A golf club has a handle sleeve around the shaft, which sleeve includes an elastic rubber sleeve part, and an outer covering part; the rubber sleeve part has such an inner diameter as to be tightly secured around the shaft; the rubber sleeve part has a recess portion on an outer side; the covering part includes an inner layer made of the same material as the rubber part, and an outer grip layer; the outer grip layer and the inner layer are sewn together; the outer covering part and the rubber sleeve part are securely stuck together by means of adhesive, which is applied over the inner layer of the outer covering part and the rubber sleeve part, and which has already dissolved the inner layer of the outer covering part and the rubber sleeve part slightly before the outer covering part is positioned onto the rubber sleeve part.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a handle sleeve of a golf club, more particularly one, which includes an inner rubber sleeve part, and an outer covering part having an inner layer made of the same material as the inner rubber sleeve part and securely joined to the inner rubber sleeve part by means of adhesive, which has already slightly dissolved both the outer covering part and the inner rubber sleeve part before the former is positioned onto the latter.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, a conventional handle sleeve 6 of a golf club is available, which includes a rubber sleeve part 61, and an outer covering part 62 around the rubber sleeve part 61, and which is securely positioned around an upper end portion of a shaft 5 of the golf club. The rubber sleeve part 61 has excellent elasticity, and it has such an inner diameter as to be tightly secured around the upper end portion of the shaft 5. In addition, the rubber sleeve part 61 has a recess portion 611 on an outer side. The outer covering part 62 can be made of genuine leather or synthetic leather. To join the outer covering part 62 and the rubber sleeve part 61 together, first adhesive is applied over an inner side of the outer covering part 62. Then, the outer covering part 62 is wound around the recess portion 611 of the rubber sleeve part 61 in such a way as to cover the recess portion 611; thus, the outer covering part 62 and the rubber sleeve part 61 are stuck together.
The above handle sleeve has disadvantages as followings:
1. The outer leather covering part and the rubber sleeve part can't be securely joined together by the adhesive because the outer covering part and the rubber sleeve part are made of different materials, and the adhesive doesn't have the same strong adhesive force on both the outer covering part and the rubber sleeve part. Therefore, it is possible for the outer covering part to move relative to the rubber sleeve part when the handle sleeve is subjected to violent vibration resulting from the golf club hitting a ball. And, the outer covering part will separate from the rubber sleeve part eventually.
2. The outer leather covering part and the rubber sleeve part can't be securely joined together by the adhesive because the outer leather covering part and the rubber sleeve part are made of different materials, and the adhesive doesn't have the same strong adhesive force on both the outer covering part and the rubber sleeve part. Therefore, the outer covering part will separate from the rubber sleeve part after the handle sleeve has been exposed to the sun, wind, and rain for a long time.
3. The outer leather covering part and the rubber sleeve part can't be securely joined together by the adhesive because the outer leather covering part and the rubber sleeve part are made of different materials, and the adhesive doesn't have the same strong adhesive force on both the outer covering part and the rubber sleeve part. Therefore, the outer covering part is prone to separate from the rubber sleeve part when the handle sleeve is made to enlarge for easy assembling by means of an air pump.

Structure of a handle sleeve of a golf club


An apparatus for selectively implementing launch-off-scan capability in at-speed testing of integrated circuit devices includes a control device configured to selectively disable a master clock signal of a latch structure under test such that a pulse sequence of a system clock signal results in a slave-master-slave clock pulse sequence in the latch structure under test; wherein the control device utilizes the system clock signal as an input thereto and operates in a self-resetting fashion that is timing independent with respect to a scan chain.

The present invention relates generally to integrated circuit testing techniques and, more particularly, to an apparatus and method for selectively implementing launch-off-scan capability in at-speed testing of integrated circuit devices.
The testing of integrated circuits has evolved into a highly developed area of technology. Generally, such testing may be implemented through the use of external equipment, Built-In Self-Test (BIST) circuitry, or a combination of the two. Typically, all test methodologies involve shifting data into scannable memory elements of an integrated circuit device (e.g., Level Sensitive Scan Design or LSSD latches), capturing the input to the memory elements, shifting the captured data out and then comparing the captured data with predetermined values to determine whether the circuit has performed according to design. Automatic test pattern generation (ATPG) systems use tools for testing digital circuits after the circuits have been manufactured. In general, an ATPG tool generates a set of test vectors that are applied to a circuit under test. The output of the circuit is analyzed to identify logic faults in the circuit design (i.e., "functional testing"), as well as detecting fabrication defects (i.e., "structural testing").
"At-speed" testing refers to testing techniques to detect defects that are only apparent when the circuit is running at system speed. Many time-based defects cannot be detected unless the circuit is run at-speed. Examples of time related defects that occur at-speed include high impedance shorts, in-line resistance, and cross talk between signals. There are two general approaches to performing at-speed testing of combinational logic and latches in response to a test pattern that has been scanned-in, followed by a scan-out of the test results: Launch-off-Capture (LoC) and Launch-off-Scan (LoS).
LoC may be used in conjunction with any edge-based style of flip-flops or "flops," wherein the system (edge) clock is controlled at the root (e.g., source) of the clock. LoC permits a number (typically 2) of pulses to enter the clock fanout, thus the result of two clock pulses at the flops is a two-cycle execution of system operation. The two cycles may be described as the transitions between three states: present state/launch state/capture state. Although two cycles of system operation are executed, only the second cycle (i.e., the launch state to capture state transition) is actually an at-speed test. While the test clock is steady-state low prior to the first clock pulse, the master latch portion of each flop has already captured a combinational value (i.e., the launch state) because, as a flop function, the master latch loads or "captures" data while the edge clock is low, and the slave latch loads or "launches" data while the clock is high.
On the other hand, the "first pulse to second pulse" (i.e., the second cycle) is a cycle that executed at-speed since the slave latch launches into the combinational logic and the result (capture state) is loaded into the flops (into the master between the two pulses, and into the slave upon the second pulse) to complete the test. Although the final clock test state is low (meaning that an additional state has now been loaded into the master latches), the subsequent scan out of the flop will result in a shift out of the resulting capture state in the slave latch.
LoC is a simple technique; however, since it requires two cycles of system state transition, it results in less efficient test patterns than with respect to a one-cycle or simple combinational test. More specifically, it is less efficient because the capture state of each flop depends upon the value in its driving flops in the launch state, and each of these driving flops depends in turn on its own driving flops from the present state. This exponential increase in flop dependency thus reduces the number of parallel at-speed tests that can be contained in a single scanned pattern. Experimentally, this has been seen as a 6× increase over test patterns whose test operates a one-cycle execution of system operation.
In contrast, conventional LoS operates only in conjunction with certain types of edge-based flops. As is the case with LoC, two test clock pulses are issued in LoS. However, during the first clock pulse in LoS, a "Scan Enable" signal is held high such that the scanned pattern will shift for one additional cycle after the original pattern scan load. As a result, the initially scanned value in the master and slave latches is both the present and launch states. After the first pulse but before the second pulse, the Scan Enable signal is deactivated (set to 0) such that the second pulse will result in the capture of the next system state (capture state) into both the master and slave latches. Therefore, only one cycle of system state has been executed. Subsequently, the test results are shifted out, similar to LoC.
One problem with conventional LoS is that both the Scan Enable signal and the scan chain itself are subject to timing hazards, thus requiring timing closure devices (e.g., lock-up latches) across clock domain boundaries added to the design. Alternatively, the test clock may be configured to be free running, as opposed to generating two clock pulses. A clock splitter is also enhanced so as to include two gates, one for each of the master and slave clocks. As a result, the scanned-in sequence is a "skewed load" in that for the final cycle of "master (A)-slave (B)" scan clocking, only a master (A) scan clock is issued. This leaves the scanned pattern (present and launch state) in the master latches. However, the clock splitter gating keeps both the master and slave clocks low, until a synchronous transition of a control signal is received simultaneously by all clock splitters, at which time the slave clock will be ungated for a cycle (allowing launch from slave), the master clock is ungated ½ cycle later (allowing capture in master). Finally, the slave clock remains ungated ½ cycle later (allowing the master's captured data to be loaded into the slave). After this sequence, the slave latches contain the capture state, followed by a scan out of the result.
Although this modified LoS approach is an advantage over the previous LoS technique with respect to avoiding timing hazards in the scan chain (or the need to add timing closure devices in the scan chain), there is still a global timing requirement on the synchronous control signal.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to be able to address the shortcomings of conventional LoS, but in a manner that avoids both timing hazards in the scan chain, as well as the need for a global timing requirement on the synchronous control signal.

Apparatus and method for selectively implementing launch off scan capability in at speed testing

International Business Machines Corporation


VEGF-B is shown to be needed for cardiac muscle revascularization after heart infarction, and methods of promoting or stimulating vascular development, e.g. angiogenesis and/or arteriogenesis, particularly in ischemic mammals, are disclosed.

