A power efficient flip-flop includes a power switch regulating power supplied to a high speed latch in the flip-flop. When the power switch is activated, causing the high speed latch to receive power, the high speed latch captures data received by the flip-flop. The captured data is propagated by the high speed latch to the output of the flip-flop. Simultaneously, the high speed latch transmits the data to a low leakage latch connected to the high speed latch. Then, power is removed from the high speed latch, and the data retained in the low leakage static latch is now released to the output of the flip-flop. The power efficient flip-flop minimizes leakage current generated by the high speed latch by removing a path to ground when power is not provided to the high speed latch. A decoupling device is connected to the power switch to substantially eliminate a coupling effect.

The present invention is generally related to power management techniques for computer chips. More particularly, the present invention is generally related to a power efficient flip-flop design.
Flip-Flops are the basic elements in any sequential machine, such as a finite state machine, counter, register file, storage buffer, and the like. Accordingly, the design of the flip-flop has always been a focus of VLSI designers.
Conventional flip-flop designs are mainly focused on performance or area optimization, especially with respect to flip-flops used in microprocessors. However, with the ever increasing demand for power in microprocessor chips, it is imperative that the power efficiency of every circuit, including flip-flops, in a microprocessor chip be maximized. Accordingly, techniques have been developed for reducing power consumption in microprocessor chips, such as placing circuits, including conventional flip-flops, in a sleep mode.
Even when using techniques for reducing power consumption, current semiconductor technology development indicates that transistor off current (i.e., leakage current in each individual device and standby current in the whole chip) is comparable to the transistor xe2x80x9conxe2x80x9d current, especially with respect to the 0.1 microns technology era. For example, even when circuits having flip-flops are functioning in an idle or sleep mode, a significant amount of power is dissipated through leakage paths.
In one respect, the present invention includes an exemplary method for minimizing power consumption by a circuit, such as a flip-flop. The method includes steps of providing power to a first latch in the circuit; capturing data in the first latch; transmitting data to a second latch in the circuit; and removing power from the first latch.
In another respect, the present invention includes an exemplary power efficient circuit having a first latch and a second latch connected to the first latch. The second latch is configured to receive data captured by the first latch. The circuit further includes a power switch connected to the first latch, and the power switch regulates power provided to the first latch. The first latch includes a high speed latch and the second latch includes a low leakage latch. The power switch minimizes power consumption by limiting the period of time power is provided to the high speed latch. Also, the power efficient circuit minimizes the leakage current generated by the high speed latch when power is not provided to the high speed latch by substantially eliminating a leakage path to ground using a virtual ground, the power switch and a decoupling device.
In comparison to known prior art, certain embodiments of the invention are capable of achieving certain aspects, such as providing an improved flip-flop design to minimize power consumption. Those skilled in the art will appreciate these and other aspects of various embodiments of the invention upon reading the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment with reference to the below-listed drawings.

Power efficient and high performance flip-flop


The present invention relates to a pocket spring core (40). The pocket spring core (40) comprises a plurality of pocketed spring elements (41). Each of the plurality of pocketed spring elements (41) is formed of a pocket (42) and at least one coil spring (43) enclosed by the pocket (42). The pocket spring core (40) comprises furthermore a frame element (44) enclosing an arrangement of the plurality of pocketed spring elements (41) along a circumference of the arrangement. The frame element (44) is glued to several pockets (42) of the plurality of pocketed spring elements (41) using a hot melt adhesive, a polyurethane adhesive or an epoxy lime adhesive.

Pocket spring cores are widely used in seating and bedding products. Pocket spring cores may be made of a matrix of multiple pocketed springs joined together by a fabric within which each an individual spring is contained. Additionally, the matrix of multiple pocketed springs may be enclosed by a frame extending along a circumference of the matrix of the multiple pocketed springs. The frame may be positioned at a center height of the pocketed springs and may be fastened by clips, which attach the frame to a pocketed spring turn located closest to the center height of the pocketed spring.
FIG. 1 shows a prior art pocket spring core 20 comprising an arrangement of a plurality of pocketed spring elements 21. Each pocketed spring element 21 comprises a pocket 23 which contains a coil spring 24. The arrangement of the plurality of pocketed spring elements 21 is enclosed by a frame 22. The frame 22 is coupled to at least some of the plurality of pocketed spring elements 21. In particular, the frame 22 is coupled via a clip 26 to a turn 25 of a coil spring 24 enclosed by a corresponding pocket 23.
FIG. 2 shows the coupling of the frame 22 to the turn 25 of the coil spring 24 via the clip 26 in more detail. For coupling the frame 22 with the clip 26 to the coil spring 24 when attaching the clip 26, the clip 26 penetrates the nonwoven material of the pocket 23. In FIGS. 1 and 2, the frame 22 is coupled to the pocketed spring elements 21 in a central region of the height of the pocketed spring elements 21. Additionally or as an alternative, as shown in FIG. 3, a frame 31 may be coupled to the coil springs 24 of the pocketed spring elements 21 at a top region of the pocketed spring elements 21 with corresponding clips 26, and further optionally, a further frame 32 may be coupled to the coil springs 24 of the pocketed spring elements 21 at a bottom region of the pocketed spring elements 21 with corresponding clips 26.
Coupling the frame 22, 31, 32 to the coil springs 24 with clips 26 is a manual or semiautomatic task as the positioning of the frame 22, 31, 32 has to be aligned for each pocket spring element 21 to ensure correct clipping to an appropriate position at the spring turn 25.
Therefore, there is a need for an efficient coupling of the frame to the pocket spring elements.


Integrated processes and systems for the production of distillate hydrocarbons and coke. The process may include feeding a hydrocarbon feedstock, comprising a residuum hydrocarbon fraction, to a residue hydrocracking reactor system to convert hydrocarbons therein, producing a hydrocracked effluent. The hydrocracked effluent may then be fed to a separation system, separating the hydrocracked effluent into one or more distillate hydrocarbon fractions and a vacuum residue fraction. The vacuum residue fraction may be fed to a coker system, converting the vacuum residue fraction into a coke product and a coker vapor effluent, recovering the coke product, and feeding the coker vapor effluent to the separation system. The one or more distillate hydrocarbon fractions are hydroprocessed to produce a hydroprocessed effluent, and the hydroprocessed effluent is separated into product distillate hydrocarbon fractions.

To date, coker units and residue hydrocracking units, such as ebullated bed hydrocracking units, have been operated as separate systems, each including a dedicated fractionation sections. A coker unit typically only has an atmospheric fractionation section, whereas residue hydrocracking units typically have both atmospheric and vacuum distillation columns.
Both units produce products that require further processing in hydrotreating and hydrocracking units to produce final saleable products. Further, the coker unit and residue hydrocracking units each process vacuum residue material. Straight run vacuum residue as a feed to a coker unit is typically added to the coker unit fractionator bottoms, where it is combined with the heavy coker gas oil material (520-550° C.+ hydrocarbons) and fed to the coker furnace.
Refiners have typically kept the fractionation section of both residue hydrocracking and coker units independent and relied on adding straight run atmospheric residue or vacuum residue to the residue hydrocracking fractionation section to mitigate fouling. Units that cannot add straight run atmospheric residue or vacuum residue generally have to rely on cleaning of the fouled section or lowering the residue hydrocracking unit severity.
Depending upon feed and severity, fractionation section fouling can cause residue hydrocracking unit shutdown every eleven to twelve months, where the shutdown may last for about two weeks for cleaning the vacuum tower bottom section. This requires in many instances turning the whole refinery at lower than design throughput as vacuum residue storage is typically limited to three to five days.

Integrating ebullated bed hydrocracking and coking units


A computer performs a search. The computer receives a search request including a search term, and determines a plurality of association rules that are each a logical implication that the appearance of the search term follows from the appearance, in a corpus of data, of at least one keyword. The computer generates a search matrix having a plurality of cells, and having axes labeled with a plurality of keywords, wherein at least one cell of the search matrix is associated with an association rule of the plurality of association rules. Based on a cell selection of the search matrix, the computer generates an augmented search string including the search term and at least one keyword of the plurality of association rules. The computer performs a search using the augmented search string.

The use of the Internet has become pervasive, and business entities and individuals use the Internet as a tool for obtaining information regularly. For example, such Internet users use search engines to search numerous World Wide Web sites and/or databases for information relevant to search terms. In recent years, the sophistication of search engines has improved, increasing the ability of search engines to produce search results that accurately reflect the search terms provided by the users. However, in circumstances where users are interested in understanding a broad field, such accuracy can actually be counterproductive. Further, search engines typically present users with a large volume of relevant information, and the users must consider a large portion of the relevant information to comprehensively understand the context of the search results.

