The present disclosure relates to a passive optical network (PON) and discloses a method and system for maintaining the PON where the optical line terminal (OLT) is provided with an optical power detection module for measuring the total power of optical signals received by the PON, and the optical network units (ONUs) are provided with an optical transmitter power supply module.

The present disclosure generally relates to Passive Optical Network (PON) technology, and more particularly to a maintenance method and system for passive optical networks.
In broadband access networks, which are growing in scale, most existing local access networks (LANs) run at 100 Megabits per second (Mbps) and many large commercial companies are transitioning to Gigabit Ethernet (GE). However, in the metropolitan area core networks and the edge networks, the bandwidth capacity of synchronous optical network (SONET), synchronous digital hierarchy (SDH), and GE is abundant, which results in a bandwidth bottleneck at the access network. Compared to cable transmissions, optical fiber transmissions have many advantages, such as a large capacity, limited loss, and a strong ability to resist electromagnetic interference. Thus, with the cost of optical fiber transmission decreasing, the tendency is towards using fiber in the access network. The last mile access networks require low cost, simple structure, and ease of realization, which is a challenge to achieve technologically. Through the use of passive devices, PONs are a potential technology for broadband optical access networks.
As one of the potential technologies for broadband access networks, there are many technical advantages to PONs. First, optical access networks are the best solution for adapting to future developments, especially PONs and x-PONs that are combined with asynchronous transfer mode (ATM), Ethernet, or wavelength division multiplexing (WDM), which have proved to be a cost effective way to integrate broadband access networks. Second, by using PON technology, the entire optical distribution network is passive, small, and simple. Third, compared to cable networks, PONs can reduce the maintenance costs and avoid electromagnetic interference problems. Fourth, the PON's passive optical network unit (ONU) does not need power, so the ONU not only avoids numerous power supply problems, but also is more reliable than powered devices. Fifth, the overall network cost is lower because the passive devices share the optical fiber. Sixth, PONs support new services, especially multimedia and broadband services, and therefore PONs can strengthen the operator's core competitiveness, quicken the development of new services, benefit from new investments in optical network construction, and promote digital access networks. Seventh, to a certain degree, PONs are transparent to the transmission system and easy to upgrade.
Depending on the content that the PON carries, PON technology can be classified as ATM-based PON (APON), Ethernet-based PON (EPON), or Gigabit PON (GPON). Using APON, EPON, or GPON technology, the PON can support speeds of 155 Mbps, 622 Mbps, 1.25 Gigabits per second (Gbps), or 2.5 Gbps on the PON core fiber. By supporting multiple transmission speeds, the bandwidth assignment for each subscriber may be either static or dynamic.
According to the fiber extension, the optical access network can be classified as Fiber to the Home (FTTH), Fiber to the Building (FTTB), Fiber to the Curb (FTTCurb), Fiber to the Cabinet (FTTC), or Fiber to the Premises (FTTP), which can be referred to generically as Fiber to the X (FTTX).
One embodiment of the PON structure is shown in FIG. 1, and includes an Optical Line Terminal (OLT) located at the central office and a plurality of ONUs or optical network terminals (ONTs) located at the user locations. The primary difference between the ONU and the ONT is that the ONT is located at the customer side, while the ONU has other networks, such as an Ethernet network, between the ONU and the user. Because the differences between the ONU and the ONT are limited, the use of ONU herein refers to either the ONU or the ONT. The OLT and ONU are connected via fiber with an optical distribution network (ODN) containing passive splitters and/or couplers. In the PON, an optical fiber is laid from the service switch center to the broadband service sub-area, and then passive splitters and/or couplers separate the main fiber into several sub-channels that run to each building and service facility. The downstream direction refers to signals traveling from the OLT to the ONU, and the upstream direction refers to signals traveling from the ONU to the OLT.
FIG. 2 illustrates one embodiment of the OLT, which includes an optical module, a service processing module, a control module, and a power module. FIG. 3 illustrates one embodiment of the ONU, which includes an optical module, a service processing module, and a power module. The optical module converts optical signals received by the OLT and ONU, and includes an optical receiver and an optical transmitter. The power module is connected to the optical module in the OLT and the ONU, and provides power to the optical receiver and the optical transmitter. The power module may be controlled by a manual switch. In the OLT, the service processing module is connected to the central office (CO) upstream network interface through a central network interface (CNI). In the ONU, the service processing module is connected to the user devices through a user network interface (UNI).
Referring back to FIG. 1, in the PON the downstream data transmission process is different from the upstream data transmission process. The downstream data is broadcast from the OLT to every ONU, and each ONU uses the address information in the packet's protocol header to determine whether the destination address in the packet matches the ONU's address. Each ONU processes the packets that match its own address and ignores packets intended for other ONUs. Upstream transmission is more complex because the ODN's optical medium is shared. To avoid packet collision, the OLT control module uses time division multiple access (TDMA) to control the upstream data transmissions. Thus, specific upstream transmission timeslots are assigned to each ONU, and the timeslots are synchronized to prevent the packets from different ONUs from colliding.
In a point-to-multipoint PON, the upstream data is transmitted in TDMA mode, thus each ONU transmits time division multiplexed data to the OLT. The OLT assigns each ONU a timeslot to guarantee that only one ONU will emit light at any given time, thereby avoiding packet collisions. Under normal circumstances, the ONU's optical module is only active during the timeslot assigned by the OLT. However, a fault may occur in an optical module that causes the optical module to constantly emit light, perhaps because a malicious user set the optical module in a constant light-emitting state. If such a fault occurs in an ONU, then all of the ONUs connected to the same OLT as the faulty ONU will be deactivated.
One existing solution that may solve constant light-emitting faults is the use of an active splitter that monitors each of the splitter's sub-channels. If one of the sub-channels constantly emits light, then the OLT can disable the affected sub-channel. However, using active splitters eliminates many of the advantages of the PON by reducing the reliability of the system, increasing the amount of maintenance, and increasing the cost of the system.
Thus, a need exists for improvement in the present technology. To meet the industry demands, the improvement needs to detect and isolate the faulty ONU and avoid affecting the other, normal ONUs.

Method and system for maintenance of a passive optical network


An improved process for the preparation of ceftriaxone sodium comprising the steps of:    i) reacting the 3-cephem derivative of formula (II)

Ceftriaxone is chemically known as (6R,7R)-7-[[(Z)-2-(2-aminothiazol-4-yl)-2-methoxyimino]acetamido]-3-(2,5-dihydro-6-hydroxy-2-methyl-5-oxo-1,2,4-triazin-3-yl)thiomethyl-3-cephem-4-carboxylic acid disodium salt hemiheptahydrate.
Ceftriaxone is a cephalosporin antibiotic of a great therapeutic interest due to its effective antibacterial activity in the treatment of several affections and is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,758,556.
EP 0037 380 describes a process for the preparation of ceftriaxone which starts from 7-amino-3-(2,5-dihydro-6-hydroxy-2-methyl-5-oxo-1,2,4-triazin-3-yl)thiomethyl-3-cephem-4-carboxylic acid, which suitably protected at the carboxylic group, is made to react with 2-mercaptobenzothiazole 2-(2-aminothiazol-4-yl)-2-synmethoxymino acetate, then, after being deprotected, it gives ceftriaxone in the form of free acid. Its corresponding transformation into its soluble form as disodium salt is carried out afterwards according to the known techniques.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,552,186 claims a process for the preparation of ceftriaxone which comprises reacting of 7-amino-3-{[(2,5-dihydro-6-hydroxy-2-methyl-5-oxo-as-triazin-3-yl)thio]methyl)}-3-cephem-4-carboxylic acid with 4-halo-2(Z)-methoximino-3-oxobutyric acid using a silylating agent in the presence of solvent at a temperature of −10° C. to produce silylated compound and cyclizing the silylated compound with silylated thiourea using a solvent system containing organic solvent and water to obtain ceftriaxone formula (I). This patent also claims a process wherein the silylated (6R,7R)-7-[4-halo-2-[methoxyimino]acetamido]-3-[[(2,5-dihydro-6-hydroxy-2-methyl-5-oxo-1,2,4-triazin-3-yl)thio]methyl]-3-cephem-4-carboxylic acid is desilylated and then reacted with thiourea to produce ceftriaxone of formula (I).
EP 30294 disclosed a process comprising reacting 7-amino-3-{[(2,5-dihydro-6-hydroxy-2-methyl-5-oxo-as-triazin-3-yl)thio]methyl)}-3-cephem-4-carboxylic acid with 4-halo-2(Z)-methoximino-3-oxobutyric acid in the presence of a silylating agent in the presence of solvent to produce (6R,7R)-7-[4-halo-2-[methoxyimino]acetamido]-3-[[(2,5-dihydro-6-hydroxy-2-methyl-5-oxo-1,2,4-triazin-3-yl)thio]methyl]-3-cephem-4-carboxylic acid and reacting with thiourea in the presence of solvent selected from lower alkanol, lower ketone, an ether, DMF, DMAc, water and the like or mixtures thereof to produce ceftriaxone free acid which is then converted to sodium salt of formula (I).
The above-mentioned processes produce ceftriaxone using multi solvent system, which makes the recovery of solvents difficult and also increases the production cost. We focused our research to replace the multi solvent system with single organic solvent in order to reduce the cost of production and improve the purity and yield of the product. Overall, the process is environment friendly because, the solvent used is easily recovered and reused without producing much effluent.
The present invention is based on our observation that the purity and yield of the product can be improved when the reaction is carried out in water as a solvent alone without using multiple solvents.

