Compositions suitable for use as signal generation components of an immunoassay, and methods for their use. According to one aspect of the invention, the composition includes a carrier having a coating of an aminodextran and a metal chelate incorporated therein. The metal chelate is present in the amount of at least 0.065 μMole per gram of carrier, and the aminodextran coating density averaging at least about 45 μg per milligram of carrier. In another aspect of the invention, carrier is dyed with a complex having the formula:M(L1)x(L2)y,                wherein M is a metal selected from the group consisting of europium, terbium, dysprosium, samarium, osmium and ruthenium;        L1 is a ligand selected from the group consisting of DPP, TOPO, TPPO;        L2 comprises a ligand having the formula

Immunoassay reagents have functionality that can be broken down into two broad components: signal generation (also known as amplification) functionality, and ligand binding functionality. The signal generation functionality is required for detection of ligand binding to analyte, and the ligand binding functionality is the specificity of the reagent for the analyte. The ligand binding activity is accomplished by covalently attaching ligands to the particle surface. Antibodies and small haptens of biological significance, such as thyroxin, are examples of common ligands.
Fluorescent and chemiluminescent compositions have been widely used in signal generation components of immunoassays. A typical signal generation component includes a carrier, such as a latex particle, dyed with a fluorescent or chemiluminescent composition. In particular, metal chelates have been widely used as fluorescent and chemiluminescent dyes because of their generally large stokes' shift, sharp emission peak and long emission wavelength. Typically, the metal chelates are a complex formed of a metal, such as europium, samarium, or terbium, and ligands such as thiophenetrifluorobutanedione (TTA), napthyltriflurobutanedione (NTA), and 4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenathroline (DPP) trioctyl phosphine oxide (TOPO), triphenyl phosphine oxide (TPPO). Some commonly used metal chelates include Eu(TTA)3DPP and Eu(NTA)3DPP.
Dyed carriers that are used to make assay reagents must have both the capability to provide signal generation, and the chemical functionality for covalent attachment of ligands. The process used to attach the ligands can be critical to the quality of the specificity of the ligand binding functionality. The specificity of the ligands can be compromised in several ways by inappropriate choices of attachment chemistry. For example, if passive adsorption of the ligands occurs simultaneously with covalent attachment, the passively adsorbed ligands may come off of the carrier during the assay. The resulting free ligand will interfere with the assay and reduce its sensitivity. Another problem that can occur is the non-specific binding of the reagent to the other carrier, which leads to elevation of the immunoassay signal in the absence of analyte.
Ligands are often attached to polystyrene particles through carboxy groups that are attached directly to the surface of the particles. This approach can have both of the problems described above. The passive adsorption and nonspecific binding problems can be avoided by introducing one or more layers of immobilized hydrogel polymers, such as an aminodextran, between the polystyrene particles and the ligands. It is important for elimination of adsorption and nonspecific binding to have a continuous layer of these hydrogel polymers.
However, the coating of particles that are dyed with conventional dyes such as Eu(TTA)3DPP or Eu(NTA)3DPP typically result in coating densities of aminodextran that are significantly less than optimal for preventing non-specific binding. The coupling density of the aminodextran is typically reduced by 40-50% from its maximum when these dyes are added at the optimum level for the chemiluminescent response of the reagent. Lower levels of dye give compositions that interfere less with the aminodextran coating process, but reducing the dye content also reduces the chemiluminescence necessary for a strong signal.
Accordingly, there remains a need in the art to provide a more optimal balance between the amplitude of the response signal and the specificity of the signal generation components in an specific binding assay.

Compositions for use as a signal generation component and methods of using same

Abstract: wherein R is one or more substituents, each substituent comprising an electron donating group; n=2-10; x=1-2; and y=2-4.


[Problem] It is to provide an optical receiving device, a control method and device of a photon detector, and a dark count evaluation method of the photon detector that make it possible to perform a dark count evaluation with the photon detector performing a receiving operation. [Solution] It is to include a Z pulse information detection unit 205 and a control unit 204 selectively extracting outputs of photon detectors PD1 and PD2 to a transmission light pulse with light intensity substantially equal to zero included in a transmission light pulse train and a dark count evaluation unit 206 evaluating dark counts of the photon detectors based on photon detection counts indicated by the extracted outputs.

