For providing a recording/reproducing apparatus, for recording/reproducing information through conduction of electricity upon contact of a probe, having large recording density and a large transfer speed, but less in deterioration of a probe chips thereof, and being long in the lifetime thereof, within the recording/reproducing apparatus, a multi-chip is formed, disposing probe chips in large numbers thereof at a tip of a cantilever, while the cantilever is of a double-sided beam type, and the multi-chip is disposed at a center of the beam, wherein recording/reproducing portions of the multi-chip are disposed to correspond to recording dots one by one, and the multi-chip forming surface is moved up and down in parallel with the surface of a recording medium, due to suction force, so as to bring it to be in contact with the recording dots, and electricity is conducted after the contact thereof, thereby conducting the recording, in the structure; wherein, since a large amount of data can be read/written at one time, therefore it is possible to improve data transfer speed. Also, with conducting the R/W by means of the multi-chip, comparing to the single chip, it is possible to reduce the traveling distance of the multi-chip, thereby to reduce the abrasion. Also, since the tip portion of the said chip has the curvature radius, being large, such as, equal to 50 nm or greater than that, and since it moves in parallel with the surface of the recording medium, it can be in contact with the surface under the condition of, not the point contact, but near to the plane contact, therefore, the abrasion can be further reduced, effectively.

The present invention relates to a recording/reproducing apparatus for conducting recording or reproducing, in particular to that enabling to record a large amount or volume of data information, etc., at super-high density.
In communication systems and/or computer networks, etc., within an advanced information-oriented society in recent years, an amount of data increases rapidly, every year, to be used in the computers, in particular, accompanying with the widely broadening of the Internet broadband. And, accompanying with this, requirements also rise up, quickly, in particular, for the recording/reproducing apparatuses of large capacity and at high speed thereof.
As the technology for achieving the recording of data at high density, also being random-accessible, in relation to the conventional art, there are already known the followings; such as, a magnetic recording, an optical recording, and a semiconductor memory, etc., for example. In the field of the semiconductor memory, integration is improved in the degree thereof, every year; however, because of the problems, such as, the manufacturing technology or the like, for example, a semiconductor memory cannot be obtained, yet, that can satisfy the requirement of such large recording capacity of data (i.e., being equal or greater than 3 GB).
Also, in the magnetic recording and the optical recording, for achieving the information recording of such the large amount or capacity thereof, it is necessary to narrow a recording area to be small, so as to increase the recording density thereof. In the magnetic recording, an increase of recording density is remarkable due to the development of the magnetic head of GMR (Gigantic Magnetic Resistance effect), etc., but because of the problem on sensitivity of the reproducing head, it is difficult to obtain a unitary recording area being equal or less than 100 nm. Also in the optical recording, even if developing a semiconductor laser of wavelength 500 nm, for example, but it is a limit of diffraction of a light; therefore, it is said that the recording area being equal or less than 100 nm cannot be achieved.
On the other hand, developments are made on a scanning-type tunnel microscope (hereinafter, "STM") and/or an atomic force microscope (hereinafter, "AFM"), having spatial resolution of level of atoms and molecules, and they are applied in various analyses on fine structures; i.e., being utilized widely as a surface analyzing apparatus. In particular, the AFM is developed to be a scanning-type probe microscope (hereinafter, "SPM"), using various kinds of physical quantities as a probe, in recent years, and lately, various studies are made upon the possibility of realization of a recording/reproducing apparatus with using those means; i.e., as a means for accessing to atoms and molecules.
In the recording/reproducing apparatus with using a cantilever, to be used in the AFM or the like, as is described in the following Patent Document 1, for example, information is recorded and/or deleted due to charge transfer or reversal of electric polarization within a predetermined area on surface of the recording medium, through applying voltage by means of a head, which is made from a stylus-like electrode. And, reproduction of information recorded in this predetermined area is performed, by detecting an amount of change on the electric charge, the electrostatic charge or the surface potential, or alternately, the differentiated amount of change thereof, under the condition that the head is in non-contact with the recording medium, with an aid of a frequency change, which is caused at the time when the cantilever is vibrated while applying voltage between the cantilever and the recording medium. Since the information can be reproduced under the condition of non-contact, in this manner, therefore, the head of the stylus-like electrode and/or the recording medium can be escaped or protected from abrasion, i.e., being worn away.
Also, when writing or recording is done by only one (1) piece of the cantilever covering over an area of a wide region, then the abrasion of the cantilever proceeds very quickly, and therefore, for the purpose of preventing it, there is already known a technology, as is described in the following Patent Document 2, for example. Thus, a probe (i.e., the cantilever), a W (Write)/R (Read) circuit, a prove driver circuit and a positioning circuit, etc., are formed in one body, in the form of a probe cell, through a monolithic semiconductor process, and the cells are provided in large numbers thereof (for example, 100,000 pieces) for each one of the memory devices. Provision of the large numbers of cells, in this manner, increases up an amount of the information of read-out or write-in, remarkably, per a unit of time, as well as, reducing the traveling distance when reading and writing per one (1) piece of the probe; thereby, enabling to reduce the abrasion of the probes (i.e., the cantilevers) and obtaining a long life-time of the apparatus as a whole.
Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. Hei 9-120593 (1997)
Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. Hei 8-115600 (1996)
However, in case of the conventional art, as is described in the Patent Document 1 mentioned above (i.e., Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. Hei 9-120593 (1997)), the voltage must be equal or greater than a certain level thereof for achieving the read-in, in particular, when detecting the amount of change of the electric charge, the electrostatic charge or the surface potential, or alternately the differentiated amount of change thereof, under the condition that the stylus-like electrode head is in non-contact with the recording medium, with an aid of a frequency change that is caused at the time when the cantilever is vibrated while applying voltage between the cantilever and the recording medium; however, sufficient consideration is not paid, in particular upon a possibility that the discharge phenomenon occurs from the tip of cantilever to the recording medium at that time, because of being in non-contact therewith, on the contrary thereto, and thereby generating breakdown at the tip of the cantilever, or on the surface of the recording medium; i.e., reducing the reliability thereof. And also, since the cantilever is an electrode of the stylus-like shape, the tip of the cantilever is in contact with the recording medium at a point (i.e., a point contact); therefore, there is another problem that the abrasion can advance, easily.
Also, in case of the conventional art, as is described in the Patent Document 2 mentioned above (i.e., Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. Hei 8-115600 (1996)), with the probe cells, in each of which the probe (i.e., the cantilever) is formed with the W/R circuit, the probe driver circuit and the positioning circuit, etc., corresponding thereto, in one body as a probe cell, it is possible to reduce ill influences due to noises, because stray capacity of wirings can be made small; however, on the other hand thereof, because all of the probe cells must include therein, the W/R circuit, the probe driver circuit and the positioning circuit, etc., then the electric power necessary for all of the probe cells also increases in proportion to the number of those probe cells; i.e., there is a necessity of electric power of a very large amount or quantity thereof. This may results in a possibility of causing a very important obstacle thereto, in particular, when taking a tendency of energy saving and/or mobilization of the apparatus as a whole into the consideration.

Recording/reproducing apparatus with double-sided beam type probe


A plug washer useful for holding a vertical stud support member against a masonry wall using studs embedded in the masonry wall at an oblique angle to horizontal, the plug washer having an expanded washer portion which bears against the steel support on one side and a nut on the other, and further having a plug that fits in holes in the support member made to accept the stud, the plug and the washer portion having a hole passing through them at an angle to receive the stud.

This invention is a plug washer that is useful for connecting steel support members to masonry walls, such as walls made of concrete, brick, cement block, stone or the like, all hereinafter referred to as masonry. Although masonry walls have great ability to resist compressive loads, they are not good at resisting horizontal stresses. Masonry walls are particularly vulnerable in regions subject to earthquakes. Older structures in earthquake-prone regions or structures damaged by earthquakes should be retrofitted to resist earthquakes or provided with a steel support structure when being repaired after being damaged in an earthquake.
To retrofit structures for earthquake resistance it is common to build a supporting steel framework adjacent to the masonry walls to prevent horizontal stresses from toppling the walls. The supporting steel framework is usually built inside the structure and the supporting steel must be firmly connected to the masonry walls to hold the support structure and the masonry walls together. This is usually accomplished by drilling holes in the masonry and in the support steel, embedding studs in the holes in the masonry so that they extend through corresponding holes in the steel support framework and then connecting the framework to the wall with nuts, or the like, to hold the steel framework in supporting relationship with the masonry. It has been determined that a stud embedded in masonry at an angle oblique to horizontal will have greater strength than one embedded to extend horizontally, from the masonry wall. It has further been determined that a stud embedded at an angle of 22.5 degrees from horizontal provides the strongest connection.
There are many ways to embed studs in masonry including expansion elements of various types placed in holes in the masonry and then expanded by the torque of a bolt screwed into the expansion element. A very suitable way to embed a stud in a masonry wall is to put epoxy cement in a hole in the wall and to insert a stud in the hole so that the epoxy surrounds it. The amount of epoxy placed in the hole is such that when it is displaced by insertion of the stud it will just fill the hole. The bond between epoxy and masonry is stronger than the masonry itself and the bond is also stronger than the stud. An epoxy resin can be made viscous enough to flow from such a hole very slowly.
One problem with such a system is that it is difficult to have pre-drilled holes in masonry and pre-drilled or punched holes in steel support members correspond when they are placed together. A drill bit characteristically "walks" from the desired center of the hole when drilling starts so that the centers of the holes in masonry and the holes in the steel support member do not exactly correspond. In such cases the studs extending from the masonry wall cannot pass through the holes in the steel support member that were drilled or punched to receive them. When the studs extending from a masonry wall do not correspond in position with the pre-prepared holes in a steel support member costly and time-consuming revision of the holes or the studs must be made to provide adequate support. Another problem is that a nut screwed onto a stud that is at an oblique angle from horizontal cannot make a flat bearing against a vertical steel support element. Tightening a nut that is at an angle to its proposed bearing surface will provide unreliable holding force and it will tend to cause the stud to bend which reduces the ultimate strength of the stud.
Although washers are known that accommodate to surfaces that are at an oblique angle to a stud, those washers have a central hole that is much larger than the diameter of the stud that is to be received in that hole because the central hole must accommodate the stud passing through it at an angle oblique to horizontal. Even if a washer lies flat against the support member, the nut on such a stud cannot bear flatly against the washer because of the angle of the stud. The bearing force of a nut accordingly is not uniformly distributed on the washers so that the holding force of the nut is diminished. Additionally, in studs that are held with epoxy or other liquid-phase or plastic cement, some of the cement may flow out of the hole in the masonry thereby diminishing the strength of the bond.