Process for the preparation of a cephalosporin antibiotic

Abstract: with halo acid derivative of formula (III)

Abstract: wherein X represents halogen and Y represent halogen in the presence of silylating agent and methylene chloride at −25 to 10° C., to produce (IV),

Abstract: ii) quenching the reaction by pouring the reaction mixture into water or in a aqueous solution of sodium carbonate,    iii) preparing sodium salt solution of (IV) by adding sodium carbonate and separating the organic layer,    iv) cyclizing the sodium salt of (IV) in the aqueous solution with thiourea at a temperature in the range of 0 to 30° C.,    v) adjusting the pH to 1.5 to 2.5 to precipitate the ceftriaxone free acid,    vi) converting the ceftriaxone free acid to sodium salt using sodium-2-ethyl hexanoate in water and    vii) precipitating and isolating the ceftriaxone sodium.


A semiconductor package includes a first layer including a semiconductor die embedded within a dielectric substrate, and a first set of metal pillars extending through the dielectric substrate, a second layer stacked on the first layer, the second layer including a metal trace patterned on the dielectric substrate of the first layer, a passive component including at least one capacitor or resistor electrically coupled to the metal trace, and a second set of metal pillars extending from the metal trace to an opposing side of the second layer, and a third layer stacked on the second layer, the third layer including at least one inductor electrically coupled to metal pillars of the second set of metal pillars.

Electronic package technology continues trends towards miniaturization, integration, and speed. Semiconductor packages provide support for an integrated circuit chip or semiconductor die and associated bond wires, provide protection from the environment, and enable surface-mounting of the die to and interconnection with an external component, such as a printed circuit board (PCB). Leadframe semiconductor packages are well known and widely used in the electronics industry to house, mount, and interconnect a variety of ICs.
A conventional leadframe is typically die-stamped from a sheet of flat-stock metal and includes a plurality of metal leads temporarily held together in a planar arrangement about a central region during package manufacture by siderails forming a rectangular frame. A mounting pad for a semiconductor die is supported in the central region by "tie-bars" that attach to the frame. The leads extend from a first end integral with the frame to an opposite second end adjacent to, but spaced apart from, the die pad.
As alternatives to a conventional leadframe, routable leadframes include at least one metal layer supported by a dielectric layers, such as laminate films and/or premolded dielectric layers.
A power converter module comprises at least an integrated IC with both power and controller functions, an input capacitor, an output capacitor, and an inductor. These components may be combined into a single package. In one example of a switching power converter package, the controller chip, the inductor, and the capacitors are placed side-by-side on a leadframe or routable substrate. In another example, the controller chip may be embedded in the substrate so that only the inductor and the capacitors are on the surface of the substrate.

Multi-layer semiconductor package with stacked passive components


A method of fabricating an electromechanical transducer film includes applying a precursor solution on a support substrate, heating the substrate at a first temperature to form a ceramic thin-film in amorphous state, applying a sol-gel solution onto the ceramic thin-film, and heating the ceramic thin-film at a second temperature to form an electromechanical transducer thin-film in amorphous state. The method further includes heating the ceramic and transducer thin-films at a third temperature to thermally decompose an organic substance in the sol-gel solution and form a unitary thin-film, processing the unitary thin-film to form a patterned unitary thin-film, modifying an area on which the patterned film is not formed, discharging the sol-gel solution onto a surface of the patterned film by a liquid discharge head to apply the sol-gel solution to the surface of the patterned film, and heating the patterned film at a fourth temperature to crystallize the patterned film.

1. Technical Field
Embodiments of this disclosure relate to a fabrication method of an electromechanical transducer film, a fabrication method of an electromechanical transducer element, a liquid ejection head, and an image forming apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
A liquid discharge head may include a piezoelectric body serving as a pressure generator to pressurize liquid, e.g., ink in a liquid chamber and generate pressure. The piezoelectric body is, for example, a piezoelectric element (electromechanical transducer element) in which a lower electrode, a piezoelectric film serving as an electromechanical transducer film (layer), and an upper electrode are laminated one on another in this order.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Fabrication method of electromechanical transducer film, fabrication method of electromechanical transducer element, electromechanical transducer element, liquid ejection head, and image forming apparatus


A threaded tubular connection includes a male tubular element including a male threaded portion and a female tubular element including a female threaded portion that cooperates by screwing with the male threaded portion. The threaded connection includes at least one transfer zone that can transfer bending loads between the elements and that is axially spaced from the threaded portions, in which the male and female elements have an undulating surface and a smooth surface facing each other, the undulating surface defining a series of rounded annular ribs that come into contact with the smooth surface with a radial interference fit. The connection may find application to production strings for hydrocarbon wells.

The invention relates to a threaded tubular connection for a tubular string which is subjected to dynamic bending loads, comprising a male tubular element provided with a male threaded portion and a female tubular element provided with a female threaded portion.
That type of threaded connection is intended for making strings for hydrocarbon or the like wells.

Threaded tubular connection which is resistant to bending stresses


Systems and methods for planning a cryoablation procedure and for facilitating a cryoablation procedure utilize integrated images displaying, in a common virtual space, a three-dimensional model of a surgical intervention site based on digitized preparatory images of the site from first imaging modalities, simulation images of cryoprobes used according to an operator-planned cryoablation procedure at the site, and real-time images provided by second imaging modalities during cryoablation. The system supplies recommendations for and evaluations of the planned cryoablation procedure, feedback to an operator during cryoablation, and guidance and control signals for operating a cryosurgery tool during cryoablation. Methods are provided for generating a nearly-uniform cold field among a plurality of cryoprobes, for cryoablating a volume with smooth and well-defined borders, thereby minimizing damage to healthy tissues.

