An apparatus to treat a uterus includes a deployable member configured to be positioned in a uterine cavity in at least a partially deployed state to define a microwave chamber in an interior of the deployable member, and removed from the uterine cavity in a non-deployed state. The deployable member is at least partially microwave energy absorbable and formed of a fluid permeable material to house and controllably release a fluidic medium from the microwave chamber when the deployable member is positioned in the uterine cavity in the at least partially deployed state. A microwave emitter is positioned in the microwave chamber, the microwave emitter is configured to be coupled to a microwave energy source and deliver microwave energy to the fluidic medium, wherein the fluidic medium transfers thermal energy from the microwave emitter to a uterine structure.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a method and apparatus to controllably create controlled necrosis of at least a portion of the uterus, and more particularly to a method and apparatus to create selective cell necrosis of target sites of the uterus.
2. Description of Related Art
There are a number of body organs and lumens, including but not limited to the uterus, gall bladder, large intestine and the like, that have inner layers that develop disease states or otherwise abnormal conditions which can cause discomfort to the patient and are precursors to disease states. Traditional methods of treatment for these conditions have included removal all or a major portion of the body organ (e.g. hysterectomy).
Menorrhagia an abnormality of the uterus, is an example of such a disease state. It is characterized by excessive menstrual bleeding of the endometrium in the absence of organic pathology. While the disease has no known aetiology, it has been postulated that it is due to an inappropriate exposure of the endometrium to hormones. Approximately 10% of all women in the US experience menorrhagia and it is responsible for approximately one in five outpatient referrals to gynecological departments. At a minimum, the disease can cause considerable discomfort, distress and curtailment of lifestyle. Women suffering severe menorrhagia are at risk from chronic anemia and other complications. Moreover, it is the most frequent clinical indication for hysterectomy.
While there are a number of available treatments for the disease, many have limitations and/or potentially adverse complications. For example, currently available pharmacological therapy requires the long term administration of medication, which in some case provides only temporary beneficial effects while presenting potentially long term adverse side effects. Hysterectomy is another common treatment, but the associated morbidity and convalescence period can be prolonged, making this treatment an undesirable choice for some patients.
A number of physical and chemical methods have been tried as alternatives to hysterectomy, including the use of superheated steam, cryotherapy, urea injection and radium packing. The most commonly used methods as an alternative to hysterectomy are, ablation of the endometrium either by using a laser, such as a Nd:YAG laser, or the use of RF energy applied with an electrode.
Laser treatments have provided only limited success. RF is an attractive alternative. In RF heating, a conductive probe is placed within the uterine cavity and an insulated ground-plane electrode or belt is placed around the patient's midriff. RF energy is applied to the thermal probe with the external belt electrode acting as the return arm of the circuit. The electrical load presented by the RF thermal probe, patient, and external belt is matched to the output of the RF generator via a tuning unit, to form a series resonant circuit. Once tuned, the majority of the power applied to the probe is deposited into the endometrium as heat.
Current flows primarily capacitively, and an electric field is set up around the active tip of the probe. Tissue lying within the field becomes heated because of rapid oscillation of charged particles and locally induced currents.
Prior et al. have reported on the use of RF to treat menorrhagia. Power at 27.multidot.12 MHz was delivered to a probe that was placed into the uterine cavity and capacitively coupled to a second electrode consisting of a belt placed around the patient (Prior et al., Int. J. Hyperthermia, 1991, Vol. 7, No. 2, pgs. 213 to 220). The active electrode was a 10 mm diameter stainless-steel cylinder with a length of 70 mm. This method, however, did not adequately deliver RF energy to the entire endometrium. Because the endometrium has an irregular surface, it is difficult to deliver sufficient RF energy to the entire structure and effectively treat menorrhagia.
However, it is desirable to have close contact between the RF conductive face and the endometrium. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,277,201 (the "'201 patent") an electroconductive, expandable balloon expands the interior of the uterus and effects electrical contact with the endometrial lining to be destroyed. The device of the '201 patent fails, however, to provide sufficient physical contact with the entire endometrium, and thus the treatment is not complete. Not only is the physical contact with the endometrium unsatisfactory, but the effective delivery of RF energy to the endometrium could be improved as well.
There is a need to provide a method and apparatus to minimally invasively treat the uterus. There is a another need for a method and apparatus to minimally invasively treat selected sites of the uterus. There is a further need for a method and apparatus to selectively treat endometriosis and/or fibroids. There is yet another need for a method and apparatus to deliver sufficient energy to treat a substantial portion of the uterus.


A process of water degumming an edible oil (preferably a crude edible oil) comprising the steps of: a) admixing approximately 0.1-5% w/w water with an edible oil (preferably a crude edible oil) and a lipid acyltransferase, b) agitating the admixture for between about 10 minutes and 180 minutes at about 45 to about 900 C, and c) separating the oil phase and the gum phase. Preferably said lipid acyltransferase is a polypeptide having lipid acyltransferase activity which polypeptide is obtained by expression of the nucleotide sequence shown as SEQ ID No. 49 or a nucleotide sequence which as has 70% or more identity therewith; and/or is obtained by expression of a nucleic acid which hybridizes under medium stringency conditions to a nucleic probe comprising the nucleotide sequence shown as SEQ ID No. 49; and/or is a polypeptide having lipid acyltransferase activity which polypeptide comprises the amino acid sequence shown as SEQ ID No. 68 or an amino acid sequence which as has 70% or more identity therewith. In one embodiment the lipid acyltransferase is preferably used in combination with a phospholipase C enzyme. A process for modifying the gum phase of a degummed oil using a lipid acyltransferase is also taught herein.