A portable device for carrying with the human body includes a far infrared ray generating composition plate, a magnetic radiating unit, an electronic circuit unit, and a mercury battery disposed on the far infrared ray generating composition plate for self-radiating bioenergy so as to eliminate and reduce human fatigue and stress. The composition of the plate including 24-27 parts by weight of SiO.sub.2, 53-55 parts by weight of Al.sub.2 O.sub.3, 13-15 parts by weight of CaO, 1-4 parts by weight of MnO, 1-3 parts by weight of TiO.sub.2, and 1-2 parts by weight of Ag, the sum of the SiO.sub.2, Al.sub.2 O.sub.3, CaO, MnO, TiO.sub.2, and Ag equalling 100 parts by weight.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a novel portable therapeutic device having a far infrared ray (extreme infrared ray) generating composition and more particularly, to a device comprising a magnetic radiating unit, an electronic circuit unit, and a mercury battery unit disposed on a far infrared ray generating composition plate for self-radiating bio-energy to the user so as to eliminate or reduce fatigue and stress of the person who carries the device.
2. Description of the Related Art
There are many types of devices which may be used to reduce and eliminate fatigue and stress in humans, which are well known in the art. For example, a permanent magnet has been used for accelerating the circulation of human blood in order to reduce or eliminate human fatigue and/or stress. However, these devices cannot fully generate far infrared rays and an electronic circuit and a mercury battery together with a specific inorganic composition are not utilized, and thus these devices fall short of expectations.

Composition for generating far infrared rays


Disclosed herein is a biopolymer/gene complex for the aerosol delivery of a gene. The biopolymer/gene complex comprises a polyethyleneimine (PEI) having a substitution of glucose for at least a portion of the primary amino groups of the polyethyleneimine, and the content of the polyethyleneimine is 2-4 times the content of the gene. Also, disclosed is a lung cancer therapeutic agent comprising a biopolymer/gene complex including a polyethyleneimine (PEI) having a substitution of glucose for 30-40 mol % of the primary amino groups of the polyethyleneimine, and a gene encoding PTEN, in which the content of the polyethyleneimine is 2-4 times the content of the gene.

Mutations of ras genes are found in about 30% of human tumors. The gene group consists of three kinds of families, including K-ras, N-ras, and H-ras, in which K-ras mutations are most frequently found in lung adenocarcinoma cells. Mice bearing such mutations demonstrate the most common histopathologic subtype of non-small cell lung cancer with short latency and high penetrance. Phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10 hereinafter, referred to as "PTEN"), which catalyzes phosphorylation at the 3-position of the inositol ring phosphatidylinositol-3,4,5-triphosphate, is known as a tumor suppressor gene that suppresses the Akt signaling pathway to regulate the growth and survival of cells.
The fact has been known that Akt is activated in cancer cells by either activating the growth factor receptors of Ras or inactivating PTEN.
It was shown in recent reports that about 90% of non-small cell lung cancers are involved in the continuous activation of the PI3K/Akt pathway, and this activation of Akt promotes cellular survival and resistance to chemical therapy or γ-ray irradiation.
In addition, K-ras mutations can increase the activity of lung adenocarcinoma cells by the activation of Akt.
In view of such facts, a method of regulating the Akt is needed for the treatment of lung cancer.
Meanwhile, a method for the noninvasive delivery of genes by inhalation is known for the treatment of lung cancer.
Recombinant viral vectors have been used as effective gene delivery carriers because they have high affinity for airway epithelium and can be efficiently transfected into lung cells.
However, recombinant viral vectors, such as recombinant adenoviral vectors, have had limitations in their actual application because they have toxicity, cause immune response by repeated administration and are difficult to mass-produce.
Non-viral vectors have advantages in that they are easier to use than the viral vectors and cause less immune response. Furthermore, they also have the ability to be able to deliver high-molecular-weight DNA molecules.
Several recent studies have demonstrated that the binding of DNA with cationic polypeptides, such as polylysine, polyethylenimine (PEI), protamine, and histone, may be useful for gene delivery both in vivo and in vitro.
Among such polypeptides, PEI has received attention as a carrier for gene delivery because of its stability in an aerosol form. However, the use of PEI has been limited because of its strong toxicity caused by the characteristic accumulation of polycations.
Many researchers have studied possibilities for the direct delivery of various therapeutic agents into the lungs and the pulmonary lymph nodes by nebulization, and at the same time, attempted to use PEI as a gene therapy carrier, however, PEI has been reported to induce potential toxicity by accumulation.
Accordingly, in order to use polypeptides as gene delivery carriers, the following processes are necessarily required: adhesion to the cell surface endocytosis, isolation from endosomal lysosomal networks, migration into the cell nuclei, vector unpacking, and the like.
Therefore, there is a need for the development of an efficient and stable carrier for the aerosol delivery of a gene, which meets such requirements.

Seoul National University Industry Foundation


A bi-metal bumper structure comprises an elongated tubular bumper beam made of aluminum, and an elongated reinforcing plate made of steel. The beam is curved in an arc from end to end and has a curved radially inner wall. The reinforcing plate extends lengthwise of the beam and has the same curve as the inner wall of the beam and is rigidly secured in surface-to-surface relation to the inner wall. The reinforcing plate is preferably about one-third the length of the beam.

The bumper of an automotive vehicle desirably will be light in weight and yet strong and elastic. Optimizing each of these characteristics, without sacrificing any of the others, is one of the goals in bumper design.
The bumper of this invention is a bi-metal structure and offers a unique combination of materials. Preferably, the bumper comprises an elongated tubular bumper beam made of a lightweight material such as aluminum, and a reinforcing plate of steel. This combines the light weight and ductility of aluminum with the elasticity and strength of steel. Smoother vehicle deceleration during frontal impact ultimately results, because the attributes of the bi-metal beam structure reduce the severity or extent of beam failure upon impact and delay the time interval during which failure occurs. By eliminating or drastically reducing abrupt and transient vehicle deceleration, falsely interpreted by the sensor system as an indication calling for deployment of the air bag, premature air bag deployment is prevented.
One object of this invention is to provide a bi-metal bumper structure having the foregoing features and capabilities.
Another object is to provide a bi-metal bumper structure which is composed of a relatively few simple parts, is rugged and durable in use, and is capable of being inexpensively and readily manufactured and assembled.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become more apparent as the following description proceeds, especially when considered with the accompanying drawings.


A sensor device is shown for detection of soil moisture levels using thermal diffusivity techniques. The sensor device has a porous media in a first zone, a heated temperature sensor arranged within the first zone, a second zone of a thermally conductive dense media containing a second reference temperature sensor, and leads connecting the sensors to a circuit to provide power to the heated temperature sensor and to the second reference temperature sensor. The circuit includes a comparator to compare outputs from the heated temperature sensor to the second reference temperature sensor so as to provide a signal indicative of soil moisture levels when the sensor device is operationally placed to receive soil moisture into the first zone.