The present invention relates to cryosurgical systems and methods useable for planning and for facilitating a cryoablation procedure. More particularly, the present invention relates to the use of integrated images displaying, in a common virtual space, images of a three-dimensional model of a surgical intervention site, simulation images of a planned cryoablation procedure at the site, and real-time images of the site during cryoablation. The present invention further relates to system-supplied recommendations for, and evaluations of, a planned cryoablation procedure, and to system-supplied feedback to an operator and system-supplied control signals to a cryosurgery tool during cryoablation.
Cryosurgical procedures involve deep tissue freezing which results in tissue destruction due to rupture of cells and or cell organelles within the tissue. Deep tissue freezing is effected by insertion of a tip of a cryosurgical device into the tissue, either transperineally, endoscopically or laparoscopically, and a formation of, what is known in the art as, an ice-ball around the tip.
In order to effectively destroy a tissue by such an ice-ball, the diameter of the ball should be substantially larger than the region of the tissue to be treated, which constraint derives from the specific profile of temperature distribution across the ice-ball.
Specifically, the temperature required for effectively destroying a tissue is about −40° C., or cooler. However, the temperature at the surface of the ice-ball is 0° C. The temperature declines exponentially towards the center of the ball such that an isothermal surface of about −40° C. is typically located within the ice-ball substantially at the half way between the center of the ball and its surface.
Thus, in order to effectively destroy a tissue there is a need to locate the isothermal surface of −40° C. at the periphery of the treated tissue, thereby exposing adjacent, usually healthy, tissues to the external portions of the ice-ball. The application of temperatures of between about −40° C. and 0° C. to such healthy tissues usually causes substantial damage thereto, which damage may result in temporary or permanent impairment of functional organs.
In addition, when the adjacent tissues are present at opposite borders with respect to the freeze treated tissue, such as in the case of prostate freeze treatments, as is further detailed below, and since the growth of the ice-ball is in substantially similar rate in all directions toward its periphery, if the tip of the cryosurgical device is not precisely centered, the ice-ball reaches one of the borders before it reaches the other border, and decision making of whether to continue the process of freezing, risking a damage to close healthy tissues, or to halt the process of freezing, risking a non-complete destruction of the treated tissue, must be made.
Although the present invention is applicable to any cryosurgical treatment, discussion is hereinafter primarily focused on a cryosurgical treatment of a patient's prostate.
Thus, when treating a tumor located at a patient's prostate, there is a trade-of between two options: (a) effectively destroying the prostatic tissue extending between the prostatic urethra and the periphery of the prostate and causing unavoidable damage to the patient's urethra or organs adjacent the prostate such as the rectum and nerves; (b) avoiding the damaging of the prostatic urethra and adjacent organs, but exposing the patient to the risk of malignancy due to ineffective destruction of the prostate tumor. Treatment of benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH), while not requiring total destruction of an entire volume of prostate tissue as does treatment of a malignancy, nevertheless does run the risk of causing damage to healthy functional tissues and organs adjacent to the prostate, if care is not taken to limit the scope of destructive freezing to appropriate locations.
A classical cryosurgery procedure for treating the prostate includes the introduction of 5-7 probes into the prostate, the probes being typically arranged around the prostatic urethra such that a single probe is located, preferably centered, between the prostatic urethra and the periphery of the prostate. The dimensions of such a single probe are usually adapted for effectively treating the prostatic tissue segment extending from the urethra to the periphery of the prostate, e.g., a tip of 3 millimeters in diameter, generating an ice-ball of 3-4 centimeters in diameter, depending on the size of the prostate. Since a single ice-ball is used for freezing such a prostatic tissue segment, the volume of adjacent tissues exposed to damage is substantially greater than the volume of the treated tissue. For example, if the area of the ice-ball in cross section is πR2, and an effective treatment of at least −40° C. is provided to an area of π(R/2)2 (in cross section), then the area of adjacent tissues (in cross section) exposed to between about −40° C. and about 0° C. is πR2−0.25(πR2)=0.75(πR2), which is three area of the tissue effectively treated by the ice-ball.
A modification of the classic cryosurgery procedure described in the preceding paragraph, intended to avoid excessive damage to adjacent tissues, is to use such a single probe of a smaller diameter producing an ice-ball of smaller size. Such a modification, however, exposes the patient to the danger of malignancy because of a possible incomplete destruction of the tumor.
The classical cryosurgery procedure herein described, therefore, does not provide effective resolution of treatment along the planes perpendicular to the axis of penetration of the cryosurgical probe into the patient's organ.
A further limitation of the classical procedure stems from the fact that anatomical organs such as the prostate usually feature an asymmetric three-dimensional shape. Consequently, introduction of a cryosurgical probe along a specific path of penetration within the organ may provide effective treatment to specific regions located at specific depths of penetration but at the same time may severely damage other portions of the organ located at other depths of penetration.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,142,991 to Schatzberger teaches a high resolution cryosurgical method and device for treating a patient's prostate designed to overcome the described limitations of the classical cryosurgery procedure described hereinabove. Schatzberger's "high resolution" method (referred to as the "HR method" hereinbelow) comprises the steps of (a) introducing a plurality of cryosurgical probes to the prostate, the probes having a substantially small diameter and are distributed across the prostate, so as to form an outer arrangement of probes adjacent the periphery of the prostate and an inner arrangement of probes adjacent the prostatic urethra; and (b) producing an ice-ball at the end of each of said cryosurgical probes, so as to locally freeze a tissue segment of the prostate. Schatzberger's apparatus (referred to hereinbelow as the "HR" apparatus) comprises (a) a plurality of cryosurgical probes of small diameter, the probes serve for insertion into the patient's organ, the probes being for producing ice-balls for locally freezing selected portions of the organ; (b) a guiding element including a net of apertures for inserting the cryosurgical probes therethrough; and (c) an imaging device for providing a set of images, the images being for providing information on specific planes located at specific depths within the organ, each of said images including a net of marks being correlated to the net of apertures of the guiding element, wherein the marks represent the locations of ice-balls which may be formed by the cryosurgical probes when introduced through said apertures of the guiding element to said distinct depths within the organ.
The HR method and device provide the advantages of high resolution of treatment along the axis of penetration of the cryosurgical probe into the patient's organ as well as along the planes perpendicular to the axis of penetration, thereby enabling to effectively destroy selective portions of a patient's tissue while minimizing damage to adjacent tissues and organs, and to selectively treat various portions of the tissue located at different depths of the organ, thereby effectively freezing selected portions of the tissue while avoiding the damaging of other tissues and organs located at other depth along the axis of penetration.
Schatzberger, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,142,991 also teaches the additional step of three dimensionally mapping an organ of a patient so as to form a three dimensional grid thereof, and applying a multi-probe system introduced into the organ according to the grid, so as to enable systematic high-resolution three dimensional cryosurgical treatment of the organ and selective destruction of the treated tissue with minimal damage to surrounding, healthy, tissues.
It is, however, a disadvantage of the HR apparatus and method as taught in U.S. Pat. No. 6,142,991 that the apparatus enables, and the method requires, a high level of diagnostic sophistication in the selection and definition of the particular volume of tissue to be cryoablated. Real-time imaging capabilities of the HR apparatus provide for imaging of the target organ at a selected depth of penetration and thereby assist an operator in deciding where to introduce and utilize a plurality of cryogenic probes, yet the complex three-dimensional geometry of the cryoablation target is poorly rendered by the set of two dimensional images constituting the three dimensional grid as contemplated by the HR method and apparatus. In this prior art method, little assistance is provided for an operator in understanding the three dimensional shape and structure of the cryoablation target and the surrounding tissues. Information vital to the operator may be present in the set of images, yet difficult for the operator to see and appreciate. In a set of images of this type, the details may be present, yet it may be difficult to appreciate their significance because of the difficulty of seeing them in context. A three dimensional "grid" composed of a plurality of two dimensional images such as ultrasound images contain many details, yet do not facilitate the understanding of those details in a three dimensional context.
Thus there is a widely recognized need for, and it would be highly advantageous to have, an apparatus for facilitating cryosurgery which provides real-time imaging of a cryoablation target site in a manner which is easy for an operator to visualize and to understand.
It is an additional limitation of the HR method and apparatus, and of other prior art systems, that the imaging capabilities contemplated are not well adapted to assist an operator in planning a cryoablation procedure. In addition to the fact that the imaging facilities there provided are poorly adapted to visualization of the three dimensional space by an operator, they are also limited in that the apparatus is poorly adapted to providing images of the target area in advance of the operation, e.g., for planning purposes. The described HR equipment might, of course, but used to create the described three dimensional mapping of the target area well in advance of a surgical intervention, but no mechanism is provided for facilitating the relating the images so obtained, and any planned procedures based on those images, to a subsequent intervention procedure. Moreover, the fact that the imaging modality of the HR apparatus is physically connected to parts of the cryosurgery equipment limits its versatility and may in some cases make it awkward to use for creating preparatory images of an intervention site.
Thus there is a widely recognized need for, and it would be highly advantageous to have, an apparatus for planning and for facilitating cryosurgery which provides easily understandable visualization of a cryoablation target site in advance of a surgical intervention, which further provides facilities for studying the site and for planning the intervention, and which yet further provides facilities for applying information gleaned from prior study of the imaged site, and specific plans for intervening in the site, to the actual site, in real time, during the planned cryoablation operation.
It is a further limitation of the HR method that no means are provided for facilitating the relating of images obtained in advance of a surgical intervention to a subsequent intervention. Yet whereas ultrasound images of a target site can be generated in real time during an intervention, and MRI techniques may also (if somewhat less easily) also be obtained during cryosurgery, other imaging techniques (CT scans, for example) are less well adapted to being produced during the course of an actual cryosurgery intervention.
Thus there is a widely recognized need for, and it would be highly advantageous to have, an apparatus and method for facilitating the relating of images obtained prior surgery to real-time images, from the same or from additional sources, obtained during cryosurgery.
Much is now known about the tissue-destructive processes of cryoablation, and about the subsequent short-term and long-term consequences to an organ such as a prostate which has undergone partial cryoablation. The laws of physics relating to the conduction of heat in a body, reinforced by experimentation and further reinforced by accumulated clinical experience in cryosurgery, provide a wealth of information enabling to predict with some accuracy the effect of a specific planned cryoablation procedure on target tissues. This information, and this capability for prediction, is underutilized in current cryosurgery practice.
The Seednet Training And Planning Software ("STPS") marketed by Galil Medical Ltd. of Yokneam, Israel constitutes a set in this direction, in that it provides a system for displaying, and allowing an operator to manipulate, a three-dimensional model of a prostate, and further allows an operator to plan a cryoablation intervention and to visualize the predicted effect of that planned intervention on the prostate tissues. STPS, however, is limited in that it does not provide means for relating a preliminary three dimensional model of a prostate to the prostate as revealed in real-time during the course of a surgical procedure. Moreover, the predictive ability of the STPS system is limited to predicting the extent of the freezing produced by a given deployment of a plurality of cryoprobes over a given time. No assistance is provided to an operator in discerning interactions between the predicted cryoablation and specific structures desired to be protected or to be destroyed. No assistance is given in predicting long-term effects of a given cryoablation procedure. No assistance is given in recommending procedures, placement of probes, temperature, or timing of an intervention.
Thus there is a widely recognized need for, and it would be highly advantageous to have, apparatus and method for calculating probable immediate, short-term, and long-term effects of a planned cryoablation procedure, thereby to facilitate the planning of such a procedure. There is further a widely recognized need for, and it would be highly advantageous to have, apparatus and method for facilitating the implementation of such a planned procedure, in real time, during execution of a planned cryoablation.
It is noted that with respect to BPH, the need for such a planning and facilitation apparatus is particularly strong.
BPH, which affects a large number of adult men, is a non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate. BPH frequently results in a gradual squeezing of the portion of the urethra which traverses the prostate, also known as the prostatic urethra. This causes patients to experience a frequent urge to urinate because of incomplete emptying of the bladder and a burning sensation or similar discomfort during urination. The obstruction of urinary flow can also lead to a general lack of control over urination, including difficulty initiating urination when desired, as well as difficulty in preventing urinary flow because of the residual volume of urine in the bladder, a condition known as urinary incontinence. Left untreated, the obstruction caused by BPH can lead to acute urinary retention (complete inability to urinate), serious urinary tract infections and permanent bladder and kidney damage.
Most males will eventually suffer from BPH. The incidence of BPH for men in their fifties is approximately 50% and rises to approximately 80% by the age of 80. The general aging of the United States population, as well as increasing life expectancies, is anticipated to contribute to the continued growth in the number of BPH sufferers.
Patients diagnosed with BPH generally have several options for treatment: watchful waiting, drug therapy, surgical intervention, including transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP), laser assisted prostatectomy and new less invasive thermal therapies.
Various disadvantages of existing therapies have limited the number of patients suffering from BPH who are actually treated. In 1999, the number of patients actually treated by surgical approaches was estimated to be 2% to 3%. Treatment is generally reserved for patients with intolerable symptoms or those with significant potential symptoms if treatment is withheld. A large number of the BPH patients delay discussing their symptoms or elect "watchful waiting" to see if the condition remains tolerable.
Thus, development of a less invasive, more convenient, or more successful treatment for BPH could result in a substantial increase in the number of BPH patients who elect to receive interventional therapy.
Cryoablation is a candidate for being such a popularize treatment.
With respect to drug therapies: some drugs are designed to shrink the prostate by inhibiting or slowing the growth of prostate cells. Other drugs are designed to relax the muscles in the prostate and bladder neck to relieve urethral obstruction. Current drug therapy generally requires daily administration for the duration of the patient's life.
With respect to surgical interventions: the most common surgical procedure, transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP), involves the removal of the prostate's core in order to reduce pressure on the urethra. TURP is performed by introducing an electrosurgical cutting loop through a cystoscope into the urethra and "chipping out" both the prostatic urethra and surrounding prostate tissue up to the surgical capsule, thereby completely clearing the obstruction. It will be appreciated that this procedure results in a substantial damage inflicted upon the prostatic urethra.
With respect to laser ablation of the prostate: laser assisted prostatectomy includes two similar procedures, visual laser ablation of the prostate (V-LAP) and contact laser ablation of the prostate (C-LAP), in which a laser fiber catheter is guided through a cystoscope and used to ablate and coagulate the prostatic urethra and prostatic tissue. Typically, the procedure is performed in the hospital under either general or spinal anesthesia, and an overnight hospital stay is required. In V-LAP, the burnt prostatic tissue then necroses, or dies and over four to twelve weeks is sloughed off during urination. In C-LAP, the prostatic and urethral tissue is burned on contact and vaporized. Again, it will be appreciated that these procedures result in a substantial damage inflicted upon the prostatic urethra.
With respect to heat ablation therapies: these therapies, under development or practice, are non-surgical, catheter based therapies that use thermal energy to preferentially heat diseased areas of the prostate to a temperature sufficient to cause cell death. Thermal energy forms being utilized include microwave, radio frequency (RF) and high frequency ultrasound energy (HIFU). Both microwave and RF therapy systems are currently being marketed worldwide. Heat ablation techniques, however, burn the tissue, causing irreversible damage to peripheral tissue due to protein denaturation, and destruction of nerves and blood vessels. Furthermore, heat generation causes secretion of substances from the tissue which may endanger the surrounding area.
With respect to transurethral RF therapy: transurethral needle ablation (TUNA) heats and destroys enlarged prostate tissue by sending radio waves through needles urethrally positioned in the prostate gland. The procedures prolongs about 35 to 45 minutes and may be performed as an outpatient procedure. However TUNA is less effective than traditional surgery in reducing symptoms and improving urine flow. TUNA also burn the tissue, causing irreversible damage to peripheral tissue due to protein denaturation, and destruction of nerves and blood vessels. Furthermore, as already discussed above, heat generation causes secretion of substances from the tissue which may endanger the surrounding area.
In contrast to the alternative treatments for BPH listed above, cryoablation therapy presents significant advantages. The volume of an enlarged prostate can be reduced, and stricture to the urethra can be eliminated, by selective destruction of prostate tissue by cryoablation. Tissues destroyed by cryoablation in treating BPH are gradually absorbed by the body, rather than being sloughed off during urination.
When the tissues to be cryoablated are appropriately selected and accurately cryoablated, there may be minimal endangerment of vital healthy functional tissues in proximity to the prostate. Thus, cryoablation is an important technique for treating BPH and has potential for becoming an increasingly popular therapy and enabling treatment of a large population of sufferers who today receive no effective treatment at all for their condition.
Thus, there is a widely recognized need for, and it would be highly advantageous to have, apparatus and method facilitating the planning cryoablation for the treatment of BPH by recommending appropriate number or placement of loci for cryoablation based on a patient's symptomatology, thereby helping to make this useful therapy accessible to surgeons not specialized in this specific method of treatment.
Particularly for surgeons who are not specialists in the particular limited field of cryoablation of the prostate, there is a widely recognized need for, and it would be highly advantageous to have, apparatus and method which facilitates the execution of a planned cryoablation treatment of the prostate or of another organ by providing feedback on the progress of an intervention by comparing real-time imaging of the intervention site with a planning model of the site, providing warnings when freezing, visible in ultrasound, approaches areas designated as needing to be protected from damage, or when destruction of tissues risks failing to cover volumes designated as requiring to be destroyed. Similarly, there is a widely recognized need for, and it would be highly advantageous to have, mechanisms for guiding movements of an operator during a cryoablation procedure, or for automatically managing the movement of cryosurgical tools such as cryoprobes during a cryoablation intervention, according to information based on a plan of the intervention and feedback obtained through real-time imaging of the intervention site.
In one respect, a system for planning a cryoablation intervention is particularly useful. Prior art has given little consideration to the interactive effects of a plurality of closely placed cryoprobes. Yet tissues which are in proximity to two or more cryoprobes may be cooled by several sources simultaneously, and consequently achieve a lower temperature than would be expected when considering the well-known freezing patterns created by a single cryoprobe used in isolation.
Thus there is a widely recognized need for, and it would be highly advantageous to have, system and method for utilizing a plurality of cryoprobes that takes into account their mutually-reinforcing cooling effect to create a near-uniform cold field within a volume. It would further be advantageous to have a system and method for defining a volume in which cognizance is take of the mutually reinforcing cooling effect of a plurality of closely placed cryoprobes to smoothly and accurately define a border of a cryoablation volume, thereby ensuring total destruction of tissues within that volume while minimizing damage to tissues outside that volume.