Lipid acyltransferases are known to be advantageous in food applications. Lipid acyltransferases have been found to have significant acyltransferase activity in foodstuffs. This activity has surprising beneficial applications in methods of preparing foodstuffs.
For instance, WO 2004/064537 discloses a method for the in situ production of an emulsifier by use of a lipid acyltransferase and the advantages associated therewith.
International Patent Application No. PCT/IB2001/000558 teaches the expression of lipid acyltransferases in (heterologous) host cell and is incorporated herein by reference.
The purpose of edible oil refining is to remove undesirable impurities that affect quality (taste, smell and appearance for example)) and storability.
Due to the wide variety of these impurities—free fatty acids, metal ions, colour compounds, odours, gums etc.—a series of processes of chemical and physical nature are conventionally employed for refining (see for example Bailey's Industrial Oil and Fat Products—2006 John Wiley & Sons—Sixth Edition).
Traditionally two processes have been used for degumming of oil which are the physical degumming and the chemical degumming processes.
In the so-called chemical refining, almost all free fatty acid content is removed by initial treatment with a large excess of NaOH. Also the phospholipids content is decreased to a phosphorus level typically below 10 ppm. The oil is subsequently bleached and deodorised.
The so-called physical refining generally consists of a water-degumming step followed by acid degumming, neutralisation, bleaching, steam stripping to remove free fatty acids and deodorisation.
Instead of using acid degumming during physical refinement developments were made to use enzymatic degumming.
The enzymatic degumming process was developed based on the use of pancreatic phospholipase. Because this enzyme was non-kosher the phospholipase was eventually substituted by a microbial phospholipase A1 (Lecitase Ultra™-Novozymes, Denmark) (Oil Mill Gazetteer, Vol 111 July 2005 pp 2-4).
The enzymatic process has several advantages over the chemical or the physical degumming processes including cost savings, higher yield and a more environmentally friendly process.
The enzymatic oil degumming process was based on the addition of a phospholipase to an oil which was already water degummed.
In WO2006/008508 lipid acyltransferases were taught for use in enzymatic degumming of edible oils. WO 2006/008508 teaches addition of a lipid acyltransferase to a water-degummed oil or the addition of a lipid acyltransferase to a crude oil without the need for the oil to undergo a water-degumming process.
"Water-degummed oil" may typically be obtained by a conventional "water degumming process" comprising mixing 1-2% w/w of hot soft water with warm (70-90° C.) crude oil (AOCS Introduction to the Processing of Fats and Oils—Table 8—Degumming Processes—http://www.aocs.org/meetings/education/mod3sample.pdf). A rule of thumb is that that amount of water added to crude oil is typically approximately equal to the amount of phospholipids in the crude oil. Usual treatment periods are 30-60 minutes. The water-degumming step removes the phosphatides and mucilaginous gums which become insoluble in the oil when hydrated. The hydrated phosphatides and gums can be separated from the oil by settling, filtration or centrifugation—centrifugation being the more prevalent practice. The essential object in said water-degumming process is to separate the hydrated phosphatides from the oil. The mixing of hot water into the oil, described above, should herein be understood broadly as mixing of an aqueous solution into the oil according to standard water-degumming procedures in the art.
In the conventional water degumming process the main part of the phosphatides are removed in a heavy gum phase. At the end of the water degumming process an oil phase is separated from a gum phase. Although the gum phase can be processed further into commercial products it is essentially viewed as a bi-product of oil refining. It is the oil phase which is commercially important. However, because the phosphatides can be good emulsifiers some oil is inevitably lost in the gum phase during water degumming. This leads to reduced yields of oil in the oil phase following water degumming.
With increases in oil prices and an increasing need for vegetable oil for biodiesel it is important to optimise the processing of edible oils for high oil yield.

Process of water degumming an edible oil


The present invention relates to a diesel fuel which contains a synergistic combination of an organic peroxidic additive such as ditertiary butyl peroxide in combination with a propylene or butylene glycol monoalkyl ether or polyol, the combination of additives providing for reduced fuel emissions and improved fuel economy.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an improved diesel fuel which contains a synergistic combination of additives comprised of a peroxidic cetane booster such as ditertiary butyl peroxide, together with an alkyl glycol ether having ##STR1## wherein R is an alkyl group, R.sub.1 is a C.sub.1 -C.sub.2 alkyl group, R.sub.2 is hydrogen or methyl, and n is an integer of 1 through 5, or a polyol where R is hydrogen, n is 4 to 30, and R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 are as above.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Diesel fuels are known which contain a synergistic cetane improving additive combination of a peroxidic component and an aliphatic polyether of the formula R(--O--X).sub.n O--R.sup.1 where R and R.sub.1 are alkyl groups, X is an alkylene group and n is an integer. See U.S. Pat. No. 2,655,440 and divisional U.S. Pat. No. 2,763,537.
European Application 80-100827.7 describes the use of various propylene glycol mono- an di-ethers as a component of diesel fuels. The compositions described in this reference involve a multicomponent formulation which includes polyethers, acetals, lower alkanols, water and up to 85 volume % diesel fuel hydrocarbons. The specific synergistic formulation of the present invention is not taught or described.
U.K. 1,246,853 describes the addition of dialkyl ethers of propylene glycol as smoke suppressants in diesel fuel.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,753,661 describes a fuel conditioner which comprises a polar oxygenated hydrocarbon which may be combined with a compatibilizing agent which is an alcohol and which may be tripropylene glycol monomethyl ether.
Japanese Published Application 59-232176 describes the use of the di-ethers of various polyoxyalkalene compounds as diesel fuel additives.
The Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 have established certain emission standards for heavy duty diesel engines, in particular with regard to nitrogen oxide and particulate matter emissions. The contribution of diesel fuel sulfur content to exhaust particulates has been well established, and has led to an EPA regulation which will require highway diesel fuels to contain no more than 0.05 wt. % sulfur. In 1991, particulate matter emissions were required to drop from 0.60 to 0.25 grams/BHP-hr., and in 1994 the emission limit is 0.10. Similarly, nitrogen oxide will decrease from 6.0 to 5.0 in 1994 and from 5.0 to 4.0 grams/BHP-hr. in 1998. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has issued regulations that are viewed as more difficult to meet than the EPA targets. To qualify a diesel fuel in California, emissions must be no greater than the CARB reference fuel which contains 0.05 wt. % maximum sulfur, 10% maximum aromatics and a minimum cetane number of 48.
Many strategies are being used by the industry to reduce emissions. Improved heavy duty diesel engine designs including higher injection pressures, turbocharging, air intercooling, retarded injection timing through electronic tuning control, exhaust gas recycle and exhaust aftertreatment devices all lower emissions. For this advanced technology to work, a high quality, low emissions diesel fuel is required in addition to the use of various fuel additive improvements including cetane improver use, diesel fuel detergents to keep fuel injectors clean and improved low ash engine oils. A combination of these strategies will be utilized to meet new clean air standards. The key issue is to find the most effective combination of technologies which offer the best cost/performance.
Fuel regulations, especially those promulgated in California, will require costly changes in diesel fuel composition. Desulfurization to achieve the 0.05 wt.% sulfur target is easily accomplished through mild hydrogenation. However, refiners must use deep hydrogenation to decrease aromatic content from the current 30-40% aromatic level down to 10%. Many refiners have elected to exit the California diesel fuel market rather than making the high capital investment required for deep hydrogenation. At least one refiner was able to qualify a diesel fuel for California by lowering the aromatics to 19% and increasing the cetane number from 43 for a typical fuel up to around 60 using an alkyl nitrate cetane improver.
The present invention relates to an additive combination of peroxide cetane improver and an alkyl glycol monoether or polyol which, when incorporated in standard 30-40% aromatic containing diesel fuel, provides reduced emissions of nitrogen oxides, particulate matter, hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide and unregulated aldehyde emissions, thus providing a fuel capable of meeting even the California standards. In addition, the use of the additive combination of the present invention provides a synergy whereby a significant increase in fuel economy is achieved.