Augmenting search results with interactive search matrix

International Business Machines Corporation


A topical composition for healing treatment of burns and wounds and scarring therefrom has as the active ingredient cereal-derived (1-3) (1-4) .beta.-D-glucan at about 0.5-15 w/w percent. The composition may be formulated in various forms with creams and gels being preferred for application to the skin.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to topical compositions for the treatment of superficial and partial thickness burns and wounds of the skin and mucosa. More particularly, the invention pertains to formulations of topical creams and gels providing cleansing, moisturizing, soothing and anti-pruritic activity for topical therapeutic treatment of wounds and burns and other skin loss injuries and conditions.
2. State of the Art
A group of complex polysaccharides known as glucans are found in the cell walls of yeast and bacteria. Though the structures of the microbial-derived glucans have not been completely elucidated, they are known to include long-chain carbohydrate polymers composed solely of .beta.-D-glucan residues with 1,3 linkages or a combination of 1,3- and 1,6-linkages. In the cell walls of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the glucans may also be associated with mannan, another complex polysaccharide.
Studies have indicated that yeast-derived 1,3-glucan activates macrophages, including phages with immunological activity against tumor growth. The 1,6-glucans were found to be inactive relative to macrophages. Such is reported by Di Luzio et al. in THE MACROPHAGE IN NEOPLASIA, Mary A. Fink, editor, 1976, Academic Press, New York, pp 181-182.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,158,772 of Davis, the incorporation of a microbial-derived beta-1,3-glucan-type polysaccharide in a topical composition is disclosed. The polysaccharide is produced by a bacterial microorganism known as Cellulomonas flavigena. The functions of the polysaccharide in the topical composition are described as three-fold, i.e. (a) its effectiveness as a water-holding agent by which it controls the fluidity, appearance and "feel" of a composition, (b) its viscosity raising effect, and (c) its ability to suspend other cosmetic and therapeutic agents such as dyes, drugs, germicides, anesthetics, etc. as a carrier.
In a U.S. patent application of Williams and Lawin, bearing Ser. No. 08/423,838 and commonly assigned with this application, a mesh matrix wound dressing is disclosed which incorporates cereal-derived .beta.-D-glucan and collagen in a cast burn dressing.
A topical healing unguent is needed for treatment of burns and wounds of the skin and mucosa where a wound dressing is not indicated.


The present invention is an improved process for the recovery of ethylene glycol from spent glycol generated in the manufacture of polyethylene terephthalate. The spent glycol typically consists of metal oxide catalyst residues, low molecular weight terephthalate oligomers, diethylene glycol and other trace impurities. The improved process of the present invention is based on the principle that elevating the temperature of the spent glycol increases the solubility of the low molecular weight oligomers so that the low molecular weight oligomers can be dissolved in the ethylene glycol and further that the spent glycol at an elevated temperature may be passed through an ion exchange bed to remove metal oxide catalysts, color forming impurities and other trace impurities.

This invention relates to the removal of impurities found in ethylene glycol recovered from the manufacture of polyethylene terephthalate (PET).
PET is a linear polyester which is generally manufactured in two stages by (1) esterification of terephthalic acid (TPA) with an excess of ethylene glycol (EG) or by the ester exchange reaction of dimethyl terephthalate (DMT) and an excess of EG to form dihydroxyethyl terephthalate (DHET), and (2) the polycondensation of DHET in the presence of a metal oxide catalyst. The metal oxide catalyst is typically an oxide of antimony.
The first stage ester reaction requires an excess of EG. The excess EG is removed during the course of the polycondensation reaction along with other products such as low molecular weight terephthalate oligomers, diethylene glycol (DEG), metal oxide catalysts, typically an oxide of antimony, and trace amounts of other compounds. The EG containing impurities is hereinafter referred to as "spent glycol." The presence of impurities in the spent glycol prevents recycling of the spent glycol into the first stage esterification since product quality would be detrimentally affected thereby. In particular, when product having little or no color is required, spent glycol is unsuitable for recycling.
The prior art on recycling spent glycol relied primarily on flash distillation of the spent glycol as typified by U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,408,268, 3,367,847 and 2,788,373. There are numerous variations to the basic distillation process. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,878,085 teaches flash distillation of spent glycol in the presence of an alkali metal hydroxide, while U.S. Pat. No. 3,491,161 teaches the addition of ammonium hydroxide prior to distillation. Some attempts have been made to remove antimony by precipitation prior to distillation of the spent glycol. Typical of these processes are U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,118,582 and 4,013,519.
In practice, spent glycol is purified by distillation in which a pure EG overhead product is recovered. The refined EG is typically sold into the antifreeze market. The still bottoms resulting from the distillation of the spent glycol is a mixture of antimony oxide catalyst, terephthalate oligomers, EG and DEG and various trace impurities such as trace cations, trace anions and color forming impurities.
Significantly, large quantities of still bottoms are generated in the United States each year which presents serious environmental as well as economic problems for PET producers. Furthermore, disposal of the still bottoms as a waste product represents the loss of substantial quantities of EG, DEG, antimony catalysts, and terephthalate oligomers, all of which have commercial value.
There is therefore, a need for a process which removes contaminants from spent glycol and which allows for the recovery and recycle of the still bottoms. Especially desirable is an improved process in which all materials are recycled to either the PET manufacturing process or to other chemical manufacturing processes.


A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device. First, a plurality of wires are arranged in parallel to one another, on a semiconductor substrate. Then, insulating films of a first group are formed on tops of the wires, respectively. Next, second insulating films of a second group are formed on sides of the wires, respectively. Further, among the wires there are formed insulating films of a third group which have upper surfaces located at a level not higher than upper surfaces of the insulating films of the second group. Thereafter, contact holes are formed by subjecting the insulating films of the third group to selectively etching. Finally, the contact holes are filled with electrically conductive material.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor device and a method of manufacturing the same, and more particularly to a semiconductor device, such as a semiconductor memory, which has a plurality of wires extending in parallel, and a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device of this type.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, dynamic random-access memories (DRAMs) have had their integration density increased remarkably. There have been developed 16 M-bit DRAMs and 64 M-bit DRAMs. A DRAM having a storage capacity of 1 G bits, called "next-generation DRAM," is being developed now.
FIG. 1 is a plan view representing the layout pattern of a conventional DRAM or the like. As shown in FIG. 1, element regions 6 having source-drain contacts are arranged in parallel. Gate electrodes 3 are arranged to sandwich the element regions 6. Each of the gate electrodes 3 must be prevented from contacting with the contacts 7. For this reason, unnecessary spaces are created as shown in FIG. 1.
Meanwhile, a storage-node contact and a bit-line contact of a 16 M-bit DRAM or a 64 M-bit DRAM are formed using a hole pattern corresponding to one contact. If contacts of this type are formed in a 1 G-bit DRAM, each contact hole will have an insufficiently small area, because of the displacement of a contact-hole pattern with respect to the gate electrodes. As a consequence, contact failure may take place, as will be explained with reference to FIGS. 2A and 2B.
FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B are a plan view and a cross sectional view of a semiconductor device. As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the device comprises a semiconductor substrate 1, a gate-insulating film 2, gate electrodes (wires) 3, a gate-protecting film 4, an inter-layer insulating film 5, an element region 6, and a contact 7. The inter-layer insulating film 5 is displaced with respect to the gate electrode 3 by the distance A. The contact holes inevitably have their area reduced to a value B which is less than the designed value.
As mentioned above, the greater the storage capacity of a DRAM, the less the area of each contact hole because of the displacement of the contact-hole pattern with respect to the gate electrodes. Consequently, contact failure will occur. This problem arises not only a DRAM, but also in semiconductor devices in which contact holes are provided among wires extending in parallel.

Semiconductor device and method of manufacturing the same


A method and system for controlling exhaust gas temperature at a diesel particulate filter during regeneration. The temperature rise is controlled at a rate that will prevent harm to the filter caused by high temperatures and rapid increases.

Internal combustion engines are a major contributor to harmful emissions. Internal combustion engines dominate land transportation propulsion—cars, trucks, off-highway vehicles, railroad, marine, motorcycles——as well as provide mechanical and electrical power for a wide range of large and small applications. The two dominant types of internal combustion engines are spark-ignition and diesel. The amount and composition of the emissions exhausted from these engines depend on the details of the processes that occur within the engine during operation, the characteristics of the fuel used, and the type of emissions control system used.
For diesel engines, the main pollutants of concern are nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulate matter (PM). The latter is composed of black smoke (soot), sulfates generated by the sulfur in fuel, and organic components of unburned fuel and lubricating oil.
To reduce particulate emissions, one approach is the use of diesel particulate filters (DPFs). A DPF is used downstream of the engine, in the exhaust line, and works in repeated loading and regeneration cycles. During the loading stage, the DPF filters the exhaust gas, such that PM in the exhaust is trapped inside the DPF channels while gaseous components in the exhaust pass through. During the regeneration stage, captured PM is burned off inside the DPF.
Various parameters enhance the regeneration quality of DPFs. Both exhaust gas temperature and oxygen content contribute to increased regeneration activity. Thus, regeneration occurs with the presence of oxygen, which always available in the exhaust because diesel engines operate under lean-burn conditions. Elevated temperature is provided by a burner or heater. Often, an oxidation catalyst is provided upstream of the DPF to further assist in regeneration.