A screen assembly includes a frame having an outer perimeter and at least one inner support member, and at least one smooth surface affixed to the frame, where the smooth surface(s) have perforations. The frame may include a plurality of contact points extending upward from a top surface, and at least one smooth perforated screening surface is affixed to the plurality of contact points on the frame. In some cases the smooth surface comprises a perforated region and an erosion resistant region. Also, the perforations may have a shape that includes one or more corners. The smooth surface may be a perforated metal foil, sheet metal, and the like. Perforations may be apertures having one or more opening area sizes across the span of the screen assembly.

This section provides background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the disclosure. It should be understood that the statements in this section of this document are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.
Oilfield drilling fluid, often called "mud," serves multiple purposes in the industry. Among its many functions, the drilling mud acts as a lubricant to cool rotary drill bits and facilitate faster cutting rates. Typically, the mud is mixed at the surface and pumped downhole at high pressure to the drill bit through a bore of the drill string. Once the mud reaches the drill bit, it exits through various nozzles and ports where it lubricates and cools the drill bit. After exiting through the nozzles, the "spent" fluid returns to the surface through an annulus formed between the drill string and the drilled wellbore.
A significant purpose of the drilling mud is to carry the cuttings away from the drill bit at the bottom of the borehole to the surface. As a drill bit pulverizes or scrapes the rock formation at the bottom of the borehole, small pieces of solid material are left behind. The drilling fluid exiting the nozzles at the bit acts to stir-up and carry the solid particles of rock and formation to the surface within the annulus between the drill string and the borehole. Therefore, the fluid exiting the borehole from the annulus is a slurry of formation cuttings in drilling mud. Before the mud can be recycled and re-pumped down through nozzles of the drill bit, the cutting particulates must be removed.
Apparatus to remove cuttings and other solid particulates from drilling mud are commonly referred to in the industry as "shale shakers." A shale shaker, also known as a vibratory separator, is a vibrating sieve-like table upon which returning dirty drilling mud is deposited and through which clean drilling mud emerges. Typically, the shale shaker is an angled bed of mesh screens to filter the drilling mud. Returning drilling mud is deposited at the top of the shale shaker. As the drilling mud travels across the mesh screens, the fluid falls through apertures in the mesh screens to a reservoir below leaving the solid particulate material behind. The combination of the angle of inclination with the vibrating action of the shale shaker table enables the solid particles to be conveyed to the discharge end of the shaker table.
Because shale shakers are typically in continuous use during drilling operations, any repairs and associated downtimes are to be minimized as much as possible. Often, the mesh screens of shale shakers, through which the solids are separated from the drilling mud, wear out over time and need replacement. Therefore, shale shaker screens are typically constructed to be removed and replaced. While there are numerous styles and sizes of shaker screens, typically, shaker screens include a wire mesh on a frame that provides structural support and allows the passage of fluids therethrough. The size of apertures in the wire mesh defines the largest solid particle capable of passing therethrough.
Accordingly, there is a recognized need for shaker screen designs with improved resiliency and durability.
All U.S. patents and applications and all other published documents mentioned anywhere in this application are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
Without limiting the scope of the disclosure, a brief summary of some of the claimed embodiments of the disclosure is set forth below. Additional details of the summarized embodiments of the disclosure and/or additional embodiments may be found in the Detailed Description below.
A brief abstract of the technical disclosure in the specification is provided as well, only for the purposes of complying with 37 C.F.R. 1.72. The abstract is not intended to be used for interpreting the scope of the claims.


A computer system including a network for obtaining complete information as to the best mode for a first person to communicate with a second person comprising means for sensing the presence of the second person in a given area and the activity in which he is engaged; means for connecting the means for sensing to the network; and means connected to the network for enabling the first person to determine the presence and status of messages in the form of e-mail or voice mail directed to the second person.