Vasculogenesis, the de novo formation of blood vessels, and angiogenesis, the growth of new capillaries from pre-existing ones, are critical for embryonic development and normal physiological functions in adults [Carmeliet, P., Mechanisms of angiogenesis and arteriogenesis. Nat Med, 2000 6(4) 389-95]. Failure of these processes leads to early death of the embryo as a result of impaired formation of the vascular tree and somatic growth. In adults, abnormal angiogenesis can lead to impaired wound healing, poor tissue regeneration in ischemic conditions, cyclical growth of the female reproductive system, and tumor development [Carmeliet, P. and R. K. Jain, Angiogenesis in cancer and other diseases. Nature, 2000 407(6801) 249-57].
The vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) family of growth factors are the most important players involved in physiological and pathological angiogenesis. Thus far, five VEGF family members have been discovered, including VEGF-A, VEGF-B, VEGF-C, VEGF-D and PlGF [Li, X. and U. Eriksson, Novel VEGF family members: VEGF-B, VEGF-C and VEGF-D. Int J Biochem Cell Biol, 2001 33(4) 421-6]. Among them, VEGF-A is the most potent angiogenic factor, but it requires fine-tuned control of its expression and regulation. Lack of a single VEGF allele results in embryonic lethality [Carmeliet P, et al., Abnormal blood vessel development and lethality in embryos lacking a single VEGF allele. Nature, 1996 380(6573) 435-39; and Ferrara N, et al., Heterozygous embryonic lethality induced by targeted inactivation of the VEGF gene. Nature, 1996 380(6573) 439-42]. VEGF-A binds to four receptors, VEGFR-1, VEGFR-2, neuropilin-1 and neuropilin-2 [Poltorak, Z., T. Cohen, and G. Neufeld, The VEGF splice variants: properties, receptors, and usage for the treatment of ischemic diseases, Herz, 2000 25(2) 126-9]. Through these receptors, VEGF-A promotes endothelial cell proliferation, induces vascular permeability and chemo-attracts monocytes. VEGF-A expression is efficiently upregulated by hypoxia. The potent angiogenic capacity of VEGF-A gives it potential therapeutic utility in ischemic diseases where physiological angiogenesis is needed. However, clinical use of VEGF-A has been hampered because of its severe side effects [Carmeliet, P., VEGF gene therapy: stimulating angiogenesis or angioma-genesis?, Nat Med, 2000 6(10) 1102-03].
VEGF-B was the third member of the VEGF family to be discovered (after VEGF-A and VEGF-C) [Olofsson B, et al., Vascular endothelial growth factor B, a novel growth factor for endothelial cells. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 1996 93(6) 2576-81], [Grimmond S, et al., Cloning and characterization of a novel human gene related to vascular endothelial growth factor. Genome Research, 1996, 6(2) 124-31]. VEGF-B has similar angiogenic and other properties to those of VEGF-A, but is distributed and expressed in tissues differently from VEGF-A. In particular, VEGF-B is very strongly expressed in the heart, and only weakly in the lungs, whereas the reverse is the case for VEGF-A [Olofsson, B. et al, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 1996 93 2576-2581]. RT-PCR assays have demonstrated the presence of VEGF-B mRNA in melanoma, normal skin, and muscle. This suggests that VEGF-A and VEGF-B, despite the fact that they are co-expressed in many tissues, have functional differences. A comparison of the PDGF/VEGF family of growth factors reveals that the 167 amino acid isoform of VEGF-B is the only family member that is completely devoid of any glycosylation. Gene targeting studies have shown that VEGF-B deficiency results in mild cardiac phenotype, and impaired coronary vasculature [Bellomo et al, Circ Res, 2000 86 E29-35].
Human VEGF-B was isolated using a yeast co-hybrid interaction trap screening technique by screening for cellular proteins which might interact with cellular retinoic acid-binding protein type I (CRABP-I). The isolation and characteristics including nucleotide and amino acid sequences for both human and murine VEGF-B are described in detail in PCT/US96/02957, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,840,693 and 5,607,918 by Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research and The University of Helsinki and in Olofsson et al, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 1996 93 2576-2581. The nucleotide sequence for human VEGF-B is also found at GenBank Accession No. U48801. The entire disclosures of the International Patent Application PCT/US97/14696 (WO 98/07832), U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,840,693 and 5,607,918 are incorporated herein by reference.
The human and murine genes for VEGF-B are almost identical, and both span about 4 kb of DNA. The genes are composed of seven exons, and their exon-intron organization resembles that of the VEGF-A and PlGF genes [Grimmond et al, Genome Res, 1996 6 124-131; Olofsson et al, J. Biol. Chem. 1996 271 19310-17; Townson et al, Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 1996 220 922-928].
VEGF-B binds specifically to VEGFR-1 [Olofsson B, et al., Vascular endothelial growth factor B, a novel growth factor for endothelial cells, Proc Nat'l Acad Sci USA 1996 93(6) 2576-81] and neuropilin-1 [Olofsson B, et al., Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor B (Vegf-B) Binds to Vegf Receptor-1 and Regulates Plasminogen Activator Activity In Endothelial Cells, Proc Nat'l Acad Sci USA, 1998 95(20) 11709-14], a receptor previously identified for collapsins/semaphorins [Soker, S., Neuropilin in the midst of cell migration and retraction, Int J Biochem Cell Biol, 2001 33(4) 433-37]. VEGF-B displays a unique expression pattern compared with other VEGF family members, with the highest expression level in the cardiac myocytes [Aase K, et al., Localization of VEGF-B in the mouse embryo suggests a paracrine role of the growth factor in the developing vasculature, Developmental Dynamics, 1999 215(1) 12-25], whereas VEGFR-1 is expressed in the adjacent endothelial cells [Aase K, et al., Localization of VEGF-B in the mouse embryo suggests a paracrine role of the growth factor in the developing vasculature. Developmental Dynamics, 1999 215(1) 12-25], and neuropilin-1 (NP-1) is expressed in both endothelium and cardiac myocytes during development [Makinen T, et al., Differential binding of vascular endothelial growth factor B splice and proteolytic isoforms to neuropilin-1. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 1999 274(30) 21217-22; and Kitsukawa T, et al., Overexpression of a membrane protein, neuropilin, in chimeric mice causes anomalies in the cardiovascular system, nervous system and limbs, Development, 1995 121(12) 4309-18]. The temporal-spatial expression patterns of VEGF-B and its receptors thus suggest both autocrine and paracrine roles of VEGF-B in the heart [Makinen T, et al., Differential binding of vascular endothelial growth factor B splice and proteolytic isoforms to neuropilin-1, J. Biol. Chem. 1999 274(30) 21217-22]. VEGF-B heterodimerizes with VEGF-A when co-expressed [Olofsson B, et al., Vascular endothelial growth factor B, a novel growth factor for endothelial cells, Proc. Nat'l. Acad. Sci. USA 1996 93(6) 2576-81]. Two differently spliced VEGF-B isoforms exist, VEGF-B186 and VEGF-B167, with the first isoform accounting for about 80% of the total VEGF-B transcripts [Li, X. et al, Growth Factor 2001 19 49-59]. The two polypeptides differ at their carboxy-termini and display different abilities to bind neuropilin-1 [Makinen et al., J. Biol. Chem. 1999 274(30) 21217-22]. Moreover, VEGF-B186 is freely secreted, while VEGF-B167 is secreted but largely cell-associated, implying that the functional properties of the two proteins may be distinct. Both isoforms bind to extracellular matrix tenascin-X and stimulate endothelial cell proliferation through VEGF-receptor-1 (VEGFR-1) [Ikuta, T., H. Ariga, and K. Matsumoto, Extracellular matrix tenascin-X in combination with vascular endothelial growth factor B enhances endothelial cell proliferation, Genes Cells, 2000 5(11) 913-927].
The capillary density in mice lacking VEGF-B is the same as in normal mice. However, gene targeting studies have shown that VEGF-B deficiency results in an atrial conduction abnormality characterized by a prolonged PQ interval and impaired coronary vasculature [Aase K. et al, Circulation 2001 104 358-64; WO 98/36052; and Bellomo D, et al., Mice lacking the vascular endothelial growth factor-B gene (Vegfb) have smaller hearts, dysfunctional coronary vasculature, and impaired recovery from cardiac ischemia. Circulation Research, 2000 86(2) E29-E35]. Thus, accumulating data suggest that VEGF-B has important roles in both physiological and pathological conditions in the cardiovascular system.
VEGF-B may also be involved in tumor development. VEGF-B mRNA can be detected in many tumors and most tumor cell lines [Gunningham, S. P., et al., VEGF-B expression in human primary breast cancers is associated with lymph node metastasis but not angiogenesis, J Pathol, 2001 193(3) 325-32; Andre, T., et al., Vegf, Vegf-B, Vegf-C and their receptors KDR, FLT-1 and FLT-4 during the neoplastic progression of human colonic mucosa, Int J Cancer, 2000 86(2) 174-81; Eggert, A., et al., High-level expression of angiogenic factors is associated with advanced tumor stage in human neuroblastomas, Clin Cancer Res, 2000 6(5) 1900-08; Niki, T., et al., Expression of vascular endothelial growth factors A, B, C, and D and their relationships to lymph node status in lung adenocarcinoma, Clin Cancer Res, 2000 6(6) 2431-9; and Salven P, et al., Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors Vegf-B and Vegf-C Are Expressed In Human Tumors, Am. J. Pathology, 1998 153(1) 103-108]. VEGF-B expression is especially up-regulated in tumor-associated macrophages in ovarian epithelial tumors [Sowter H., et al., Expression and Localization Of the Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Family In Ovarian Epithelial Tumors, Laboratory Invest. 1997 77(6) 607-14] and renal cell carcinomas [Gunningham, S. P., et al., Vascular endothelial growth factor-B and vascular endothelial growth factor-C expression in renal cell carcinomas: regulation by the von Hippel-Lindau gene and hypoxia, Cancer Res, 2001 61(7) 3206-11].
Acute and chronic myocardial ischemia are the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in the industrialized society caused by coronary thrombosis [Varbella, F., et al., Subacute left ventricular free-wall rupture in early course of acute myocardial infarction. Clinical report of two cases and review of the literature, G Ital Cardiol, 1999 29(2) 163-70]. Immediately after heart infarction, oxygen starvation causes cell death of the infarcted area, followed by hypertrophy of the remaining viable cardiomyocytes to compensate the need of a normal contractile capacity [Heymans S, et al., Inhibition of plasminogen activators or matrix metalloproteinases prevents cardiac rupture but impairs therapeutic angiogenesis and causes cardiac failure, Nat. Med., 1999 5(10) 1135-42]. Prompt post-infarction reperfusion by blood of the infarcted left ventricular wall may significantly reduce the early mortality and subsequent heart failure by preventing apoptosis of the hypertrophied viable myocytes and pathological ventricular remodelling [Dalrymple-Hay, M. J., et al., Postinfarction ventricular septal rupture: the Wessex experience, Seminar Thorac Cardiovasc Surg, 1998 10(2) 111-16].
Promotion of angiogenesis is desirable in situations where vascularization is to be established or extended, for example after tissue or organ transplantation, or to stimulate establishment of collateral circulation in tissue infarction or arterial stenosis, such as in coronary heart disease and thromboangitis obliterans. The angiogenic process is highly complex and involves the maintenance of the endothelial cells in the cell cycle, degradation of the extracellular matrix, migration and invasion of the surrounding tissue and finally, tube formation. Because of the crucial role of angiogenesis in so many physiological processes, there is a need to develop factors which will promote angiogenesis.
Administration of growth factors such as VEGF-A and FGF-2 has been considered a possible approach for the therapeutic treatment of ischemic heart and limb disorders. However, both animal studies and early clinical trials with VEGF angiogenesis have encountered severe problems [Carmeliet, Nat Med, 2000 6 1102-3; Yancopoulos et al., Nature, 2000 407 242-8; Veikkola et al., Semin Cancer Biol 1999 9 211-20; Dvorak et al., Semin Perinatol 2000 24 75-8; Lee et al., Circulation, 2000 102 898-901]. VEGF-A stimulated microvessels are disorganized, sinusoidal and dilated, much like those found in tumors [Lee et al., Circulation 2000 102 898-901; and Springer et al., Mol. Cell 1998 2 549-559]. Moreover, these vessels are usually leaky, poorly perfused, torturous and likely to rupture and regress. Thus, these vessels have limited ability to improve the ischemic conditions of myocardium. In addition, the leakage of blood vessels induced by VEGF-A (also known as Vascular Permeability Factor) could cause cardiac edema that leads to heart failure. Unregulated VEGF-A expression in the myocardium also could lead to the development of hemangioma or the growth of micrometastases in distal organs instead of functional vessels.
Thus, despite some advances in clinical treatment and prevention which have been achieved in the prior art, insufficient or abnormal post-infarction revascularization remains a major cause of the death of the otherwise viable myocardium and leads to progressive infarct extension and fibrous replacement, and ultimately heart failure. Therefore, therapeutic agents promoting normal post-infarction revascularization with minimal toxicity are still needed and there is an ongoing requirement for new angiogenic factors and new methods of angiogenic therapy.