A single-axis programmable positioning device for positioning a work piece in a work area comprising. The device includes a rail with a pair of parallel channels, a trolley with bearing that ride in the rails, a work piece stop mounted to the trolley, a motor assembly that drives a drive sprocket. A chain extends from one of the bearings, through one channel, around the drive sprocket, through the second channel, around an idler sprocket, and back through the first channel to the bearing. A control panel controls the operation of the device. Optionally, the device includes a magnetic brake for maintaining the position of the trolley between movements.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to positioning devices, more particularly, to single-axis drive systems for precision positioning of machine stock for cutting or the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
Single-axis programmable positioning devices for precision positioning of work pieces in cutting machines, also know as linear gauges and adjustable stops, are known. The positioning basic device has a linear rail on which rides a trolley. The trolley travels back and forth on the rail by means of a drive mechanism that is controllable either manually, under computer control, or a combination of the two. The trolley includes a stop, which contacts the work piece. As the trolley moves, the stop pushes the work piece linearly through a work area. The work area may be, for example, under a saw or a drill press.
Typically, the positioning device can be programmed with a sequence of positions to which the trolley will move. In some scenarios, the trolley is moved to the next position by an operator touching a button. In other scenarios, the trolley moves to the next position on completion of an action. For example, when used with a drill press, the act of raising the drill press causes the trolley to move to the next position.
In some configurations, the positioning device mounts along side a roller table on which the work piece moves as it is being pushed by the positioning device.
In the current art, three types of drive systems are used, screw drives, rack and pinion drives, and belt drives. In a screw drive, a motor spins a threaded rod that extends through a threaded aperture on the trolley. As the motor rotates, the trolley moves along the rail. Screw drives are the most accurate. They are found only in high-end (expensive) systems because the very long, machined screw is a costly component.
In a rack and pinion drive, a motor spins a pinion that is meshed with a rack, to which the trolley is mounted. As the pinion turns, the rack and trolley move linearly. Rack and pinion drives are accurate. Like screw drives, they are found only in high-end systems because the very long, machined rack is a costly component.
In a belt drive, a motor drives a belt that extends between a sprockets or pulleys at each end of the rail. The trolley is attached to one location on the belt. As the motor rotates, the trolley moves along the rail. Belt drives are the least accurate because the belt has a tendency to stretch. Because of the lack of accuracy and the low cost of the belt, belt drives are used in low-end systems.
There exist a need for a single-axis programmable positioning device that approaches the accuracy of the screw or rack and pinion drive at the cost of a belt drive.


The present invention relates to in situ hybridization methods for detecting a target nucleic acid in a biological sample comprising performing one or more method steps (e.g., pretreatment, denaturation, hybridization, washes) at room temperature. The invention further relates to kits for performing such methods.

Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) has been employed as a molecular technique to detect DNA sequences on human chromosomes for more than 20 years (Bauman 1985; Pinkel 1986). Over the past two decades, refinement of various aspects of the FISH technique has advanced the field of human cytogenetics and molecular diagnostics, allowing for the identification of chromosomal abnormalities associated with solid tumors and hematopoietic malignancies, and for the diagnosis of infectious diseases. (Heim and Mitelman 1995; Klinger 1995; Timm, Podniesinski et al. 1995; Heselmeyer, Macville et al. 1997; Sauer, Wiedswang et al. 2003).
Current FISH procedures are labor intensive and time consuming, requiring multiple manual processing steps and adherence to precise temperature and time requirements. Standard FISH techniques typically require more than a dozen steps to process a slide sample, several of which are performed at different temperatures, necessitating the use of numerous, and often costly, temperature equipment, such as water baths, hot plates, and incubators. These and other limitations of the technique have prevented it from being used more widely in research and clinical laboratories.
Presently, there is a need for more simplified and cost-effective methods of performing FISH that require fewer processing steps, less time and less equipment.

