognizing fingerprint information of the user of the electronic device.
The above information is presented as background information only to assist with an understanding of the present disclosure. No determination has been made, and no assertion is made, as to whether any of the above might be applicable as prior art with regard to the present disclosure.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Electronic device and method for determining touch coordinate thereof


Electronics cabinet comprising an enclosure (1) with an interior space (2) where electronic parts, such as circuit cards and the like, can be mounted, and a cooling system (3) arranged as a substantially integral assembly with the enclosure in the immediate vicinity of its interior space for cooling the interior space. The cooling system (3) comprises means for internal air circulation within the interior space, for conveying an external air circulation separated from the internal air circulation into and out of the cooling system and for cooling the air in the internal circulation. The means for conveying the internal and/or external air circulation comprise a body (4) made from a foamed material with a flow channel (5, 6, 7) formed in it, through which at least part of the internal and/or external air circulation is passed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronics cabinet for use in outdoor locations in a telecommunications system as disclosed herein. Moreover, the invention relates to an air channel system for an electronics cabinet formed in a body as disclosed herein.
2. Description of Related Art
In prior art, an electronics cabinet is known which comprises an enclosure with an interior space where electronic parts, such as circuit cards and the like, can be mounted. The cabinet is also provided with a cooling system for cooling the space inside the cabinet. The cooling system is an integral assembly attached to the enclosure in the immediate vicinity of its interior space. The cooling system comprises means for internal air circulation within the interior space, for conveying an external air circulation separated from the internal air circulation into and out of the cooling system and for cooling the internal circulation air by means of the external air circulation. In this prior-art electronics cabinet, the means for conveying the air consist of a complex sheet metal structure comprising several bent sheet metal parts, in which the air flow channels are formed from a large number of bent sheet metal parts joined together. To damp the noise generated by the air flow, the sheet metal structure is additionally lined with foamed plastic panels. A problem with this prior-art structure is that its manufacturing costs are very high due to the complexity of the structure.
The object of the present invention is to eliminate the drawbacks mentioned above.
A specific object of the invention is to present an electronics cabinet and an air channel system for the cabinet that are simple in structure as well as cheap and allow easy assembly of the unit.
The electronics cabinet of the invention includes an enclosure with an interior space where electronic parts can be mounted. The air channel system for an electronics cabinet according to the invention is formed in a body and made of a foamed material.
The electronics cabinet of the invention comprises an enclosure with an interior space where electronic parts, such as circuit cards and the like, can be mounted, and a cooling system implemented as a substantially integral assembly with the enclosure and disposed in the immediate vicinity of the interior space for cooling said space. The cooling system comprises means for internal air circulation within the interior space, for conveying an external air circulation separated from the internal air circulation into and out of the cooling system and for cooling the air in the internal circulation by means of the external air circulation.
According to the invention, the means for conveying the internal and/or external air circulation comprise a body made from foamed material with a flow channel formed in it, through which at least part of the internal and/or external air circulation is passed.
The invention provides the advantage that the air channel system is simpler and considerably cheaper than earlier systems. Assembling the electronics cabinet becomes easier because the number of parts and holding fixtures is smaller than before. Moreover, the noise generated by fans and air flow can be effectively damped because the vibrations are effectively damped by the foamed plastic material.
In an embodiment of the electronics cabinet, the body made of foamed material is a body of foamed plastic.
In an embodiment of the electronics cabinet, the cooling system comprises an exterior wall, a first partition wall placed at a distance from the exterior wall and substantially parallel with it; side walls which, together with the exterior wall and the first partition wall, form a hollow first interspace, into which the body has been fitted; a first opening in the exterior wall, a second opening in the first partition wall; and an inlet flow channel in the body, serving to convey external air from the first opening into the second opening.
In an embodiment of the electronics cabinet, the cooling system comprises a second partition wall, which is located at a distance from the first partition wall and is substantially parallel with it and, together with the first partition wall and the side walls, delimits a hollow second interspace and separates the cooling system from the interior cabinet space containing electronic parts to be cooled. The second partition wall is provided with a third opening. Further, an air-to-air heat exchanger is provided in the second interspace. The heat exchanger divides the second interspace into four sub-spaces. The first and the second sub-spaces are for external air circulation and are located on opposite sides of the heat exchanger. The third and the fourth sub-spaces are for internal air circulation and are correspondingly located on opposite sides of the heat exchanger. An external-air fan for creating an external air circulation is placed in a cut-out, opening or the like formed in the body in the area of the second sub-space and constituting an exit channel for conveying the external air flow out of the cabinet. On the suction side, the external-air fan has been arranged to produce suction to draw the external air flow through the first opening, the inlet flow channel and the second opening into the first sub-space and further through the heat exchanger into the second sub-space. From the second sub-space, the air flow is passed further via the third opening in the first partition wall through the external-air fan, from where it is blown out of the cabinet through the outlet channel in the body.
In an embodiment of the electronics cabinet, the second partition wall comprises a fourth opening, which is located in the area of the third sub-space for passing internal air from the interior space into the third sub-space, and a fifth opening, which is located in the area of the fourth sub-space. The cooling system comprises a internal-air fan, which is disposed in the area of the fifth opening. The internal-air fan has been arranged to circulate the internal air from the interior space of the cabinet through the fourth opening into the third sub-space and further through the heat exchanger into the fourth sub-space and further via the fifth opening to the pressure side of the internal-air fan and back into the interior space.
In an embodiment of the electronics cabinet, the cooling system comprises air blow channels arranged to convey the cooled internal air blow from the internal-air fan into the interior space, between the electronic parts, such as electronic circuit cards.
In an embodiment of the electronics cabinet, the size of the body has been fitted to equal the size of the first interspace so as to fill substantially the entire first interspace.
In an embodiment of the electronics cabinet, the size of the body has been fitted to be smaller than the first interspace so as to leave some space for passing an air flow between the body and the walls delimiting the first interspace.
In an embodiment of the electronics cabinet, the electronics cabinet is a cabinet designed for use in outdoor locations, e.g. as an enclosure for a base transceiver station comprised in a wireless telecommunication system.