Stimulation of vascularization with VEGF-B-186

Flanders Interuniversity Institute for Biotechnology


Provided are techniques for managing backup operations from a client system to a primary server and secondary server. A determination is made at the client system of whether a state of the data on the secondary server permits a backup operation in response to determining that the primary server is unavailable when a force failover parameter is not set. The client system reattempts to connect to the primary server to perform the backup operation at the primary server in response to determining that the state of the data on the secondary server does not permit the backup operation. The client system performs the backup operation at the secondary server in response to determining that the state of the secondary server permits the backup operation.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a computer program product, system, and method for managing backup operations from a client system to a primary server and secondary server.
2. Description of the Related Art
Backup servers may be configured to replicate client backup data between two servers in support of disaster recovery. Typically, one server is preferred over other servers for performing client backup/restore operations. When the preferred backup server becomes inoperative, the client systems being managed by the "dead" server can be manually reconfigured by an administrator to connect to an alternative backup server that has a replicated copy of the client's data.
Once the preferred server returns to service, an administrator must manually reconfigure the clients to again connect to their preferred backup servers of choice. For performance reasons it may be important to avoid store operations to less than optimal alternative servers and to try to maintain the most up-to-date data on the preferred server.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Managing backup operations from a client system to a primary server and secondary server


A LED package structure including a carrier, LED chips, and a package body is provided. The carrier defines a cave with two opposite first side walls, two opposite second side walls and a rectangular bottom surface. An included angle between the first side wall and the bottom surface differs from that between the second side wall and the bottom surface. The LED chips are disposed in a straight-line arrangement on a center line of the bottom surface and electrically connected to the carrier. The center line is parallel to a long side of the bottom surface. The package body is formed on the carrier to cover the LED chips. Since the included angle between the first side wall and the bottom surface differs from that between the second side wall and the bottom surface, light provided by the LED package structure has different spatial radiation patterns in different directions.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a package structure, and more particularly to a backlight module and a light emitting diode (LED) package structure thereof.
2. Description of Related Art
In recent years, since luminescence efficiency of LEDs has been constantly upgraded, fluorescent lamps and incandescent bulbs are gradually replaced with the LEDs in some fields, such as a scanning light source which requires high reaction speed, a backlight source of a liquid crystal display (LCD), car instrument panel illumination, traffic signs and general illumination devices.
The LEDs is point light sources. Thus, as the LEDs are applied to the backlight sources of the LCDs, the LEDs are arranged in array in most cases, and light beams provided by the backlight sources are uniformly mixed before the light beams are transmitted to LCD panels, so as to provide planar light sources emitting uniformly-mixed white light beams for the LCD panels. Here, as the LEDs are applied to edge-type backlight modules, a Lambertian LED package structure 100a (shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B) characterized by converged light beams or a batwing LED package structure 100b (shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B) is usually adopted.
Taking the backlight source composed of one or more Lambertian LED package structures 100a adapted to emit red lights, green lights or blue lights for an example, when a pitch among each of the LED package structures 100a is 9 mm, the light beams provided by the LED package structures 100a require a 28-mm light-mixing distance for mixing the light beams into the uniform white light beams. However, since the pitch among each of the LED package structures 100a is almost unlikely to be shortened by virtue of the volume of the LED package structures 100a, the light-mixing distance thereof is not likely to be shortened as well. Accordingly, the volume of the backlight module cannot be reduced.
In order to reduce the light-mixing distance of the light beams provided by the LED package structures 100a, an LED package structure 100c (shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B) having three chips is proposed by the related art. The LED package structure 100c has a red LED chip 110r, a green LED chip 110g, and a blue LED chip 110b. The LED chips 110r, 110g, and 110b are disposed in the same chamber 120. Thus, the light beams provided by the LED chips 110r, 110g, and 110b can be mixed in the chamber 120 at first and then projected out of the LED package structure 100c. As such, the light beams supplied by the LED package structure 100c have a relatively short light-mixing distance than the backlight source constituted by the LED package structures 100a does. Here, said light-mixing distance is 18 mm.
It should be noted that the square-shaped chamber 120 of the LED package structure 100c cannot achieve a converged effect, and hence the light beams provided by the LED package structure 100c may have a relatively short transmitting distance. Moreover, the degree of the luminance of the planar light source is larger nearby a light incident surface of a light guide plate (not shown) than away from the light incident surface thereof. Accordingly, as the LED package structure 100c is employed together with a large-sized light guide plate, unfavorable light uniformity may be achieved in an edge area of the planar light source emitted from a light emitting surface of the light guide plate.

Backlight module and light emitting diode package structure therefor


Systems and methods are provided for in vivo pre-surgical characterization of lenses, such as cataractous lenses. A method comprises obtaining an electromagnetically-measured value related to the axial thickness of the lens, obtaining an ultrasound-measured value related to the axial thickness of the lens, calculating a relationship value based upon the electromagnetically-measured value and the ultrasound-measured value, and determining a mechanical property value based upon the calculated relationship value. The mechanical property may relate to lens hardness, rigidity, or density, or the amount of energy for a phacoemulsification procedure. A system may comprise an optical interferometer for measuring data to obtain the electromagnetically-measured value and an ultrasound biometer for measuring data to obtain the ultrasound-measured value.