Methods and kits for room temperature in situ detection of a target nucleic acid in a biological sample


There is disclosed a method of inspecting an optical waveguide substrate for optical conduction at an increased inspecting rate and also inspecting an optical waveguide substrate for cross-talk. According to the disclosed method, a laser beam is applied from a laser beam scanning optical system to one end face of an optical waveguide of an optical waveguide substrate which is an object to be inspected, and the laser beam emitted from the other end of the optical waveguide is detected by a CCD camera, which output detected result data. A light spot position confirming device compares the detected result data with stored data.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of inspecting an optical waveguide substrate comprising an optical waveguide disposed on a substrate, and a method of inspecting an optical component mounted on an optical waveguide substrate.
2. Description of the Related Art
Optical communications technologies using light as an information transmitting medium have been in widespread usage. According to the optical communications technologies, an optical waveguide substrate comprising an optical waveguide disposed on a substrate is used for transmitting an optical signal which represents light modulated by an information signal, and the optical signal is transmitted along the optical waveguide substrate. The optical waveguide substrate comprises a core layer having a high refractive index and a cladding layer having a low refractive index, the core layer being surrounded by the cladding layer. An optical signal which has entered one end of the optical waveguide at a critical angle or a smaller angle is confined within the core layer and travels through the core layer while being repeatedly and totally reflected by the boundary between the core layer and the cladding layer, and finally leaves the optical waveguide from its other end.
Optical waveguide substrates used in the optical communications technologies are required to transmit an optical signal along the optical waveguide on the substrate with a high efficiency. In order for a completed optical waveguide substrate to meet such a requirement, the completed optical waveguide substrate is inspected for an amount of light that is conducted through the optical waveguide. Japanese laid-open patent publication No. 11-304643, for example, discloses a method of inspecting an amount of light that is conducted through an optical waveguide. The disclosed method is carried out using inspecting apparatus 100 shown in FIG. 1 of the accompanying drawings. As shown in FIG. 1, inspecting apparatus 100 comprises light source 104 disposed on the side of an end face of optical waveguide array 101 to be inspected and including semiconductor laser 102 and condensing lens 103, feed mechanism 105 comprising a drive motor, a feed screw, and a feed slide, for translating light source 104 along optical waveguide array 101, light detector 106 disposed on the side of the other end face of optical waveguide array 101, and personal computer 107 connected to light detector 106.
For inspecting an amount of light that is conducted through optical waveguide array 101 using inspecting apparatus 100, light source 104 is mechanically translated by feed mechanism 105 and, while light source 104 is being thus translated, it is energized to apply laser beam 108 to the end of optical waveguide array 101 to successively scan unit cells thereof. Light beams emitted from the other end of optical waveguide array 101 are detected by light detector 106, which generates a detected signal that is processed by personal computer 107 to inspect an amount of light that is conducted through optical waveguide array 101.
According to the above conventional inspecting method, since light source 104 is moved by feed mechanism 105 to apply the laser beam successively to the unit cells of optical waveguide array 101, the inspecting rate is low. Furthermore, because the light beams emitted from the respective unit cells of optical waveguide array 101 are detected altogether by light detector 106, it is difficult to inspect cross-talk.
Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, inasmuch as while light source 104 is being mechanically translated by feed mechanism 105, light source 104 is energized to apply laser beam 108 to successively scan unit cells of optical waveguide array 101, it is time-consuming to scan optical waveguide array 101 and detect light beams emitted from optical waveguide array 101, resulting in a low inspecting rate.
According to the above conventional inspecting method, inasmuch as the light beams emitted from the respective unit cells of optical waveguide array 101 are detected altogether by light detector 106, as shown in FIG. 1, it is unable to distinguish the light beams emitted from the individual unit cells from each other, resulting in difficulty to inspect cross-talk.

Method of inspecting optical waveguide substrate for optical conduction at increased speed and also inspecting optical waveguide substrate for crosstalk


Collected trial data is weighted to, for example, reflect the relevance of the data. A weighted confidence interval determination and application process described herein determines a confidence interval used to interpret the data. The confidence interval is derived by adjusting the sample size N to account for the impact of weighting when determining confidence intervals. The sample size N is adjusted in a downward trend to avoid overestimating the confidence interval. Lower and upper bounds of the confidence interval are determined using weight influenced variables. Thus, interpretation of weighted trial data, such as product demand data, can be achieved and acted upon with an accurate estimation of risk.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to the field of information processing, and more specifically to a system and method for determining confidence intervals for weighted trial data.
2. Description of the Related Art
Confidence intervals are often used to characterize the precision of statistical results obtained from sample data. A confidence interval gives an estimated range of values which will include an unknown population parameter with a confidence probability of pconf. The estimated range is calculated from a number of trials in a given data sample. The width of the confidence interval provides an idea about the uncertainty of an unknown parameter. As depicted in FIG. 1, the width of the confidence interval is bounded by high, hi, and low, li, bounds. As the number of trials N 102 increases, the width 104 of the confidence interval decreases.
FIG. 2 depicts a conventional confidence interval determination and application process 200 using a computer system to determine confidence intervals. Process 200 takes in sample data 202. The N and ni determination module 204 determines from the sample data 202 the total number of N trials. Assuming that on any trial, there are j possible outcomes. Then, in N trials, there are n1 trials resulting in outcome 1, n2 trials resulting in outcome 2, . . . , nj trials resulting in outcome j, such that:n1+n2+ . . . +nj=N. Thus, the expected probability θi of obtaining outcome i in any random trial is ni/N,
The confidence interval determination module 206 determines conventional confidence intervals that provide a confidence range (li, hi) such that the unknown actual probability Θi of outcome i occurring in a random trial, given a sample of outcome i occurring ni times out of N trials, has a pconf probability of falling within the range li≦Θi≦hi. Once module 206 determines a confidence interval, confidence interval application module applies the confidence interval, bounded by li and hi, to data.
Application of confidence intervals to data can play a major role in the interpretation of data through an understanding of the precision of statistics derived from sample data. For example, for standard data samples confidence intervals can indicate whether trial data and information derived therefrom can be relied upon with a specified confidence probability, pconf. Trial data refers to a collection of one or more individual sample data. For example, product demand data can be used to determine which products to build in order to match consumer demand. If the product demand data has a large confidence interval, then building products in accordance with the product demand data can represent a significant commercial risk.
In most circumstances each outcome i is weighted equally with every other outcome. For example, rolling a one (1) on a die is weighted the same as rolling any other number on the die. In other words, a one (1) outcome has no more significance than any other number outcome. In some circumstances, outcomes are given slightly different weights according to their significance. For example, for political polling data answers from members of a first group may be counted 2% more than members of a second group because members in the first group are 2% more likely to vote than members of the second group. When trials are weighted, conventional processes determine ni by determining the Θi from the weighted mix of N trials, and multiplying Θi times N trials.