The present invention relates to devices for sensing moisture content in soils and to thereby control the supply of water to desired areas in agricultural and horticultural situations.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,513,608 discloses one form of sensing device having two separate porous zones with a pair of electrodes in each zone thereby forming a current path through the respective porous zones. In use, the device is placed in an in ground position such that ground moisture may move into or from each of the porous zones. The change in electrical resistance in the current path, through the respective porous zones, is then used to indicate ground moisture levels. This device has proved to be accurate and reliable in use, but does suffer from the disadvantage that its manufacture is relatively time consuming and expensive furthermore expensive cermanic materials must be used to maintain accurately uniform porosity levels in the respective porous zones.
There have been other moisture level sensors proposed using various techniques, such as electrical resistance sensing or impedance or capacitance sensing, as the means of moisture level detection, these moisture level sensors introduce their own problems and complications, especially when working in such an hostile environment physically, chemically and biologically as the soil in practical or commercial outdoor applications. Thermal diffusivity has also been proposed as a means of detection and this does have some practical advantages, although previously proposed devices using this technique have certain disadvantages when in use in a practical commercial environment (as opposed to laboratory situations).
The basis of using thermal diffusivity as a detection means is as follows. Transmission of heat energy through a dry porous material is generally poor because the particles only make point contacts where they abut, hence the area for heat flow is necessarily small. As moisture content increases, capillary meniscus form at the points of contact considerably increasing the transfer of heat between particles, as water is a much better conductor of heat than air. The thermal conductivity of the composite will increase significantly with the increase of water content.
As the moisture content increases, air is displaced from the pores and as water has a higher specific heat, the specific heat of the composite also increases.
In a porous material, the rate of dissipation of heat depends on the thermal conductivity, the specific heat and the density. A constant known as "Diffusivity" has been used to relate these properties in an isotropic homogeneous material, when its thermal conductivity does not depend on temperature.
As indicated above, the relationship between Thermal Diffusivity of a porous material and its moisture content has long been used in laboratory situations to monitor moisture content of soils. In an early example, a copper wire heating coil was used, and by measuring resistance change in the same coil over a given heating period, a temperature relationship was established with its diffusivity, (Baver & Shaw 1944 U.S. Pat. No. 2,362,344).
In order to improve robustness of the element and stabilise thermal interface, a separate thermistor type temperature sensor was introduced and encapsulated with the copper coil heater in a standardised medium within a porous ceramic housing (Richards 1955 U.S. Pat. No. 2,718,141).
Although relatively satisfactory in research type applications, that mode of operation could not be applied to automatic irrigation control. An attempt was made based on duplication of devices, with the heat source and temperature sensor being combined in the form of a positive coefficient thermistor coupled to a current sensing relay (Hassenbeck 1971 U.S. Pat. No. 3,553,481). It is unlikely that this would be practical, due to magnitude of the resistance change required to provided minimum current change for reliable relay operation.
A further modification was made using a single device and combining a single thermistor embedded within a porous media of glass beads (Hassenbeck 1974 U.S. Pat. No. 3,847,351). This combination, in conjunction with current threshold sensing, has been employed commercially, although its lack of environmental temperature compensation and the high heat release it required probably limited its accuracy and reliability.
Determination of temperature rise by deducting initial temperature from final temperature after a known amount of heat has been added, change in diffusivity has been calculated in fluids (Bowman 1975 U.S. Pat. No. 4,059,982). This principle was combined with a separate heat source and used with a diode temperature detector in conjunction with timing, storage, combining, comparing and controlling means (Neal 1977 U.S. Pat. No. 4,197,866).
A similar but more specific device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,886,088 to Ryokai & Wakabayashi, using energy source, energy level detection and control means.
Most previous attempts to employ thermal diffusivity as a detection means in soil moisture sensing have lacked positive drift free calibration, have not had a matric tension based response, have not had a positive temperature reference or have employed complex detection control means or some combination of the aforementioned.


A vented needle assembly is provided for sealably injecting biomaterial into an intradiscal space interiorly of the annulus of a spinal disc and for providing an exhaust for the intradiscal space. The vented needle assembly comprises a compressible seal body for pressing against an outer surface of the annulus, and a needle extending through the seal. The needle may be configured to connect to a syringe for pressure injection of the biomaterial. The seal includes a vent extending therethrough with an opening for communication with the intradiscal space and an opening for the discharge of excess biomaterial filling the intradiscal space. A kit of parts is also provided for use in the treatment of a spinal disc, the kit comprising the vented needle assembly and an inflatable trial device. The trial device is removably introduced into the intradiscal space and inflated to determine the available size of the intradiscal space.

The present invention relates to systems and methods for the treatment of the spine, and especially the interbody disc space. More specifically, the invention concerns the injection of a biomaterial into a spinal space, such as the intradiscal space.
Spine fusion procedures represent the state of the art treatment for intervertebral disc problems, which generally involve open surgery and the use of interbody fusion cages and spinal fixation systems to stabilize the fusion site. An alternative treatment under evaluation is to replace the disc or nucleus pulposus with a prosthetic device. Examples of some devices currently under investigation include in-situ cured polymers such as polyurethanes and protein polymers, which may have properties varying from a rubbery hydrogel to a rigid plastic. Problems associated with these devices occur during insertion, whereby the pressure required to fill the disc space can cause leakage of the material into sensitive adjacent areas.
A number of devices are available for distracting vertebral bodies or for injecting material into the disc. Some devices are capable of both distraction and injection using the same instrument. These types of devices use a deflated balloon attached to a cannula and inserted between the vertebral bodies. The balloon is inflated with a prosthetic fluid through the cannula to distract the vertebral bodies. This requires high-pressure delivery of the fluid to achieve the pressure needed to distract the vertebral bodies and the balloon and fluid permanently remain in the disc space. Alternatively, a separate device is used to inject the prosthetic fluid around the balloon and the balloon is used strictly for distraction after which it is deflated and removed.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,772,287 ("Ray I") discloses a bladder injected with thixotropic gel implanted between two vertebral bodies to restore the disc height. The technique described requires that the vertebral bodies are first distracted and a bore drilled to allow for insertion of the bladder.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,562,736 ("Ray II") discloses a method for implanting a prosthetic disc nucleus. Ray II discloses cutting a first and second flap in the annulus. The flaps provide access to the nucleus. Ray II then discloses using an inflatable jack to distract the disc space prior to insertion of the prosthetic spinal disc nucleus. The jack has a deflated balloon on its end that is inserted into the nucleus through one of the flaps. The balloon is inflated with fluid causing the vertebral bodies to distract. Once the vertebral bodies are sufficiently distracted the fluid flow is stopped and the prosthetic spinal disc nucleus is inserted through the other flap. The balloon is then deflated and the second prosthetic spinal disc nucleus is inserted. The flaps are closed and placed in contact with the annulus by a suture, staple or glue.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,187,048 ("Milner") discloses an implant for an intervertebral disc nucleus pulposus prosthesis made from a conformable, in-situ curable, material which is resiliently deformable. Milner discloses removing the nucleus material, then either injecting through the annulus or creating an opening in the annulus to deliver a curable material under pressure into the nucleus space. The pressure is necessary to ensure conformation to the nucleus space and/or to increase the internal pressure of the disc space to distract the vertebral bodies. The amount of pressure needed to distract the disc space is high and may allow the material to flow through cracks or voids in the annulus into the disc space. Milner also describes an embodiment where the curable material is injected into a flexible container that is inserted first into the nucleus space in a deflated state and inflated by the material as the material is injected. This method relies on the pressure of the fluid as it is injected to distract the vertebral bodies. Although this avoids the problem of the material leaking through the annulus, it imposes certain constraints such as a designing a cover of the correct shape and size suitable for safe injection of the curable material and prevention of leakage of the material from the cover once filled.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,248,131 ("Felt") describes distracting and injecting at the same time using a balloon device. The balloon can be used as a shell for containing the injected curable biomaterial and also used as a distraction means as the material is injected. Another embodiment describes the balloon as a cylinder shape which when inflated inside the disc space bears against the endplates for the vertebral bodies and distracts them. Then a second device is used to inject the curable biomaterial around the balloon cylinder. The material is allowed to cure and then the balloon is removed and a second curable biomaterial can be injected into the space left where the balloon was. In sum, when Felt discloses injecting material outside of the balloon, Felt discloses using a second device to carry out the injection. Insertion of this second device into the disc should typically require a second breach of the annulus fibrosis.
Much of the prior art contemplates free injection of biomaterial into a spinal space which may lead to uncontrolled leakage. The art also describes injection of the material into a deflated balloon, which requires leaving the balloon inside the disc space. Lastly, some methods require insertion under high pressure, thereby creating a potential for the prosthetic fluid to ooze or seep out of the disc space intra-operatively.
There is therefore a need for a system and method for introducing a biomaterial into a spinal space that is not prone to the problems of the prior art, especially the leakage problem experienced by the high pressure injection systems. This need extends to systems that can be easily utilized in a minimally invasive procedure.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Devices for injecting a curable biomaterial into a intervertebral space


The present invention provides methods and kits for detecting cardiovascular disease in a living mammal, using a labeled form of a somatostatin analog. The methods and kits of the invention provide early detection of atherosclerotic plaque, in particular, unstable atherosclerotic plaque, thus allowing therapeutic intervention prior to acute and potentially fatal incidents of cardiovascular disease.