The invention is related to obtaining the information that will help to identify and enable the best communication mode (visit, mail, phone, fax, etc.) between people at different locations, such as different offices.
In real-time, if a person would like to contact somebody in the same building but in a different office, there are several options. The person may telephorie the person they are trying to reach, send them an e-mail, send them an xe2x80x9cinstantxe2x80x9d message, or, simply go to their office. Often-times, a problem results because the person in the office may be busy: on the phone, meeting with somebody in the office, or away at a meeting. There are certain methods that can assist in determining what the person is doing and whether they are busy or not. Programs like lotus notes-calendar allow for somebody to check the status of somebody else""s schedule. This information does not suffice because it only describes meetings and appointments and a person may be busy doing other things in between meetings and appointments, like, telephone calls. Therefore, people who would like to contact another person must figure out the best way in which to reach that person. As noted, they may go to the person""s office, call them, or, send an e-mail. But, the person in the office may be busy in a meeting, on the telephone or not returning e-mails because of being so backed up.
A principal object of the present invention is to enable a user to have complete information so that he may select the best communication mode for reaching other people (mail, visit office, fax, phone, etc.). Another object of the invention is to achieve the capability that will permit the user to understand whether a person in an office is available and is disposed for a meeting or other modes of communication.
The present invention involves a system that gives a complete list and description on the computer of a person""s whereabouts and activities in a certain area. For instance, in a building the computer gives the full information about whether a person is talking on the telephone, or whether the person checked their phone messages recently. It also gives full information about e-mail and whether the person has recently checked e-mail or is presently checking the e-mail. Most importantly, it gives a present status of the person in the office: does the person have a visitor, is the person at a meeting, is the person eating lunch, or is the person taking a nap.
Information about a person""s office status can be identified through a video camera and other sensors. This information may be about how long a person is in the office and what type of situation the person is in. The information from the camera or other video sensors is sent to a special computer that analyzes the images and recognizes the situation and status of the person: is the person asleep, talking on the phone, relaxed. Some programs have been developed that can even figure out what type of mood a certain person may be in. See the patent application entitled xe2x80x9cConversational Data Miningxe2x80x9d filed on Aug. 10, 1999. Therefore, this program may also let a user know what type of mood the other person is in and this may affect whether or not they choose to visit/contact the person. An option may be existent already, if a person desires privacy, he may choose to disclose none, for only a limited amount of information about his status.

Office accessibility information provider

International Business Machines Corporation


A golf club head including a main body portion having a groove formed therein and a striking assembly associated with the groove. The striking assembly includes a relatively hard front portion and a relatively soft rear portion. The striking assembly is mounted on the main body portion such that the front portion defines the ball striking surface.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates generally to golf clubs and, more particularly, to golf club heads and methods of making the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Golf clubs typically include three basic elements--a shaft, a club head at one end of the shaft and a grip at the other end of the shaft. Because golf is a demanding game, golf club manufacturers are continuously trying to improve the performance of each club element. Accuracy is an important aspect of club head performance and perimeter weighting is a popular way to increase accuracy. Perimeter weighting is a method of enlarging the sweet spot of a club head which, in turn, increases the likelihood of accurate shots. As illustrated in FIG. 1, a conventional perimeter weighted club head 10 includes a rear cavity 12 behind the striking face. The volume of metal eliminated from the club head to form the cavity 12 is redistributed towards the perimeter 14 of the club head. As a result, the overall weight of the club head remains substantially unchanged.
Another important aspect of golf club performance is associated with the transmission of impact generated vibrations. When a golfer strikes a golf ball with the club head, vibrations from the club head are transmitted through the shaft to the golfer's hands. When a golfer fails to strike the golf ball with the sweet spot of the club head, the impact generated vibrations can be quite unpleasant. In fact, the vibrations can be so severe that they cause pain and injury. This is an especially serious problem for golfers of relatively low skill levels who frequently fail to strike the ball with the club head sweet spot.
A number of club head-based vibration damping methods have been introduced in order to protect golfers from the unpleasant and injurious vibrations that result from failure to strike the ball properly. For example, one method of reducing the vibrations transmitted by a club head, thereby giving the club a softer feel, is to simply make the ball striking surface from a relatively soft material such as polymers, epoxy or graphite. The present inventor has determined, however, that the use of relatively soft material on the ball striking surface reduces the bite of the club head, thereby reducing the spin on the ball and the golfer's control of his or her shots. The relatively soft material also tends to become scratched easily. Another proposed solution is presented in U.S. Pat. No. 5,492,327, which discloses a club head having damping material located in a recess which extends around a portion of the outer perimeter of the club head. However, the inventor herein has determined that the vibration damping is less than optimal because the perimeter weighting material and the striking face of the club head are an integrally formed unit.

Golf club head with sandwich structure and method of making the same


Methods, devices, and systems are presented for calibrating or otherwise correcting the pointing accuracy of a gimbal. Measurements of the actual planes of rotation of each of a gimbal's rotatable elements is made using an off-board measurement device, such as a coordinate measuring machine (CMM). The measurements from the off-board device can be combined with those from native, on-board gimbal sensors of the rotation angles at which the planes are tilted/pitched with respect to their nominal planes of rotation. Information representing the error vectors between the nominal and actual planes of rotation is stored and used for correcting the pointing accuracy of the gimbal. The corrected pointing vector of the gimbal can be combined with measurements from an inertial measurement unit (INU) and rangefinder in order to accurately determine a geographic target position to which the gimbal points.

1. Field of the Art
This disclosure is generally related to directional calibration or correction systems, and more specifically to calibration of gimbal-stabilized reconnaissance and targeting sensors for military and other vehicles.
2. Background
Modern warfare has evolved to value precision weapons, which typically limit collatoral damage while reducing ordinance mass required to be delivered to the front lines. Precision weapons include smart bombs, guided missiles and artillery shells, sniper guns, and lasers, among other kinetic and nonkinetic arms. For optimal use, precision weapons require precise targeting so that they can hit their intended targets.
Electro-optical sensors have filled a vast niche required by militaries for precision targeting, as well as reconnaissance, threat warning, and positive target identification. They can be purely passive, relying on sunlight, starlight, or thermal emissions to image a target. Passive image systems do not require illumination from the sensor. Thus, passive image systems can remain hidden from the target as well as others nearby. Light and compact enough to fit on vehicles, they can be taken to a battlefront and employed in combat situations. However, small disturbances to electro-optical sensors, such as vibrations or unsteady hands, are magnified when looking across long distances.
Gimbal stabilization helps electro-optical systems stay pointed at a particular target in the distance, compensating for vibrations as well as movement of a vehicle. Such gimbal-stabilized electro-optical systems have become prevalent on modern military land vehicles and aircraft.
Common gimbal systems for heavy equipment include pan-tilt mechanisms. A pan-tilt mechanism includes a fixed base, a pan assembly, and a tilt assembly. The pan assembly is attached to the fixed base and rotates around a vertical axis. The tilt assembly is mounted to the pan assembly and rotates around the vertical axis with the pan assembly. The tilt assembly also rotates around a horizontal axis to point up or down. Thus, the tilt assembly can be panned (i.e., turned in azimuth) and tilted (i.e., raised in elevation).
A "half-yoke" assembly includes a gimbal with a pan assembly that cantilevers a tilt assembly on one side. A "full-yoke" assembly includes a gimbal with a pan assembly that supports a tilt assembly between two ears.
Smaller gimbal systems can include ball head gimbals. In such a design, a ball head (i.e., a sphere) is held captive by supports. The supports can be fingered, opposite each other like a vise, or formed as a monolithic socket. A platform supported by the sphere can be rotated up and down or side to side as desired.
In any gimbal design, a direction to which the gimbal points can be determined by two angles: an azimuth angle and an elevation angle. These angles can be measured with encoders in motors that drive the azimuth and elevation angles or are otherwise embedded in the gimbal assembly.
Laser rangefinders have been paired with electro-optical systems to determine a position of a target with respect to the vehicle. A pointing vector from the vehicle to the target, along with a distance determined by the rangefinder, can be expressed as a local coordinate. This local coordinate expresses the location of the target with respect to the vehicle. The local coordinate can be used for precision weapon delivery from the vehicle to the target.
An inertial navigation unit (INU) can be used to determine the geographic location of the vehicle (e.g., latitude, longitude, height above mean sea level). With the geographic location vehicle and a position of the target with respect to the vehicle, a geographic location of the target can be easily determined. The geographic coordinate can be used for precision weapon delivery from another vehicle to the target.
Naturally, the more accurate the INU, gimbal assembly, and laser rangefinder, the more accurate a determination of the geographic location of the target. At long ranges from the target, the angular pointing accuracy of the gimbal becomes the driver of accuracy for the entire system.
There is a need in the art for better, more precise, more accurate gimbal assemblies.