Regeneration control for diesel particulate filter for treating diesel engine exhaust


A generator for providing regulated current signals, to terminals of a load includes: a plurality of secondary stages, including a direct voltage source insulated from those of other stages, connected in series between the midpoint of the second half-bridge of each secondary stage and the midpoint of the first half-bridge of the next secondary stage, the load terminals being respectively connected to the midpoint of the first half-bridge of a first secondary stage, and to the midpoint of the second half-bridge of a last secondary stage; and a control circuit capable of: selecting a group of secondary active stages, and at least one regulating stage; simultaneously controlling each active stage, except the regulating stage, at the frequency of the current slots; controlling the regulating stage according to a frequency higher than the previous one; and controlling the switches of the non-selected secondary stages to insulate their voltage source.

Field of the Invention
The invention concerns a generator of current signals, more particularly such a generator that is capable of generating gating pulses of current of a high intensity (of the order of a few tens of amperes) regulated with great precision under a very high voltage of the order of several kilovolts. The invention is also directed towards a process for implementing such a generator.
Description of the Related Art
In certain applications—such as electrolysis, sterilization, the preparation of plasmas under vacuum, or for carrying out tests aiming to determine certain physical constants of homogeneous or inhomogeneous materials, such as, for example, their conductivity or their dielectric and/or inductive constants—it is sometimes necessary to apply voltages or calibrated currents through said materials, with predetermined periods of application of these currents or voltages.
Thus it may be useful in certain cases to apply to the terminals of a load—constituted, for example, by two electrodes inserted at a distance from one another in the material to be measured—current signals in the form of gating pulses of alternating polarity separated by so-called periods of relaxation during which no voltage and no current is applied. Ordinarily, use is made of a simple temporal sequence, in which a gating pulse of positive voltage of a few seconds is applied to the terminals of the load, then a period of relaxation of the same duration, followed by a gating pulse of negative voltage of the same duration, itself followed by a second period of relaxation.
By applying such a signal between two current-injection electrodes which are fixed in the material, certain characteristics of which it is desired to measure, and by measuring a resultant signal between two other measuring electrodes which are placed, for example, between the two injection electrodes, the resistivity and the dielectric constant of the material can be determined by comparing the shapes of the injected signal and of the measured signal.
For the precision of the measurements it is necessary to regulate the current applied during the positive or negative gating pulses, or even to inject this signal in the form of gating pulses of current, the voltage then adapting itself continuously, depending on the current to be obtained. In addition, it is essential that the gating pulses of current exhibit temporal characteristics (for example, concerning the rise-time of the edges of the signals) that are as effective as possible in order to enable a comparison without bias between the injected signal and the measured signal.
Generators are known that are used, for example, in the applications cited above or for the study of soils within the scope of the construction of buildings or of civil-engineering structures, or for the measurement of the moisture content in soils or in silos for storage of pulverulent materials. However, the known generators are suitable for measurements within a reduced operating range and develop voltages limited to a few hundred volts and a few hundred milliamperes.
A need therefore remains for a generator enabling high-tension signals, of the order of several kilovolts, to be provided, said signals being capable of causing a current to flow amounting to a few tens of amperes with a precision of less than one percent, in order to improve the performance of the known generators and to enable measurements to be performed on materials exhibiting high and/or highly variable impedance values.

Current signal generator and method of implementing such a generator


A smart peripheral device includes a first interface which connects to the printer output port of a first personal computer and receives first printer data of a first printer format from the printer output port of the first personal computer. The smart peripheral device also includes a second interface for connecting to the I/O port of a second computer device containing predetermined application software. The smart peripheral automatically translates the first printer data into a general purpose import file which is compatible with the application saoftware of said second computer device, and outputs the general purpose import file via the second interface.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a smart peripheral which, from the output data taken in from an external input device, can generate a general-purpose import file which can be processed with application software in a computer device regardless of the type of application software contained in the computer device.
2. Prior Art
Computer devices, such as super computers, minicomputers, workstations, personal computers, and word processors, have come into wide spread use, and recently, networks for connecting these computer devices to each other have been enthusiastically developed.
Generally, in the fields of word processing, desk top publishing (DTP), and communications between terminals, input data of a personal computer, word processor, workstation, etc. cannot be exchanged without the use of a network environment such as a communications network or local area network.
However, with the conversion to the network system, it is necessary to provide separate application software operating in the network system and to prepare a data file which the application software can process. Even with word processors, etc. having an external input/output file generating capability, the WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) method, which displays the external data prepared with different application software on the screen as a document as output by the printer without being subjected to the restrictions on the system, has not been realized.
Of course, with systems which are not capable of networking, having a document inputted in the past, it is impossible to input data written in a floppy disk with no data interchangeability and data output from a computer device having a different system environment such as the operating system and/or application software directly into another computer device, etc. as it is.
For example, if the floppy disk has no data interchangeability or an interface system for data communications is not provided, and one wants to use the word processing software in a personal computer for input-processing a document prepared with a word processor, the document data could not be taken in. Likewise, a document prepared with a workstation cannot be directly taken in a personal computer having a different system environment, such as the basic device and/or application software, for effecting editing or other processes.
When printing out is made from a computer device, and the printer control language for the printer used is not identical to the printer control language for the application software adopted by the computer device which prepared the printer output data, the printer output data cannot be printed out with the printer.
Thus, with computer devices such as personal computers, data prepared with another computer having a different application software or with commercially available software from a different software manufacturer cannot be taken in as it is, and therefore, after being printed out with a printer, it is inputted from the keyboard into the computer device with which it is to be used. In addition, when a personal computer network is utilized to give and take document data, only the character data can be handled due to the restrictions by the operating system or the application software.
Having been provided in consideration of such conventional situation, this invention intends to offer a smart peripheral which can take in the output data from an external input device and can generate a general-purpose import file that can be processed with a computer device without being restricted by the operating system, application software, or other.
Thus, this invention allows a communications network or local area network to be constructed for freely giving and taking data by communications, etc. without being subjected to the restrictions on the system or for freely printing out data on a printer regardless of the difference in printer control language.

Smart peripheral device for translating input printer data into general-purpose import-file


A processor communicating with a first memory configured to store first information and first data, and communicating with a second memory configured to store second information and second data, includes a computing unit configured to perform computation using the first data and the second data; an storing unit configured integrally with the computing unit to store first authentication information and second authentication information; a reading unit configured to read out the first information and the second information; an authenticating unit configured to authenticate the first memory by comparing the first information and the first authentication information, and to authenticate the second memory by comparing the second information and the second authentication information; and an controlling unit configured to control an access of the computing unit to the first memory and the second memory based on a result of the authentications.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a processor, memory, computer system, and method of authentication.
2. Description of the Related Art
Computer is incorporated into various devices such as digital cameras, digital televisions, digital versatile disk (DVD) players, DVD/HDD recorders, game consoles, portable telephones, portable audio players, and controlling units of automotives. The devices or systems incorporating the computer handle data contents that are under copyrights protection, as well as important information such as personal information and charging information.
Illegal act using these devices or systems causes a serious problem; for example, one can illegally alter the device/system to decrypt and illegally copy the contents, run an illegal program to obtain personal information, or falsify charging information.
Conventionally, the device/system is protected from such illegal acts by physical means, for example, a substrate carrying a large scale integration (LSI) chip is covered by resin or the like in the device, or a casing of the device is fabricated in such a manner as to make disassembly difficult. Thus, the alteration of the device/system is made difficult.
According to another conventional technique, a digital signal processor (DSP) reads out boot software from a read only memory (ROM) inside the device to perform authentication based on a device identification code and a manufacturer identification code, and executes booting only when the authentication is successful (see for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-108257).
According to still another conventional technique, secure booting is performed to prevent an execution of an illegally overwritten program code, and an execution of a program code other than authenticated program code is blocked. According to one known method, a security chip called Trusted Platform Module (TPM) is employed for the implementation of secure booting.
The physical solution as described above such as resin-coating or casing reinforcement, however, increases manufacturing cost and tends to be nullified by special processing technique.
On the other hand, technique such as secure booting needs a special hardware module like TPM. In addition, since TPM of each device has a peculiar encryption key which is different from each other, to update an execution program, a newly configured program must be distributed to each device so that the program can be authenticated by a peculiar encryption key of each device. Hence, maintenance cost becomes astronomical.
Still further, though capable of checking the authenticity of a predetermined program at the activation, the secure booting technique has difficulties in detecting the leakage of the program or the hardware alteration.