Recently, quantum key distribution (QKD) as a method to realize a cryptographic communication having information-theoretical security against eavesdropping has been actively studied (NPL 1) and its development for practical use has been underway. Especially, for safety improvement, the "decoy method" of detecting eavesdropping attacks by changing from time to time the intensity of faint light pulses used for QKD is employed in most QKD systems for practical use (refer to NPL 2).
Since a "single photon" including only one photon in one pulse (or a "pseudo single photon" obtained by extremely attenuating normal laser light) is used as a communication medium in QKD, a photon detector capable of detecting a single photon is used instead of a light detector as used in a conventional optical communication. An avalanche photodiode (APD) to which a bias exceeding a breakdown voltage is applied or a superconducting element cooled to a few degrees K are generally used as the photon detector.
A variety of methods for QKD have been proposed, and a method of using two or four photon detectors is a common practice (for example, refer to NPL 3). Although it is desirable that characteristics of all photon detectors are as uniform as possible in order to ensure the security of cryptographic keys generated by QKD if a plurality of photon detectors are used, the characteristics of APD elements and superconducting elements generally have large variations and also vary due to fluctuations of environmental temperatures and the deterioration of the elements. Therefore, it is necessary to check the characteristics regularly in operating QKD for a long time and to equalize the characteristics by individually adjusting external parameters such as a bias voltage.
There are quantum efficiency and dark count probability as principal parameters indicating characteristics of photon detectors. The quantum efficiency is a probability of outputting a detection signal correctly when a photon detector receives pulses including a single photon (a detection probability of a photon). The dark count probability is a probability of outputting a detection signal even though there are no photons, and it represents a magnitude of noise. Typically, the quantum efficiency is about 10% and the dark count probability is at the same level as 10−5.

Optical receiving device in optical communication system, control method and device of photon detector, and dark count evaluation method of photon detector


Labelling machine for labelling containers, having at least one docking station for a labelling apparatus and a machine control system, wherein the docking station comprises at least one network access for establishing a network connection between the machine control system and a docked labelling apparatus, wherein the network connection is designed to transmit security-relevant data and/or time-critical data, and wherein the network access is connected to a manageable Ethernet network switch of the machine control system with a DHCP server, wherein the DHCP server is adapted to assign a preset IP address determined by the DHCP server to a labelling apparatus connected to the network access.

From the prior art, labelling machines of containers (such as bottles, cans or the like) are known which have a series of docking ports or docking stations to which labelling apparatuses can be connected. Unused locations are usually covered so as not to leave an opening where an operator could unintentionally reach in. This allows flexible modification and adaptation of labelling machines, and places that are not required can remain free.
It is known that an IP address can be assigned to a labelling apparatus in order to transmit data to the specific labelling apparatus. However, this assignment is not completely reliable so that a transmission of data relevant for the occupational security of operators or of time-critical data to the relevant labelling apparatuses cannot always be ensured.
However, as labor law requirements continue to increase and the security of operators of labelling apparatuses is of great importance, especially in the case of fast-moving components, a considerable amount of effort has had to be expended up to now to ensure the security of operators even in the event of incorrect assignment of IP addresses.


A modular thermal isolation barrier for use in sealing gaps in a data processing equipment structure includes an extruded edge seal and a panel. The extruded edge seal has a seal portion and a base portion with one or more channels. An edge of the panel is disposed within one of the one or more channels of the base portion of the edge seal such that the edge seal is seated against the edge of the panel with the seal portion in position to abut, and establish a seal with, an adjacent structure.

Field of the Present Invention
The present invention relates generally to structures and methods of thermal management in a data center, and in particular, to housing data processing equipment, and, in particular, to data processing equipment structures that can be structurally altered to seal around additional openings or obstruction to provide enhanced airflow solutions.
Background
Racks, frames and enclosures for mounting and storing computer and other electronic components or equipment have been well known for many years. Racks and frames are typically simple rectangular frameworks on which electronic components may be mounted, or on which other mounting members, such as shelves or brackets, may be mounted which in turn may support the electronic components. Enclosures are typically frames on which panels or doors, or both, are hung to provide aesthetic improvement, to protect the components from external influences, to provide security for the components stored inside, or for other reasons.
Racks, frames and enclosures have been built in many different sizes and with many different proportions in order to best accommodate the components which they are designed to support and store. Components stored in these enclosures may include audio and video equipment and the like, but quite frequently include computer equipment and related peripheral devices. These components typically include housings enclosing internal operative elements.
As is also well known, the electronic equipment mounted in these structures tend to generate large amounts of thermal energy that needs to be exhausted away from the equipment effectively in order to maintain the equipment in proper operating order or to prevent damage thereto. The problem can be especially significant when the components are enclosed in enclosures, because thermal energy generated thereby can concentrate within the equipment enclosure and cause the components to overheat and shut down. As equipment becomes more densely packed with electronics, the quantities of thermal energy have continued to increase in recent years, and thermal energy management has become a significant issue confronting today's rack, frame and enclosure manufacturers, the manufacturers of the electronic equipment, and the users of such equipment.
Typically, multiple racks, frames, enclosures, and the like (sometimes collectively referred to hereinafter as "enclosures") are housed together in a data center room. Because of the overheating problem, and particularly with multiple enclosures being placed in a single room, thermal management of the data center room is very important. A goal of data center thermal management is to maximize the performance, uptime and life expectancy of the active components being housed in the room. Toward this end, data center rooms are often arranged so as to increase efficiency and optimize performance.
One common way of organizing a data center room to meet these objectives involves arranging individual enclosures in rows, with the air intake of each enclosure facing toward one side of the row and the heated air exhaust of each enclosure facing toward the other side of the row. Rows of enclosures are arranged in back-to-back relationship so that enclosures of two separate rows exhaust heated air into a common "hot" aisle between the rows. Heated exhaust air from the hot aisle is then drawn into a cooling unit—often arranged as an in-line unit within the row of enclosures. The cooled air is then deposited back into the ambient space of the data center room to be re-used in the cooling process.
In such an arrangement, however, several drawbacks are known to exist. For instance, the establishment of a hot aisle between rows eliminates the possibility of having dedicated cooling units to manage the cooling process for each row individually. Additionally, under existing hot aisle methodology, the entire space of the data center room must be kept cool in order to provide a ready supply of cooled air available to the enclosure intakes. Due to its typically large volume, the data center room is generally incapable of being adequately pressurized.
Accordingly, a need exists for improvement in the arrangement of equipment enclosures within a data center room so as to further enhance efficiency and performance. This, and other needs, is addressed by one or more aspects of the present invention.