Electronics cabinet and air channel system for an electronics cabinet


The present invention provides synthetic peptide derivatives represented by the formula EQU P.sup.1 -R.sup.1 -P.sup.2. wherein P.sup.1 is a peptide having an amino acid sequence in the SEQ ID NO.:1 of the Sequence Listing, or analogues thereof; P.sup.2 is a peptide having an amino acid sequence in the SEQ ID NO.:2 of the Sequence Listing, or analogues thereof; R.sup.1 denotes a linker with a property that does not interfere with the activity of the each peptide P.sup.1 and P.sup.2 to bind N-terminal end of the peptides P.sup.1 and P.sup.2.. The present invention also provides a pharmaceutical composition for the treatment of bone related diseases comprising said peptide derivatives, or a therapeutically acceptable salt thereof, and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.. The present invention also provides a method of treating bone related diseases in a mammal comprising administering thereto an effective amount of said peptide derivatives, or therapeutically acceptable salts thereof.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention provides novel synthetic peptide derivatives and the salts thereof with pharmacological activity. The synthetic peptide derivatives and the salts thereof of this invention show bone morphogenetic protein antagonist like activity. This invention with bone morphogenetic protein antagonist activity is useful for treating and preventing bone metabolic diseases accompanied by ectopic calcification, ectopic bone formation or calcification, such as neural osteosis, ectopic ossification by postoperative stress, traumatic ossific myositis, ossification by oxygen supply deficit, osteogenic tumor, ligamentum longitudinale postreius osteosis (OPLL) and arterial sclerosis.
Bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) is a protein with bone morphogenetic activity in decalcified bone tissue. Although the isolation of BMP had been worked on energetically since the 1970s, it did not succeeded in isolating as a single protein. Gene cloning of BMP was performed by Wozney in 1989 by molecular biological method, using the amino acid sequences derived from unknown peptides which were separated from treating the fraction having BMP activities with an enzyme. The gene was immediately introduced to the animal cultured cells, and the activity of the protein expressed was measured in vivo, and BMP activity in the protein was proved (Wang, E. A. et al., (1990) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, vol.87, p.2220-2224). Continuing the protein cloning of similar activities utilizing homology, several numbers of the proteins, that is from BMP-2 to BMP-9 have been identified so far. Those proteins belong to TGF-.beta. gene super family and are confirmed to have the activity to cause ectopic ossification in vivo, basically. Ossification caused by BMP is said to be internal cartilaginous and it seems to reproduce the formation of long bone at an embryonal stage. Therefore, BMP itself can be used as a medical agent for the treatment to compensate the bone deficit.
2. Description of the Prior Art
On the other hand, since BMP genes were reported, the specific antibodies against BMP were prepared and BMPs were also existed in critical parts of ectopic calcification, ectopic ossification and so on, which have not had any treatment so far, there seem some possibilities of the relationship between BMPs and those diseases. Recently it is evident that BMP is existed or included in diseases such as neural osteosis, ectopic ossification by postoperative stress, traumatic ossific myositis, ossification by oxygen supply deficit, osteogenic tumor, specified as refractory diseases such as ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL) (Spine, 17-3S, S33, 1992) and calcification part of arterial sclerosis (J. Clin. Invest., vol. 91, p.1800, 1993). In addition, the major symptoms of pseudomalignant heterotopic ossification (PHO), pseudomalignant osseous tumor, myosistis ossificans circumscripta are ache and the existence of the mass in hard tissue of the muscle. Though the causes of these diseases are still unknown in detail, BMP seems to have a relation to the existence in hard tissue of the muscle of the patients. It is considered that BMP existed in the tissue which is not supposed to exist, acts on autocrine and bone like hard tissue is formed.
There is no effective treatment for OPLL by now. If the oppressive neural symptom is serious, excision is occurred. However prognosis is not so good. There is no treatment for calcification of artery, either. It seems that suppression of BMP existence may be one of the major treatments for these diseases. Another treatment, such as administration of BMP antagonists, also seems effective.
Therefore, it was desired eagerly the effective method of treatment for above described diseases related to bone like tissue formation. BMP receptors, neutralized antibodies against BMP and the peptide according to BMP's binding position are thought to have BMP antagonist like activity.

Synthetic peptide derivatives and the salts thereof


Systems, methods, and modes for distribution of medical objects, such as medicines, from a sending station at a pharmacy or a nursing station to one of a plurality of receiving stations located by the patient's bedside via pneumatic tubing without a dedicated carrier. The system is a one-way system configured for allowing the medical object to travel in one direction from a sending station to one of the receiving stations. The pneumatic tube system comprises a sending station, a plurality of receiving stations routably connected to the sending station via the pneumatic tubing, a pump, and a system controller in signal communication with the sending station, the receiving station, and the pump. The system controller receives delivery information from the sending station, identifies an intended receiving station using the delivery information, and sends commands to the pneumatic tube system to control routing of the medical object from the sending station to the identified receiving station in the pneumatic tubing.