Processor, memory, computer system, and method of authentication


Prospective micro calcification points in a radiation image of an object are extracted on the basis of image data representing the radiation image and clustered into cluster areas. A plurality of areas are set in the radiation image, and fluctuation in size and/or fluctuation in density of the prospective micro calcification points in each of the areas is obtained. Detected areas are extracted from the plurality of areas on the basis of the fluctuation in size and/or the fluctuation in density of the prospective micro calcification points in each of the areas, and each interconnected area where a predetermined number of or more extracted detected areas are continuous is set as a cluster area.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a prospective abnormal shadow detecting system for detecting a prospective abnormal shadow in a radiation image, and more particularly to a prospective abnormal shadow detecting system for detecting a micro calcification area, in which a prospective shadow of micro calcification exists, on the basis of radiation image data of an object and to a prospective abnormal shadow detecting system for detecting a benignant micro calcification area, in which a prospective shadow of benignant micro calcification exists, and a malignant micro calcification area, in which a prospective shadow of malignant micro calcification exists, separately from each other on the basis of radiation image data of an object.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the medical field, to find a diseased part of a patient or to observe a diseased part of a patient and diagnose progress of disease by reading a radiation image of the object (patient) has been a common operation. However, radiation image reading often depends upon experience and abilities of the reader and is not necessarily objective.
For example, it is necessary to find an abnormal shadow representing a growth and/or a micro calcification representative of a cancerous part in a mammogram (a radiation image of a breast) taken for the purpose of a breast cancer examination. However, depending on the reader, the abnormal shadow area cannot be properly designated. Accordingly, there has been a demand to properly detect an abnormal shadow including shadows of a growth and a micro calcification.
In order to meet this demand, a prospective abnormal shadow detecting system (a computer-aided image diagnosis system), has been proposed, as disclosed, for instance, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication Nos. 8(1996)-294479 and 8(1996)-287230 in which a prospective abnormal shadow is automatically detected by the use of a computer on the basis of image data representing a radiation image of the object. In the prospective abnormal shadow detecting system, a prospective abnormal shadow is automatically detected on the basis of density distribution and/or configurational feature by the use of an iris filter processing which is mainly suitable for detecting a growth shadow or a morphology filter processing which is mainly suitable for detecting a prospective micro calcification shadow.
The morphology filter processing is a method effective to detect a shadow of prospective micro calcification (comprising a plurality of small calcified areas), which is a specific form of breast cancer, by comparing a predetermined threshold value with the output value of a morphology operation using a structural element which is larger in size than micro calcification to be detected. The morphology filter processing will be described in detail, hereinbelow.
The morphology filter is a filter which can remove from an image noises and/or shadows which are smaller in size than a structural element employed and is generally used for smoothening an image signal, extraction of a shadow of prospective micro calcification, and the like.
(The Fundamentals of Morphology Operation)
Though the morphology operation is generally developed as a set theory in a N-dimensional space, it will be discussed here on the basis of a two-dimensional tone image for the purpose of simplicity of understanding.
It is assumed that a tone image is a space in which a point (x, y) has a height corresponding to a value of density f(x, y). Further it is assumed that the value of density f(x, y) is represented by a high brightness, high level signal in which as the value of density decreases (the value of brightness increases when displayed on a CRT), the level of the signal becomes higher.
For the purpose of simplicity, a linear function f(x) corresponding to a cross-section of the image is first discussed. It is assumed that a structural element g employed in the morphology operation is a function which is represented by the following formula (1), is symmetrical about the origin, and is 0 in value in a domain represented by the following formula (2).gs(x)=g(−x)  (1)G={−m, −m+1, . . . , −1, 0, 1, . . . , m−1, m}  (2)
At this time, the fundamental form of the morphology operation is very simple as shown in the following formulae (3) to (6).dilation: [f⊕Gs](i)=max{f(i−m), . . . , f(i), . . . , f(i+m)}  (3)erosion: [f⊖Gs](i)=min{f(i−m), . . . , f(i), . . . , f(i+m)}  (4)opening: fg=(f⊖gs)⊕g  (5)closing: fg=(f⊕gs)⊖g  (6)
That is, the dilation processing is processing for searching a maximum value in the area whose width is ±m (a value determined according to the structural element B) and whose center is at the pixel of current interest, see FIG. 4A, and the erosion processing is processing for searching a minimum value in the same area, see FIG. 4B. The opening processing corresponds to searching a maximum value after searching a minimum value, and the closing processing corresponds to searching a minimum value after searching a maximum value. In other words, the opening processing corresponds to smoothening the density curve f(x) from the low brightness side and removing protrusions in density (the portions which are higher in brightness than the surroundings) which are narrower than the mask size 2 m (see FIG. 4C), whereas the closing processing corresponds to smoothening the density curve f(x) from the high brightness side and removing recesses in density (the portions which are lower in brightness than the surroundings) which are narrower than the mask size 2 m (see FIG. 4D).
In the case of a high density, high level signal in which as the value of density increases, the level of the signal becomes higher, the value of image signal for the value of density f(x) is reverse to that of a high brightness, high level signal. Accordingly, the dilation processing for a high density, high level signal corresponds to the erosion processing for a high brightness, high level signal. Similarly, the erosion processing for a high density, high level signal corresponds to the dilation processing for a high brightness, high level signal, the opening processing for a high density, high level signal corresponds to the closing processing for a high brightness, high level signal, and the closing processing for a high density, high level signal corresponds to the opening processing for a high brightness, high level signal. Description will be made only on the high brightness, high level signal here.
(Application to Detection of a Micro Calcification Shadow)
As a method of detecting a micro calcification shadow, a subtraction method in which a smoothened image is subtracted from an original image is conceivable. Since it is difficult to distinguish a calcification shadow from an elongated non-calcification shadow (e.g., of a mammary gland, a blood vessel, and a mammary gland supporting tissue) by a simple smoothening method, morphology operation processing based on opening operation using multiple structural elements as represented by the following formula (7) has been proposed. See "Extraction of Microcalcifications on Mammogram Using Morphological Filter with Multiple Structuring Elements" (Journal of Academy of Electronics/Information/Communication D-II, vol. J75-D-II No. 7, pp. 1170 to 1176, July 1992) and "Basic Theory of Mathematical Morphology and its Application to Mammograms Processing" (MEDICAL IMAGING TECHNOLOGY, Vol. 12, No. 1 January 1994).
                                                        P              =                                                          f                -                                                      max                                          i                      ∈                                              (                                                  1                          ,                          ⋯                          ,                          M                                                )                                                                                {                                                                  (                                                  f                          ⊖                          Bi                                                )                                            ⊕                      Bi                                        }                                                                                =                                                          f                -                                                      max                                          i                      ∈                                              (                                                  1                          ,                          ⋯                          ,                          M                                                )                                                                                {                                          f                      Bi                                        }                                                                                (        7        )            wherein Bi (i stands for 1, 2, 3 and 4) are four linear structural elements B shown in FIG. 5. When the structural elements B are larger than calcification shadows to be detected, calcification shadows which are protrusions in the image signal narrower than the structural elements B (a part of the image the image signal of which fluctuates in a range spatially narrower than the structural elements B) are removed by opening processing. On the other hand, an elongated non-calcification shadow is left there as it is after the opening processing (calculation of the second term in formula 7) so long as it is longer than the structural elements B and its inclination (the direction in which the shadow extends) conforms to any one of the four structural elements Bi. Accordingly, by subtracting the smoothened image (the image removed with the calcification shadow) obtained by the opening processing from the original image f, an image containing therein only a small prospective calcification shadow is obtained. This the concept of formula (7).
In the case of a high density, high level signal, closing processing is applied according to the following formula (8) in place of the opening processing represented by formula (7).
                                                        P              =                                                          f                -                                                      min                                          i                      ∈                                              (                                                  1                          ,                          ⋯                          ,                          M                                                )                                                                                {                                                                  (                                                  f                          ⊕                          Bi                                                )                                            ⊖                      Bi                                        }                                                                                =                                                          f                -                                                      min                                          i                      ∈                                              (                                                  1                          ,                          ⋯                          ,                          M                                                )                                                                                {                                          f                      Bi                                        }                                                                                (        8        )
However, a non-calcification shadow equivalent to a calcification shadow in size can still remain. In such a case, non-calcification shadows contained in P represented by formula (7) are further removed by the use of differential information based on a morphology operation according to the following formula (9).Mgrad=(½)×{f⊕λB−f⊖λB}  (9)
As the value of Mgrad increases, the probability that the shadow is of a micro calcification increases. Accordingly, a prospective micro calcification shadow Cs can be obtained according to the following formula (10).If P(i, j)≧T1, and Mgrad(i, j)≧T2Then, Cs(i, j)=P else Cs(i, j)=0  (10)T1 and T2 are empirically determined threshold values.
Since a non-calcification shadow different from a calcification shadow in size can be removed only by comparison of P obtained according to formula (7) and the threshold value T1, only the condition of the first term of formula (10), P(i, j)≧T1 has to be satisfied in the case where there is no possibility that a non-calcification shadow equivalent to a calcification shadow in size remains.
Finally, the cluster area Cc of the micro calcification shadow (the area in which the micro calcification exists) is detected by a combination of a multi-scale opening operation and closing operation represented by the following formula (11).Cc=Cs⊕λ1B⊖λ3B⊕λ2B  (11)wherein λ1 and λ2 are respectively determined by the maximum distance between calcification shadows to be fused and the maximum radius of an isolated shadow to be removed, and λ3=λ1+λ2.
Though the morphology operation processing has been described in conjunction with a high brightness, high level signal, the relation between the opening processing and the closing processing is reversed in the case of a high density, high level signal in which a pixel of a higher density has a larger digital value.
It is necessary to set larger the threshold values T1 and T2 in order to surely remove non-calcification shadows smaller than micro calcification shadows from the image Cs including therein a prospective micro calcification shadow. However when the threshold values T1 and T2 are set larger, there arises fear that a thin prospective micro calcification shadow (a shadow of micro calcification low in density) can be regarded as of noise and removed. To the contrast, when the threshold values T1 and T2 are set smaller, the image obtained will include a lot of noise though a thin prospective micro calcification shadow can be extracted as a prospective micro calcification shadow, and accordingly, when a prospective micro calcification area is detected on the basis of such an image, there is fear that the detecting accuracy deteriorates.
Further, when the threshold values T1 and T2 are set large so that a prospective micro calcification image including substantially no non-calcification shadow like noise can be obtained and a prospective micro calcification area is detected on the basis of the prospective micro calcification image, it is preferred that attributes of the prospective micro calcification area (e.g., whether it is malignant or benignant) or other information useful for diagnosis be provided to the shadow reader together with the result of the detection in order to better aid in diagnosis.