A solid-state image pickup device comprises first and second photoelectric conversion regions, wherein each of first ones of the second photoelectric conversion regions in a peripheral area comprises a first opening having a size larger than that of a second opening of each of second ones of the same in a central area, a first ratio of a length of each of the first ones of the same in a first direction with respect to its opening center to a length of each of the second ones of the same in the first direction is larger than a second ratio of a length of each of the first ones of the same in a second direction to a length of each of the second ones of the same in the second direction; and the first direction is a direction, in a plan view, in which light coming in the second photoelectric conversion regions is cut off in the highest degree.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a solid-state image pickup device with a plurality of photoelectric conversion regions arranged on a semiconductor substrate.
2. Description of the Related Art
A previously known digital camera uses a solid-state image pickup device including a plurality of first photoelectric conversion regions arranged in a row direction and a column direction orthogonal thereto on a semiconductor substrate and a plurality of micro-lenses located on the respective plurality of first photoelectric conversion lenses. In such a solid-state image pickup device, a plurality of second photoelectric conversion regions are arranged between the adjacent micro-lenses to synthesize image pick-up signals from the first photoelectric conversion regions and those from the second photoelectric conversion regions, thereby extending the dynamic range of the digital camera (JP-A-10-74926).
In the solid-state image pickup device as disclosed in JP-A-10-74926, on the periphery, light obliquely comes so that shading occurs. In order to avoid the shading, conventionally, the size of each the photoelectric conversion regions is made larger at a farther distance from the center of the solid-state image pickup device, thereby reducing the shading. This measure for dealing with the shading intends to reduce the shading which is attributable to the optical system of the digital camera incorporating the solid-state image pickup device.
In the solid-state image pick-up device, since the plurality of photoelectric conversion regions are arranged at a high density on the semiconductor substrate, the interval between the micro-lenses corresponding to the plurality of photoelectric conversion regions is also very narrow. In the technique disclosed in JP-A-10-74926, the second photoelectric conversion regions are arranged between the adjacent micro-lenses. However, since the interval between the micro-lenses is very narrow, in addition to the above shading attributable to the optical system, the shading attributable to the micro-lenses will occur. Thus, with only the conventional measure for dealing with the shading, the shading cannot be sufficiently reduced. The shading which is attributable to the micro-lenses will be explained below.
FIG. 6 is a view showing a schematic section of the solid-state image pickup device disclosed in JP-A-10-74926. As seen from FIG. 6A, light beams a entering vertically from above the conventional solid-state image pick-up device come in each of micro-lenses 501, and pass through an opening plane 502 so that the light beams a are condensed by a first photodiode (PD) 503. The charges thus accumulated are transferred by a first vertical transfer unit 504. Further the light beams a pass through the opening plane 505 to enter a second PD 506 located between the micro-lenses 501. The charged thus accumulated are transferred by a second vertical transfer unit 507.
As seen from FIG. 6B, light beams b entering obliquely to the direction of arranging two micro-lenses 501, which sandwiches the second PD 506, from above the conventional solid-state image pick-up device come in each of micro-lenses 501, and pass through the opening plane 502 so that the light beams a are condensed by the first photodiode (PD) 503. The charges thus accumulated are transferred by a first vertical transfer unit 504. Further the light beams b pass through the opening plane 505 to enter the second PD 506. However a part of light beams b (arrow indicated by dotted line) cannot pass through the opening plane 505. This is true of the light beams c which come in symmetrically to the light beams b. On the other hand, most of the light beams entering in the direction of the second PD not sandwiched by the micro-lenses 501 (direction orthogonal to the direction indicated by arrow X) come in the second PD 506 because of absence of hindrance such as the micro-lenses.
As described above, where a PD is arranged in a narrow region between the two adjacent micro-lenses 501, the light beams b and c entering obliquely to the direction of the second PD 507 sandwiched by the micro-lenses 501 are concealed in their larger part by the shade of the micro-lens 501 so that a large quantity of light beams cannot pass through the opening plane 505. On the other hand, most of the light beams from the direction of the second PD 506 not sandwiched by the micro-lenses 501 comes in the second PD 506. As a result, the image pickup device is light in the direction of the second PD not sandwiched by the micro-lenses 501 and dark in the direction (X direction) of arranging the two micro-lenses 501 which sandwich the second PD 506, thus increasing the shading.
Thus, even if the conventional measure for dealing with the shading is performed, the signals produced from the second PDs 506 on the periphery of the solid-state image pick-up device are accompanied by the shading attributable to the micro-lenses. As regards the second PDs 506 on the periphery of the solid-state image pickup device, the measure for dealing with the shading is required for reducing both shading attributable to the optical system and shading attributable to the micro-lenses.


A membrane electrode and seal assembly for an electrochemical fuel cell comprises first and second layers of porous electrically conductive sheet material, such as carbon fiber paper. The sheet material layers have a solid polymer ion exchange membrane interposed therebetween. The sheet material layers cover and support the membrane over substantially its entire surface area. The sheet material layers are coated with a catalyst to render them electrochemically active, and are bonded together with the membrane to form a consolidated assembly. Openings are formed in the layers of sheet material and the membrane to accommodate the passage of fluids through the assembly. Channels formed in the layers of sheet material generally circumscribe the openings and the electrochemically active region of the sheet material. Solid preformed gaskets are disposed in the channels. The gasketing technique can also be applied to the membrane and seal assemblies of the humidification portion of fuel cell stacks.

Electrochemical fuel cells employing membrane electrode assemblies are known and have been produced and sold for many years. Such cells are known as solid polymer type fuel cells and comprise, in the heart of the system, two porous electrodes separated by an electrolyte material in the form of a membrane. The porous electrodes, conveniently made from carbon fiber paper ("CFP") supporting a layer of a catalyst such as platinum, and the electrolyte material together form an assembly called a membrane electrode assembly ("MEA"). The MEA is located between two electrically conductive or, conveniently, graphite flow field plates. The graphite flow field plates supply fuel and oxidant typically in the form of hydrogen and air or oxygen, respectively, to the MEA and also act to transmit current generated by the fuel cell stack to an external electrical circuit where it may be stored or otherwise used. The fuel and oxidant are supplied to the MEA by grooves in the surface of the graphite flow field plates adjacent the carbon fiber paper. The grooves communicate with manifolds carrying gases to each of the individual MEAs.
The membrane electrode assembly includes a catalytic material, conveniently platinum as previously stated, on the surface of the CFP which renders that portion of the CFP an electrode. The electrode portion of the CFP contacts the membrane. The CFP is made hydrophobic, typically by the incorporation of polytetrafluoroethylene (tradename Teflon). Ridges between the grooves in the graphite flow field plates contact the back of the electrode portion of the CFP. The MEA consumes the fuel and oxidant through an electrochemical process and produces an electrical current which can be drawn from the electrodes to an external circuit.
To ensure that the fuel and oxidant gases supplied to the MEA do not mix, sealing to prevent such mixing is imperative. If the hydrogen and oxygen combine within the fuel cell in combination with the Catalyst, a combustible mixture can form and inflame. If the fuel and oxidant leak from the interior to the exterior of the fuel cell, the efficiency of the fuel cell can be reduced and a fire or explosive hazard created.
In conventional fuel cells, an MEA was interposed between the two electrically conductive, preferably graphite, plates. The MEA comprised a membrane bonded between the CFP layers. The membrane extended substantially beyond the edge or periphery of the CFP layers and that outer portion of the membrane was not supported by or bonded to them. The CFP layers covered only the inner or active portion of the membrane. The outer portion or periphery of the membrane was free of the CFP. The periphery of the membrane was installed between two adjacent electrically conductive plates and acted as a gasket, sealing the gases in the electrode region from the exterior, isolating the gases in their respective manifolds, and electrically insulating the electrical conducting flow field plates between which the membrane was installed.
This conventional membrane electrode assembly was disadvantageous in several respects. First, the membrane did not function well as a gasket. The membrane was subject to shrinking and swelling depending on the water content. Since it was free to shrink and swell, its potential for tearing or for developing fatigue cracks was high. Although various techniques were utilized in an attempt to minimize the leaks across the membrane between the flow field plates, the techniques were expensive and substantially ineffective over an extended time period.
Furthermore, using the unsupported outer edges of the membrane to serve as an insulator and gasket between the opposing flow field plates placed strength and resilience demands upon the membrane which limited the minimum thickness of the membrane which could realistically be used in a fuel cell. An unsupported membrane having an inadequate thickness will be prone to failure due to its expansion and contraction in operation. Such thin membranes are subject to tearing when the cell is assembled or disassembled and when the membrane electrolyte is cycled between the hydrated operating state and the dehydrated non-operating state.
Up to a point, it is desirable to reduce the thickness of the membrane electrolyte since the electrolyte represents a substantial component of the internal electrical resistance of the fuel cell. A fuel cell with a thinner electrolyte will have a lower internal resistance and thus a higher voltage will be available at the fuel cell terminals for a given current demand. This translates directly into a greater power and fuel efficiency being derived from a fuel cell with a thinner electrolyte. The advantage of greater power and fuel efficiency derived from a thinner membrane electrode is tempered only by the requirement that the membrane be sufficiently thick to sustain the operating pressure differential between the fuel and oxidant gases and to minimize the diffusional mixing of these two gas streams through the membrane.
In the conventional MEA it was also necessary to machine a recess in each flow field plate contiguous with the periphery of the CFP layers and approximately the thickness of the CFP layers. By providing such a recess, the MEA could be positioned between the flow field plates while maintaining a uniform distance about the periphery of the flow field plates. Maintaining this uniform distance allowed the membrane to be tightened appropriately between the plates so as to provide a good sealing action. However, machining such a recess was time consuming, expensive and, in fact, did not assist substantially in enhancing the sealing action.
A further disadvantage in the conventional MEA was that the membrane itself was difficult to position and maintain in position while the fuel cell stack was being assembled. This difficulty was a result of the thinness and inherent inflexibility of the membrane. This difficulty was also the result of the tendency of the membrane to expand and contract due to the humidity changes in the gases to which the membrane was subjected.
One proposed method of sealing the MEA and the adjacent electrically conductive plate without using the membrane as a gasket is to form grooves in the surfaces of the electrodes facing away from the membrane and depositing sealant material into the grooves. This proposed sealing method presents several disadvantages. First, it has proven difficult to provide a uniform thickness of sealant material necessary for an optimal seal. Second, the sealant tends to deform in a nonuniform manner when compressed in the assembled fuel cell stack. Third, the extrudable sealant material is not sufficiently resilient to withstand compressive forces over time, and the extrudable sealant eventually deteriorates. This deterioration tends to worsen at elevated temperatures, such as those generated during fuel cell operation. The extrudable sealant material also tends to undergo chemical degradation when exposed to oxidants such as those found in fuel cells. Moreover, the use of extrudable sealant material required the machining of grooves to carry the sealant in the electrode sheet material. The machining of such grooves into the electrode portion of the membrane electrode assembly oftentimes damaged the membrane, and was also a time consuming and labor intensive task.