Determining confidence intervals for weighted trial data


A system for sensing the supply current of a switched DC-to-DC converter. The system includes a first circuit that senses a first voltage that is proportional to the supply current, wherein the first voltage has first ripple; a second circuit coupled to the first circuit, wherein the second circuit outputs a second voltage that is based on the first voltage, and wherein the second voltage has a second ripple that is smaller than the first ripple; and a third circuit coupled to the second circuit, wherein the third circuit compares the second voltage to a reference voltage to provide an indication of the supply current.

DC-to-DC converters are well known. A DC-to-DC converter is a device that receives a DC input voltage and produces a DC output voltage. The output voltage is typically produced at a different voltage level from the input voltage. DC-to-DC converters can produce high voltage usable for low power applications including supplying power to mobile devices such as cellular phones and laptop computers.
Sensing supply current is one task that a DC-to-DC converter performs during a voltage conversion process. Supply current sensing in a DC-to-DC converter is generally implemented by sensing the voltage generated by the supply current flowing through a sense resistor. Sometimes the voltage across a switch is directly sensed where the "on" resistance of the switch is used as a sense resistor. Because the sense voltage is based on the supply current, the behavior of the supply current (e.g., glitches) will be reflected in the behavior of the sense voltage. This is problematic, because the resulting sense voltage may be very noisy (i.e., having a high ripple). As a result, current sensing of the conventional DC-to-DC converter is performed with poor accuracy.
Accordingly, what is needed is an improved system for sensing the supply current of a switched DC-to-DC converter. The present invention addresses such a need.