Prospective abnormal shadow detecting system


A dynamic focusing circuit for a monitor has a microcomputer which generates a mode control signal by determining a mode when inputting horizontal and vertical synchronization signals, and provides a dynamic focus signal to a focus grid of a cathode ray tube through a flyback transformer according to the mode control signal. A focus signal generation section generates horizontal and vertical dynamic focus signals according to the waveform control signal of the waveform control signal generation section and a waveform adjustment section adjusts a waveform of the dynamic focus signal of the focus signal generation section by inputting the mode control signal.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a monitor, and more particularly to a dynamic focusing circuit for a monitor for compensating non-symmetry of a waveform of a dynamic focusing signal capable of occurring according to a frequency of a horizontal synchronization signal.
2. Prior Art
In general, a cathode ray tube (CRT) in a monitor converges thermal electrons generated from red (R), green (G), and blue (B) electron guns, and accelerates the converged thermal electrons. The converged and accelerated thermal electrons strike onto a fluorescent surface of the monitor through a shadow mask. The screen of the monitor is illuminated when the fluorescent surface is struck. Saw waveform signals flowing in horizontal and vertical deflection coils in the cathode ray tube deflect the converged and accelerated thermal electrons to display 2-dimensional image on the screen. A heater voltage of 6.3V is applied to a heater of the cathode ray tube to generate the thermal electrons from the heater, and a focus grid voltage and a screen grid voltage are required to converge the generated thermal electrons. Further, a high voltage of about 25 kV is applied to an anode of the cathode ray tube to accelerate the generated thermal electrons. Focus grids for focusing the thermal electrons generated from a cathode of the cathode ray tube have a static focus grid and a dynamic focus grid. A parabolic waveform signal, which is a dynamic focus signal, is applied to the dynamic focus grid for dynamic focusing.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram for showing a conventional dynamic focus circuit for a monitor. As shown in FIG. 1, the conventional dynamic focus circuit 100 comprises a synchronization process section 101, a waveform control signal generation section 102, a focus signal generation section 103, a buffer 104, a parabolic waveform signal output section 105, and a gain control section 106. The synchronization process section 101 includes Exclusive OR gates (not shown), and inputs a horizontal synchronization signal (H.sync) and a vertical synchronization signal (V.sync). The synchronization process section 101 outputs a horizontal and a vertical synchronization signal of one polarity regardless of polarities of the inputted horizontal and vertical synchronization signals. The waveform control signal generation section 102 includes a plurality of multivibrators (not shown) which generates a start signal and a stop signal according to inputs of a horizontal and a vertical synchronization signal. The focus signal generation section 103 generates horizontal and vertical focus signals of a parabolic waveform according to an input of the start signal of the waveform control signal generation section 102, and stops the generation of the horizontal and vertical focus signal according to an input of the stop signal of the waveform control signal generation section 102. The buffer 104 is constructed with general transistors, and generates a dynamic focus signal by summing horizontal and vertical focus signals generated from the focus signal generation section 103. The parabolic waveform signal output section 105 inputs and amplifies the dynamic focus signal to output a dynamic focus signal of a high voltage. The dynamic focus signal of a high voltage is applied to the dynamic focus grid (not shown) of the cathode ray tube through the flyback transformer 160.
Further, the primary winding of the flyback transformer 160 inputs a B+ voltage (scan voltage) from a direct current-direct current converter (DC-DC converter) 120 which is supplied with a direct current voltage from a switching mode power supply (SMPS) 100. The primary winding of the flyback transformer 160 is connected to the horizontal synchronization signal output section 140 and a horizontal deflection coil (H.DY) 150. The horizontal synchronization signal output section 140 is connected to a horizontal oscillation/drive section (130). The horizontal synchronization signal output section 140 supplies a saw waveform signal to the horizontal deflection coil 150 according to an output of the horizontal oscillation/drive section 130. The gain control section 106 inputs a mode control signal C31 from a microcomputer (not shown). The gain control section 106 controls the peak-to-peak voltage V.sub.pp of a horizontal dynamic focus signal of a parabolic waveform. As is well known, the thermal electrons generated in the cathode ray tube form an electron beam. The electron beam forms a focus on the screen of a monitor, and the diameter of the focus increases as the electron beam moves to the edge of the screen from the center of the screen. That is, since the diameter of a focus formed around the edge of the screen of the monitor gets larger than that of the focus formed on the center of the screen, clearness and sharpness of an image is degraded around the edge of the screen. In order to compensate for the degradation of the clearness and sharpness, a high resolution monitor uses a dynamic focus signal as a compensation waveform for an exact focus of the electron beam to be made on the screen of the cathode ray tube. The compensation waveform is controlled by a combination of the cathode ray tube and deflection coils. The peak-to-peak voltage V.sub.pp for the compensation tends to increase as the screen of a monitor gets larger. Accordingly, hundreds of voltage are required for the dynamic focusing signal, and such voltage is obtained from a flyback transformer 160.
FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B are views for showing a horizontal dynamic focus signal and a vertical dynamic focus signal, respectively. As shown in FIG. 2A, a dynamic focusing signal for compensating at the left and right edges of a screen is generated at every horizontal period (1II), and the dynamic focusing signal has a parabolic waveform signal which has a concave portion in the center portion thereof. As shown in FIG. 2B, a vertical dynamic focusing signal for compensating around top and bottom edges of the screen is generated at every vertical period (1V). The vertical dynamic focusing signal is a parabolic waveform signal which has a concave portion in the center portion thereof. The peak-to-peak voltage V.sub.pp around both edges of the parabolic waveform signal increases as the screen of the monitor gets larger in size, as described above. In general, the peak-to-peak voltage V.sub.pp ranges from 300V to 400V in case of the horizontal parabolic waveform signal, and ranges from 100V to 150V in case of the vertical dynamic focus signal. Such horizontal and vertical dynamic focus signals are generated from the focus signal generation section 103 in synchronization with horizontal and vertical synchronization signals. The generated horizontal and vertical dynamic focus signals are applied to the flyback transformer 160 through the buffer 104 and the parabolic waveform signal output section 103.
FIG. 3A to FIG. 3F show waveforms for dynamic focus signals generated from a conventional dynamic focus circuit according to frequencies of horizontal synchronization signals, where the frequencies of horizontal synchronization signals are generated according to modes such as a 640.times.480 mode, 800.times.600 mode, etc. (or a VGA (Video Graphic Array) mode, a super VGA mode, etc.). Hereinafter, a frequency of the horizontal synchronization signal is called a "horizontal frequency" for simplicity. FIG. 3A is a waveform for a horizontal dynamic focus signal at a VGA mode (the horizontal frequency=31.5 kHz). As shown in FIG. 3A, the horizontal dynamic focus signal is non-symmetrical with respect to the vertical center line. Further, the horizontal dynamic focus signal is shifted to the left with respect to a video display area. The difference between a voltage at the start point A and the end point B of the horizontal dynamic focus signal is 167V.
FIG. 3B is a waveform for a horizontal dynamic focus signal at the horizontal frequency of 37 kHz. As shown in FIG. 3B, the horizontal dynamic focus signal is more symmetrical than that at the VGA mode with respect to the vertical center line, and shifted to the left with respect to the video display area. The difference between a voltage at the start point C and a voltage at the end point D of the horizontal dynamic focus signal is 167V.
FIG. 3C is a waveform for a horizontal dynamic focus signal at the horizontal frequency of 43 kHz. As shown in FIG. 3C, the dynamic focus signal is nearly symmetrical with respect to the vertical center line, and shifts to the right with respect to the video display area. The difference between a voltage at the start point E and a voltage at the end point F of the dynamic focus signal is 66V.
FIG. 3D is a waveform for a horizontal dynamic focus signal at the horizontal frequency of 46 kHz. As shown in FIG. 3D, the horizontal dynamic focus signal is nearly symmetrical, and shifted to the left with respect to the video display area. The difference between a voltage at the start point G and a voltage at the end point H is 109V.
FIG. 3E is a waveform for a horizontal dynamic focus signal at the horizontal frequency of 53 kHz. As shown in FIG. 3E, the horizontal dynamic focus signal is completely symmetrical with respect to the vertical center line, and not shifted with respect to the video display area. The difference between voltages of the start and end points I and J is 0V.
FIG. 3F is a waveform for a horizontal dynamic focus signal at the horizontal frequency of 64 kHz. As shown in FIG. 3F, the horizontal dynamic focus signal is nearly symmetrical with respect to the vertical center line, and slightly shifted to the right with respect to the video display area. The difference between voltages at the start and end points K and L is 130V.
As described above, in the conventional dynamic focusing circuit, the dynamic focus signal is nonsymmetrical with respect to the vertical center line thereof, and shifted in the video display area, so a drawback exists in that voltages for focusing around the left and right of the screen are different. Accordingly, in case of providing a voltage properly for focusing to the left edge of the screen, an image around the right edge of the screen becomes unclear and loses sharpness since a focusing voltage around the right edge is weakened. Conversely, in case of providing a voltage properly for focusing to the right edge of the screen, an image around the left edge of the screen gets unclear and unsharpened since a focusing voltage around the left edge is weakened. Further, an exact focusing compensation is hardly made since a voltage of a horizontal dynamic focus signal varies according to a horizontal frequency.