A cataract is a clouding of the lens in the eye. Cataracts can cause impaired vision, including clouded, dim, or blurry sight, and increased sensitivity to light.
Cataracts are commonly treated by cataract surgery. The most prevalent cataract surgery involves removing the cataractous lens and replacing it with a clear synthetic lens or intraocular lens (IOL). Cataract surgery is typically performed as an outpatient procedure.
In phacoemulsification cataract surgery, a small incision is made in the cornea of the eye and an ultrasonic probe is inserted through the incision to the lens. The vibration of the ultrasonic probe at ultrasonic frequency causes the lens to fragment into tiny pieces. The lens fragments are aspirated away, and an IOL is implanted into the lens capsule in place of the cataractous lens.
While phacoemulsification is the most commonly-performed form of cataract surgery, in some cases extracapsular cataract extraction (ECCE) is performed. In ECCE, the entire cataractous lens is removed and replaced with the IOL. ECCE typical requires a larger incision than phacoemulsification and can require more recovery time. In many cases, ECCE is performed because the facility does not have the equipment for phacoemulsification, often due to the cost associated with such equipment. In some cases, ECCE is chosen because the cataractous lens is so hard that it would be difficult to fragment effectively through phacoemulsification.
Prior to performing cataract surgery, the physician examines the eye to obtain information for the procedure. For example, the physician performs certain measurements in order to select the appropriate IOL.
It may also be desirable for the physician to have information about the hardness of the cataractous lens in order to determine whether the patient is a suitable candidate for phacoemulsification and, if so, to determine a suitable phacoemulsification energy to be utilized during the procedure. Such information can be helpful to improve outcome, so that the physician does not use insufficient energy or excess energy to fragment the lens, which can lead to complications such as insufficient fragmentation, excess fragmentation, extended procedure time, damage to the lens capsule, damage to other parts of the eye, or extended recovery time.
There are a number of methods that have been used to obtain a pre-surgical characterization of cataractous lenses based on optical properties and visual appearance. For example, methods that have been used include slit lamp appearance (e.g., LOCSIII), backward light scattering (e.g., anterior chamber OCTs), lateral light scattering (e.g., PENTACAM from Oculus and GALILEI from Ziemer Group), and forward light scattering (e.g., OQAS HD ANALYZER from Visiometrics and C-QUANT from Oculus). However, the correlation between these optical properties and mechanical properties can be relatively weak, making it difficult to accurately determine lens hardness from such techniques.
In the past, proposals have been made in efforts to measure the hardness of cataractous lenses. For example, it has been proposed to obtain ultrasound measurements of the lens and to derive a proposed measure of lens hardness based upon the ultrasound readings for the first lens peak, the last lens peak, and the time of flight between the lens peaks (See M. El-Brawany, Ultrasound-Based Noninvasive Measurement of Cataract Hardness, The Online Journal on Electronics and Electrical Engineering, vol. 2, no. 2, pp. 246-249 (2009)). Similarly, it has been proposed to characterize lens hardness based upon ultrasound velocity or ultrasound attenuation (See D. Jesus, Ultrasound Techniques for Lens Hardness Characterization: A Comparison Study, 2012 IEEE International Ultrasonics Symposium Proceedings, pp. 2376-2379 (2012)).
Prior proposals have had drawbacks such as an inability or difficulty to obtain reliable or useful data in vivo, an unreliability of the calculations, insufficient correlation of the calculations to information useful for the cataract surgery procedure, and/or little or no clinical adoption.

In vivo pre-surgical characterization of cataractous lenses


Examples disclosed herein relate to image object recognition based on a feature vector with context information. A processor may create an expanded feature vector related to a first area of an image including context information related to the first area. The processor may determine the presence of an object in the image based on the feature vector and output information about the determined object.

Object recognition may involve determining the presence of an object in an image based on a statistical comparison of the features of the image to features representative of the object. A processor may create feature vectors where each feature vector includes information about the local features of the image in a particular area of the image. The processor may analyze a group of feature vectors to determine the likelihood of a particular type of object appearing in the image.

Image object recognition based on a feature vector with context information

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


A power supply device with power conversion capabilities is disclosed. The power supply device comprises an input module, a power converter, and an output module. The input module is used for receiving an alternating current power. The power converter is coupled to the input module for converting the alternating current power to a direct current power. The output module is coupled to the power converter for outputting the direct current power.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a power supply device, and more particularly to a power supply device with a power converter for providing power to a notebook computer.
2. Description of the Related Art
With the rapid development of information technology, a notebook computer was created for a computer user to be operated anywhere. Due to the advantages of portability and convenience, the notebook computer has become a popular product.
However, huge power consumption of the notebook computer is one of the most significant problems which need to be improved. Please refer to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 illustrates a diagram of a common notebook computer connected to a utility power via a transformer. As shown in FIG. 1, a notebook computer 10 generally has an installed battery. A transformer 20 with a plug 202 and a cable plug 204 connects to the battery of the notebook computer 10 and supplies power to the notebook computer 10 by converting the utility power received via the socket coupled to the plug 202 of the transformer 20. Consequently, the utility power is supplied to the battery through the cable plug 204 for charging or to the notebook computer 10 directly for normal operation of the notebook computer 10.
Before activities are planned with the notebook computer 10, a user must ensure sufficient electrical power of the notebook computer 10 when mobile, either by fully charging the battery according to the above-described charging mechanism, or by manually carrying the transformer 20. Therefore, assuring operation of the notebook computer 10 when the installed battery runs out of power. However, the transformer 20 of the common notebook computer 10 is usually a certain weight, and thus a burden and significant inconvenience for users to carry around.
Therefore, it has become a main subject to develop and provide a more convenient way for a user to operate a notebook computer normally without manually carrying around a transformer.


An active inhaler for delivery of an inhalation formulation has an overall flow resistance of at least 60,000 Pa1/2 s/m3 for ambient air drawn into a mouthpiece of the inhaler. This flow resistance when air and the aerosol are sucked via the mouthpiece is produced by the sizing of at least on air supply opening and/or an insert within the mouthpiece.

Field of Invention
The present invention relates to an inhaler.
Description of Related Art
The present invention specifically relates to active inhalers such as an inhaler sold by the assignee of the present application under the trademark RESPIMAT®, as illustrated in its basic structure in WO 91/14468 A1 (corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 5,497,944) and in a specific embodiment in WO 97/12687 A1 (corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 5,964,416; FIGS. 6a, 6b). The inhaler has, as a reservoir for a fluid which is to be atomized, an insertable rigid container having an inner bag containing the fluid and a pressure generator with a drive spring for delivering and atomizing the fluid.
The invention also relates to powder inhalers, whether multidose pre-metered or reservoir devices.
To supplement the disclosure of the present application reference is made to the complete disclosure of both U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,497,944 and 5,964,416. Generally, the disclosure contained therein preferably relates to a inhaler with a spring pressure of 5 to 200 MPa, preferably 10 to 100 MPa on the fluid, with a volume of fluid delivered per stroke of 10 to 50 μl, preferably 10 to 20 μl, most preferably about 15 μl. The fluid is converted into an aerosol the droplets of which have an aerodynamic diameter of up to 20 μm, preferably 3 to 10 μm. Furthermore, the disclosure contained therein preferably relates to a inhaler of cylindrical shape about 9 cm to about 15 cm and about 2 cm to about 5 cm wide and with a jet spray angle of 20° to 160°, preferably 80° to 100°. These values also apply to the inhaler according to the teaching of the present invention as particularly preferred values.
Active inhalers in the sense of the present invention generate the desired aerosol of the inhalation formulation by means of a conveying means, such as a propellant, a pump, an air pump or any other pressure generator or compressed or liquefied gas, i.e., not due to an air stream of a patient or user who breathes in, although the dispensing operation (aerosol operation) can be triggered by the breathing in.
When a patient puts a mouthpiece or any other end piece in his mouth and breathes in, an air stream of ambient air is sucked through the inhaler to entrain the already generated aerosol of the inhalation formulation and to discharge this aerosol. A pressure drop occurs within the inhaler when the air stream flows through the inhaler. This pressure drop depends on the flow rate and flow velocity. The flow resistance represents a quantity relating to the square root of the pressure drop at a certain flow rate. In the context of the present invention, the term "flow resistance" means the resistance which occurs when air is sucked from the mouthpiece or any other end piece of the inhaler during inhalation. In particular, the flow resistance relates to a flow path for ambient air through at least one air supply opening of the inhaler into a mouthpiece of the inhaler. More preferably, the flow resistance means the total flow resistance of the inhaler in the present invention, even if the inhaler has multiple air supply openings through which air can be sucked into the mouthpiece.
In contrast to active inhalers, where an active means generates the aerosol, passive inhalers usually have a higher flow resistance for the patient or user. This results from the fact that the generation of aerosol requires energy and, thus, leads to a respective flow resistance in passive inhalers. Nevertheless, it has been an object of the previous developments to keep the flow resistance as low as possible in both types of inhalers in order to facilitate inhalation for the patient or user.


Methods, systems, and articles of manufacture for dynamically delayed delivery of content in a network are provided herein. A method includes receiving, from a user device coupled to a network, a request for a content from the network; estimating a measure of available bandwidth on the network for delivery of the requested content at each of multiple periods of time; generating multiple schedules for the delivery of the requested content, wherein each of the multiple schedules is based on (i) the measure of available bandwidth on the network at one of the multiple periods of time and (ii) a predefined set of scheduling rules associated with the user device and the network; and delivering the requested content to the user device according to a schedule selected from the multiple schedules.

Content delivery over telecommunication networks includes a variety of challenges. For example, such networks can be expensive as well as perishable (that is, unutilized resources are wasted), and adoption of some networks remains relatively low. While reducing overall network service price (for example, cheaper subscription plans) may increase adoption, such an approach will potentially lower the quality of experience (QoE) and may not be cost-effective for service providers.
Accordingly, a need exists for delivery models that can be coupled with application services to exploit less-congested times to increase overall network utilization and meet QoE expectations.

Dynamically delayed delivery of content in a network


In order to modify the composition of a non-azeotropic mixed refrigerant circulating through the refrigeration cycle of a refrigerating and air-conditioning apparatus using a refrigerant rectifier column, the level of the liquid refrigerant rich in the low-boiling point fraction that is obtained from a refrigerant rectifier column (11) and which collects in a refrigerant container (14), as well as the level of the liquid refrigerant rich in the high-boiling point fraction that collects in an accumulator (6) are adjusted so as to modify the composition of the refrigerant circulating through the refrigeration cycle. The circuit structure can be made simple, and the energy need not be supplied during the cooling and heating operations to modify the composition of the non-azeotropic mixed refrigerant.