Cardiovascular disease is a major health problem throughout the world, having a particularly high incidence in the United States, where during each year approximately 1,500,000 persons suffer a heart attack, approximately 400,000 to 500,000 persons suffer a stroke, and approximately 5,600,000 persons suffer angina. In the United States, heart attack (i.e., myocardial infarction) is in fact the leading cause of death, and stroke is the third leading cause of death. Unstable angina, i.e., severe constricting pain of coronary origin that occurs in response to less exercise than usually required to induce angina, may be associated with sudden cardiac death. A great need exists for early, accurate diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases.
Heart attack, angina, and stroke are caused by stenosis, or narrowing, of arteries, which is closely related to formation of atherosclerotic plaque, or atherogenesis. Until recently, cardiovascular lesions were believed to form gradually, and acute clinical episodes were believed to occur only when the stenosis exceeds 40% of the cross-sectional area of the original blood vessel's lumen. However, improved therapeutic methods such as thrombolytic therapy during acute myocardial infarction have revealed that atherosclerotic lesions most likely to precipitate a heart attack often were not associated with a high degree of stenosis. From autopsy studies, a class of atherosclerotic plaque has been identified, termed unstable or vulnerable plaque, which is associated with acute myocardial infarction and which is particularly susceptible to rupture. A large proportion of cardiovascular disease is now believed to progress through one or more subclinical episodes in which unstable plaque is disrupted with local thrombin activation and subsequent healing. Acute myocardial infarction is now believed to result from formation of an occluding thrombus, or blood clot, at the site of a ruptured atherosclerotic plaque. Unstable angina is also believed to be associated with thrombus formation, while other forms of angina are believed to be associated with stenoses that are not associated with thrombosis. The presence of severe stenoses is now considered to be a marker for less occlusive, unstable plaque that may be prone to rupture. No means for identifying unstable plaque prior to an acute event or death now exists, since current angiographic methods can only detect plaque when the extent of occlusion approaches 50% of the blood vessel luminal cross-section.
Atherogenesis is believed to begin with an initial lesion that appears as a fatty streak on the inner surface of an artery, consisting of two to five layers of lipid filled macrophages known as foam cells. Subsequently an intermediate fibrofatty lesion forms, consisting of twenty to thirty alternating layers of foam cells together with T lymphocytes and smooth muscle cells that separate the layers. Ultimately a fibrous plaque forms, in which a fibrous cap covers a central necrotic zone that may contain lipid, cells, and necrotic debris. A region containing numerous smooth muscle cells may also lay beneath the central necrotic lesion. The fibrous cap of an atherosclerotic plaque consists of layers of smooth muscle cells surrounded by a dense connective tissue matrix containing basement membrane, collagen fibers, and proteoglycan dispersed throughout the matrix. Some fibrous caps are inherently weaker than others, and these weak fibrous caps are rupture-prone.
Currently available methods for diagnosing cardiovascular disease employ a variety of imaging technologies, including conventional x-ray imaging, computerized tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, ultrasound, and nuclear medicine imaging. Contrast agents and radiopharmaceuticals capable of accumulating at the site of a lesion are commercially available for use in imaging cardiovascular disease, for example in angiography and venography. However, angiograms do not detect or measure the degree of atherosclerosis accurately, since they do not detect plaques that cause no stenosis. A variety of radiopharmaceuticals have been used to study or detect cardiovascular disease, such as the nuclides .sup.201 TI, .sup.99m Tc, .sup.133 Xe; or the nuclide labeled metabolic agents .sup.11 C-2-deoxy-D-glucose, .sup.18 F-2-fluorodeoxy-D-glucose, [1-.sup.11 C]- and [.sup.123 I]-.beta.-methyl fatty acid analogs, .sup.13 N-ammonia; or infarct avid agents such as .sup.99m Tc-tetracycline, .sup.99m Tc-pyrophosphate, .sup.203 Hg-mercurials, .sup.67 Ga citrate, and the like. Improved imaging agents for diagnosis of cardiovascular lesions, especially for pre-acute event diagnosis of unstable atherosclerotic plaque, are needed.
Somatostatin is a tetradecapeptide that inhibits release of insulin and glucagon from the pancreas, inhibits growth hormone release from the hypothalamus, and reduces gastric secretions. A large number of somatostatin analogs have been developed for treatment of diseases such as diabetes, acromegaly, ulcers, pancreatitis and neuroendocrine tumors. Foegh (1993) Transplantation Proceedings 25, 2095-2097; Akyurek, et al. (1993) Transpl. Int. 8, 103-110;, disclose that angiopeptin, an analog of somatostatin, inhibits proliferation of smooth muscle cells at the site of induced lesions in blood vessels of animals. Wahlers, et al. (1994) Transplantation Proceedings 26, 2741-2742; and Meiser, et al. (1995) Transplantation Proceedings 27, 1931-1935 disclose clinical studies in which angiopeptin was used to treat post heart transplantation cardiovascular lesions in humans. U.S. Pat. No. 5,506,339 discloses that specific somatostatin analogs may be used to treat atherosclerosis associated with vascular grafts and restenosis following angioplasty, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,569,647 discloses that specific somatostatin analogs may be used to inhibit proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells. The therapeutic efficacy of the somatostatin analogs of U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,506,339 and 5,569,647 is not predictive that such analogs act by accumulating at the site of atherosclerotic plaque. Many drugs are therapeutically effective yet do not specificaly localize at the anatomical site which is affected.
Somatostatin analogs have also been developed as imaging agents, in particular, as components of agents for imaging tumors. EP 607103 discloses specific radio-labeled somatostatin analogs for use as imaging agents to visualize somatostatin receptor accumulation, in particular, in somatostatin receptor positive tumors and metastases, in inflammatory or autoimmune disorders exhibiting somatostatin receptors, in tuberculosis, or in organ rejection after transplantation. WO 97/01579 discloses use of somatostatin analogs for imaging somatostatin receptor positive tissues and cells, in particular, tumors, metastases, inflammatory disorders and autoimmune disorders. Neither of these references suggests that somatostatin analogs may be employed to image atherosclerotic plaque.

Labeled somatostatin analogs for imaging cardiovascular disease


Degreasing compositions that may be used, for example, to degrease substrates such as contaminated surfaces of automobile engines are disclosed. The degreasing compositions comprise a builder, an amphoteric surfactant, and an alkoxylated acetylenic diol having the structure of formula (I) or (II):

Vehicle exteriors accumulate road grime during use. Depending on the season, road grime may comprise bugs, tar or salt, as well as exhaust particulates, tire residues, leaking vehicle fluids and the like. The oily dirty residue within engine compartments comprises a similar mix of contaminants, but which are significantly carbonized by heat from the engine. With respect to the latter, removing this carbonized oily dirt may require a degreaser rather than a conventional cleaner.
Engine degreasers often include one or more hazardous and/or undesirable components, for example, petroleum based and/or halogenated solvents that may be classified as VOCs, highly caustic media, and/or silicates. Such aggressive degreasers have to be carefully applied to avoid damaging the vehicle's exterior.
Engine degreaser compositions may also include phosphates. While phosphates are effective sequestering agents and provide for more effective rinsing of the cleaner from the treated substrate, they are environmentally unfriendly as they promote algae and other plant growth. Consequently, municipalities are restricting or banning the use of phosphate products that may enter the watershed.
Achieving degreasing effectiveness within the constraints of low VOCs, desirable alkalinity levels and low phosphate concentration has proved difficult.

Abstract: where: R1 and R4 are, independently, alkyl radicals containing from 3 to 10 carbon atoms;                R2 and R3 are, independently, selected from the group consisting of methyl and ethyl; and        (x+y)=2 to 50;

Abstract: where: r and t are each, independently, 1 or 2;                    (n+m)=1 to 30; and            (p+q)=1 to 30.

Abstract: Certain embodiments of the degreasing composition are non-caustic, low VOC and may be low phosphate or phosphate-free.


A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a mobile communication device having a controller to receive a broadcast of media content from a first media source using a first communication protocol, display the media content on the mobile communication device, determine whether the media content exceeds one or more parameter thresholds when the media content is available to a display device from a second media source where the one or more parameter thresholds are based at least in part on the media content available from the second media source and where the display device is remote from the mobile communication device, and commence streaming of the media content from the mobile communication device to the display device when the media content exceeds the one or more parameter thresholds. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Service providers often have various sources at their disposal for obtaining media content, including their own storage, an originating source, and third party providers. The available media content can be in various formats. Users often have various devices at their disposal for presenting media content, including TV's and hand held media devices.

Method and apparatus for presenting media content


An airbag module for the passenger side of a vehicle with a diffusor pipe, a gas generator accommodated in and connected to the diffusor pipe, a folded-together air sack accommodated outside of and fastened to the diffusor pipe, a holder around the air sack, and cover components tensioned between a flange at one end of the gas generator or of a generator disk and the ends of the diffusor pipe and securely tensioning the edges of a loop that fits over the diffusor pipe and secures the air sack. The air sack around the holder essentially comprises a sack-like pouch of textile material around the diffusor pipe with two partly overlapping pieces attached to and detachable from each other and concealing the opening that the unfolding air sack emerges through.