A process is provided which comprises isomerizing a compound having a ketose structure by the use of or in the presence of an organogermanium compound having a structural portion represented by formula (I): ##STR1## Due to the use or presence of the organogermanium compound, the process is free from the problems of the prior art, and is capable of isomerizing a compound having an aldose structure into a compound having a ketose structure at a high isomerization ratio without requiring any special apparatus or any complicated operation.

Carbohydrates are organic compounds which are very important to living things as their energy sources, etc. and which are present most abundantly on the earth. They are composed mainly of monosaccharides. These monosaccharides have typical structures in which 3 to 8 carbon atoms are bonded in a ring and the structures are largely classified into two types.
That is, said structures are classified into aldose (an aldehyde-containing monosaccharide) and ketose (a ketone-containing monosaccharide). Both aldose and ketose are further classified into respective trioses, tetroses, pentoses and hexoses depending upon the carbon atom number of aldose or ketose.
Various reactions using monosaccharides are known. As such a reaction which is used industrially, there is a reaction which comprises isomerizing glucose (grape sugar) (an aldohexose) into fructose (fruit sugar) (a corresponding ketohexose) to produce a high-fructose syrup.
Said high-fructose syrup is a mixture of glucose and fructose, obtained by isomerizing glucose partially. Owing to the partial isomerization of glucose (having low sweetness) into fructose (having high sweetness), the high-fructose syrup has sweetness similar to that of sucrose.
About 70% of the high-fructose syrup is used in cooling drinks and other drinks because fructose contained therein has higher sweetness at lower temperatures, and other portion is used in general foodstuffs as a sweetener. The yearly production of high-fructose syrup in the world is estimated about 8,000,000 kg.
Both glucose and fructose are hexoses similar in structure. Chemical and enzymatic processes have hitherto been proposed for isomerization of glucose into fructose, and it is currently conducted in industry to isomerize glucose into fructose using an isomerization enzyme, namely, glucose isomerase to produce a high-fructose syrup.
That is, starch, for example, corn starch is liquefied; the resulting liquid is subjected to saccharification using glucoamylase to obtain a starch syrup; and passing the starch syrup continuously through an immobilized enzyme obtained by immobilizing, using one of various methods, a glucose isomerase produced by, a microorganism of, for example, Streptomyces genus, to isomerize the glucose contained in said solution into fructose.
The above isomerization reaction is an equilibrium reaction whose equilibrium point is 1 or thereabouts. At the equilibrium point, about 50% of glucose can be isomerized into fructose at a reaction temperature of about 60.degree. C. In order to allow the isomerization to proceed to such a level, however, a considerable length of time is required, the reaction mixture is colored owing to the heating for such a long time, and a high cost is incurred for the purification and condensation steps required for product marketing. Hence, the reaction is terminated when the isomerization has proceeded to a fructose content of about 42%.
As described above, the high-fructose syrup is produced in order to allow glucose of mass production and low cost to have sweetness similar to that of sucrose. However, when the sweetness of sucrose is arbitrarily taken as 100, the above-mentioned high-fructose syrup containing about 42% of fructose (this fructose syrup is hereinafter referred to as 42%-fructose syrup, in some cases) has a sweetness of 95-100 which is slightly insufficient. Therefore, in the above isomerization reaction alone, it is impossible to directly obtain a high-fructose syrup having the same sweetness as sucrose.
Hence, there is currently produced in industry a 55%-fructose syrup having a sweetness of 100-110 by increasing the fructose content in the 42%-fructose syrup to 55%.
In order to produce a 55%-fructose syrup from the 42%-fructose syrup, however, a large apparatus such as a reactor packed with a cation exchange resin is required; moreover, a complicated operation must be conducted, that is, continuous sugar separation is conducted using said reactor to obtain a fructose syrup containing about 95% of fructose and then this fructose is mixed with the 42%-fructose syrup.
Meanwhile, as the isomerization of other compound having an aldose structure into a compound having a ketose structure, there can be mentioned, for example, isomerization of lactose (a dissacharide) into lactulose. In this isomerization, however, unlike the above isomerization of glucose into fructose, no enzyme effective for isomerization of lactose into lactulose has not yet been found; therefore, the isomerization is currently conducted by adding, to lactose, sodium hydroxide of a concentration not exceeding a given level and then heating the mixture at 70.degree. C. or higher to isomerize lactose into lactulose (Japanese Patent Publication No. 2984/1977). This process, however, gives a low isomerization ratio, i.e. a low lactulose yield of 20% or less (this is lower than the fructose yield). In order to obtain a high-lactulose syrup, the process has a problem that the lactulose syrup obtained must be condensed.
An object of the present invention is to provide a process which is free from the above-mentioned problems of prior art and which can isomerize a compound having an aldose structure into a compound having a ketose structure at a high isomerization ratio.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a process which can isomerize a compound having an aldose structure into a compound having a ketose structure without requiring any special apparatus or any complicated operation.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a process which can isomerize a compound having an aldose structure into a compound having a ketose structure, using an isomerization enzyme or without using any isomerization enzyme.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a process which can isomerize a compound having an aldose structure into a compound having a ketose structure without employing the condition of heating in alkalinity (this condition is sometimes disadvantageous for isomerization ratio) even when there has been found no enzyme effective for said isomerization.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an isomerization agent or accelerator effective in the above process.

Process for isomerization of compound of aldose structure into compound of ketose structure, and isomerization agent or accelerator used therin

National Food Research Institute, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry & Fisheries

Asai Germanium Research Institute Co., Ltd.


Measuring devices and methods of determining the appropriate graft length for reconstructive surgery, for example for an all-inside ACL reconstruction ligament repair. The measuring device accurately determines the graft length based on the total length between the femoral and tibial tunnels (sockets) plus the intraarticular space between them. The measuring device may comprise two small, cannulated beads (preferably polished metal) and three strands (for example, three suture strands). The beads may have a diameter of about 5 mm and the three sutures may preferably have distinct and different colors.

Reconstructive knee surgeries, particularly anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction, are well-known in the art. In general, these methods of tenodesis involve drilling a tunnel through the tibia, drilling a closed tunnel (socket) into the femur, inserting a substitute ACL graft into the tunnels, and securing the graft to the walls of the tibial and femoral tunnels using interference screws or the like.
Fixation of the graft (for example, a semitendonosus allograft) within the two knee sockets (i.e., the femoral and tibial tunnels or sockets) requires determination of the proper graft length (soft tissue graft or BTB graft) which in turn is calculated based on the entire length of the sockets plus the intraarticular space between them. Proper determination of the graft length ensures accurate placement of the graft within the femoral and tibial tunnels (sockets).