The present invention relates to a refrigerating air-conditioning apparatus using a non-azeotropic mixed refrigerant, particularly to one that is capable of changing the composition of a refrigerant circulating through a refrigeration cycle such as to exhibit load-matching performance at all times of its operation.
FIG. 15 shows the layout of a conventional refrigerating air-conditioning apparatus using a non-azeotropic mixed refrigerant as proposed in Examined Japanese Patent Publication No. Hei 6-12201. In the drawing, numeral 1 refers to a compressor, 32 a condenser, 33 and 34 capillaries and 35 an evaporator; these components are connected by pipes sequentially to form a refrigeration cycle using a non-azeotropic mixed refrigerant consisting of a high-boiling point fraction and a low-boiling point fraction.
Shown by 11 is a refrigerant rectifying column, the bottom of which is connected to a loop including a heater 41 and a lower refrigerant container 42 whereas the top of the column is connected to a loop including a cooler 13 and an upper refrigerant container 14. The upper refrigerant container 14 is connected between the condenser 32 and the evaporator 35 via a solenoid valve 43 and so is the lower refrigerant container 42 via a solenoid valve 44. Provided upstream of the evaporator 35 are a capillary 45 and a solenoid valve 46, via which the evaporator is connected to the upper refrigerant container 14; the evaporator 35 is also connected to the lower refrigerant container 42 via the capillary 45 and a solenoid valve 47. The heater 41 is an electric heater and the cooler 13 is a water-cooled heat exchanger.
Being constructed in the way just described above, the prior art refrigerating air-conditioning apparatus using a non-azeotropic mixed refrigerant is operated in the following manner. The vapor of a non-azeotropic mixed refrigerant compressed to a higher temperature and pressure in the compressor 1 condenses in the condenser 32 and flows into the capillary 33. During normal operation, solenoid valves 43, 44, 46 and 47 are closed so that the refrigerant passes through the capillary 34 to turn into a low-temperature and pressure refrigerant consisting of a vapor and a liquid phase, which then flows into the evaporator 35 and the resulting vapor returns to the compressor 1.
In order to increase the high-boiling point fraction of the refrigerant circulating through the refrigeration cycle, the following procedure may be taken. Solenoid valves 43 and 46 are closed and solenoid valves 44 and 47 are opened so that a portion of the refrigerant emerging from the capillary 33 is diverted to solenoid 44, thence flowing into the lower refrigerant container 42. A portion of the refrigerant entering the lower refrigerant container 42 passes through solenoid 47 to flow into the capillary 45, where it merges with the refrigerant flowing through the main circuit on the side upstream of the evaporator 35. The remainder of the refrigerant entering the lower refrigerant container 42 is heated in the heater 41 and the resulting vapor ascends through the refrigerant rectifying column 11. At the same time, the liquid refrigerant stored in the upper refrigerant container 14 descends through the refrigerant rectifying column 11 and contacts the ascending refrigerant vapor to perform a so-called "rectifying action" by the resulting vapor-liquid contact. As it ascends through the rectifying column 11, the refrigerant vapor becomes enriched with the low-boiling point fraction. It is then liquefied in the cooler 13 and collects in the upper refrigerant container 14; thus, only the refrigerant rich in the low-boiling point fraction is stored in the upper refrigerant container 14. In other words, the remainder of the refrigerant which flows through the refrigeration cycle is enriched with the high-boiling point fraction.
In order to increase the low-boiling point fraction of the refrigerant circulating through the refrigeration cycle, the following procedure may be taken. Solenoid valves 43 and 46 are opened and solenoid valves 44 and 47 are closed so that a portion of the refrigerant emerging from the capillary 33 is diverted to solenoid valve 43, thence flowing into the upper refrigerant container 14. A portion of the refrigerant entering the upper refrigerant container 14 passes through the capillary 45 and emerges with the main circuit stream, and the remainder of the refrigerant enters the refrigerant rectifying column 11, through which it descends. At the same time, a portion of the liquid refrigerant in the lower refrigerant container 42 is heated in the heater 41 and the resulting vapor ascends through the refrigerant rectifying column 11 to contact the descending liquid refrigerant, thereby achieving a so-called "rectifying action" through the resulting vapor-liquid contact. The descending liquid refrigerant becomes gradually enriched with the high-boiling point fraction and collects in the lower refrigerant container 42; thus, only the refrigerant rich in the high-boiling point fraction is stored in the lower refrigerant container 42. In other words, the remainder of the refrigerant which flows through the refrigeration cycle is enriched with the low-boiling point fraction.
Another example of the prior art apparatus may be found in Examined Japanese Patent Publication No. Hei 2-47668.
As described above, the conventional refrigerating air-conditioning apparatus which uses a non-azeotropic mixed refrigerant utilizes a refrigerant rectifying column in order to increase both the high-boiling and low-boiling point fractions of the refrigerant circulating through the refrigeration cycle; therefore, the overall circuit configuration is complicated and energy is required at all times of the cooling and heating operations. In particular, the use of an electric heater requires extra power input when the refrigerant composition is changed and this reduces the energy efficiency of the refrigerating air-conditioning apparatus.
In addition, the performance of the apparatus cannot be controlled over a practically broad dynamic range by merely changing the composition of the refrigerant; in order to deal with this difficulty, the additional control of the performance by changing the rotational speed of the compressor with an inverter may be invoked. This approach is capable of increasing the dynamic range of performance control but, on the other hand, due to the loss in the inverter or motor, the change in the rotational speed of the compressor eventually lowers the efficiency of the refrigerating air-conditioning apparatus.


A dynamically adjustable weight lifting aid that eliminates hand grip strength as the limiting factor in weight lifting, including a strap and a slidable sleeve encircling the strap. The strap has a wrist loop at one end and an attachment loop at the other end. The attachment loop is suitable for removably attaching the strap to a weight bar or other handle on a weight lifting system or machine. The wrist loop is suitable for receiving a person's wrist. Specifically, the person's hand is inserted through the wrist loop, and the person's palm contacts the slidable sleeve. The wrist loop cradles the person's wrist, and the effective diameter of the wrist loop is dynamically adjustable by the person's hand by sliding the slidable sleeve in either direction along the length of the strap. The person may then lift a weight of the weight lifting system by pulling on the strap.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to weight lifting aids, and in particular, to a wrist strap adapted for use with a weight lifting system and designed to reduce reliance upon hand grip strength during weight lifting, as well as a telescoping weight bar suitable for use with the wrist strap.
2. Description of the Related Art
Weight lifting is both a popular sport and a means of increasing physical fitness through strength training. When lifting weights, the hands and fingers of a person are typically wrapped around a bar, handle, or similar handhold such that the weight is firmly gripped and therefore manipulable by the person. If the person unexpectedly or accidentally loses a tight grip on the handhold, even momentarily, then he or she may drop the weight and/or compensate for the sudden loose grip by immediately making a stiffening, jerking, or twisting body motion. Such a quick body motion undertaken while the muscles are still under stress can lead to soft tissue or muscular injury. Similarly, if the person lacks the ability or strength to firmly grip or consistently maintain a firm grip on a weight, then he or she may be unable to participate in a conventional weight lifting regimen.
Accordingly, technology has been developed in an attempt to enhance the gripping ability of a person or to enable a person to lift or pull weights or other heavy objects without reliance upon strong grip strength. For example, U.S. Pat. App. Pub. No. US 2003/0148861 published Aug. 7, 2003, for McBride, describes a grasping and lifting aid comprising a flexible strap that loops around the user's wrist then wraps around a weight bar. A portion of the strap has anti-slip properties such that the user's hand is less apt to slip when he or she grasps the wrapped weight bar. Although this device enhances a user's gripping ability by reducing slippage, it is not designed to significantly obviate the need for a strong and consistent hand grip during weight lifting.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,813,368 issued to Rasmussen on Sep. 29, 1998, describes a hand-held dog restraint wherein the user inserts his hand and wrist through a wrist loop, then grasps a padded hand grip on a rigid bar, the far end of which has a dog collar attachment clip. The wrist loop, therefore, does not eliminate the need to tightly grip the rigid bar, as it only serves as a back-up to keep the bar in easy reach if the user loses his or her grasp on the rigid bar. The wrist loop is not adjustable in size as it is not meant to wrap tightly around the user's wrist.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,168,556 issued to Saavedra on Jan. 2, 2001, describes a wrist strap apparatus for use in weight training comprising a wrist strap having a connected dependent strap portion with a spring clip or carabiner for attachment to weight training equipment. The strap is wrapped around a user's wrist and secured thereto using a hook and loop fastener. A thumb loop circles around the user's thumb to help keep the strap in place around the user's wrist. This device can remove hand grip strength as a limiting factor in weight lifting. However, once it is wrapped around a user's wrist it cannot be loosened, tightened, or otherwise adjusted to more comfortably fit around the user's wrist without first unhooking and unwrapping it, then re-wrapping it in the desired position. Such a maneuver could not be accomplished during a lift and could not be accomplished between lifts without stopping the lifting routine. Thus, this device is not designed to permit small, but potentially very comforting, adjustments of the tightness or position of the strap around the user's wrist during a lift or between lift repetitions.
Additionally, placement and securing of the Saavedra strap around the wrist requires the use of both of the user's hands or the assistance of another person. Thus, two of these devices could not remain attached to the ends of a typical weight bar (i.e., one device attached to each end of the bar) such that a person could walk up to the weight machine and attach the device on one end of the bar to one of his or her wrists then attach the device on the other end of the bar to his or her other wrist (unless the bar was very short). The reason for this is that once the person had secured one wrist to one device, that hand could not reach over to assist in securing the other wrist to the other device. One or both of the devices would first have to be removed from the weight machine, or alternatively the assistance of a second person would be needed. The following publications disclose similar weight lifting wrist strap devices using hook and loop fasteners for securing the device onto a user's wrist, thus resulting in the same limitations described above for the Saavedra device: U.S. Pat. No. 5,997,494 issued to Watkins et al. on Dec. 7, 1999; U.S. Des. Pat. No. D459,772 issued to Meldeau on Jul. 2, 2002; and U.S. Des. Pat. No. D464,686 issued to Silveira et al. on Oct. 22, 2002.