The present invention concerns an airbag module for the passenger side of a vehicle with a diffusor pipe, a gas generator accommodated in and connected to the diffusor pipe, a folded-together air sack accommodated outside of and fastened to the diffusor pipe, a holder around the air sack, and cover components tensioned between a flange at one end of the gas generator or of a generator disk and the ends of the diffusor pipe and securely tensioning the edges of a loop that fits over the diffusor pipe and secures the air sack.
The holder in the gas-sack unit known from German 4 137 691 A 1, which discloses most of the aforesaid features, comprises a shrunken-on flexible tube with a breakapart that rips open when the sack unfolds. This unit, however, satisfies only some of the requirements that will be discussed hereinafter.
In the set of components known from German 19 616 941 C 1 a web of material is wrapped around the diffusor pipe and extends to a cap that conceals the airbag module, demarcating the module along its longitudinal sides. Inconvenient here is that the module absolutely must include the concealing cap, and passenger-side airbag modules of this genus cannot be employed when a customer wants to use the cap with another prefabricated assembly like an instrument panel for example.
Rapidly inflatable "pillows" called airbags are currently part of the standard equipment in automobiles. Explosion-like combustion accompanied by the generation of gas is triggered by a pyrotechnical fuse, and/or compressed gas released, in response to an electronically detected deceleration signal, and the folded-together airbag is inflated within 20 to 60 milliseconds, becoming an air-filled pillow that prevents the passenger from striking the surrounding parts of the automobile hard, at least in the direction of acceleration, once an impact occurs and a prescribed critical deceleration has been detected and the ignition is released.
Contemporary vehicles leave space in the bodywork for the module, which comprises the folded-together airbag, the gas generator, and the fuse. The space is usually concealed behind a cover that matches the interior of the vehicle. The cover does not impede the emergence of the rapidly inflated airbag. There are two prerequisites for such a module.
First, it must have fasteners for fastening it behind the cover and in its accommodation. Second, it must be accommodated protected during storage, shipment, assembly, installation, and ordinary stress over the life of the vehicle.
To satisfy the aforesaid demands, a number of housings and similar structures have also been proposed. These perform the aforesaid functions well enough although most of them are far too complicated and in particular relatively heavy as well. The known housings are as a rule made of metal or plastic, and a lot of attention is devoted not only to securely fasten the airbag, made of non-ripping textile, into the housing but also to provide the latter with fasteners that allow it to be securely fastened to the bodywork at the site of installation. Such housings are often not acceptable for contemporary vehicle manufacture from the aspects of efficiency, economy, and ecology. There is accordingly a need to protect airbag modules as hereintofore described while conserving as much material and weight as possible and while keeping them clean and undamaged in any way.


A financial product. The financial product includes an underlying portfolio component, a fixed income component, and a scale-in component. The underlying portfolio component includes an initial investment allocation into an alpha-generating portfolio. The fixed income component is structured and arranged to generate a predictable rate of return and includes an initial investment allocation into a fixed income portfolio. The scale-in component is structured and arranged to increase the investment allocation into the underlying portfolio component when a cumulative return of the alpha-generating portfolio exceeds a threshold amount.

This application discloses an invention that is related, generally and in various embodiments, to enhanced financial products, systems, and methods for providing a certain level of principal protection in order to truncate the downside risk of an investment in a portfolio.
Many investors are interested in principal protection for truncating downside risk from an investment program. Classical principal protection is well established, with many insurers and investment managers globally actively marketing the product. One technique for providing principal protection involves purchasing one or more securities together with put options or stop loss orders on such securities. Another technique is to purchase a portfolio and enter into a portfolio insurance strategy under which an investment manager uses an algorithm that attempts to dynamically replicate a put on part or all of the portfolio if the value of the portfolio declines.
Some techniques can be implemented when there is an options market for the securities or when futures can be used to dynamically hedge an asset class, such as principal protection on an investment in the S&P 500.
A common method to provide principal protection is "constant proportion portfolio insurance (CPPI)". This method of principal protection is to enter into a principal protected note or other arrangement with an insurer or other provider. The provider in turn uses a portion of the initial principal to purchase a zero-coupon bond or other low risk investment for the term of protection and invests the remainder directly or indirectly in the portfolio to be protected. The income from the zero-coupon bond or other investment is designed to offset most potential losses in the portfolio over the term of protection. If the portfolio begins to lose more than expected, the insurer or other provider begins selling some of the portfolio to limit the magnitude of additional downside risk.
CPPI depends upon the ease of de-levering, which in turn depends upon an adequately liquid underlying portfolio and an adequately long term (e.g., 5-10 years) for the zero-coupon bond or other low risk investment to generate offsetting income. Insurers typically want a meaningful part of the underlying portfolio to have very short-term liquidity and low volatility, together with a sufficiently long term of protection.
The traditional techniques for providing principal protection are not able to provide principal protection over short periods of time (e.g., less than three years) for an underlying portfolio that does not have significant monthly liquidity (e.g., certain types of fund of hedge funds). Accordingly, there exists a need for enhanced financial methods, products, and systems for providing some level of principal protection for such situations.

Products, systems and methods for scale-in principal protection


A method and apparatus for edge finishing glass sheets, wherein a polymer film is deposited onto the major surface of the glass sheet. The polymer film is contacted, perforated, or cut using a water jet and the edges of the sheet are then ground or polished The polymer film is cut or perforated in a manner which facilitates against loading of the grinding or polishing device employed.

In the glass finishing art, glass sheets are typically cut into a desired shape, after which the edges are ground and/or polished to remove any sharp corners. This typically involves contact of the glass sheet with a grinding wheel, such as, for example, a abrasive diamond coated grinding wheel. Glass substrates for flat panel displays are finished in this way.
Glass substrates for flat panel displays are often covered with a polymer film prior to their final finishing steps, which typically consist of grinding and/or polishing of the edges of the sheets. The purpose of the polymeric film is to protect the surface of the substrate from any scratches, glass chips, dust, or other airborne matter.
Unfortunately, this can lead to loading of the grinding wheels by the polymer film, which has a negative impact on the manufacturing process. For example, this necessitates having to dress or change the grinding wheels more frequently, and also can lead to lower quality edge grinding.


A microwave circuit includes a concentric-circle-like prominence (7) formed on a contact surface which is on the side of a metal body (3) serving as an external conductor of a coaxial line and which connects a conductor strip (1) of an MSL formed on a dielectric substrate (2) to an internal conductor of the coaxial line through a through-hole (9) extending from a ground plane (11) of the MSL through the dielectric substrate (2). The construction involves no mismatched portion and can prevent a loss and deterioration in VSWR in the coaxial-line/MSL conversion section, thereby making it possible to obtain satisfactory characteristics.

Recently, there have been remarkable developments in microwave devices used in microwave communication apparatuses, and it is easy to procure low-noise devices such as HEMT and MES-FET, so that the noise factor in reception-type low-noise converters, in particular, is decreasing year after year. However, even if the low-noise microwave device itself exhibits a satisfactory noise factor, the loss and impedance mismatching between the input section and the microwave device have a significant influence, making it impossible, in some cases, to obtain a desired noise factor for the low-noise converter as a whole.
Such a conventional microwave circuit will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 5 shows a short-circuit section of a conventional cylindrical-waveguide (hereinafter referred to simply as "CWG") - microstrip line (hereinafter referred to simply as "MSL") conversion section; FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the same; FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of a dielectric substrate forming an MSL; and FIG. 8 is a reverse-side view of the same.
In FIGS. 5 to 8, numeral 1 indicates a conductor strip of the MSL; numeral 2 indicates a dielectric substrate; numeral 3 indicates a metal body having a CWG 4; numeral 5 indicates a post; numeral 6 indicates a Teflon supporter; numeral 9 indicates a through-hole for connecting the conductor strip 1 with the post 5; and numeral 11 indicates a ground plane of the dielectric substrate 2.
The operation of the microwave circuit, constructed as described above, will be explained. First, in FIGS. 5 and 6, a microwave propagated through the CWG 4 is converted to a coaxial-line mode in the section of the post 5, and propagated through the coaxial line using the Teflon supporter 6 as an internal dielectric. Next, in FIGS. 7 and 8, the microwave propagated through the coaxial line is mode-converted by a matching pattern 10 provided in the ground plane 11 of the dielectric substrate 2 to an MSL having the same characteristic impedance as the coaxial line without involving any deterioration in characteristics. Then, the post 5, which constitutes the central conductor of the coaxial line, is connected to the conductor strip 1 through the through-hole 9.
In the above-described construction, however, a sufficient contact may not be attained between the portion of the ground plane around the matching pattern 10 of the dielectric substrate 2 and the metal body 3 due to any warp of the dielectric substrate 2 or an inadequate flatness of the metal body 3. In such a case, the characteristic impedance of the coaxial line differs from that of the MSL, and mismatching is caused, resulting in a passing loss and deterioration in VSWR.
In view of the above problem, it is an object of the present invention to provide a microwave circuit in which the external conductor of the coaxial line is held in an adequate contact with the ground plane of the MSL, thereby preventing a passing loss and deterioration in VSWR in the coaxial-line/MSL conversion section.

Cylindrical waveguide-to-microstrip line converter


An illuminated support stand having a housing with a base and at least one sidewall forming an interior volume. The illuminated support stand also has an upper planar surface with a transparent portion centrally disposed thereon. A light source is disposed beneath the transparent portion within the interior volume of the base. The upper planar surface is configured to support an object, such as a vase thereon with a plurality of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) configured to flash in sequence with an audio input. A plurality of control buttons is disposed on an outer front surface of the housing and is used to operate the illuminated support stand. A wireless transceiver is configured to connect to an external source. A skirt is disposed on a perimeter of the housing and is removably secured thereon.

When decorating, many people use lighting to showcase certain elements within the space. In many instances, elements such as plants or vases have a more appealing appearance when used in connection with lighting. Thus, decorators will illuminate a plant or vase to make it stand out within the room. However, in most instances, the light used to illuminate the plant is only one specific color and does not change or flash. Furthermore, typical lights do not have the capability to sync flashing with the sound of music. Therefore, a system that can illuminate a vase with a variety of colors while syncing the lights to music is needed.
Devices have been disclosed that relate to illuminated support stands. These include devices that have been patented and published in patent publications. These devices generally relate to a plant stand that illuminates flowers or a vase. However, these devices fail to disclose an illuminated support stand that illuminates the inside of a vase with LED lights that flash in a pattern corresponding to a received audio input via wireless communication.