Fuel cell membrane electrode and seal assembly


An adaptor for a pool vacuum hose, which fits over a suction opening in the skimmer well of a swimming pool. The adaptor creates a watertight seal against walls of a skimmer well and has a port that extends upward from a base such that a typical pool vacuum can be connected to the adaptor. The adaptor thus allows for easy connection to a vacuum hose and prevents large particles and debris from reaching the filter. When use of the vacuum is complete, an outer housing is rotated, breaching the watertight seal, and allowing easy removal of the adaptor. The adaptor is readily usable with typical swimming pool skimmer wells.

Water in swimming pools must be mechanically filtered in order to be kept free of dirt and debris. To this end, pools have pumps that circulate water through a filter. A skimmer removes debris and large particles from the pool water prior to pumping the water to the filter. The skimmer is typically a well mounted on the side of the pool, with a filter intake at the bottom, having a plastic bucket with openings small enough to strain out leaves, hair, and other large particles without inhibiting the flow of water to the filter. The bucket is usually removable and accessible through a cover located near the pool. Water from the pool usually enters the skimmer well through a weir located at the water line on a lateral wall of the pool. Once water passes into the skimmer well, it flows through the filter intake and enters a pipe that leads to the filter. Since water is actively drawn into the filter intake by a pump, a suction is created at the opening of the filter intake.
Pool vacuums typically consist of a plastic or vinyl hose that fits into the filter intake at the bottom of the skimmer well, after removal of the bucket. Pool vacuums use the suction of the filter intake to remove dirt and debris that have settled to the bottom of the pool.
Unfortunately, when the pool vacuum is used in the manner described above, the debris and particles vacuumed from the bottom of the pool bypass the skimmer and are pumped directly into the filter. Since the filter is primarily designed to remove small particles from the pool water, the presence of the debris and large particles vacuumed from the pool bottom is undesirable. Debris often causes obstructions in the filter line and/or reduces the porous membrane area available for filtration. These conditions both place additional load on the filter pump, and decrease the useful life of the filter itself The prior art teaches complicated and aesthetically displeasing attempts at simultaneous skimming and vacuuming. For instance, in Haliotis, U.S. Pat. No. 4,725,352, a vacuum-skimmer regulator assembly is disclosed that allows for the simultaneous skimming and vacuuming of a pool. However, the invention is a complex and specialized unit and does not allow for the use of the existing pool skimmer. In addition, the vacuum port is not easily accessible, making it difficult to connect and disconnect the vacuum hose. Finally, the invention uses two skimmers within the assembly, an approach inherently more cumbersome to clean and maintain.
If a simple plate with a hose connection is placed over the skimmer basket, a vacuum hose can be used to vacuum, with the debris being caught by the skimmer basket. This is preferable to dumping the debris into the filter, but is awkward to use because the strong suction of the pool filter makes it very difficult to remove the hose when one is done vacuuming. It is necessary to shut down the filter pump to break the suction, disconnect the hose, and then restart the pump. This is a nuisance, and otherwise undesirable.


A reticle carrier for an Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) reticle may include nested grids of electret fibers to provide active protection from contamination without a power supply. The reticle carrier may include in-line sensors for in-situ monitoring of contamination. Grids of electret fibers may also be used in an EUV pellicle.

Lithography is used in the fabrication of semiconductor devices. In lithography, a light sensitive material, called a "photoresist", coats a wafer substrate, such as silicon. The lithography tool may include a mask with a pattern including transparent and opaque regions. When the wafer and mask are illuminated, light is transmitted through the transparent regions of the mask and onto the photoresist, causing the exposed regions of the photoresist to undergo chemical reactions. The photoresist is then developed to produce a replicated pattern of the mask on the wafer.
Conventional lithography systems may include a pellicle to block particles from reaching the mask surface. A pellicle is a thin transparent layer stretched over a frame above the surface of the mask. Any particles that land on the pellicle are out of the focal plane and should not form an image on the wafer being exposed.
Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) lithography is a promising future lithography technique. EUV light may be produced using a small, hot plasma that will efficiently radiate at a desired wavelength, e.g., in a range of approximately 11 nm to 15 nm. The plasma may be created in a vacuum chamber, typically by driving a pulsed electrical discharge through the target material or by focusing a pulsed laser beam onto the target material. The light produced by the plasma is then collected by nearby mirrors and sent downstream to the rest of the lithography tool.
EUV lithography systems use reflective masks. Conventional pellicle materials are not suitable for such systems. Currently, the strategy is to simply handle the mask in such a way to minimize the chance of particles from falling onto the mask. However, even one particle falling on a pellicle-less EUV mask may significantly affect the yield, making it very important to keep the mask surface free from defects.

In-tool and out-of-tool protection of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) reticles


The present invention provides for an isolated Sml1 protein or a homologue thereof. The present invention also provides for a screening assay for identifying compounds that are capable of reducing the division rate of a cell by altering an interaction between a ribonucleotide reductase and a Sml1 protein in the cell, which comprises: (a) contacting the cell with a compound, (b) comparing the division rate of the cell in step (a) with the division rate of the cell in the absence of the compound so as to determine whether the compound alters the interaction between the ribonucleotide reductase and the Sml1 protein of the cell, thereby reducing the cell division rate of the cell.

Throughout this application, various publications are referenced by author and date. Full citations for these publications may be found listed alphabetically at the end of the specification immediately preceding Sequence Listing and the claims. The disclosures of these publications in their entireties are hereby incorporated by reference into this application in order to more fully describe the state of the art as known to those skilled therein as of the date of the invention described and claimed herein.
In the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the Mec1 and Rad53 proteins are involved in the G1, S and G2 cell cycle checkpoint pathways (reviewed by Elledge, 1996). In the presence of DNA damage or a DNA replication block(s), these proteins are required to arrest or slow cell cycle progression. At the same time, they induce transcription of the genes encoding ribonucleotide reductase (RNR), which catalyzes the rate-limiting step in dNTP synthesis that is necessary for replication and repair (reviewed by Reichard, 1988). In addition to their involvement in checkpoint pathways, Mec1 and Rad53 are both essential for cell growth (Zheng et al., 1993; Kato and Ogawa, 1994). This property distinguishes them from most other checkpoint genes, which are dispensable for growth.
Two observations suggest that Rad53 acts after Mec1 for both checkpoint and essential functions. First, the phosphorylation of Rad53 in response to DNA damage is absent in a mec1 mutant (Sanchez et al., 1996; Sun et al., 1996). Second, overproduction of Rad53 suppresses mec1 lethality and partially suppresses its hydroxyurea sensitivity (Sanchez et al., 1996). Since both proteins function as signal transducers in a common checkpoint pathway, they may play a similar role in the regulation of mitotic cell growth. However, the exact nature of their essential functions is not known and whether their checkpoint and cell growth functions overlap is still an open question.
Mec1 is a member of the PI3-kinase family, composed of proteins that have PI kinase or protein kinase activity (reviewed by Zakian, 1995; Shiloh, 1997). Interestingly, ATM and Atm, homologs of Mec1 in human and mice respectively, also play dual roles in cell growth and cell cycle checkpoint function (reviewed by Friedberg, 1995; Shiloh, 1997). Mutations in the ATM gene result in a recessive autosomal disease, ataxia telangiectasia (AT), a multi-system disorder associated with a high risk of cancer. Mitotic cells from AT patients grow poorly, senesce prematurely and exhibit a higher nutrient requirement in vitro. In addition, these cells are checkpoint deficient since they are sensitive to ionizing radiation and display radioresistant DNA synthesis. The phenotype of Atm-deficient mice mimics that of AT patients, and fibroblasts from these mice exhibit growth defects and radioresistant DNA synthesis similar to that observed in AT cells (Barlow et al., 1996; Xu et al., 1996; Xu and Baltimore, 1996; Elson et al., 1996). The growth defect of the Atm-deficient cells correlates with a failure to enter S phase efficiently and can be suppressed by deletion of either the p53 or p21 gene (Xu and Baltimore, 1996; Westphal et al., 1997; Wang et al., 1997b). The molecular basis for the cell growth functions of ATM and Atm is not clear. Given the conservation between Mec1 and these two proteins, an investigation of the role of Mec1 in mitotic growth may shed light on the cell growth functions of ATM and Atm.

Small protein that interacts with a ribonucleotide reductase subunit and uses thereof

The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York


A computer system includes a network. The system includes a first client device in communication with the network having a transaction description for a transaction t. The first client device sends the transaction description to a second client device. The second client device receives the transaction description from the first client device. One of the first or second client devices executes the transaction description and creates a second transaction description for transaction t and then sends the second transaction description to a client device. A client device of a computer system having a network and a second client device. A method of a computer system. A method of a client device of a computer system having a network and a second client device.