Apparatus and method for lifting weights


The present invention relates to a method and an image processing system for determining the color of a street marking, by: capturing an image of a street, detecting a street marking as a set of pixels provided by the image, wherein the pixels include at least two different pieces of color information, determining a color score for the street marking by comparing said at least two different pieces of color information, and determining the color of the street marking by comparing the color score to at least one threshold value.

Applications are known in the prior art that permit detecting and tracking street markings, such as for example lane markings, on the road. The challenges faced by such applications can depend on the different lighting conditions, raining, poor lane markings, and the problem of distinguishing street markings from objects on the road.
Color extraction can significantly enhance the functionality of street marking detection, allowing to distinguish between different street markings based on their colors. In this respect, road marking regulations may prescribe that street markings should be treated differently based on their colors. For example, according to European traffic rules, when yellow and white color lane markings are detected, the yellow lane marking should be treated with higher priority to override directions provided by the white lane marking. Such yellow lane markings are often used to improve road safety near construction zones.
For a conventional red-green-blue RGB camera, which separately records red, green and blue color information for image pixels, the different color channels measure the different color intensities corresponding to the visual spectrum, and thus allow a straightforward color classification, e.g. based on a three-color information chart.
However, as image conditions can affect the correctness of the detected color, the color may require adjustment to render specific colors correctly. For this purpose, color balance methods, e.g. gray balance, neutral balance, or white balance methods, can be used. For example, the goal of the white balance is to render the color in the image correctly, in particular to compensate color shift effects caused by changes in illumination characteristics.
For example, at dusk, the low sun illumination has a low temperature, which renders everything with a reddish color. Human eyes are quite good at white balance, but one still has the experience that an image taken under incandescent lamp shows significant color shift, wherein a white object often seems yellowish.
Also for camera sensors, it can be challenging to correct the color shift. This problem is particularly relevant for a lane detection system attempting to correctly detect and distinguish white and yellow lane markings based on their colors, in particular when faced with changing lighting conditions.
The problem is even more challenging when a red-clear camera is used instead of the conventional RGB camera, which is often the case in automobile applications. In images captured by red-clear cameras, the pixels provide only red color information and clear color information, wherein the clear color information provides no red, green or blue color information.
For example, in a four pixel arrangement of a red-clear camera, one pixel can capture the red light information, whereas the remaining three pixels have no R/G/B filters provided on top of them. In other words, images captured by red-clear cameras do not provide full R/G/B color information. It follows that the above described color balance problem cannot be compensated by traditional color balance methods, since the image captured by the red-clear camera provides no green and blue color information.


In one embodiment, an X-ray computed tomography apparatus includes an X-ray tube, an X-ray detector, a rotating mechanism, a high voltage generating unit, a reconstruction processing unit, a projection image generating unit configured to generate a projection image based on output from the X-ray detector, an image display unit, and a fluoroscopy control unit configured to control the rotating mechanism, the high voltage generating unit, the X-ray detector, the projection image generating unit and the image display unit to implement stereo fluoroscopy.

Recently, an X-ray computed tomography apparatus capable of performing so-called CT fluoroscopy has come on the market. CT fluoroscopy is a technique of reconstruction and displaying tomograms in real time concurrently with a scan. CT fluoroscopy is effective for catheterization. CT reconstruction includes a very large number of processing steps. In current CT fluoroscopy, the field of view in the body axis direction is only about 6 mm (see FIG. 13). It is possible to expand the fluoroscopy range up to, for example, 32 mm by increasing the slice width of each slice. Increasing the slice thickness will make a partial volume phenomenon more noticeable and blur the tip of a needle or catheter. This makes it impossible to use an X-ray computed tomography apparatus for catheterization and the like.
A recent wide area detector includes, for example, 320 arrays (320 segments).
However, the fluoroscopy range that allows CT fluoroscopy is still limited by the reconstruction processing speed. As shown in FIG. 14, CT fluoroscopy does not effectively use many segments.
Currently, therefore, it is not possible to practically apply an X-ray computed tomography apparatus to a situation that requires instantaneousness and a wide field of view as in the case of catheterization and the like. Even if advances in reconstruction techniques will allow to reconstruct several hundred slices in real time, it is necessary to continuously irradiate a wide range with X-rays. This leads to the problem of exposure.


A cardiac rhythm management system that provides an indication of patient well-being based on the autonomic balance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic/vagal components of the autonomic nervous system, using time-domain processing of frequency components of a heart rate interval signal.

When functioning properly, the human heart maintains its own intrinsic rhythm, and is capable of pumping adequate blood throughout the body's circulatory system. However, some people have irregular cardiac rhythms, referred to as cardiac arrhythmias. Such arrhythmias result in diminished blood circulation. One mode of treating cardiac arrhythmias uses drug therapy. Drugs are often effective at restoring normal heart rhythms. However, drug therapy is not always effective for treating arrhythmias of certain patients. For such patients, an alternative mode of treatment is needed. One such alternative mode of treatment includes the use of a cardiac rhythm management system. Such systems are often implanted in the patient and deliver therapy to the heart.
Cardiac rhythm management systems include, among other things, pacemakers, also referred to as pacers. Pacers deliver timed sequences of low energy electrical stimuli, called pace pulses, to the heart, such as via an intravascular leadwire or catheter (referred to as a "lead") having one or more electrodes disposed in or about the heart. Heart contractions are initiated in response to such pace pulses (this is referred to as "capturing" the heart). By properly timing the delivery of pace pulses, the heart can be induced to contract in proper rhythm, greatly improving its efficiency as a pump. Pacers are often used to treat patients with bradyarrhythmias, that is, hearts that beat too slowly, or irregularly. Such pacers coordinate atrial and ventricular contractions to improve pumping efficiency. Cardiac rhythm management systems also include coordination devices for coordinating the contractions of both the right and left sides of the heart for improved pumping efficiency.
Cardiac rhythm management systems also include defibrillators that are capable of delivering higher energy electrical stimuli to the heart. Such defibrillators also include cardioverters, which synchronize the delivery of such stimuli to portions of sensed intrinsic heart activity signals. Defibrillators are often used to treat patients with tachyarrhythmias, that is, hearts that beat too quickly. Such too-fast heart rhythms also cause diminished blood circulation because the heart isn't allowed sufficient time to fill with blood before contracting to expel the blood. Such pumping by the heart is inefficient. A defibrillator is capable of delivering an high energy electrical stimulus that is sometimes referred to as a defibrillation countershock, also referred to simply as a "shock." The countershock interrupts the tachyarrhythmia, allowing the heart to reestablish a normal rhythm for the efficient pumping of blood. In addition to pacers, cardiac rhythm management systems also include, among other things, pacer/defibrillators that combine the functions of pacers and defibrillators, drug delivery devices, and any other implantable or external systems or devices for diagnosing or treating cardiac arrhythmias.
One problem faced by physicians treating cardiovascular patients is assessing patient well-being for providing a prognosis or for adjusting therapy to improve the patient's prognosis. Heart rate variability ("HRV") is thought to provide one such assessment of cardiovascular health. The time interval between intrinsic ventricular heart contractions changes in response to the body's metabolic need for a change in heart rate and the amount of blood pumped through the circulatory system. For example, during a period of exercise or other activity, a person's intrinsic heart rate will generally increase over a time period of several or many heartbeats. However, even on a beat-to-beat basis, that is, from one heart beat to the next, and without exercise, the time interval between intrinsic heart contractions varies in a normal person. These beat-to-beat variations in intrinsic heart rate are the result of proper regulation by the autonomic nervous system of blood pressure and cardiac output; the absence of such variations indicates a possible deficiency in the regulation being provided by the autonomic nervous system.
The autonomic nervous system itself has two components: sympathetic and parasympathetic (or vagal). The sympathetic component of the autonomic nervous system is relatively slow acting, and is associated with a tendency to raise heart rate, blood pressure, and/or cardiac output. The parasympathetic/vagal component of the autonomic nervous system, which provides a relatively faster response than the sympathetic component, is associated with a tendency to reduce heart rate, blood pressure, and/or cardiac output. A proper balance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic components of the autonomic nervous system is important. Therefore, an indication of this balance of the components of the autonomic nervous system, which is sometimes referred to as "autonomic balance," "sympathetic tone," or "sympathovagal balance," provides a useful indication of the patient's well-being.
One technique for providing an indication of the balance of the components of the autonomic nervous system is provided by the beat-to-beat heart rate variability, as discussed above. More particularly, intrinsic ventricular contractions are detected. The time intervals between these contractions, referred to as the R—R intervals, are recorded after filtering out any ectopic contractions, that is, ventricular contractions that are not the result of a normal sinus rhythm. This signal of R—R intervals is typically transformed into the frequency-domain, such as by using fast Fourier transform ("FFT") techniques, so that its spectral frequency components can be analyzed. Two frequency bands are of particular interest: a low frequency (LF) band in the frequency ("f") range 0.04 Hz≦f<0.15 Hz, and a high frequency (HF) band in the frequency range 0.15 Hz≦f≦0.40 Hz. The HF band of the R—R interval signal is influenced only by the parasympathetic/vagal component of the autonomic nervous system. The LF band of the R—R interval signal is influenced by both the sympathetic and parasympathetic components of the autonomic nervous system. Consequently, the ratio LF/HF is regarded as a good indication of the autonomic balance between sympathetic and parasympathetic/vagal components of the autonomic nervous system. An increase in the LF/HF ratio indicates an increased predominance of the sympathetic component, and a decrease in the LF/HF ratio indicates an increased predominance of the parasympathetic component. For a particular heart rate, the LF/HF ratio is regarded as an indication of patient wellness, with a lower LF/HF ratio indicating a more positive state of cardiovascular health.
Such spectral analysis of the frequency components of the R—R interval signal has required an FFT (or other parametric transformation, such as autoregression) transformation from the time domain into the frequency domain. Implantable cardiac rhythm management devices, however, typically do not presently have the dedicated hardware to perform such FFT transformations. Even if an implantable cardiac rhythm management device did have such dedicated FFT hardware, performing the transformation would be computationally expensive, requiring increased power consumption, and shortening time during which the implanted battery-powered device can be used before its replacement is required. Therefore, there is a need to provide such an indication of patient well-being without requiring a computationally expensive transformation of the R—R interval signal into the frequency domain.