System for current sensing in switched DC-to-DC converters


An orthopedic walking boot promotes rapid healing of diabetic foot ulcerations by lowering the maximum peak pressure imposed upon the foot. The walker has a hard unyielding shell which is designed for walking. The shell closely and rigidly supports a mid-sole in a foot-shaped bed. The mid-sole has a foot-shaped cavity with rounded sides adapted to form resilient support for the heel, arch and sides of a foot in addition to the bottom of a foot. A conformable inner-sole is adapted to fit over the foot-shaped cavity in the mid-sole and be compressed in response to foot pressure between the sides and bottom of the foot and the sides and bottom of the foot-shaped cavity in the mid-sole thereby compensating for small differences between the shape of the foot and the shape of the cavity. Weight applied to the foot is transferred to the walking shell by contact between the sides of the foot, arch, and heel and the arch, heel and sides of the foot-shaped cavity as well as the bottom of the cavity thereby decreasing the peak or maximum unit pressure on the plantar surface of the foot. A breathable bootie which wraps the foot and lower leg in a protective “cocoon” is preferably secured to the upper surface of the insole thereby preventing foreign materials from entering the foot cavity.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to orthopedic devices, and more particularly to an orthotic support for assisting in the stabilization and proper healing of ulcerative or pre-ulcerative conditions, plantar fasciitis or other conditions of the foot, especially for diabetic patients.
2. Background of the Invention
The present invention relates to orthotic or orthopedic devices that are used to immobilize, support and brace the foot and ankle. The sole or plantar surface of the foot is often subject to conditions or injuries, such as stone bruises, heel spurs, soft tissue injuries or injuries of the muscles, ligaments, bones or joints. Foot problems of this kind are often painful and exacerbated by the patient's need to walk during the healing process. The degree of immobilization and protection required varies with the severity and difficulty of the condition. Relief may sometimes be obtained by use of a molded inner sole or orthotic pieces in a regular shoe to add stiffness or alter the pressure distribution on the foot. Another option is custom made shoes which, although expensive, may provide relief for minor conditions. These may be augmented with the use of ankle braces or crutches but provide little relief for more serious conditions.
Diabetics are subject to especially severe and difficult foot problems. As the condition of diabetes gets worse, these patients begin to develop a problem called neuropathy, or polyneuropathy where they lose the sense of feeling in the plantar surface or bottom of the foot which may extend from the toes up the foot to the heel and eventually up to the lower leg or higher. Because there is no feeling, these patients are subject to severe pressure induced ulcerations that can be caused by high peak pressures or by hard foreign particles that may get in their shoe and which they do not realize are present. This often results in ulceration of delicate skin, which in diabetic patients is often very difficult to heal. Sometimes the festering ulcerations become infected, contain scar tissue and may result in secondary problems up to and including amputation. There were an estimated 54,000 amputations of this kind done in the United States in 1998. There are an estimated 23 million diabetics in the United States alone.
Prior art solutions have attempted to solve the problem by attempting to control the pressure on the bottom or sole of the foot. For example, a company called Royce Medical Company has modified their ordinary leg walker by replacing the normal Poron™ inner sole with about a ⅜ inch thick cross linked polyethylene foam inner sole material known as "plastazote" where the upper surface is cut into small hexagon shapes of roughly ⅜ inch across. One or more of the hexagonal areas directly under the ulceration or pressure site can be removed to create a reduction in pressure at the ulcer site itself. This can sometimes cause a distended wound because the exudate coming out of the ulcerated area causes a distention of the ulcer site which eventually granulates in to form scar tissue that has to be shaved off to avoid high pressure in that area when the foot is placed in a normal shoe. Removal of support under part of the sole of the foot tends to increase pressure loading of remaining portions of the foot which are supported. It also may cause increased pressure in the ring surrounding the cut away portion, which may restrict blood flow to the wound. Royce Medical Company is the owner of U.S. Pat. No. 5,464,385 entitled "Walker with Open Heel".
Another example of the prior art approach is the walker produced by a company called Aircast, known as the Aircast Diabetic Walker™. To the ordinary walker they install a layer of about ½ inch to ⅝ inch thick cross-linked polyethylene foam referred to in the industry as "plastazote" foam in the bottom of the walker. It is a flat material which takes a compression set. While this does tend to distribute pressure over more of the foot to some extent, the support is still provided mainly by the boney prominences of the foot where the heel and ball of the foot fully compress the foam material. High unit pressure is found in those areas. We describe this result as producing a parabolic pressure distribution curve with a very high peak right under the boney areas.
Heretofore, the best available orthotic is a molded orthotic device which has been developed in the last several years using a technique called Total Contact Casting. Typically, a dressing is applied over the wound and then a piece of cotton or wool felt that will absorb exuding fluid is placed around the foot and held in place by a circularly knitted tubular material which is called a stockinet. Then, in one preferred method, a material called "conform"™ foam or "tempur"™ foam is used next. Approximately a ½ inch layer of this is placed under the arch and folded over the front of the toe down to the sides and pinched in on the sides creating somewhat of a cocoon below the ankle bones from the bottom of the foot up and over the forefoot. Over the top of this is wrapped some padding material for the cast which is either a cotton or polyester wool as is used for any other type of cast. Then a first layer of plaster or synthetic material is placed over the foot to form the cast and a wooden board is placed under the foot. Another layer of plaster or synthetic casting is plastered over the whole thing thus creating a "cocoon" for the foot. The "conform"™ foam or "tempur"™ foam has an open granular structure which compresses easily and rebounds extremely slowly. It will not sustain the body's weight without going to essentially zero thickness. We believe the Total Contact Cast nevertheless still produces a parabolic pressure distribution curve under the boney portions of the foot. Unfortunately, the total contact cast is heavy and not well designed for walking. The user has to pick the whole foot up and lay it down again, and it can only be used for about a week before it has to be removed and the foot cleaned and a new cast applied. The weight and bulkiness of the total contact cast create additional problems for diabetic patients. Patients can't remain immobilized to keep their weight off the cast. It is necessary for them to do some walking. Walking is beneficial because it actually stimulates the healing process. As a result, diabetics will start developing problems in other areas of their body because they are sensitive to pressure. Their tissues will break down at about half of what a young athlete can take without damage. The use of crutches can cause additional ulcers under the arms or on the hands.
Modern medical theories suggest that there may be some maximum threshold unit pressure if healing is to occur. If higher pressures are produced in "hot" spots, healing may take an extended time or be difficult to obtain at all. It appears that what might be called the time-pressure integral may also play an important role. The time-pressure integral relates to the cumulative effect of activity by the patient which produces pressures under all of the foot over a given time period.
Current theories suggest that ulcers will form in diabetic patients when peak unit pressure reaches 50 newtons per square centimeter (n/cm2). For comparison, simply walking in ordinary shoes that have a contoured inner sole matching the shape of the foot can generate unit pressures around 50-60 n/cm2. Running or suddenly changing direction will result in even higher unit pressures. Even diabetic shoes that contain a custom inner sole that is formed to match the patient's feet exactly are likely to generate unit pressures of 40-50 n/cm2, which can still allow ulcers to form.
In additional to being significantly more susceptible to ulceration, a diabetic patient will also generally take a significantly longer period for such ulceration to heal. It is not uncommon for it to take 10-12 weeks for an ulcer on the foot of a diabetic patient to heal when using Total Contact Casting. In comparison, such an ulcer would likely heal in less than seven days in a healthy individual. While maintaining unit pressures below 50 n/cm2 can minimize the formation of new ulcerations on the diabetic patient's foot, much lower unit pressures are necessary in order for the ulcer to heal properly and in a reasonable amount of time. Even below 50 n/cm2 sufficient damage is still being done to a diabetic individual's skin to delay or even completely prevent the ulcer from completely healing.
The requirements for shoe insoles are not well geared toward producing an insole that significantly minimizes the maximum and average unit pressure applied to the bottom of the foot. The purpose of a shoe insole is to provide the necessary support for the various flexion positions of the foot. Forces in the foot change dramatically during the various phases of a person's gait. For example, at heel strike an entire individual's weight is being applied at the heel of the foot. At this stage the purpose of the inner sole is to cup the heel. At mid-stance, the individual's weight is spread out more evenly across the foot and the inner sole must provide adequate support to the arch of the foot. During toe-off, the individual's weight is concentrated at the balls of the feet and the insole must be able to flex and stabilize the foot. The necessary type of support that must be provided by the inner sole of a shoe especially during heel strike and toe off is the lateral support of the foot to prevent it from over rotating.
A shoe insole must also be able to withstand the large forces that are applied to portions of the inner sole at various phases of a person's gait without breaking down or becoming permanently compressed. An inner sole of a shoe accommodates the relatively large forces that are applied to the heel and the ball of the foot during certain phases of the gait by increasing the amount cushioning at those locations. This does attempt to minimize to some extent the magnitude of the peak forces that are applied to the foot, but does nothing to spread out the force over the entire surface of the foot. As a result, inner soles of shoes result in a significant parabolic force distribution curve, where peak pressures are significantly higher under the bony portions of the foot, even those that are contoured and that have upper layers designed to cushion the foot.
In order to achieve these purposes, the inner soles of shoes use relatively hard and dense materials to provide sufficient support over time, even for the relatively "soft" upper layers that are designed to cushion the foot. If the inner sole were made of a material that is too soft, the inner sole would flatten over a relatively short period of time due to the large peak pressures that occur at various portions of the gait cycle and would quickly lose the ability to provide any support or cushioning.
In addition to the increased likelihood of ulceration, a certain percentage of diabetic patients will also develop what is referred to as charcot condition. This is a hyper-circulation condition where the bones become very fragile. The bones go through a cycle of fracturing and healing that results in the loss of neural control and ultimately the bone degrades and crumbles. In the foot, the balls and heal of the foot degrade such that the fascia over the mid-sole will stick out below the heal and ball, sometimes referred to as rockerbottom charcot. Also, the cycling can cause calcification on the bone. This can result in a growth on the bony protrusion on the inside of the foot by the arch, giving the side of the foot somewhat of a "V" shape. Special consideration must be taken into account when designing a walking boot for diabetics that have charcot condition, such that the inner sole accommodates the differing contours of the foot and does not result in the creation of point pressures. This is generally accomplished by cutting away some of the foam insole in order to accommodate the deformity in the foot.
It would be desirable to have a walking boot which can be used over an extended period of time and which improves upon the attributes of the total contact cast by reducing the peak plantar pressure operating on the injured foot while walking in the walker. We have demonstrated such an improvement with a new approach that utilizes the arch and side areas of the periphery of the foot to support part of the load on the foot and reduce the maximum peak pressure under the sole of the foot.