The present invention relates to a training device usable in both indoor and outdoor training sessions, linked to a communication network capable of connecting multiple remote users during shared training sessions. Said device comprises, among other elements, a training means which presents a variable resistance against a physical force applied by a user; a monitoring and communication unit of data regarding the physical condition of the user and the mechanical conditions of the training means; a simulation and control unit; and a plurality of sensors for acquiring information on the physical condition of the user, on the mechanical conditions of the training means and on the user's environment.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sports training device useable for both indoor and outdoor training sessions, linked to a communication network capable of connecting multiple remote users in shared training sessions.
2. Description of the Related Art
Indoor sports training devices are well-known in the state of the art and are commonly used by professional users as well as sports enthusiasts. Initially, said devices were conceived as alternatives to outdoor training, for cases where the user did not wish to leave an enclosed precinct in order to practice sport, due, for example, to the weather conditions outside, the comfort of exercising in one's own home, or the convenience of combining a specific training exercise with other sports practices, which can all be practiced in the same enclosure. Widely disclosed examples are treadmills, which are very common in gyms and sports centres, stationary bicycles or rowing machines, among many others.
Despite the fact that the above examples of indoor training systems offer an adequate solution for many users in their usual practice, the aforesaid devices still present several drawbacks which the state of the art has not yet resolved, mostly related to the main disadvantage that said indoor devices present against practicing exercise outdoors, i.e., the lack of a natural environment (whether urban or rural) where the activity can be performed, often causing users the sensation that the exercise has become repetitive or boring, and leading occasionally to the loss of interest in the activity or even abandonment of the sports practice. Another problem resulting from indoor training devices, in cases where said devices allow electronic analyses to be made of the exercise performed (by studying the distances run, the speed, the resistance that the device applies as the user progresses, etc.) is their incompatibility with simultaneous planning of outdoor exercise, because there is no tool to provide a common reference framework that can integrate the two types of training naturally, whereby the user can view both types jointly (through a common data acquisition and analysis system) in a unified training plan. This incompatibility can cause the user to perceive indoor training as a less effective alternative to outdoor training, which can only be carried out independently in respect of the former.
The present invention aims to resolve the aforesaid drawbacks, by means of a device that incorporates different elements for sports practice in both indoor and outdoor mode with training means that are easy to use, together with a simulator managed on the basis of the information generated by a Web application, which includes a customisable training system, in addition to recovery and analysis of the data generated by users during their sports practice. The aforesaid system helps to improve the quality of training and physical performance through a process, which users can configure by varying their training routines according to their requirements. Additionally, the invention allows practice by multiple users simultaneously, and can also be configured in competition mode, which provides a greater sensation of training, together with the possibility of integrating real training sessions performed outdoors so that they can later be reproduced during an indoor practice session using the simulator installed on the device, or of sharing them with other remote users, by means of the Web application. The device presents, also, the advantage of being able to record information on the user's physical condition (heart rate, blood pressure, calories burned, etc.), and also on the mechanical parameters of the training device employed (speed, acceleration, rotation, etc.), whether outdoors or indoors during the whole of the sports practice.


A skimmer for an installation confining a pool of water through which surface water exits from the installation. The skimmer has a hollow dome with openings in the sides of the dome. The skimmer has a tray with a perforate floor extending under the base of the dome. Surface water cascades through the openings and downwardly within the dome to thence flow through the floor of the tray.

The present invention relates to water skimmers, and more particularly to a skimmer which may be incorporated with a means containing a pool of water for the purpose of skimming off surface water of the pool. Exemplary of installations with which the skimmer may be used are swimming pools, and what are known as hot tubs or spas.
A problem encountered with any confined pool of water is that after a period of use, oils and other debris tend to collect on the surface of the water of the pool spa. This material must be removed by filtering the water when the water is recirculated. A drain opening that merely opens to the pool water at a level slightly below its surface is not effective to remove an oil surface layer, as this type of drain leaves undisturbed the oil film on the surface of the water. So-called "skimmers" have been developed which operate to skim off and remove surface water and any oil film and other debris contained thereon.
A common form of skimmer includes what is known as a floating weir, with the weir through buoyancy seeking a proper level with respect to the level of the surface water. Surface water falls over the top of the weir to be skimmed off when being recirculated. In other forms of skimmers, the drain opening which receives the water being recirculated is itself a part of a floating mechanism seeking a proper level in the pool water being processed. In skimmers as just described, movable mechanisms are required, which are subject to breakdown and require maintenance. Another characteristic of some known skimmers is that they require a recessed construction in the wall structure which confines the water of the system, making them inappropriate for smaller units such as portable-type spas, where space within a spa is limited. Another consideration entering into an acceptable construction for a skimmer is that it be able to perform properly regardless of variation in the normal operating level of the water being recirculated. Additionally, of course, the skimmer should not be hazardous to users, and thus introduce a safety problem. As a practical matter, a skimmer should be simply constructed and easily maintained.
A general object of the present invention is to provide a simple and effective skimmer to remove oils and debris from the surface of water in a confined pool of water which does not rely on floating or moving parts.
The skimmer accomplishes a skimming action by creating a swirling action or vortex in surface water flowing into a hollow element of the skimmer. The mixing action that results is effective to break surface tension, whereby oil and debris are entrained in the water. The water with the entrained oils and debris is then pulled through a perforate strainer in the floor of the skimmer and into a filter by a pump.
More particularly, an object of the invention is to provide a skimmer that is compact and suitable for use where space is limited, as in portable spas.
Yet another object is to provide a skimmer that is easily cleaned by hand.
The skimming of the preferred embodiment of the invention does not require a recessed wall for its installation. This contributes to its usefulness with a portable spa where space is limited.


the absorbent sheet for pets which can suppress the outflow of a functional material is provided. An absorbent sheet (10) for pets includes a topsheet (12), a backsheet (14), an absorber (20) provided between the topsheet and the backsheet, a functional (40) material, and a recess (50)that is recessed in a direction from the topsheet toward the backsheet. The functional material (40) is provided at a position of the recess (50).

An absorbent sheet for pets that absorbs pet excreta such as urine is known (see Patent Literature 1 and Patent Literature 2 below). The absorbent sheet for pets includes a liquid-impermeable backsheet, a liquid-permeable topsheet, and an absorber positioned between the backsheet and the sheet.
Patent Literature 1 discloses an absorbent sheet for pets provided with a topsheet to which a chemical solution containing at least one of a fragrance component, a deodorizing component, and a sterilizing component is attached.
Patent Literature 2 discloses an absorbent sheet for pets having a pH determination portion formed of a functional ink that functions by moisture. This pH determination portion is provided on the topsheet or the sheet body adjacent to the back side of the topsheet.


Media for selectively removing radium ions from water where manganese oxide (DMO) has been dispersed in a cation ion exchange resin (gel or macroporous) to adsorb radium ions. The media is manufactured by precipitating a soluble manganese (II) salt such as manganous sulfate with a permanganate salt such as sodium permanganate inside a strong acid cation (SAC) to form a resin containing highly dispersed manganese oxides. The resin is then post treated with a reducing agent such as sodium metabisulfite (Na2S2O2) to prevent the leaching of soluble manganese from the resin. The reducing treatment ensures that soluble manganese species will be converted into an insoluble oxide form.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to selective media for the removal of radium from aqueous sources, and in particular, to a cation resin which contains dispersed manganese oxide (DMO) and a method of manufacturing the same.
2. Brief Description of the Related Art
Radium is a divalent cation that occurs naturally in certain groundwaters, particularly in the U.S. Midwest. Radium is thought to be a carcinogen in drinking water, and, for this reason, radium levels in drinking water are regulated. For example, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency sets a maximum contaminant level (MCL) for the total of radium 226 (Ra226) and radium 228 (Ra228) of 5.0 picocuries per liter (pCi/L).
Radium occurs at very dilute concentrations in drinking water which presents a challenge to remove radium to the extremely low regulated levels. Various processes are known, however, that are able to achieve acceptable removal efficiencies. Certain processes use the known affinity of radium for preformed hydrous manganese oxide (HMO). These conventional method use a pre-formed slurry of HMO as a coagulant which is removed with a sand filter after contacting the source water. The sludge removed in the sand filter is typically backwashed to the sewer system. Other accepted technologies for radium removal include reverse osmosis, water softener (with the brine regenerant sent to the sewer), barium doped cation resin, and the HMO-coagulation/filtration (C/F) process.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reports that the Best Available Technology (BAT) for radium removal in drinking water is (a) cation exchange softening, (b) lime softening, (c) membrane processes (reverse osmosis) and (d) barium dispersed strong acid cation [1, 2]. Cation exchange softening can achieve 65-95% removal efficiency, but produces a liquid waste. Lime softening requires coagulation/filtration technology which is not considered BAT for small water supply systems, i.e., fewer than 500 connections. Lime softening can achieve 80-95% removal efficiency, but chemical precipitation produces waste solids. Membrane processes can achieve 90-99% removal efficiency, but reject water must be disposed of. Barium dispersed strong acid cation technology, such as Dowex RSC (BaSO4) [3], can achieve greater than 97% removal efficiency, but suffers from barium leakage.
Dr. Dennis Clifford of the University of Houston (a recognized expert in ground water contaminant removal) reports [3] that the BAT for radium removal is (a) cation exchange softening, (b) lime softening, (c) reverse osmosis, (d) pre-formed hydrous manganese oxide (HMO) and sand filter, (e) precipitation with BaSO4 and (f) HMO impregnated onto fibers or diatomaceous earth.
Other sorption technologies that have been tested but are not on the BAT list are:
(a) "Ion Exchange Technology—Advances In Pollution Control", by Arup K. Sengupta,—1995 [4],
(b) weak acid cation (WAC) in the hydrogen form,
(c) activated alumina,
(d) MnO2 coated sand and
(e) naturally occurring zeolite minerals (Water Remediation Technologies [5, 7].
Calgon Carbon has developed an MnO2 impregnated media for iron and manganese removal that requires backwashing to the sewer. CalMedia™ GSR Plus [6] is a granular manganese dioxide filtering media used for reducing soluble iron and manganese. Its active surface coating oxidizes and precipitates soluble iron and manganese. A Sandia Laboratories report [6] at pp. 31-36 describes CalMedia™ GSR as a filtration media that uses the conventional HMO C/F technology.
It is known to prepare an ion exchange resin by precipitating metal oxides within the resin. For example, SenGupta et al. disclose in U.S. Pat. No. 7,291,578 a polymeric anion exchange resin in which hydrated Fe (III) oxides are dispersed within the resin beads. In one embodiment, the process involves loading the anion exchange resin with an oxidizing anion such as MnO4− or OCl− followed by passage of a ferrous sulfate solution through the resin.
The limitations of the prior art are overcome by the present invention as described below.