Technical Field
Aspects of the embodiments relate to distribution of medical objects, such as medicines, and more specifically to systems, methods, and modes for distribution of medical objects from a pharmacy or a nursing station to the patient's bedside via pneumatic tubing.
Background Art
The practice of dispensing and delivery of drugs at medical institutions, such as hospitals, is a time consuming process. Medications need to be prepared and transported in a secure environment while ensuring the safety of patients and hospital workers. Typically, in a hospital environment a prescription is written by a medical practitioner that requests the pharmacy to provide a medical object to a patient. Such medical object may include medicine, such as oral, topical, or suppository pharmaceutical drugs, small medical supplies or devices, such as sterile items, thermometers, bandages, dressings, or the like, used to diagnose, cure, treat, or prevent disease. The prescription is filled by the pharmacy and delivered to a nursing station.
Pneumatic tube systems have been used in hospitals to transport medications from the pharmacy to the nursing station. Pneumatic delivery systems are used extensively for its rapid, efficient, and secure transportation of a wide variety of articles. Such pneumatic tube systems comprise a sending station located at the pharmacy in communication with a plurality of receiving stations located throughout the hospital. To transport an object via conventional pneumatic tubing, the object needs to be first placed within a carrier, which is transported via the pneumatic tubing to a destination by air under either positive or negative pressure created by a blower or a fan. The interior of the closed tube and the outer dimension of the carrier form a seal so that the carrier can be propelled between pneumatic stations. When the doctor prescribes medication, the pharmacy fills the prescription and delivers it inside the carrier to a desired receiving station via the pneumatic tube system.
The nurse at the receiving station must open the carrier and determine to which patient at which location (e.g., a patient room, emergency room (ER), operating room (OR), or phlebotomy room) the nurse needs to deliver the prescription. The medications are sorted at the nursing station for delivery to the patients by nurses responsible for the patient. In many instances, however, the medications get mixed up due to frequent handling by numerous personnel. Constantly opening and closing of carriers may be time consuming. Secure storage at the nursing station may not be available as the medications await delivery by the nurses. Nurses delivering the medications may pick up the wrong medication to deliver. User error may occur during the identification of the room and patient resulting in miss-delivery of the prescription. Additionally, errors may occur as nurses may be delivering a plurality of medications to various rooms.
Accordingly, a need has arisen for systems, methods, and modes for quick and secure distribution of medical objects, such as medicines, from a pharmacy or a nursing station to the patient's bedside via pneumatic tubing that entails minimal amount of handling.