Modular thermal isolation barrier for data processing equipment structure


In a method, in which a control signal assumes a first value when the foreground signal represents a color in the region of the key color and a second value when the foreground signal represents a different color, and in which the control signal has a transition range between the two values, the distances between the color locations of the pixels of the foreground signal and the color location of the key color are computed for distinguishing color locations associated with foreground objects or with the key color from color locations to be associated with the transition range. Those color locations whose distance is distinguished from color locations of one or a plurality of adjacent pixels by more than a predetermined distance (not complying with a homogeneity criterion) are considered to be associated with the transition range. Intermediate values of the control signal are computed for the color locations in the transition range.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method of deriving a control signal for inserting a background signal into parts of a foreground signal, these parts being fixed by a key color, the control signal assuming a first value when the foreground signal represents a color in the region of the key color, and a second value when the foreground signal represents a different color, and in which the control signal has a transition range between the two values, and to an arrangement for carrying out that method.
2. Description of the Related Art
A method, which is often used in television for mixing different pictures of the corresponding signals is the chromakey method. In this method a foreground signal is used which partly comprises a predetermined color--generally blue--which is replaced by corresponding parts of a background signal. The foreground signal and a background signal are applied to a picture mixer which enables the two signals to be switched in dependence upon a control signal derived from the foreground signal.
In known arrangements of this type, the control signal is a switching signal, whereby a first value of this signal is associated with the key color and a second value of the signal is associated with those colors which deviate from this key color. Since the blue wall used for performing the method does not have a constant color, which is particularly due to non-uniform illumination, the aim is to extend the key color region to a possibly large region in the color plane, but in which the colors in the foreground should not be included. However, the sudden switching between the foreground and the background gives rise to errors, even at the smallest shift with respect to time of the switching instant. Unprogrammed switching to the blue wall is very disturbing at the edges of the foreground. Particularly in the case of fine details, color fringes occur, more specifically in the hairline of a person who is standing in front of a background.
In an improvement of the known method, which is also referred to as soft chromakey, a proportional zone is introduced between the key color region and the foreground colors, and the control signal is no longer limited to the range of "0" and "0". Then there is a soft fading between the foreground signal and the background signal. zone, simple mathematical derivations are used which result in corresponding geometric shapes, such as diamonds, circles or ellipses. As an example for an already proposed method of this type, reference is made to Application DE 40177878 (PHD 90-252). In this method light color fringes still occur, particularly when or where the proportional zone is not close to the colors representing the foreground.

Method of and arrangement for deriving a control signal for inserting a background signal into parts of a foreground signal