Cardiac rhythm management system using time-domain heart rate variability indicia


A dog halter which includes interconnected neck, side, and cheek straps. The nose and neck straps are substantially independent such that, when desired, the force exerted by the dog handler is independently transmitted to the nose strap for effectively maintaining the dog's mouth in closed condition. The various components are preferably formed of a flexible material, such as a braided fabric, and includes a size adjustment means for adapting the halter to various size dogs.

Various harnesses/collars/halters have previously been proposed for dogs and other animals to guide and control their movement. For dogs, it is most desirable that such a device prevent the dog from pulling on the leash 1) to reduce the strength required by the handler to control the dog, 2) prevent or reduce the counterforce exerted by the dog in response to the tension applied by the handler, thereby permitting the dog to engage in exploratory and elimination behaviors during a walk that can be inhibited when a dog is exerting counterforce, and 3) prevent or reduce barking and lunging behavior and fearful pulling on the leash, and the counterforce that can escalate these behaviors. It is also desirable that such a halter be able to facilitate training the dog to perform standard dog obedience tasks such as "sit", "down", "heel", "stay" and "come." Such training and behavioral control can proceed in an extremely effective manner by independently controlling the tightening of a strap which is looped around the dog's nose. The pulling of the leash tightens this loop, transmitting pressure to the nose loop when it is desired to prevent pulling or barking. This is a very effective obedience training and behavior problem solving procedure.
It is also desirable that such a halter be comfortable for the dog so that the dog readily acclimates to wearing it and does not engage in repeated attempts to remove it. The present design of a halter with adjustable side straps and use of light weight flexible material for construction is more comfortable for the dog than previously available halters. The adjustable side straps, adjustable neck strap, and adjustable nose loop permit customized fit for the size and shape of an individual dog's head. The adjustable side straps permit changes in the length of the side strap between the nose loop and the neck strap, thereby allowing the nose loop to be positioned at the optimal site on an individual dog's nose. Such positioning should prevent pulling while permitting closing of the dog's mouth and minimizing the ability of the dog to paw the nose loop off while being placed sufficiently far forward that the loop does not rub in the dog's eyes. The present design also has adjustability of the nose loop and neck strap. The nose loop can be adjusted by tying a knot at various positions above the ring to which the leash attaches. This allows the nose loop to be adjusted so that it is sufficiently large for the dog to eat, drink, yawn, pant and open its mouth normally when control is not required, but not so large that the dog can paw the lower portion of the nose loop into its mouth and chew it. The neck strap also is adjustable so that it can be fitted appropriately around the neck of any sized dog.
The halter includes an interconnected neck strap, a pair of side straps and a nose loop. All the straps are advantageously flexible, and, for example, may be formed of a braided fabric. The halter may be placed on, or removed from the dog, by a releasable bracket within the neck strap. To maximize the universality of the present halter, the neck, side and nose straps are readily adjustable in length, so as to customize the halter to the size of the particular dog. The connection of the various straps provides for independent movement of the nose from the neck strap.
The nose loop can be directly connected to the leash, such that the force applied by the leash, when it is desired to prevent the dog from pulling or barking, is exerted independent of the neck strap. This provides enhanced control at the leash. Conversely, if the control is via the nose and neck straps as on prior art halters, it is difficult for the handler to maintain control of a large or strong dog, and is very difficult to close the dogs' mouth. Under such prior systems the dog will still be able to exert a great deal of counterforce. Conversely, the present halter's control by the nose loop, operating independently of the neck loop, is substantially easier. Less effort is required because the dog is restricted from pulling forward by force on the nose rather than the force on the neck and nose.


A method for filler insertions in a circuit layout having a cell row of standard cells and gaps between the standard cells is disclosed. First, a set of filler classes, each filler class having a set of filler cells, is classified that are configured to fill the gaps depending on a design requirement. Then, a filler insertion pattern based on a required ratio is identified such that horizontal and vertical density of the set of filler classes in the circuit layout are as per the required ratio and the cell row of the circuit layout has at least one filler cell from each of the set of filler classes.

The current physical design methodologies adopt filling the gaps in a circuit layout between the cell rows of standard cells with a single type of fillers. This leads to certain difficulties like engineering change order (ECO) capability and are not very efficient with power supply robustness. The ECO is not possible with single type of fillers because the base layers are also required to be changed. In a metal ECO change the base layers is not ideal.


A method of statistical machine translation (SMT) is provided. The method comprises generating reordering knowledge based on the syntax of a source language (SL) and a number of alignment matrices that map sample SL sentences with sample target language (TL) sentences. The method further comprises receiving a SL word string and parsing the SL word string into a parse tree that represents the syntactic properties of the SL word string. The nodes on the parse tree are reordered based on the generated reordering knowledge in order to provide reordered word strings. The method further comprises translating a number of reordered word strings to create a number of TL word strings, and identifying a statistically preferred TL word string as a preferred translation of the SL word string.

Prior to modern computer capabilities, almost all translations were performed by a human translator. For example, during a conference of parties speaking different languages, it was common for a member to communicate with a human translator who could translate for both parties. However, due to the advancement of computer capabilities, statistical machine translation (SMT) has become more available.
In general, SMT involves the translation of text from a source language (SL) to a target language (TL), generally by utilizing a computing system to carry out machine translation operations. Many modern SMT systems involve the use of computer software to translate text or speech. The relatively high speed with which modern computer systems can process large quantities of data makes SMT a powerful tool for quickly translating large volumes of text.

Technologies for statistical machine translation based on generated reordering knowledge


A liquid discharge head, the liquid discharge head including a liquid chamber and two electrode pins that are inserted in the liquid chamber from an upper portion of the liquid chamber. The two electrode pins are used to detect a remaining amount of liquid inside the liquid chamber on a basis of a communication state between the two electrode pins and are disposed on a centerline that is a line extending through a center of an upper surface of the liquid chamber in a moving direction of the liquid discharge head or a single electrode pin is disposed on each side of the centerline with the centerline interposed in between. An expression X1≧Z1/0.4 is satisfied, where X1 is an interval between the two electrode pins and Z1 is a difference in projection lengths of the two electrode pins in the liquid chamber.

Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates to a liquid discharge head that discharges a liquid and a liquid discharge device.
Description of the Related Art
As an example of a liquid discharge device for performing ink-jet recording, there is a liquid discharge device that supplies liquid from a separate liquid tank that contains a liquid (ink). In such a liquid discharge device, a liquid chamber that temporarily stores liquid supplied form the liquid tank is provided as a part of the liquid discharge head. Furthermore, in some cases, a remaining liquid amount detection mechanism for detecting the remaining amount of liquid stored inside the liquid chamber is provided in the liquid chamber.
As an example of the method of detecting the remaining amount of liquid, there is a so-called prism method in which a prism optical element is provided inside a liquid chamber, in which light for examination incident on the optical element is provided, and in which the intensity of the reflected light is detected to determine whether there is any liquid. However, there are cases in which the prism method fails to perform an accurate detection of the remaining amount when a liquid discharge of high flow rate in particular is performed and the liquid temporarily adheres and remains on the inner wall surfaces of the liquid chamber.
On the other hand, as another example of the remaining liquid amount detection mechanism, a so-called voltage application method is known in which a plurality of electrode pins are inserted in the liquid chamber and determination of whether there is any liquid is made by detecting the communication state between the electrode pins. In the voltage application method, electrical response changes greatly depending on whether or not the liquid is in contact with the two electrode pins at the same time. Accordingly, the method has an advantage in that detection of the remaining amount can be performed in a highly accurate manner even when a liquid discharge of high flow rate is performed.
For example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 60-34870 sets forth two examples in which two electrode pins are inserted in a liquid chamber of a liquid discharge head mounted on a carriage and detection of the remaining amount of liquid is performed with the voltage application method. In the configuration illustrated in the first diagram, two electrode pins with different lengths are inserted towards the lower portion from an upper portion of the liquid chamber.
In the configuration illustrated in the second diagram of Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 60-34870, one electrode pin is vertically inserted towards the lower portion from the upper portion of the liquid chamber and the other electrode pin is vertically inserted towards the upper portion from the lower portion. According to the configuration, the instance the electrode pin inserted from the upper portion is out of contact with a liquid surface (while the electrode pin inserted from the lower portion is continuously in contact with the liquid), determination is made that the remaining amount of liquid is small (no liquid). In the above configuration, whether there is any liquid or not is determined by whether there is, among the two electrode pins, an electrode pin (the electrode pin inserted from the upper portion of the liquid chamber) that is in contact with the liquid.
As disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 60-34870, by making the positions of the two electrode pins different in the height direction, the amount of liquid in the liquid chamber can be detected in a stepwise manner. In other words, from the point when one of the electrode pins becomes out of contact with the liquid, the electrical quantity flowing between the two electrode pins changes as the liquid surface gradually moves downwards. By measuring the change, detection of the liquid amount in a stepwise manner can be performed. Furthermore, by changing the length of the two electrode pins with respect to each other so that the distal ends thereof are not adjacent to each other, short circuiting between the electrode pins caused by the liquid connecting the distal ends of the two adjacent electrode pins (a bridged state) and erroneous determination that there is a large amount of remaining liquid being made can be restrained.