Tunnel measuring device for ligament reconstruction


A spray blanket cleaning system is provided for removing piling, lint and ink from blanket cylinders in a plurality of web or offset printing presses. Operation is effected by fluid control systems that direct solvent, water and air to spray systems in specific quantities and at specific pressures. The spray systems are point of use systems that mix solvent and water in a tube then eject the mixture to a connecting spray bar. The mixed fluid is then ejected by air pressure through the spray bar as sprayed fluid. The action of the spray in combination with the rotation of the blanket cylinder and the web, is such as to loosen dust, debris and lint from the blanket cylinder and collect it on the web passing out of the system.

This invention relates to cleaning apparatus for printing presses and, in particular, to systems for automatically washing blanket cylinders in offset printing presses.
The need to wash blanket cylinders during an offset web printing process is well established. As printed copy is produced, debris from ink, paper and fountain solution cause the blanket cylinder to become contaminated. After a period of time, the blanket cylinders must be washed with either solvent or a combination of solvent and water to remove this debris. If washing does not occur, print quality will be reduced and the probability that a web will break increases. Several methods are known in the art to wash blanket cylinders.
The hand wash method utilizes manual application of wash fluid by the press crew when the press is stopped. In this method, hand towels are soaked and the blankets physically scrubbed clean of debris. Manual washing of the blanket while the press is operating is also utilized A member of the press crew will clean a specific area of a blanket that is causing print quality to deteriorate. While this technique extends productivity, it is very unsafe because of the high peripheral speed of the blanket cylinder.
It is far safer, more productive and predictable to use automatic blanket cleaners to clean the blanket cylinder at regular intervals while printing. Several automatic methods have been employed to accomplish this. Cloth type systems, described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,344,361 and 4,757,763, utilize a disposable cloth that passes over an inflatable pressure pad. The cloth is wetted with wash fluid pressed against the blanket and the cloth is advanced in increments to affect cleaning
Brush type systems utilize a rotating brush that is pressed against the blanket. The brush may be wetted with solvent prior to coming in contact with the blanket. Debris that is removed from the blanket to the brush is gathered in a used solvent collection system. Typically the solvent undergoes separation and treatment to remove the debris and collect the solvent.
Spray type systems utilize a spray bar positioned near the blankets. The spray bar sprays wash fluid onto the blanket cylinders. Previously known spray bars, as in U.S. Pat. No. 4,686,902, premix solvent and water in a tank to form an effective emulsified solution. This is undesirable because once the wash solvent is mixed, the ratio of solvent to water in the solution cannot be changed unless the system is drained and flushed and a new ratio established. Additionally, the mixture must be continually circulated or agitated to maintain the emulsification. The present invention avoids the need for mixing water and solvent in a tank or premixer and avoids the need for recirculation or agitation of the wash solvent, thus allowing continual change in the emulsified solution as desired without requiring that the system be drained and flushed.
In other known spray systems, for example German Pat. No. 2,826,135, the amount of wash fluid sprayed by the spray bar is controlled and limited to the volume of the internal cavity of the spray bar. In particular, the system works in cycles, where one cycle consists of completely filling the internal cavity of the spray bar with wash fluid followed by activating the air for spraying. The present invention avoids this cyclic action by providing a means for the wash fluid to be continuously ejected from the spray bar as it enters the spray bar. The present invention also provides for individually settable water and solvent amounts which are not limited to the volume of the internal cavity of the spray bar.
Other problems encountered in conventional cleaning systems include the risk of dryer damage or even explosion caused by the ignition of excessive solvents. Typically when the press is shut down for maintenance or repair the ink roller train becomes tacky from ink residue and debris. If the press is restarted in this condition there is a high risk of web breakage. In order to avoid this breakage, the blanket is prewet manually by a pressman applying solvent to the blanket or adding oil to the roller train to soften the tacky ink. This practice is both hazardous and wasteful because uncontrolled amounts of solvent entering the dryer can result in explosion. Also, the added oil has a deleterious effect on the ink color resulting in paper waste while the oil is dissipated. The present invention avoids this problem by providing a means to automatically prewet the blanket, reducing the risk of explosion from uncontrolled solvent application.


The present invention relates to a rotating device for continuously filtering a liquid such as a solution containing a precipitate.

The present invention relates to a rotating device for continuously filtering a liquid such as a solution containing a precipitate.
In numerous cases, there is in fact a need to filter a slurry, a suspension or a precipitate in order to separate the solid matters from the liquid matters.
To that end, a certain number of filtration devices for effecting such a separation, particularly continuously, have already been proposed, the product to be filtered arriving in the device via an inlet, the liquid and the solid matters, these two products being separated from each other, being collected at the outlet of the device.
For example, filtration devices are known, which comprise a cylindrical, horizontal-axis drum of revolution, rotated by a drive system, said drum having a rectangular longitudinal section with a vertical wall, a cylindrical wall and an axial opening defined by an annular flange extending the cylindrical wall, a plurality of filtering elements each disposed axially, forming at least a part of the cylindrical wall of the drum, said filtering elements each being connected to a process conduit.
Such devices also comprise a system for supplying liquid to be filtered, entering via said opening inside said drum, a system for evacuating the cake (solid matters), a system for evacuating the filtrate passing through said process conduits, a hydraulic supply assembly comprising a pulsed compressed air supply and means forcing the passage of said liquid through the filtering elements, said supply assembly being adapted to communicate with said process conduits by a connecting system allowing an angular distribution of the operations effected by said device, these operations comprising at least the filtration of the liquid and the separation of the cake from said filtering elements by cleaning.
However, such filtration devices present a large number of drawbacks. In particular, the continuous filtration devices of the prior art present a complicated structure which does not allow easy maintenance of this device.
It is an object of the invention to provide a rotating continuous-filtration device which does not present the drawbacks of the prior art and which presents a compact, reliable structure easy to maintain, access to the elements to be checked or changed being simplified.
To that end, the invention relates to a filtration device of the type mentioned hereinbefore, wherein said drive system comprises a drive shaft coaxial and fast with said drum at the level of said vertical wall located on the side of the drum opposite said opening, wherein said means forcing the passage of said liquid through the filtering elements comprise a source of depression for filtration connected to said system for evacuation of the filtrate and placing the interior of said filtering elements under depression with respect to the interior of the drum, wherein said system for evacuating the cake functions by gravity and presents a collecting hopper located inside the drum substantially beneath the uppermost part and connected to a spout extending out of the drum via said opening, wherein said process conduits extend in said vertical wall of the drum and present, on the one hand, a first end opening out in a filtering element and, on the other hand, a second end opening out in the outer vertical face of said vertical wall, and wherein said connecting system comprises a first disc (plate) fast with the drum about the drive shaft and pierced with a plurality of connection openings which are connected one by one to the second ends of said process conduits, and a second fixed disc (counter-plate) coaxial with and adjacent said first disc and provided with angular slots in register with said supply assembly and disposed radially opposite said connection openings, an angular filtration slot being located at least partially in the lower part of the second disc and connected to said source of depression for the filtration of the liquid, and an angular cleaning slot being located substantially in the uppermost angular sector of the second disc and connected to said compressed air supply for the separation of the cake from each filtering element.
It is thus understood that the filtration of the liquid from the interior of the drum towards the outside of the drum via the filtering elements, thanks to a source of depression for filtration placing the interior of the filtering elements under depression with respect to the interior of the drum, makes it possible to produce a reduced filtration circuit guaranteeing the passage of the liquid in the filtering elements. In addition, by using a connecting system with a first disc, or plate, which is mobile in rotation, and a second disc, or counter-plate, which is fixed, an angular distribution of the different functions of the device at the level of a very compact structure is reliably obtained.
In order to improve the facility of maintenance of the filtration device according to the invention, the following advantageous arrangements are provided:
the cylindrical wall of the drum is provided with supports each oriented axially and distributed radially in regularly spaced manner, each filtering element being removably mounted on said supports in order to line the whole cylindrical wall;
each filtering element is mounted to slide axially with respect to the supports and comprises a base, or shoe, defining a flow cavity covered, in the radially internal direction, by a filter gauze, the bottom of the cavity being inclined towards an opening for evacuation connected to the first end of the process conduit;
the drum comprises reversible blocking means for blocking each filtering element with respect to the supports;
the blocking means are adapted to place the filtering elements in radial abutment against the supports in the direction of the horizontal axis.
Furthermore, the liquid supply system is provided to comprise a distributor which allows a substantially homogeneous distribution of the liquid to be filtered over the whole length of the filtering elements, parallel to the axis of the drum.
It will therefore be understood that it is in that case possible to effect maintenance of each filtering element independently of one another, whether for replacement or cleaning purposes.
According to other advantageous arrangements, said supply assembly also comprises:
a source of depression for drying which generates a depression greater than the depression furnished by said source of depression for filtration and which is connected to the system for evacuating the filtrate, said second disc further comprising an angular slot for drying disposed between the angular slot for filtration and the angular slot for cleaning, and connected to said source of depression for drying;
a supply of washing solution for the cake opening out via said opening in the drum at the level of a rinsing nozzle adapted to direct the jet in the direction of at least one filtering element located radially opposite said angular slot for drying;
a supply of washing solution for the filtering elements, connected to an angular slot for washing of the second disc, said angular slot for washing being located between the angular slot for cleaning and the angular slot for filtration, in order to allow, outside the periods of filtration, the cleaning of the filtering elements by the passage of said washing solution from the process conduits through the angular slot for washing in the direction of the corresponding filtering elements, this circulation of liquid being effected in counter-flow with respect to the filtration step.
According to other advantageous configurations of the filtration device in accordance with the present invention, this device also comprises:
a system for applying said second disc against the first disc;
a sealing disc placed coaxially against the second disc on the side opposite the first disc, the sealing disc being extended axially by a centering sleeve disposed between said drive shaft and the second disc, said second disc resting on the free end of the centering sleeve forming ball and socket joint and having the form of an annular portion of sphere, O-ring joints being placed between the sealing disc and the drive shaft.
The filtration device according to the present invention is particularly designed for the filtration of a liquid requiring handling precautions avoiding any contact with an operator, for example for a dangerous liquid, in particular in the nuclear industry.
To that end, the drum is preferably provided to be placed in an outer vessel recovering the liquid possibly overflowing from the drum via said opening into said vessel in the direction of a pipe for emptying the vessel. The vessel is preferably mounted in an outer glove box allowing access to the filtering elements with a view to replacement thereof. The filtration device preferably further comprises means for displacing the drum which, outside the periods of filtration, make it possible to position at least certain of said filtering elements opposite at least one glove of the glove box.
The filtration device according to the present invention is thus particularly suitable for reprocessing liquids and solid products issuing from the nuclear industry, the device being intended in particular for the filtration of a precipitate of plutonium oxalate in an acid solution, the geometry of the filter in that case being subcritical. In that case, the solution for washing the cake preferably includes nitric acid.