The present invention is directed to a polyester/amide membrane, its preparation and its use for organic liquid separation. The polyester/amide membrane is made by reacting a dianhydride with a polyester diol in a 2:1 to 1.05:1 mole ratio to end cap the diol to produce a prepolymer which is reacted with excess thionyl chloride to convert all of the unreacted anhydride and all carboxylic acid groups to acid chloride groups. The resulting acid chloride derivative is dissolved in organic solvent and interfacially reacted with a diamine dissolved in an aqueous solvent. The excess solutions are removed and the resulting thin film membrane is dried. The membranes are useful for organic liquid separations, especially the separation of aromatic hydrocarbons from mixtures of same with non-aromatic hydrocarbons, preferably under perstraction or pervaporation conditions.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to crosslinked interfacially polymerized polyester amide membranes, their preparation and use in organic liquid separations.
The membrane is prepared by producing a prepolymer by reacting a dianhydride (or its corresponding tetra-acid or di acid-diester) preferably dianhydride or its corresponding tetra-acid with a polyester diol in a 2:1 to 1.05:1 mole ratio of anhydride or carboxylic acid group to polyester hydroxyl groups. The resulting prepolymer is then reacted with excess thionyl chloride which converts all unreacted anhydride groups and carboxylic acid groups of the prepolymer to acid chloride groups. This acid chloride derivative is dissolved in an organic solvent and reacted interfacially with a diamine dissolved in an aqueous solvent. The organic and aqueous solutions can be just floated one over the other to create an interface or a substrate can be wash coated with one or the other of the solutions, drained, then wash coated with the complementary solution. In either case a membrane forms at the interface between the organic and aqueous solutions due to reaction between the diamine and the acid chloride capped prepolymer. Upon completion of the reaction, the formed membrane is dried at between about 50.degree. to 150.degree. C., preferably 80.degree.-120.degree. C., most preferably about 80.degree.-100.degree. C.
The resulting membrane is useful for organic liquid mixture separations such as the separation of aromatic hydrocarbons from mixtures of same with non-aromatic hydrocarbons; the separation of isoparaffins from mixtures of same with n-paraffins; the separation of olefins from mixtures of same with paraffins; the separation of oxygenates such as mixtures of ethers and alcohols, e.g., methyl tert butyl ether/methanol etc., under pervaporation or perstraction conditions, preferable pervaporation conditions.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 4,277,344 describes interfacially synthesized reverse osmosis membranes. The membranes are made from crosslinked interfacially polymerized aromatic polyamides, particularly poly(arylene-polyamine aromatic-polycarboxylamides) such as poly (phenylenediamine trimesamide). The aromatic polyamides are preferably synthesized directly from an essentially monomeric polyacylhalide (at least tri- or higher in acyl functionality) and an essentially monomeric arylene polyamine with a measurable water solubility. A porous support layer is coated with the polyamine component (e.g., an aqueous solution of phenylene diamine); the thus-coated support is contacted with the polyacyl halide component (e.g., trimesoyl chloride), thereby initiating the interfacial polymerization in-situ on the support. The resulting membrane is dried to provide a composite membrane comprising the polyamide laminated to the porous support. The membranes are used for the reverse osmosis desalination of aqueous solutions.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,946,594 describes a crosslinked copolymer composition in which the copolymer is derived from an aliphatic polyester diol, a dianhydride and a diisocyanate crosslinking agent. The resulting membrane is useful for separating aromatic hydrocarbons from mixtures of same with non-aromatic hydrocarbons.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,990,275 relates to a copolymer composition comprising a hard segment of a polyimide and a soft segment of an oligomeric aliphatic polyester. Membranes made from the copolymer are useful for aromatic/saturates separations. The polyimide is derived from a dianhydride having between 8 an 20 carbons and a diamine having between 2 and 30 carbons while the oligomeric aliphatic polyester is a polyadipate, polysuccinate, polymalonate, polyoxalate or polyglutarate.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,049,281 is directed to a multi-block copolymer, the membrane made from such copolymer and the use of the membrane for separation. The multi-block copolymer can comprise a first prepolymer made by reacting a diamine with an epoxy in a diamine to epoxy mole ratio of 2.0 to 1.05 resulting in a diamine end capped prepolymer which is then chain extended with a second compatible prepolymer which can be a dianhydride or its corresponding tetra acid or diacid-diester combined with a polyester in a dianhydride to polyester mole ratio of about 2.0 to 1.05. In the text it is stated that if the diacid-diester or tetraacid derivative of the dianhydride is used they must first be converted to species that will react with diamines or polyesters. This can be done by conversion of the tetra-acid or diacid-diester into an acid chloride by derivatization using thionyl chloride. If this acid chloride is reacted with a diamine an amide acid is formed which when heated or chemically cyclized forms an imide. If the acid chloride is reacted with a polyester the product which results is itself an ester which requires no further curing. This patent, however, does not teach the formation of an interfacially polymerized membrane or the use of such a membrane for separations.
See also U.S. Pat. No. 5,039,422.

Crosslinked polyester amide membranes and their use for organic separations


A spherical plain bearing comprising an inner ring having an outer spherical contact surface and an outer ring having an inner spherical contact surface. The outer spherical contact surface of the inner ring cooperates with the inner spherical contact surface of the outer ring. At least one of the inner ring and the outer ring comprises at least one internal cavity running on at least a portion of the circumference of said ring.

Aircrafts are often equipped with spherical plain bearings. As aircrafts are getting lighter in order to reduce fuel consumption and improve maneuverability, bearings used in aircrafts must also be as light as possible.
It is known to use spherical plain bearings made of light materials, such as titanium, but such materials are costly. It is also known to increase the acceptable loads for the envelope of bearings manufactured with light but less resistant materials by adding a coating which locally improves the mechanical characteristics of the material. Such techniques do not prove satisfactory.
The aim of the invention is to provide a new spherical plain bearing, whose structure permits to obtain a bearing which is lighter than the bearings of the prior art, without deteriorating the mechanical properties of the bearing.
To this end, the invention concerns a spherical plain bearing comprising an inner ring and an outer ring, the inner ring comprising an outer spherical contact surface which cooperates with an inner spherical contact surface of the outer ring. This spherical plain bearing is characterized in that the inner ring and/or the outer ring comprises at least one internal cavity running on at least a portion of the circumference of said ring.
Thanks to the invention, the cavities make the rings of the spherical plain bearing lighter without substantially reducing their mechanical characteristics.