This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of the art that may be related to various aspects of the present invention. The following discussion is intended to provide information to facilitate a better understanding of the present invention. Accordingly, it should be understood that statements in the following discussion are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.
The present invention extends the Blind Stone Tablet paper [1] by Williams et al. That paper introduced a system that supports all of SQL, is distributed, ensures that a putative outsourcing provider TrustMeNot sees only encrypted data, and ensures "access privacy." Access privacy is the concept that the outsourcing provider TrustMeNot does not know which data clients are accessing regardless of the transaction type. Like that paper, this embodiment guarantees access privacy by essentially the same technique: each client holds a copy of the database so when a client issues a read-only transactions, it does so on local data. When a client issues a read-write transaction (i.e. a transaction that performs at least some insert, delete, or modification) it sends its transaction description in encrypted form to TrustMeNot. So, TrustMeNot records a log of encrypted transaction descriptions, but does not know which data is accessed because all data accesses go to client-local databases. (Periodically, a client may dump an entire database state or download the entire database state for recovery purposes. Such operations preserve access privacy.)
The present invention involves a variant of the algorithm from [1] that guarantees access privacy, deadlock freedom, and wait-freedom. Wait-freedom, a concept introduced by Maurice Herlihy, is the idea that if a client slows down or fails, other clients can still continue making progress. This invention then extends that algorithm to accommodate large data at some loss in access privacy. This invention also extends that algorithm to allow different clients to have access to different data.
Whereas a direct predecessor of the present invention is the Blind Stone Tablet paper, this work has been heavily influenced by other research. The paper on k-anonymity by Samarati and Sweeney [2] introduced an entire approach to understanding the implications that aggregate queries could have on the privacy of individuals. Whereas others have chosen to establish positive results based on this idea, e.g. by making k large, the present invention preferred to follow the Blind Stone Tablet absolutist approach of full access privacy. As this approach to blobs requires some compromise, it was foreseen in future developments that make use of these fundamental concepts, as is done for example in [3] which stores some information on the client and some on the server.
In addition, the algorithms for searching encrypted data for XML query processing [4], range queries [5,6], and aggregates [7] shows that much can be done on such data if accesses are limited to queries. As for work that tries to handle large portions of SQL in the spirit of Hacigumus et al. [8], the idea of mixing public and private data with some guarantee of something close to k-anonymity is desired.
Finally, there is work concerned with guaranteeing the integrity of databases [9,11], audit logs [10], and data structures [12] that inspires the method Blind Stone Tablet (and we) use to establish fork consistency.

Computer system, client device and method


The present disclosure relates to stripline cavity structures. One example stripline cavity structure is disposed on a back surface of a reflecting plate, and first avoidance holes are provided on the reflecting plate. The stripline cavity structure includes at least one second conductor strip, the stripline cavity structure is disposed on the back surface of the reflecting plate, and the second conductor strip passes through the first avoidance holes to be connected to the first conductor strip in a microstrip circuit.

With development of devices and progress of technologies, as a long-distance communication requirement becomes higher, an increasingly high requirement is imposed on an antenna gain. An array including a plurality of antennas can effectively increase an electrical size of an antenna, thereby providing a higher gain.
FIG. 1 shows a currently conventional base station antenna. An interior of a radome includes three parts: a radiating element 101, a reflecting plate 102 used for direction restriction, and a feed network installed on the reflecting plate to provide an amplitude and a phase for the radiating element.
In the conventional structure in FIG. 1, for example, the feed network usually includes devices such as a phase shifter 103. The radiating element is disposed on a front surface of the reflecting plate, the phase shifter is disposed on a back surface of the reflecting plate, and the phase shifter is connected to the radiating element by using a coaxial cable 104. This structure can adapt to different array arrangement. However, for a multi-array antenna, device arrangement on a back surface of a reflecting plate easily leads to problems of a large quantity of cables, complex assembly, and difficulty in laying out a feed network in a case of a plurality of arrays.

Feed network of base station antenna, base station antenna, and base station


Agents are configured to collect data from terminals and send the data in real time to a data integrator. The data integrator identifies the data types and processes custom aggregation on select ones of data types from the data. The data and the output of any aggregations are translated to a select output format and sent to one or more select resources for further processing. The data integrator determines when to send the data and the output from any aggregation in the select output format to the one more select resources based on a defined condition. In an embodiment, the data integrator sends the data and output from any aggregation in real time to at least one of the one or more select resources.

Enterprises collect a variety of data about their business. Some of this data is collected in batch modes while much of the data is collected in real time. The sources for the data include enterprise-based devices, web devices, mobile devices, etc. Often, the data collected is processed for driving support and maintenance decisions, planning decisions, inventorying decisions, staffing decisions, interacting with customer decisions, and the like.
One problem associated with data consumption is that the enterprise is continually changing the manners in which the enterprise: wants to combine portions of the data; wants the data presented; and wants the timing of the data reported. Another problem is that the enterprise is regularly changing the software services that the enterprise wants to evaluate or to consume the data for decision making within the enterprise. Furthermore, the software services that evaluate or consume portions of the data are continually changing, being replaced, being updated, and being added to the enterprise environment.
In fact, data is plentiful within enterprise environments and in many ways too plentiful. However, information that is derived from the data and timely reporting of that information to the appropriate consuming service for enterprise decision making are largely inadequate or ineffective.
Each enterprise understands its data and knows how it wants to consume information derived from the data. However, available data interfaces and data services are not customized to any large degree to specific enterprises, which means enterprises are continually lobbying vendors for what is needed or switching to new vendors in the hopes that the new vendors provide a closer or better to solution for what the enterprises believes they need.

Custom data aggregation and integration processing


Prognostic systems and methods for providing adaptive Time Between Overhaul (TBO) value for one or more Line Replaceable Units (LRUs) are provided. In one embodiment, the LRU prognostic system includes a first LRU, an aircraft position data source configured to monitor the position of an aircraft carrying the LRU prognostic system, and a controller coupled to the first LRU and to the aircraft position data source. The controller is configured to: (i) estimate the degradation of the first LRU based at least in part on the duration of time the aircraft position resides in any one of a plurality of different environmental zones while the aircraft is operational, and (ii) calculate an adaptive TBO value for the first LRU utilizing the estimated LRU degradation.

Modern aircraft are commonly equipped with a relatively large number of Line Replaceable Units (LRUs), which perform various functions supporting aircraft operation. By definition, LRUs are modular components that can be removed and replaced in-field in a relatively efficient manner to, for example, minimize downtime of the aircraft during maintenance, such as during an unplanned maintenance event and repair. To reduce the likelihood of in-field LRU failure, LRUs are often replaced and overhauled after expiration of a so-called "Time Between Overhaul" or "TBO" value assigned to the LRU. The TBO value is a fixed period, which is typically measured in flight hours and set by the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) during initial design of the LRU. The OEM may determine the TBO value of a particular LRU based upon a number of different factors. These factors may include the structural characteristics of the LRU (e.g., the base materials of the LRU, the presence of rubber seals and gaskets, the provision of coatings or coating systems, etc.), the mechanical stressors to which the LRU may be exposed (e.g., expected vibration and stress concentrations), and the range of operational environments in which the LRU may potentially be deployed.

Aircraft prognostic systems and methods for determining adaptive time between overhaul for line replaceable units


A method for preparing an alternating arrangement silver-copper lateral composite ingot, including: using a concave roller set; manufacturing a copper frame having a fixed width according to a negative tolerance of a width of the grooves of the concave roller, and corresponding copper bars and silver bars, and performing a surface treatment on the copper frame, the copper bars, and the silver bars; and then arranging different number of copper bars and silver bars at internals as needed and tightly placing into the copper frame to form a composite blank, i.e., a composite ingot. A method for preparing an alternating arrangement silver-copper lateral composite strip is further provided, and the silver-copper lateral composite ingot prepared by the method for preparing the alternating arrangement silver-copper lateral composite ingot is used to prepare the silver-copper lateral composite strip.

A fuse is a device which interrupts a circuit when a current exceeds a predetermined value by melting due to a self-generated heat. The fuse is one of the most widely used protection devices to prevent short circuits and overcurrent in high-voltage and low-voltage power distribution systems, control systems and electrical equipment.
Silver has long been used as a main material for manufacturing a fuse. The use of pure silver in the fuse is a waste of scarce resources and increases production costs. With the development of modern material composite techniques, various new processes capable of achieving a stable composite of different materials have emerged such as cold bonding, hot bonding, explosive welding, and others. Through these processes, materials of different properties are combined into a composite material with properties that surpass properties of the individual materials. Composite materials that can replace the fuse made of pure silver have been developed based on principles of modern composite techniques.
The Chinese patent "Preparation method of lateral compound silver-copper composite strip" (the publication number is CN 102814324 A, and the application number is CN201210314140.7) discloses the method to obtain a silver-copper composite material by embedding a silver strip into a copper plate in an inlay method, and then applying a cold bonding method. However, the non-rolling direction of the material strip cannot be restrained in the production process, which causes an insufficient interaction between the silver and the copper, resulting in weak bonding. Moreover, in the production process, the copper plate should be processed several times, which is cumbersome, complicated, and increases the production cost.
In addition, a Chinese patent application "Method of manufacturing alternating arrangement lateral composite board band and mould hot-press arrangement thereof" (the publication number is CN101318286A, and the application number is CN200810040137.4) is provided. However, this method has a complicated production process, has a high cost in a mass production process, and the uniformity of the width of the hot rolled composite strip is difficult to control.

Methods for preparing alternating arrangement silvercopper lateral composite ingot and strip

WENZHOU HONGFENG ELECTRICAL ALLOY CO., LTD