Radium selective media and method for manufacturing


An image acquisition device having a photoconductor, a substrate including a detector array and an interlayer between the photoconductor and the substrate is disclosed. The interlayer is formed of molecules having a first ligand selectively binding the substrate and a second ligand selectively binding the photoconductor.

This application relates generally to photoconductor crystal growth, and in particular to image acquisition devise and x-ray detectors.
Digital x-ray imagers are progressively replacing films in many medical and scientific applications. These imagers generally use a pixelated array of thin film transistor (TFT) switches fabricated from amorphous silicon (a-Si) deposited on a flat glass substrate. The switches define addressable pixels. At each pixel, there is a photodiode and a capacitor connected to the TFT. A layer of scintillator material covers the array of photodiodes. The scintillator is typically a compound such as gadolinium oxysulphide or cesium iodide that emits light when it absorbs x-ray photons. When x-ray photons enter the scintillator layer, they are absorbed and visible light is emitted. A proportion of the emitted light illuminates the photodiode located at the pixel beneath the point where the x-ray photons are absorbed. The light causes current to flow through the photodiode, which deposits charge in the capacitor. For readout the TFTs are switched on in sequence via gate lines, and the integrated charge collected on each capacitor is read out via orthogonal data lines to an ND converter. The amount of charge collected per pixel is proportional to the local x-ray flux absorbed in the scintillator, and the digitized values of charge per pixel form a digital image of the spatial distribution of x-ray flux incident onto the detector.
Conventional x-ray detectors employ indirect detection of x-ray photons. The energy of the photons is first converted into visible light and the visible light photons subsequently illuminate a photodiode, resulting in the collection of electric charge. In conventional x-ray detectors, some optical photons never reach the photodiodes beneath the scintillator layer and their energy is lost, which reduces the sensitivity of the imager to x-rays. Some photons are emitted in directions such that they illuminate nearby photodiodes rather than the photodiode at the pixel where the x-ray photons are absorbed. This causes loss of image resolution.

Apparatus of photoconductor crystal growth


The present disclosure relate to photoelectric conversion apparatus and imaging system. The photoelectric conversion apparatus has a plurality of pixels arranged in rows and columns, and each configured to generate a signal by photoelectric conversion, a plurality of holding capacitors arranged correspondingly to the respective columns of the plurality of pixels, and configured to hold signals based on the pixels, a first output line, a second output line, a first switch arranged between the holding capacitor and the first output line, a second switch arranged between the holding capacitor and the second output line, and a column selecting line configured to control the second switch, wherein a wiring structure of a portion at which the column selecting line intersects the first output line is different from a wiring structure of a portion at which the column selecting line intersects the second output line.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a photoelectric conversion apparatus and an imaging system for use in a scanner, a video camera, a digital still camera and the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-259227 discloses a technique of reading signals from a column memory by two horizontal scanning circuits that operate in different phases, multiplexing the outputs from two horizontal output lines, and outputting the multiplexed outputs, in a CMOS image sensor. By doing so, a signal can be output from the CMOS image sensor at a frequency higher than the drive frequency of the horizontal output lines, and a photoelectric conversion apparatus with a high frame rate can be realized.
However, the CMOS image sensor as in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-259227 has the following problem. In order to read a signal to the two horizontal output lines from the column memory in different phases as described above, the first column selecting line that provides electrical continuity between the column memory and the first horizontal output line in one phase, and the second column selecting line that sequentially provides electrical continuity between the column memory and the second horizontal output line in the other phase are included. There arises a problem that the first column selecting line capacitively couples with the second horizontal output line, or the second column selecting line capacitively couples with the first horizontal output line resulting in a superimpose of noise in the signal reading time period.

Photoelectric conversion apparatus and imaging system


Colors are specified within the individual glyphs of a font by means of an indirect approach which employs multiple tables. The data values for individual pixels of a glyph identify entries in an index table, which pertains to a subset of all available colors. The entries in the index table map to a complete set of colors that are specified in a color table. As a result of this structure, the amount of data that is required to specify the individual pixels of a glyph can be minimized to the number of bits required to distinguish the colors within that glyph. The specification of all available colors within a single table permits that table to be shared among various resources, including bitmap fonts and outline fonts.

Many different types of computer application programs, such as desktop publishing programs, word processing programs, graphic design programs, and web page authoring programs, provide the capability for users to display text in a number of different manners, to provide a variety of different effects. For instance, users can control the appearance of the text by selecting different fonts, as well as various characteristics of the text, including its size, style, weight and the like. Many of these characteristics are included within the definition of a font. For instance, a font might contain one set of character images, or glyphs, for plain text, another set of glyphs for bold text, and yet another set of glyphs for italicized text.
Another attribute of text, which can be employed with great effectiveness to create different impressions, is its color. For instance, individual words in a document can be printed in bold colors, such as red or blue, to draw the reader's attention to a specific concept. In another context, a variety of colors can be used for different portions of text, to create fanciful presentations. In the past, color did not form a component of a font definition itself. Rather, the individual glyphs of a font were defined as monochrome images. For instance, one approach that is employed to define glyph images employs a bitmap of the image. In this approach, each pixel of an image is defined as being "on" or "off". When the image of a character is to be displayed on a computer monitor or printed on paper, the "on" pixels are displayed or printed with a designated foreground color, e.g. black, and the "off" pixels are not printed, or are displayed as a background color, to thereby form the image of a character. To change the color of the character, the designated foreground color is varied. Thus, for example, if the new foreground color is designated as red, the entire character appears in the color red, rather than black.
An alternative approach to defining the glyphs of a font is to characterize them by their geometric shapes. In this approach, the outline of the font is defined, for example by mathematical formulas. When the character is to be displayed, the area within the defined outline is filled with the foreground color. In a similar manner, the color of the character can be changed, by designating a different foreground color.
To provide greater versatility in the appearance of glyphs, it is desirable to employ multiple colors within the image of a single character or symbol. For example, it may be desirable to display one or more edges of a character in a color that contrasts with the main color of the character, to create a shadow effect. In another situation, it may be desirable to display or print a glyph in a pattern of colors that represent the colors of a country's flag, or other symbolic image. One technique that permits the glyphs of an outline font to be displayed with multiple colors is disclosed in copending application Ser. No. 6,091,505, commonly assigned herewith. In the technique disclosed therein, different components of the outline can be defined in respective layers, and each layer can be displayed in a different color.
For bitmapped fonts, it is possible to designate different colors by employing multiple bits for each pixel of the glyph image. However, such an approach can significantly increase the amount of data that is required to define the font. For instance, in a system which is capable of displaying up to 256 different colors, 8 bits are required to uniquely designate any given color. It will be appreciated that, if 8 bits are required to define each pixel within each glyph of the font, the amount of memory required to store the font will become excessive.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a technique which permits colors and other multi-valued attributes of glyphs to be defined within bitmapped font images, but which does so with a limited amount of data, to thereby minimize storage requirements.

Method and system for the representation of color and other attributes in bitmap fonts


A fish stunning apparatus comprising a fish stunning device (100) including a striker (400); said striker (400) including a cylinder and a piston (443), said piston (443) movable between a retracted position and an extended position; a fish guide (200) having an entrance (230) and an exit (240); said fish guide (200) guiding a fish below said striker (400) so that said piston (443) contacts said fish when said piston (443) is in the extended position; trigger (300) to cause said piston (443) to be moved from the retracted position to the extended position when said fish is passed through said fish guide (200); wherein said fish is moved unidirectionally from said entrance (230) through said guide (200) to the exit (240). A fish guide (200) comprising an entrance (230), an exit (240) and a pivotally movable floor (220) and a table for distributing fish for stunning are also disclosed.