A current limiting DC motor starter employing a closed loop current measurement to provide precise current control that adapts to changing motor conditions, integrated with a solid state reversing motor starter. The motor starter further includes a calibrated overcurrent indication and a control system interface that reduces the likelihood that cable faults and other single failures will cause spurious actuation of the motor.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to DC motor starting circuits and more particularly to a DC motor starting circuit with a current limiter.
2. Background Information
When DC motors are used for valve operators, the high starting current can place undue burden on the electrical cables and a battery power source. The current in a DC motor is limited by the self generated electromotive force (EMF) voltage that is proportional to the machine speed. When the motor is first started, the speed and hence the EMF is zero (0), thus allowing the current to rise to the rated value known as the "locked rotor current", which can be up to ten times the name plate current rating of the motor. As the machine accelerates, the EMF increases and the current decreases until a steady equilibrium is achieved depending on the load. FIG. 1 shows the current and speed as a function of time for a typical 15 horsepower motor. The current curve is represented by reference character 10 and the speed curve is represented by reference character 12.
Conventional reduce voltage motor starters limit the current but do not adapt to changing conditions of motor temperature or supply voltage. In a conventional reduced voltage motor starter, additional resistance is included in the circuit to limit the current and is then switched out as the motor accelerates. This may be done as a single step or in multiple steps. The switching may be based on fixed times or on a measurement of the motor speed (actually the EMF developed across the motor). A circuit for implementing this approach is illustrated in FIG. 2A. R and L respectively stand for the resistance and inductance of the motor windings. EMF is the electro-motive force developed within the motor. Resistance R1 is greater than R2. In operation the Switch S is sequenced from OFF to R1. Then, after a preselected time interval has passed or motor speed has been achieved the Switch S is sequenced to R2 and then when the motor reaches full speed the Switch S connects directly to the power supply. This approach has several drawbacks. In the switched resistance approach, the current limiting is only provided at initial start up. If the current increases later due to overload conditions, then the current will increase until it is interrupted by an over-temperature protection device, if one is included in the circuit. Furthermore, the resistors must be sized to dissipate a large amount of heat. For example, in the 15 horsepower model used to produce the graphs shown in the figures, the RMS power dissipation of the first stage resister is 6.9 KW. Additionally, once the starting resistances have been chosen, it is difficult to make changes in the field to accommodate the as installed conditions experienced for each specific motor operated valve.
The advent of high power semiconductors allows a switch mode voltage regulator approach employed by the prior art to control the voltage of a DC motor as a means to control the motor's speed, to be adapted to overcome the issues identified above for the conventional reduced current motor starter. This is particularly important for some critical applications such as, advance passive nuclear power plants, where DC motors will be employed for safety grade valve operators because no class 1 E AC power source is available. Because these motors must operate from the 125 VDC power station batteries, it is not possible to increase motor voltage for the larger size motors to decrease the operating current. The advanced reactor Utilities Requirements Document for these passive nuclear power plants requires that the cables connecting the valve operators be sized to carry the full locked rotor current on a continuing basis. This is due, in part to a United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission Regulatory Guide (RG1.106) that requires overcurrent protective devices to be bypassed in the event of a safety actuation of the valves. As mentioned above, conventional relay based motor starters have used reduced voltage means to limit starting current by switching resistors into the circuit upon initial energization This conventional approach has the drawbacks that were mentioned above that need to be overcome.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a current limiting DC motor starter that employs a switching mode current regulator in a feedback control loop to limit the motor current to a preset value.
It is a further object of this invention to provide an improved current limiting DC motor starter that integrates a switching mode current regulator with a solid state reversing motor starter.
It is an additional object of this invention to provide a current limiting DC motor starter that employs a switching mode current regulator employing closed loop current measurement to provide precise current control that adapts to changing conditions.
It is the further object of this invention to provide an improved current limiting DC motor starter that provides an overcurrent indication to a control system as well as features to enable its calibration.
Further, it is the object of this invention to provide an improved current limiting DC motor starter having an interface with a control system that is arranged in such a manner that cable faults and other single failures will not cause spurious actuation of the motor.
It is an additional object of this invention to provide such an improved current limiting DC motor starter that is specifically suited for safety grade applications in nuclear power plants.

Current limiting DC motor starter circuit


The invention pertains to a method and information handling system (IHS) for writing data to non-overwriting storage devices. A set of bands are determined per non-overwriting storage device. Then multiple pools of storage space, to which data can be written, commensurate with the determined bands are provided. A file system configured to manage the determined multiple pools of storage space and be non-WIP is provided, where the provided file system writes data to the multiple pools of storage space. The IHS includes: a non-overwriting storage device, a module for determining a set of bands per non-overwriting storage device, multiple pools of storage space commensurate with the determined set of bands and a file system configured to be non-WIP and configured to manage the multiple pools of storage space. The file system writes data to the multiple pools of storage space.