Walking boot for diabetic and other patients


Methods for treating cognitive dysfunction by modulating brain energy metabolizm using cyclocreatine or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof are discussed.

Creatine is synthesized mainly in liver and kidney. L-arginine:glycine amidinotransferase (AGAT; EC 22.214.171.124) is involved in the formation of guanidinoacetate (GAA) from arginine and glycine. GAA is methylated by S-adenosyl-L-methionine:N-guanidinoacetate methyltransferase (GAMT; EC 126.96.36.199) to form creatine. While some creatine can come from the diet, about 1-2 grams of creatine is synthesized in liver and kidney per day. Creatine, as a dietary component, is found in many red meats and is readily absorbed from the gut. It is transported through the bloodstream to the target tissues, where it is taken up, against a large concentration gradient, by a saturable, Na+ dependent creatine transporter that spans the plasma-membrane. Inside the cell, creatine takes part in the energy metabolism through the creatine kinase reaction and it is metabolized at a constant rate to creatinine, which is excreted through the kidneys. About 3% of the total body creatine is lost per day in this way. This 3% is independent of the amount of creatine in the body, so if there is creatine supplementation that increases total body creatine, the creatinine excretion is predicted to be increased as well.
Studies on creatine transport have focused on the influx of creatine in several different tissues (Ku, C.-P. Biochim. Biophys. Acta. 600:212-227, 1980; Loike, J. D., Am. J. Physiol. 251:C128-C135, 1986; Möller, A. J. Neurochem 62:544-550, 1989) (See FIG. 3-6). transport is highly specific, Na+ dependent, and sensitive to metabolic inhibitors (Fitch, C. D. et al. Neurology 13:32-42, 1968; Fitch, C. D. Metabolism 29:686-690, 1980; Loike, J. D. et al. Clinical Research 34:548, 1986; Loike, J. D. et al. Proc. Natl. Acad Sci, USA. 85: 807-811, 1988; Möller, A. J. Neurochem 52: 544-550; 1989). In the rat blood stream, the concentration of creatine is about 100 μM (Syllm-Rapoport, I. et al. Acta Biol. Med Germ. 40:653-659, 1980) while the intracellular concentration is several milimolar. Data from human monocytes and macrophages shows the Km in the normal cells to be approximately 30 μM. The creatine concentration in human serum is in the range of 50 μM. Thus, the transporter in these human cells can respond to physiological fluctuations in creatine by altering the activity of the transporter.

Methods of treating cognitive dysfunction by modulating brain energy metabolism


The present invention provides a granulated bleaching activator having a high solubility, that is, a granulated bleaching activator comprising (a) a bleaching activator and (b) at least one nonionic surfactant selected from the group consisting of a nonionic surfactant (b1) having a melting point less than 20xc2x0 C. and an alkylene oxide addition type nonionic surfactant (b2) having a melting point less than 20xc2x0 C., (b1) fulfilling the specific requirements concerning solubility, in a specific ratio.