Medical object distribution system and method


An apparatus and method for assisting a heart to pump blood includes a housing that defines an internal chamber for receiving a heart. The housing has a first opening to supply fluid to the internal chamber of the housing. Uniform pressure is applied to at least a majority portion of an exterior ventricular surface of a heart that is placed within the internal chamber so that the heart is substantially uniformly deformed to simulate a systolic phase.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for assisting a heart to pump blood by applying uniform pressure to at least a portion of the ventricular surface of the heart thereby causing the respective ventricle portion of the heart to be substantially uniformly deformed.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Numerous attempts have been made to assist the heart by applying external pressure directly to the heart. One such example is direct manual compression of the heart by a person's hand during open chest cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Often, however, it may be advantageous for the patient if cardiac or circulatory support is performed by compressing the heart for extended periods of time, such as hours, days or weeks, and it is quite difficult for medical personnel to apply a rhythmic pulsating pressure for an extended period of time. Further, it is impossible to apply by hand a uniform compressing force to a majority portion of the exterior ventricle surface of the chamber of the heart.
To overcome this problem, mechanical devices have been developed to apply external pressure directly to the heart. These devices utilize an inflatable liner that surrounds the heart. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,455,298 and 5,119,804, both to Anstadt, disclose a cup that is provided with an elastomeric liner. The heart is held in place within the liner, which is cyclically inflated and deflated to apply external pressure to the heart. While this device provided an improvement in hemodynamics, it has several disadvantages.
One disadvantage is that only a fraction of the external fluid pressure that is applied in the cup inlet to displace the liner, which in turn displaces the heart wall, is transmitted to supplement the internal pressure of the heart and is used to pump blood. As the liner is inflated and stretched, a transmural pressure is created in the liner. The transmural pressure in the liner is the difference in pressure that is applied to both sides of the liner. In other words, the transmural pressure is the pressure within the liner that is generated by the elastic wall tensions of the liner. Referring now to FIG. 11, and as described in Augmentation of Pressure In A Vessel Indenting the Surface of the Lung, 1987, by Joshua E. Tsitlik, et al. the transmural pressure (P.sub.tm) for a stretched liner is: EQU P.sub.tm =P.sub.in -P.sub.out =T.sub.1 /R.sub.1 +T.sub.2 /R.sub.2
Where the radii R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 are the maximum and the minimum radii of the membrane curvature, respectively, i.e., the principal radii of curvature. The vectors T.sub.1 and T.sub.2 are the elastic wall tensions (the force per unit length) acting along the edges of the surface element.
In practice, as the liner is inflated, because of its axial length limitation, it stretches and bulges radially inwardly. Thus, the transmural pressure of the liner is directed in the radially outward direction. Therefore, the pressure applied to the heart is less than the pressure applied to the liner. In addition, due to the bulging of the liner, the heart is deformed into an hour-glass shape. In other words, the outer central portion of the surfaces of the ventricles of the heart is deformed inwardly from its normally convex shape into a concave shape (i.e., the heart is indented). The transmural pressure of the indented portion of the heart wall is directed in the radially outward direction and, thus, is subtracted from the fluid pressure that is supplied within the liner to the outer surface of the heart. Thus, this transmural pressure is also subtracted from the fluid pressure that is applied within the liner. In other words, the heart wall itself is fighting against the externally applied force. Thus, the externally applied force in the Anstadt type device does not cooperate with the heart's own natural compressive forces during the systolic phase. It actually fights against the heart's natural motion even when the pressure is applied in synchrony with the natural systolic phase of the heart.