A disk drive is a device implementing disk storage in which data is digitally recorded by various electronic magnetic optical or mechanical methods on disks (also referred to as the media). Disk storage is used in both computer storage and consumer electronic storage (e.g., audio CDs and video disks, standard DVD and Blu-Ray). To that end, disk drives may implement such disk storage with fixed or removable media. With removable media, the device is usually distinguished from the media as in a compact disk drive and a compact disk. Notable types of disk drives are the hard disk drive (HDD) containing a nonremovable disk, the floppy disk drive (FDD) and its removable floppy disk, and various optical disk drives and associated optical disk media.
A hard disk drive stores data onto tracks, heads, and sectors of a disk. A sector is a segment of a track, and the track is a circle of recorded data on a single recording surface or platter (an individual recording disk). The sector unit is the smallest size of data to be stored in a hard disk drive and each data file may have many sector units assigned to it. Digital disk drives are block storage devices. Each disk is divided into logical blocks (which may be larger or smaller than a physical sector). Blocks are addressed using their logical block addresses (LBA). Reading from or writing to a disk happens at the granularity of blocks.
The disk drive interface is the mechanism/protocol of communication between the rest of the system and the disk drive itself. Storage devices intended for desktop and mobile computers typically use ATA (Advanced Technology Attachment), PATA (Parallel ATA), and SATA (Serial ATA) interfaces. Enterprise systems and other storage devices typically use SCSI (Small Computer System Interface), SAS (serial-attached SCSI), and FC (Fibre Channel) interfaces in addition to some use of SATA.
Computer users are requiring an ever-increasing amount of disk drive storage space. Home computer users' increased storage of multimedia data, especially video and photographic data, has only served to increase the amount of storage space needed. Likewise, industry also requires increased storage space. As more and more business is being conducted electronically, there has been an ever-increasing demand and need for the storage of this vast amount of business data. Furthermore, there has been a demand to digitize the storage of once paper files in an attempt to decrease the overhead cost of this paper generation and storage.
Currently, the majority of this electronic data is stored on magnetic hard disk drive devices. However, the increased need of storage capacity has made current magnetic disk storage devices inadequate and a solution to this problem is necessary.
"Shingled Magnetic Recording," (SMR) is a method of increasing the storage density of current magnetic hard disk drives. However, utilizing SMR devices requires a fundamentally new and different access model that allows random reads and only sequential writes.
A SMR device is divided into a configurable number of regions, called bands. The bands comprise tracks like standard magnetic recording devices and likewise these tracks comprise sectors. Unlike standard magnetic recording devices, the tracks on a SMR device are overlapped, also known as, shingled, thus increasing the storage density of the device. The bands of a SMR device may be configurable. This allows certain bands to be configured for "sequential access" while other bands on the same platter can be "random access" like traditional magnetic storage devices. A "sequential access band" supports random reads, but may only be written to sequentially. More precisely, data must be written starting at the beginning of the band, and may be added only in sequential order. Typically, any data already written in a sequential band cannot be changed, except by erasing the entire band and starting over at the beginning (for writing). A "random access band" supports random writes as well as reads, similar to existing hard disk drives, and does not possess the improved density of SMR sequential access bands.
SMR disk drives are being promoted as a means to increase the storage density of magnetic disk drives using current-generation technology. However, existing systems have no ability to cope with the different access model that SMR technology requires. Manufacturers plan to implement emulation strategies to make a SMR device behave like a traditional random-access device. However, some manufacturers have been amenable to providing a separate interface that exposes the native layout of the SMR device, along with its attendant limitations.
More information can be found here:
www.pdl.cmu.edu/ftp/News/newsletter11.pdf

Datastore for non-overwriting storage devices


The present invention relates, in general, to fiber spinning and, in particular, to a process of spinning fibers of more than one cross-sectional component and to fibers produced thereby.

Various types of fibers having two or more cross-sectional components (ie multi-component fibers) are well known in the art, as are processes for their production. Examples of such fibers and production processes are set forth in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,233,355 and 4,460,649.
Multicomponent fibers have been used to generate micro- or ultrafine filaments (see, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,233,355, 4,966,808, 5,124,194 and 5,366,804). The fibers can be split into their components using mechanical or chemical (eg solvent) means. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,233,355, for example, microfibers are generated from multicomponent (composite) fibers by selective dissolution of one of the components of the composite fiber using a solvent in which the microfibrous component is relatively insoluble.
The art does not include a description of a method of producing a fiber of virtually any cross sectional shape from a composite fiber having a preselected relative arrangement of components of differing solubility in a given solvent. The present invention provides such a process.