It has be found that by stunning fish, the quality of the flesh of the fish is increased as death does not induce the creation of lactic acid in the flesh of the fish. Fish are stunned in a number of ways including the most basic method of hitting the fish with a bat to using more complex devices in which the fish are stunned using a pneumatically driven ram.
In most commercial operated fisheries more complex pneumatic rams are used as they are more efficient and less physically demanding on an operator. An example of a fish stunning device that uses a pneumatic ram is disclosed in International Patent Application No WO 01/97621.
When fish are harvested, they are located in a holding area and then pumped onto a table. The fish are grabbed by an operator and stunned usually using a pneumatically driven stunning device that is mounted to the table. A guide is used to guide the head of the fish into the stunning device to activate a trigger to cause the pneumatic ram to be extended and stun the fish. The fish is then withdrawn from the guide and passed further along the table for other operations such as bleeding.
A problem with this process is that often the fish are pumped onto the table in waves. A large number of fish are often located on the table at one time creating a backlog of fish. An operator that uses the fish stunning apparatus shown in WO 01/97621 must push the fish forwardly through the guide in order to stun the fish. The difficulty arises when the fish must be removed as the backlog often hinders or sometimes prevents the removal of the fish. Further, as there is a passageway that must be provided to allow fish to be passed further along the table, fish that have not been stunned can be passed through this passageway which is undesirable.


A dispenser comprises a housing, a product-containing bag disposed within the housing, and a valve for discharging product from the bag. An energy-storing member, in the form of a gas-filled bellows, or a cellular foam element, is disposed beneath the product-containing bag and is raisable thereagainst to pressurize the product within the bag. An overload preventing mechanism prevents energy-storing member from being excessively compressed. The valve and product-containing bag are removable as a unit from the housing to enable an identical refill unit to be installed.

The present invention relates to a dispenser, especially a hand-held spray dispenser in which a spray is emitted upon manual actuation of a valve.
For many years spray dispensers for dispensing products such as hair spray, deodorants, room air fresheners, etc., have utilized a container in which the product is stored in liquid form. A propellant gas under pressure occupies a head space between the top of the container and the liquid product. A dip tube extends downwardly through the propellant and product from a discharge valve located at the top of the container. When a user opens the discharge valve, the propellant pushes the liquid product into the bottom of the dip tube and then upwardly through the dip tube to the valve.
Propellant gases which have commonly been used have included butane and pentane, for example. Those gases feature the ability to become dissolved within the liquid product under the usual pressure conditions occurring within the container. Hence, the product is discharged in the form of liquid particles mixed with bubbles of the propellant gas. When exposed to the lower atmospheric pressure, those bubbles expand suddenly to advantageously break up the liquid particles into a finer spray pattern.
In some cases, the valve is configured to mix additional propellant gas directly from the head space to the product during discharge in order to create yet a finer spray pattern.
The conventional propellant gases have exhibited ideal product-expelling characteristics, i.e., an essentially constant pressure of a specified magnitude which can be maintained continuously for a specified duration of time.
More recently, however, due to concerns about environmental pollution, conventional propellant gases have fallen into disfavor. Alternative sources of propulsion have been sought which will satisfy the above-mentioned product-expelling characteristics without being accompanied by the discharge of polluting gases.
Dispensers have heretofore been proposed which employ an internal energy-storing member capable of being mechanically compressed by a rotatable actuator to pressurize a liquid product, e.g., see U.S. Pat. No. 3,195,168 which proposes to use an energy-storing member in the form of a coil spring. However, coil springs are not ideally suited to continuously produce a constant pressure for a sufficiently long duration to satisfy most spraying requirements.
In Williams U.S. Pat. No. 5,042,696 a multipiece piston is disclosed which comprises a product ejecting member and an energizing member separated by a gas-filled space. The energizing member is raisable by rotation of an outer sleeve to compress the gas while pressurizing the product, which is located above the ejecting member. The compressed gas acts as a gas spring to store energy. That energy is gradually released to eject the product when a discharge valve is opened by a user. Once the gas pressure has been dissipated, the outer sleeve is rotated to recompress the gas. This mechanism has been shown to provide a generally uniform pressure which can be maintained continuously at a sufficiently high magnitude for a suitable duration. However, in certain instances there exists a tendency for the gas to migrate through the container wall (especially if the wall is formed of certain plastics), thereby shortening the shelf-life of the dispenser. In such instances, it would be necessary to enclose the air within a collapsible bellows, but the possibility of leakage and resultant pressure loss might still exist.
It would, therefore, be desirable to provide a dispenser with an energy storing mechanism able to produce an essentially constant pressure that can be maintained continuously at a sufficiently high magnitude for a suitable duration, and which exhibits an ample shelf life.
It would also be desirable to ensure that a user of a dispenser having a manually actuable energy-storing member cannot accidentally over-pressurize that member.
Furthermore, it would be desirable to minimize the amount of disposable waste created when a dispenser has been emptied of its product.

Dispenser with an energy storage member and an overload prevention mechanism


In heat transfer devices, which are constructed as plate oil coolers for motor vehicles, an adapter plate is provided in order to achieve a compact construction with a joint fastening and with feeding openings which are accessible only from one side. The adapter plate is configured such that at least two, but preferably four different plate coolers can be supplied with the same coolant flow. This results in a particularly simple and compact construction.

This application claims the priority of German application 196 54 362.2 filed in Germany Dec. 24, 1996, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein.
This invention relates to a heat transfer arrangement such as an oil cooler arrangement for motor vehicles having at least one heat transfer device. A liquid coolant and a liquid medium to be cooled are guided in the at least one heat transfer device in adjacent layers which are separated from one another by heat transmitting walls. An adapter plate is assigned to the heat transfer device, and connection ducts are provided between feeding and discharge bores for the heat transfer device.
Such a heat transfer device is known from German Patent Document DE-GBM 93 09 741. In this device, an adapter plate is assigned to the underside of a cooler constructed of plate-shaped heat exchange elements, as it is used in practice for cooling oil. This adapter plate is connected with a fastening plate which, on one side, closes off the adapter plate. The adapter plate is provided with recesses for forming a duct and with a feeding opening for the coolant. As a result, the heat transfer device can be fastened as a unit. As a result, inflow and discharge can simultaneously take place by way of the fastening plate from below.
There are a number of application possibilities in which several coolers must be provided for additional assemblies, such as an engine oil cooler, a servo oil cooler or a cooler for the transmission oil or for diesel oil. These additional assemblies must all be housed individually at a suitable point. This requires high expenditures and, moreover, sufficient space is not always available for housing the individual cooler aggregates.
The present invention is therefore based on the object of developing a heat transfer arrangement of the initially mentioned type such that several coolers can be combined to form a unit without any separate expenditures for the feeding of the coolant.
Based on the idea of using an adapter plate, the invention for achieving this object closes off the adapter plate by a cover plate. The cover plate is provided with a joint connection piece for the coolant, a connection duct and an opening for transporting the coolant. Two additional connections are provided for feeding and discharge of one medium respectively to be cooled of two heat transfer devices. These two heat transfer devices are arranged side-by-side on the cover plate and are connected to the joint connection piece for the coolant.
Because of this development, two or more heat transfer devices can be connected by way of a joint coolant connection and can jointly be fastened by the adapter plate. As a further development of the invention, coolant can flow in parallel through both heat transfer devices, and connection ducts for the coolant can rest on a joint end connection piece assigned to one of the two heat transfer devices.
According to certain preferred embodiments, it was found to be expedient to design one of two heat transfer devices for cooling the engine oil and the other for cooling the oil for the power steering. The reason for this is that these two coolers virtually represent the basic equipment for vehicles of different types and powers.
As a further development of the invention, heat transfer devices for cooling additional media, and particularly for cooling transmission oil and diesel oil, can be placed on the block of the engine cooler and/or of the servo oil cooler. Connections for the coolant are aligned with those of the blocks of the other two coolers and with those of the cover plate. In this manner, a compact assembly of different coolers which all have a common coolant connection and discharge can be achieved. The discharge connection piece for the coolant can be assigned to the engine oil cooler or to the diesel oil cooler placed upon the engine oil cooler. The invention achieves a heat transfer arrangement which can be individually adapted to the requirements of different vehicle types. However, since the arrangement has only an adapter plate as the fastening element and has an extremely compact construction, it can be installed in a simple and space-saving manner. In this case, the already existing coolant connection and discharge can be used for each of the coolers.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Heat transfer arrangement and method of making same


A cabinet and a server having the cabinet are disclosed, the cabinet includes a housing, two trays, an elastic piece, and a limiting piece. The trays are arranged in parallel and capable of sliding out of an opening or retracting in the housing. The elastic piece is connected to the housing and arranged between the trays. The limiting piece is connected to the elastic piece and arranged between the trays, each of the trays defines a hole corresponding to the limiting piece, each of the trays includes a protrusion. When one of the trays slides out of the opening, the protrusion slides to the limiting piece and pushes the limiting piece into the hole of the other tray; when the tray retracts in the housing, the protrusion slides away from the limiting piece, the elastic piece elastically recover the limiting piece to separate from the hole.

Interior space of a server is limited, and a cabinet of the server includes two trays on opposite sides. When one of the trays on one side is pulled out, the tray on the other side is locked, to prevent accidents. Traditional cabinets include two trays which need a large interior space for the self-locking structure. Such designs occupy extra space and decrease utility of the interior space, which also affect the overall designs of the servers. Therefore, there is room for improvement within the art.

Fulian Precision Electronics (Tianjin) Co., LTD.