Consequently, the fluid pressure applied within the liner must overcome the transmural pressure created in the liner and in the heart wall. Therefore, a relatively high pressure must be applied within the liner (e.g., 150-200 mm Hg) to achieve any assistance in circulation support.
Thus, the liner of the Anstadt patents applies pressure to the heart in a non-uniform manner. Such liners are made from a silicone rubber elastomer, which, when inflated, are inherently distended and assume the shape illustrated in FIG. 9 of the '804 patent and FIG. 3 of the '298 patent. The liner of the Anstadt patents causes the heart to indent in its center portion, while, undesirably, allowing the heart ventricles to expand at their upper and lower portions. Thus, the devices according to the Anstadt patents inefficiently assist in pumping blood to and from the heart. As a result, substantial force needs to be applied to the pressure side of the liner (i.e., P.sub.in) to cause displacement of the blood existing in the ventricle. A considerable portion of the force that is applied to the pressure side of the liner is wasted because a transmural pressure is created in the liner and the heart wall.
Another disadvantage of the prior art stems from the same feature. The increased force or pressure applied to the central portion of the ventricles' outer surface causes the heart to deform into an unnatural shape and eventually causes trauma (e.g., bruises) to the heart, especially if the prior art device is operated for a relatively extended period of time.
The ventricle portion of the heart normally has an outer convex shape during both the systolic and diastolic phases. The present inventors have surprisingly discovered that if a predetermined portion of the ventricle portion of the heart is assisted at a given externally and uniformly applied force, during the systolic phase, into its natural, albeit somewhat smaller in volume, convex shape, a great increase in the amount of fluid being pumped by the heart can be achieved compared to the same force applied according to the prior art methods. This is due, as the inventors discovered, to the fact that in the present invention the pressure applied to the heart surface and the pressure generated by contracting the heart wall add up to produce higher pressures in the ventricles without additional oxygen consumption by the ventricular wall. Therefore, by the non-distorting compression of the heart, the present invention assists the heart in generating higher blood pressure and blood flow while utilizing low and safe compression pressures.
Thus, it is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and method for efficiently assisting the mechanical compression of the heart, especially during the systolic phase. It is another object to provide such an apparatus and method without unduly deforming the natural shape of the heart during the mechanical compression of the heart.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a device and method for assisting heart function, which applies substantially uniform fluid pressure against the exterior surface of at least a portion of the ventricular portion of the heart during the systolic phase.
The devices disclosed by the Anstadt patents each apply a vacuum pressure to a lower portion of the cup to prevent the heart from being ejected from the cup during the systolic compressing phase. In the '298 patent, Anstadt discloses that the vacuum communicates through opening 16 at the bottom of the liner and carries vacuum into space 6. However, in practice, only a relatively small portion of the apical portion of the heart actually plugs opening 16 and, therefore, the vacuum holding force is applied only to the portion of the heart proximate to opening 16. The application of a relatively large vacuum to such a small surface of the heart, especially in view of the large external force that needs to be applied to perform the holding function, causes further trauma to the heart. Accordingly, it is a further object of the present invention to provide an apparatus that applies a vacuum holding force over a greater relatively flat side surface area of the heart. It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a device and method that applies a vacuum holding force in such a manner so as to cause considerably less trauma to the heart.

Method and apparatus for assisting a heart to pump blood by applying substantially uniform pressure to the ventricles