Liquid discharge head and liquid discharge device


A power seat slide apparatus for a vehicle includes a first rail adapted to be fixed to a vehicle floor, a second rail adapted to be fixed to a vehicle seat and slidably supported relative to the first rail, a screw shaft screwed to a nut member which is fixed to the first rail, the screw shaft including an end portion and a stepped portion, a washer engaged with the stepped portion of the screw shaft, a gear member to which the end portion of the screw shaft is inserted, a fastening member provided at the end portion of the screw shaft, and a gear box fixed to an end of the second rail. The gear box includes a support bracket, a gear housing, and a plate. The stepped portion of the screw shaft is arranged in such a manner that the washer is connected thereto in the gear housing.

JP2001-239861A and JP2002-192996A respectively disclose a power seat slide apparatus for a vehicle, which adjusts a position of a vehicle seat by sliding an upper rail relative to a lower rail by means of a driving force of an electrical drive source. As illustrated in FIGS. 4A-4B, each disclosed power seat slide apparatus for the vehicle includes a lower rail 81, an upper rail 82, a nut member 83, a screw shaft 84, and a gear box 85. The lower rail 81 is fixed to a vehicle floor, the upper rail 82 is slidably supported by the lower rail 81 and supports the vehicle seat, the nut member 83 is fixed to the lower rail 81, the screw shaft 84 is screwed together with the nut member 83, and the gear box 85 is fixed to a front end part of the upper rail 82 and transmits the driving force of the electrical drive source to the screw shaft 84.
The gear box 85 includes a gear housing 86 made of resin, a support bracket 87, and a plate 88. The gear housing 86 is sandwiched and held between the support bracket 87 and the plate 88. Further, the gear housing 86 of the gear box 85 houses, therein, a worm 91 and a helical gear (i.e., a worm wheel) 92. The worm 91 is provided on the electrical drive source and the helical gear 92 made of resin is fixed to a front edge portion of the screw shaft 84 and engaged with the worm 91.
As illustrated in FIG. 4B, the helical gear 92 is fixed to the screw shaft 84 in such a manner that the helical gear 92 is held between a washer 93 and a nut 94. The washer 93 made of metal is engaged with a stepped portion 84b of the screw shaft 84 and the nut 94 is fastened by means of a bolt portion 84a (ref. FIG. 4A) of the screw shaft 84 extending through the gear box 85. The washer 93 prevents the helical gear 92 made of resin from being directly contacted with the stepped portion 84b and deformed at the time of fastening the nut 94. A support bracket 87 is fixed to the upper rail 82 by means of a rivet 95 at plural mount portions 87a (only one mount portion 87a is illustrated in FIG. 4A) protruded along the upper rail 82 while contacting with a front end surface of the upper rail 82 and the gear box 85.
An end portion of the helical gear 92 contacting with the washer 93 forms a cylindrical shaft portion 92a. The shaft portion 92a of the helical gear 92 is supported by means of a bearing portion 86a of the gear housing 86. More particularly, the screw shaft 84 is rotatably supported about an axis and immovably supported in an axial direction by means of the gear box 85 (the gear housing 86) fixed to the upper rail 82 through the helical gear 92.
With the configuration of the disclosed power seat slide apparatus for the vehicle, in a condition where the screw shaft 84 provided with the helical gear 92 is rotated by rotary activating the worm 91 by means of the electrical drive source, the screw shaft 84 moves in the axial direction relative to the nut member 83 fixed to the lower rail 81. In consequence, the upper rail 82 slides relative to the lower rail 81, and the position of the vehicle seat relative to the vehicle floor is adjusted.
However, with the configuration of the disclosed power seat slide apparatus for the vehicle, with reference to FIGS. 4A-4B, an insert hole 87b of the support bracket 87, to which a front end portion of the screw shaft 84 is idly inserted, and the washer 93 in the axial direction are arranged in overlapped manner. More particularly, a part of an inner wall surface of the insert hole 87b is overlapped with the washer 93 in an outer diameter direction of the washer 93. Therefore, in a condition where the screw shaft 84 rotates with the washer 93, when the washer 93 and the insert hole 87b are interfered with each other, a sound caused by a contact between metals may be generated.
Further, in a condition where the insert hole 87b is configured with a larger inner diameter in order to prevent an interference between the insert hole 87b and the washer 93, a sufficient thickness of the support bracket 87 cannot be ensured as illustrated in FIG. 5. In consequence, the support bracket 87 may lack appropriate strength.
A need thus exists to provide a power seat slide apparatus for a vehicle, which ensures an appropriate strength thereof while restricting a sound.


Cartridges for vaporizer devices are provided. In one exemplary embodiment, the cartridge can include a reservoir configured to contain a plurality of encapsulated particles and an airflow tube extending through the reservoir. Each of the plurality of encapsulated particles includes a core formed of a liquid vaporizable material and a coating material that forms a shell surrounding the core, in which the shells of the plurality of encapsulated particles are configured to be selectively ruptured to release the liquid vaporizable material therefrom. The airflow tube includes a wicking element that is in communication with the reservoir, in which the wicking element is configured to draw, into the airflow tube for vaporization, at least a portion of the liquid vaporizable material that is released by rupturing one or more shells of the plurality of encapsulated particles. Vaporizer devices are also provided.

Vaporizer devices, which can also be referred to as vaporizers, electronic vaporizer devices, or e-vaporizer devices, can be used for delivery of an aerosol (for example, a vapor-phase and/or condensed-phase material suspended in a stationary or moving mass of air or some other gas carrier) containing one or more active ingredients by inhalation of the aerosol by a user of the vaporizing device. For example, electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) include a class of vaporizer devices that are battery powered and that can be used to simulate the experience of smoking, but without burning of tobacco or other substances. Vaporizer devices are gaining increasing popularity both for prescriptive medical use, in delivering medicaments, and for consumption of tobacco, nicotine, and other plant-based materials. Vaporizer devices can be portable, self-contained, and/or convenient for use.
In use of a vaporizer device, the user inhales an aerosol, colloquially referred to as "vapor," which can be generated by a heating element that vaporizes (e.g., causes a liquid or solid to at least partially transition to the gas phase) a vaporizable material, which can be liquid, a solution, a solid, a paste, a wax, and/or any other form compatible for use with a specific vaporizer device. The vaporizable material used with a vaporizer device can be provided within a cartridge for example, a separable part of the vaporizer device that contains vaporizable material) that includes an outlet (for example, a mouthpiece) for inhalation of the aerosol by a user.
To receive the inhalable aerosol generated by a vaporizer device, a user may, in certain examples, activate the vaporizer device by taking a puff, by pressing a button, and/or by some other approach. A puff as used herein can refer to inhalation by the user in a manner that causes a volume of air to be drawn into the vaporizer device such that the inhalable aerosol is generated by a combination of the vaporized vaporizable material with the volume of air.
An approach by which a vaporizer device generates an inhalable aerosol from a vaporizable material involves heating the vaporizable material in a vaporization chamber (e.g., a heater chamber) to cause the vaporizable material to be converted to the gas (or vapor) phase. A vaporization chamber can refer to an area or volume in the vaporizer device within which a heat source (for example, a conductive, convective, and/or radiative heat source) causes heating of a vaporizable material to produce a mixture of air and vaporized material to form a vapor for inhalation of the vaporizable material by a user of the vaporizer device.
Vaporizer devices can be controlled by one or more controllers, electronic circuits (for example, sensors, heating elements), and/or the like on the vaporizer device. Vaporizer devices can also wirelessly communicate with an external controller for example, a computing device such as a smartphone).
In various implementations, a vaporizer device may be configured for use with liquid vaporizable material (e.g., a carrier solution in which an active and/or inactive ingredient(s) are suspended or held in solution or a neat liquid form of the vaporizable material itself). In such instances, the liquid vaporizable material can be stored within a reservoir of the device (or of a cartridge for use with the device). However, a free liquid reservoir has a potential to leak.
Vaporizable material leaks are problematic because such leaks typically interfere with the functionality and cleanliness of the vaporizer device (e.g., leaked vaporizable material plugs the electric ports or makes a mess that requires cleaning). Additionally, user experience is negatively impacted by leakage of vaporizable material from a cartridge due to the possibility of staining or damaging other articles or fabrics adjacent to a leaking cartridge. Leaks into certain parts of a cartridge or a vaporizer device may also result in liquid vaporizable material bypassing an atomizer configured to convert the liquid vaporizable material to vapor or aerosol form, thereby causing a user to experience unpleasant sensations from inhaling the vaporizable material in the liquid form.
Alternatively, the liquid vaporizable material can be absorbed into and stored within a porous material. However, when using a porous material as a storage medium, inconsistent dosing of the liquid vaporizable material over the lifetime of the vaporizer device can lead to challenges around volumetric efficiency and can also result in poor delivery characteristics.
Accordingly, vaporization devices and/or vaporization cartridges that address one or more of these issues are desired.