Process of making fibers of arbitrary cross section


Disclosed herein is an articulated guidewire for insertion into a blood vessel. The articulated guidewire includes a rotatable sensor cable, a sensor, a connector, and a satellite wire. The sensor cable has a proximal end and a distal end. A sensor connects to the sensor cable near the distal end and rotates with the sensor cable. The satellite wire attaches to the distal end of the sensor cable and holds the sensor cable in the blood vessel. The connector includes a ball and socket joint which aligns the satellite wire and the sensor cable at a variable angle.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to guidewires for use in biological conduits. More particularly this invention relates to guidewires which are articulated for rotating a sensor.
2. Previous Art
Atherosclerosis, a common vascular disease, is characterized by undesired deposits of material on the interior of an artery. These deposits include atheroma which is formed from a range of matter from soft fatty material to hard calcified tissue. Atheroma may occlude the artery and restrict blood flow. In some cases, restricted blood flow causes severe complications including strokes and heart attacks.
Recently, much research focuses on treatments for atherosclerosis. One successful treatment is a surgical procedure known as atherectomy. Atherectomy procedures generally restore blood flow in occluded arteries by reducing the size of atheroma. During an atherectomy, a catheter is inserted into the vasculature through an incision made, for example, in the femoral artery of a patient. The catheter slides through the vasculature of a patient to an occluded region where an atheroma is formed.
A small cutter is disposed within the atherectomy catheter. When the catheter is properly inserted into the vasculature, the cutter aligns with an atheroma. The cutter rotates and translates, removing the atheroma in small pieces. The catheter retains the small pieces. Removal of the catheter with the small pieces of atheroma completes the atherectomy procedure. An example of the atherectomy catheter is disclosed by Gifford III et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 5,071,425, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
Undesirable deposits (e.g. deposits which cause occlusion) may also form in various biological conduits such as within the urinary tract. Devices and techniques used for atherectomy procedures are adapted in size, flexibility and operation to remove the undesirable deposits from various biological conduits. For example, work elements such as cutters, sensors and other diagnostic devices can be adapted for specific use in various biological conduits.
The location of an occlusion in a biological conduit must be precisely identified. This is accomplished through various diagnostic techniques such as fluoroscopy. With the location of an undesirable deposit identified, a guidewire is inserted into the biological conduit. In the case of atherectomy, for example, the guidewire inserts into the vasculature via the femoral artery. The guidewire slides through the biological conduit to a position distal the undesirable deposit (e.g. atheroma). With the guidewire in place, the catheter device is inserted into the biological conduit over the guidewire and follows the path of the guidewire by tracking over the guidewire. The catheter tracks over the guidewire until the cutter of the catheter aligns with the undesirable deposit.
Precise positioning of the catheter in the vasculature is necessary to perform an atherectomy. To facilitate precise positioning, some catheter devices include a sensor. The catheter moves within the vasculature until the sensor detects the location of the atheroma which is desired to be removed.
A sensor may be mounted on the work element or other part of the catheter device, for example. During use, the sensor typically determines the exact location of the catheter device relative to an undesired deposit. The sensor may also determine characteristics such as the geometry and density of an undesirable deposit which is to be removed. The sensors communicate such characteristics via the catheter device to a display system. An operator (i.e., surgeon) then relies upon the display system to properly align the catheter with the undesired deposit. An example of an atherectomy catheter which employs a sensor mounted on a cutter is described by Leary et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 5,024,234, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
The vasculature is often sensitive to catheter insertion. Catheters having a work element and a sensor may have a relatively large diameter which may injure the interior of a blood vessel. In rare cases, a risk of injury to a patient is needlessly created when a surgeon inserts an atherectomy catheter with a sensor into a patient only to find that an atherectomy is not necessary to perform. Accordingly, it is desired to operate a sensor independently of a catheter device so that a determination as to the necessity of removing deposits from an occluded blood vessel can be made prior to insertion of the catheter device into the vasculature. What is also desired is a way of precisely positioning a guidewire within a biological conduit to facilitate precise insertion of a catheter device. What is also desired is a way to monitor the effectiveness of an atherectomy procedure after an atherectomy catheter is removed.


A balun comprises an unbalanced terminal, two balanced terminals, and two ground terminals. The balun further comprises: a low-pass filter provided between the unbalanced terminal and one of the balanced terminals; and a high-pass filter provided between the unbalanced terminal and the other of the balanced terminals. The low-pass filter incorporates two coils and a capacitor. The high-pass filter incorporates two capacitors and a coil. The coils and the capacitors are made up of conductor layers of a multi-layer substrate.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a balun for transforming a balanced signal to an unbalanced signal and vice versa.
2. Description of the Related Art
A balun (balanced-unbalanced transformer) is a device for transforming a balanced signal to an unbalanced signal and vice versa. Here, an unbalanced signal is a signal of which reference potential is the ground potential. A balanced signal is made up of two signals that are nearly 180 degrees out of phase with each other and have nearly equal amplitudes. The balun has two balanced terminals for receiving and outputting balanced signals and one unbalanced terminal for receiving and outputting unbalanced signals.
Baluns are used in mobile communications devices including cellular phones and communications devices for radio local area network (LAN). Reductions in size and thickness of the mobile communications devices have been strongly sought, and techniques for mounting components with higher density have been therefore required. Integration of components through the use of a multi-layer substrate has been thus proposed. The multi-layer substrate is a layered structure including dielectric layers and patterned conductor layers alternately stacked.
Many of conventional baluns that have been widely used are those having at least two pairs of quarter-wave strip lines electromagnetically coupled to each other (which are called electromagnetic-coupling-type baluns in the present patent application). Various sorts of multi-layer electromagnetic-coupling-type baluns made by using multi-layer substrates have been proposed, too, as disclosed in the Published Unexamined Japanese Patent Application Heisei 9-260145 (1997), the Published Unexamined Japanese Patent Application 2000-188218, and the Published Unexamined Japanese Patent Application 2002-190413, for example.
It is required for the electromagnetic-coupling-type baluns that a higher degree of coupling be achieved between a pair of quarter-wave strip lines. However, a problem of multi-layer electromagnetic-coupling-type baluns is that it is difficult to increase the coupling between a pair of quarter-wave strip lines, and that insertion loss is thereby increased.
Regarding this problem, the Published Unexamined Japanese Patent Application Heisei 10-200360 (1998) discloses a balun using a high-pass filter and a low-pass filter (which is called a filter-type balun in the present patent application) as a balun that is capable of reducing insertion loss even if formed to have a multi-layer structure.
In the filter-type balun disclosed in the Published Unexamined Japanese Patent Application Heisei 10-200360, the high-pass filter and the low-pass filter is each made up of an LC circuit comprising a single coil and a single capacitor. This filter-type balun is capable of making insertion loss smaller, compared with the electromagnetic-coupling-type balun. However, the filter-type balun has a problem that, in a neighborhood of the frequency band in which the balun is used, the difference in amplitude between output signals at the two balanced terminals greatly varies, depending on frequencies, and this narrows the frequency range in which the difference in amplitude of output signals at the two balanced terminals satisfies a desired standard.
A multi-layer filter-type balun achieves a reduction in size of the balun. However, electromagnetic interference often occurs among a plurality of coils of the multi-layer balun. Such interference causes a difference between desired characteristics of the balun as designed and characteristics of the balun actually fabricated. It is therefore difficult to fabricate the balun that has the desired characteristics.