Rotating device for continuously filtering a liquid such as a solution containing a precipitate

Abstract: According to this invention, the device comprises a cylindrical, horizontal-axis drum of revolution, rotated by a drive system, a plurality of filtering elements each disposed axially, forming at least a part of the cylindrical wall of the drum, said filtering elements each being connected to a process conduit, a system for supplying liquid to be filtered, opening via said opening inside said drum, a system for evacuating the cake, a system for evacuating the filtrate passing through said process conduits, a hydraulic supply assembly comprising a pulsed compressed air supply and means forcing the passage of said liquid through the filtering elements, said supply assembly being adapted to communicate with said process conduits by a connecting system allowing an angular distribution of the operations effected by said device, these operations comprising at least the filtration of the liquid and the separation of the cake from said filtering elements by cleaning.

Compagnie Generale des Matieres Nucleaires


The present invention describes novel methods for isolating a substantially pure cell population of non-embryonic epidermal neural crest stem cells from the bulge-region of mammalian hair follicles. Also disclosed is the substantially pure cell population of follicular bulge-derived neural crest stem cells for medical research and therapeutic use.

The neural crest is a transient tissue of the vertebrate embryo that originates in the neural folds, invades the embryo, and differentiates in distinct locations into a wide array of adult cell types and tissues. Neural crest derivatives include neurons, Schwann cells, and glia of the autonomic and enteric nervous systems, most primary sensory neurons, endocrine cells (e.g., the adrenal medulla and C-cells of the thyroid), the smooth musculature of the cardiac outflow tract and great vessels, pigment cells of the skin and internal organs, tooth papillae, meninges, as well as bone, cartilage, and connective tissue (dermis) of the face, forehead and ventral part of the neck (LeDouarin and Kalcheim, The Neural Crest, Cambridge University Press, 1999).
Recently, Anderson et al. reported methods for the isolation and clonal propagation of mammalian neural crest stem cells. Their methods use a separation and culturing regimen and bioassays for establishing the generation of neural crest stem cell derivatives. In their method, the neural crest stem cells are cultured on a mixed substrate of poly-D-lysine and fibronectin to generate neurons and glia. The cells were also found to express low-affinity nerve growth factor receptor (LNGFR) and nestin, but do not express glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) (See U.S. Pat. No. 5,589,376). One of the problems with this method is that the cells originate from the embryonic neural tube. The procedure raises ethical considerations, as several week old embryos would be destroyed during isolation of embryonic neural crest cells. Ethical issues aside, the method from a practical standpoint is not feasible, as it is unlikely to provide a sufficient amount of neural tissue to meet the demands of therapeutic procedures, such as transplantation for cell replacement therapy. Thus, this cell source is not particularly desirable for transplantation.
Alternatively, Miller et al. reported the isolation of multipotent neural stem cells (MNSCs) from the peripheral tissue of postnatal mammals, including juvenile and adult mammals. They identified skin as a source of MNSCs and set forth methods to purify skin-derived MNSCs, thus simplifying the harvesting of cells for transplantation relative to previous methods (See U.S. Pat. No. 6,787,355). However, this population of cells is still fairly heterogenous (i.e., at least 30% of the cells are multipotent stem cells), requiring a series of additional purification steps to become useful for human medical procedures. In particular, MNSCs require multiple sub-cultures over a period of several weeks during which time their stem cell characteristics could change through, for example, the action of autocrine or paracrine differentiation factors due to the close proximity of cells. Furthermore, the ontological source of the MNSCs is unclear.
Accordingly, it would be useful to have a method for producing a substantially homogenous population of neural crest stem cells from a readily accessible source for medical research and therapeutic purposes.

Method of isolating epidermal neural crest stem cells


A leg lifter apparatus includes a foot connection assembly for connecting to a person's foot region, a first and second leg connection assembly for connecting to a person's first and second leg region, respectively, and a flexible pull line which is connected to the foot connection assembly and which is in sliding contact with the first and the second leg connection assembly. The foot connection assembly includes a first adjustable foot strap and a first rigid foot fixture attached to the first adjustable foot strap. The first rigid foot fixture includes a rigid eye, and the pull line includes a loop connected to the rigid eye. The first leg connection assembly includes a first adjustable leg strap and a first rigid leg fixture attached to the first adjustable leg strap. The second leg connection assembly includes a second adjustable leg strap. The pull line includes a handle portion.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to devices for lifting legs in casts and, more particularly, to leg lifter device especially adapted for a cast wearer to lift one's own cast-laden leg.
2. Description of the Prior Art
When a person wears a cast on one's leg, it is often difficult for the person to lift one's cast-laden leg using one's leg alone. Throughout the years, a number of innovations have been developed relating to devices which enable a person to lift one's cast-laden leg, and the following U.S. patents are representative of some of those innovations: Nos. 4,019,503 and 4,495,941. More specifically, U.S. Pat. No. 4,019,503 discloses a cradle assembly that includes an entirely rigid lifting structure for lifting a cast-laden leg. Such an entirely rigid lifting structure tightly restricts the distance between a person's hand and the cast. Also, such a rigid structure tightly limits the range of motion of the hand of a person lifting one's leg. In this respect, it would be desirable if a leg lifter device were provided which does not employ and entirely rigid lifting member.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,495,941 discloses a cast moving device which has a flexible pull line and which has straps attached to only leg portions of the cast. No foot connection assembly is provided with this device. Yet, it is contemplated that lifting a cast would be facilitated if a foot connection assembly were provided on either a foot or foot-covering portion of a cast.
Still other features would be desirable in a leg lifter apparatus. With respect to U.S. Patent Nos. 4,019,503 and 4,495,941 discussed above, it is noticed that straps are provided that fit around the circumference of a cast. Rather than being concerned about straps that may loosen or shift out of position on the cast, it would be desirable if a leg lifter device were provided that included a portion that is implanted in a fixed position in the cast itself.
In addition, the following U.S. patents may be of interest for their disclosure of some additional innovations relating to the lifting of leg casts: Nos. 3,739,772, 4,111,195, 4,169,468, and 5,236,333. More specifically, U.S. Pat. No. 3,739,772 discloses a device that includes a portion which fits over a wearer's shoulder. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,111,195 and 4,169,468 relate to devices employed for suspending a cast-laden leg from an overhead support. U.S. Pat. No. 5,236,333 discloses an entirely rigid device for lifting a person's leg which, conceivably, could include a cast.
Thus, while the foregoing body of prior art indicates it to be well known to use leg lifter devices, the prior art described above does not teach or suggest a leg lifter apparatus which has the following combination of desirable features: (1) does not employ an entirely rigid lifting member; (2) provides a foot connection assembly for either a foot or foot-covering portion of a cast; and (3) includes a portion that is implanted in a fixed position in the cast. The foregoing desired characteristics are provided by the unique leg lifter apparatus of the present invention as will be made apparent from the following description thereof. Other advantages of the present invention over the prior art also will be rendered evident.