Systems and methods for microscope slide scanning using multiple sensor arrays that receive imagery data from a single optical axis are provided. A single, high quality, easily obtained microscope objective lens is used to project an image onto two or more sensor arrays. The sensor arrays can be linear or two dimensional and imaging takes place along a single optical axis. Simultaneous sensor acquisition and parallel data processing reduce the image acquisition time by a factor of N, where N represents the number of sensors employed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to virtual microscopy and more specifically relates to systems and methods for multi-detector microscope slide scanning using a single optical axis.
2. Related Art
Conventional image tiling microscope slide scanners utilize a single optical axis which projects a magnified image of a small region of a microscope slide specimen onto a two dimensional sensor array. To fully image an entire specimen requires hundreds or thousands of individual images captured by the two dimensional sensor array, commonly referred to as "tiles." The total time to image the specimen is a result of the size of each tile, and the time duration of each exposure. One example of an image tiling solution can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 6,272,235.
FIG. 1 depicts the geometry of a single optical axis, two dimensional sensor array scanning system (a conventional image tiling system). The field of view of the magnification optics is circular, and is typically matched to the vertical and horizontal dimensions of the two dimensional sensor array. The array has "pixels" arranged in a pattern of "n" pixels per row, and comprises a total of "m" rows and "n" columns. A single exposure captures an image of only a small portion of the specimen. The specimen is then moved to a new region, and another exposure is made, thus building up a composite image comprising many hundreds, or thousands of tiles. If more sensors could be utilized in parallel, with adequate data processing, the image acquisition time would be reduced drastically. Unfortunately, the field of view of the optics is not sufficiently large to allow additional sensors, so the speed of image acquisition is limited by the speed of the acquisition device. Acquisition times, for tiling systems are typically measured in tens of minutes or even hours.
Other scanning systems (e.g., parallel optical path scanning systems) use multiple objective lenses traveling in parallel paths across the specimen. These multi-axis systems require dozens of independent miniaturized microscope objective lenses (i.e., parallel optical paths), each path exposing a different region of a large two dimensional sensor array as the objective lenses move across the specimen, which greatly increases the speed of image acquisition. By using a staggered, two dimensional pattern of optical elements, and multiple exposures while the specimen moves, the entire specimen area is exposed to various sections of the 2-D sensor array. This type of system requires a custom fabricated two dimensional sensor array. Quoted image acquisition times are on the order of one minute for this type of system. One example of a multi-axis, parallel optical path scanning solution can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 6,842,290.
A third type of scanning system is referred to as a line scanning system and makes use of a linear sensor array. The technique and advantages of line scanning with a linear array are described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,711,283, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. FIG. illustrates a single linear array "n" pixels wide onto which is projected a magnified image of a microscope slide. The specimen is moved at constant velocity "v" as a consecutive series of exposures are taken (S1, S2 . . . Sm), resulting in a long, vertical stripe of pixel dimensions "n" width by "m" height, where "m" is limited only by the total height of the specimen (or the distance traveled by the linear array, which may be greater than the height of the specimen). The required velocity is determined by simply computing how far the specimen must move (one pixel height "h") during the exposure time "t" of each line.v=h/t
Typical values based upon resolution requirements and available camera designs are h=0.5 micron, t=109 microsecond, and sensor width n=2000 pixels. This results in a scanning velocity of 4.59 mm/sec, and a width of 1.0 mm. For a typical specimen size of 15×15 mm, the entire image is comprised of 15 stripes each 15 mm in height. Since the specimen is moving continuously at 4.59 mm/sec, each stripe is scanned in about 3.26 seconds, for a total image acquisition time of 49 sec. In practice, the total image acquisition time is increased due to limitations in transferring the large amounts of data over the computer bus, along with the time needed to compute best focus, and perform several other data processing steps. Depending on the speed of the data processing computer, three minutes is a representative time for the entire process.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

System and method for single optical axis multi-detector microscope slide scanner