The present invention relates to a granulated bleaching activator and a bleaching agent.
Various bleaching activators have been proposed to heighten the bleaching effect of oxygenic bleaching agents such as sodium percarbonate (hereinafter referred to as xe2x80x9cPCxe2x80x9d) and sodium perborate (hereinafter referred to as xe2x80x9cPBxe2x80x9d). The function of the bleaching activator is drastically impaired by an interaction with an oxygenic bleaching agent or other components incorporated into a detergent, during storage. Therefore, the bleaching activator must have a high storage stability. Also, it is required for the bleaching activator to possess a high solubility in the case of washing with a weak stirring power in cold water or soaking-thorough.
JP-B 5-440 discloses a granulation method in which a bleaching activator is mixed with an ethoxylated nonionic surfactant and the resulting mixture is extruded through an open screen. The granules obtained in this method are relatively quickly dissolved in water in the condition of washing in hot water, but dissolved slowly in the condition of cold water. Therefore the function of the bleaching activator can not be sufficiently realized.
Meanwhile, in the case of hard dirt or soil, soak washing is undergone in the presence of an oxygenic bleaching agent and the above bleaching activator used for the purpose of improving the bleaching effect. However, when the concentration of the above bleaching activator is high, the generating rate of organic peroxide is extremely reduced and it is impossible to obtain a satisfactory bleaching effect.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a granulated bleaching activator having a high solubility and also to provide a bleaching agent having a high bleaching effect even when the concentration of the bleaching activator is high.
The invention provides a granulated bleaching activator comprising:
(a) 30-96% by weight of a bleaching activator and
(b) 1-10% by weight of at least one nonionic surfactant selected from the group consisting of a nonionic surfactant (b1) having a melting point being less than 20xc2x0 C. and an alkylene oxide-added nonionic surfactant (b2) having a melting point being less than 20xc2x0 C., (b1) fulfilling the following requirements (1) and (2):
(1) when 0.1 g of the component (a) is added to an aqueous solution produced by dissolving 10 g of the component (b1) in 500 ml of water at 10xc2x0 C. and the mixture was stirred for five minutes, the solubility of the component (a) just after the stirring is 50% by weight or more; and
(2) when 0.1 g of the component (a) is added to an aqueous solution produced by dissolving 0.25 g of the component (b1) in 500 ml of water at 10xc2x0 C. and the mixture was stirred for five minutes, the solubility of the component (a) just after the stirring is 20% by weight or less.
It is essential that the component (b1) meets the requirements (1) and (2).
This is the granulated activator composition. It comprises (a) and (b), the balance being a binder.
The invention provides a bleaching agent composition comprising the granulated bleaching activator (I) as defined above and an inorganic peroxide (II).
It is preferable that the component (a) is at least one selected from the group consisting of an alkanoyl- or alkenoyl-oxybenzenecarboxylic acid having 8 to 14 carbon atoms in the alkanoyl or alkenoyl group or a salt thereof and an alkanoyl- or alkenoyl-oxybenzene sulfonate having 8 to 14 carbon atoms in the alkanoyl or alkenoyl group.
It is preferable that the component (b) is a polyoxyalkylenealkyl or polyoxyalkylenealkenyl ether represented by the following formula (i):
xe2x80x83ROxe2x80x94(PO)mxe2x80x94(EO)nxe2x80x94Hxe2x80x83xe2x80x83(i)
wherein R represents a C10-18 alkyl or alkenyl group, m and n independently represent a number of from 1 to 20, PO represents propyleneoxy group and EO represents ethyleneoxy group, provided that PO and EO may be added in block or at random.
The weight ratio of (a) to (b) may be in the range of 15/1 to 70/1.
The bleaching agent may further comprise (III) particles including a surfactant.
The invention provides a method of activating a bleaching agent with the granulated bleaching activator as defined above and use of the granulated bleaching activator as defined above to activate a bleaching agent.
Component (a)
Examples of the bleaching agent as the component (a) include, though not particularly limited thereto, tetraacetylethylenediamine, glucose pentaacetate, uryl tetraacetyl glycolate, alkanoyl- or alkenoyl-oxybenzenecarboxylic acid having 8 to 14 carbon atoms in the alkanoyl or alkenoyl group or a salt thereof and alkanoyl- or alkenoyl-oxybenzene sulfonate having 8 to 14 carbon atoms in the alkanoyl or alkenoyl group. Among these compounds, at least one selected from alkanoyl- or alkenoyl-oxybenzenecarboxylic acid having 8 to 14 carbon atoms, preferably 10 to 10 carbon atoms in the alkanoyl or alkenoyl group from a viewpoint of bleaching effect or a salt thereof and alkanoyl- or alkenoyl-oxybenzene sulfonate having 8 to 14 carbon atoms, preferably 10 to 10 carbon atoms in the alkanoyl or alkenoyl group from a viewpoint of bleaching effect are preferred. Decanoyloxybenzenecarboxylic acid or its sodium salt and sodium dodecanoyloxybenzene sulfonate are particularly preferred. As the component (a), it is preferable to use those having a powder form. The bulk density thereof is 0.3 to 0.7 g/ml and particularly preferably 0.35 to 0.6 g/ml. Also it is advantageous that the component (a) contains particles having a grain size of 125 xcexcm or more in an amount of 15% by weight or less and particularly preferably 10% by weight or less in the bleaching activator.
Although the component (a) used in the present invention exhibits sufficiently satisfactory solubility in usual washing conditions, the generating rate of an organic peroxide is extremely reduced when the concentration of the component (a) in the washing water is as high as exceeding 0.1% by weight. In the present invention, a nonionic surfactant (b1) having a melting point less than 20xc2x0 C. and an alkylene oxide-added nonionic surfactant (b2) having a melting point less than 20xc2x0 C., (b1) fulfilling both of the above-mentioned requirements (1) and (2), are incorporated into the granule as the component (b) in a specific ratio, whereby a reduction in the generating rate of an organic peroxide can be restrained. This is considered to be because, in the case of, for instance, alkanoyl- or alkenoyl-oxybenzenecarboxylic acid or salts thereof or alkanoyl- or alkenoyl-oxybenzene sulfonate, the formation of diacyloyl peroxide is a main reaction when its concentration is high. In order to avoid this, it is effective to use, as a solubilizing agent for the bleaching activator, a surfactant which sufficiently solubilizes the bleaching activator in the first stage when the bleaching activator dissolves and is reduced in its solubilizing ability as it is diluted.
Herein, the solubility was measured using the following method.
1 l glass beaker (cylinder type; inside diameter: 105 mm, height: 15 cm) was charged with 500 ml of an aqueous solution in which the component (b1) was dissolved in an amount corresponding to the requirements (1) and (2) and the solution was stirred (using a magnetic stirrer; a cylindrical stirrer piece with a diameter of 15 mm and a length of 52 mm, 200 rpm) in a thermostat kept at 10xc2x0 C. At the stage in which the temperature of the solution reached 10xc2x0 C., the powdery component (a) having a bulk density of 0.4 to 0.5 g/l and containing 10% by weight or less of particles with a grain size of 125 xcexcm was added thereto in a prescribed amount and then the solution was stirred for 5 minutes. Thereafter, the solution was filtered through a membrane filter (Cellulose Nitrate A045A047A, 0.47 xcexcm, manufactured by ADVANTEC) and the content of the component (a) in the filtrate was determined by using high performance liquid chromatography to determine the solubility by the following formula.       Solubility                      xe2x80x83                          xe2x80x83              (    %    )    =                    the                          xe2x80x83                        content                          xe2x80x83                        of                          xe2x80x83                        the                          xe2x80x83                        component                          xe2x80x83                                  (          A          )                                  xe2x80x83                        in                          xe2x80x83                        the                          xe2x80x83                        filtrate                    the                          xe2x80x83                        amount                          xe2x80x83                        of                          xe2x80x83                        the                          xe2x80x83                        component                          xe2x80x83                                  (          A          )                                  xe2x80x83                        added              xc3x97    100
Component (b)
In the present invention, as the component (b), at least one nonionic surfactant selected from the nonionic surfactant (b1) having a melting point less than 20xc2x0 C. and an alkylene oxide-added nonionic surfactant, preferably an ethylene oxide- and/or propylene oxide-added nonionic surfactant, having a melting point less than 20xc2x0 C., (b1) fulfilling the requirements (1) and (2) described above, is used. Particularly, the component (b) is preferably selected from the nonionic surfactants represented by the following formula (i):
ROxe2x80x94(PO)mxe2x80x94(EO)nxe2x80x94Hxe2x80x83xe2x80x83(i)
wherein R represents an alkyl or alkenyl group having 10-18 and preferably 10-14 carbon atoms, m and n independently represent a number of 1-20, preferably 1-10 and more preferably 2-10, PO represents a propyleneoxy group and EO represents an ethyleneoxy group, provided that PO and EO may be added in block and at random.
Among these nonionic surfactants, particularly the compounds represented by the following formula (i-1) are preferable from a viewpoint of bleaching effect.
ROxe2x80x94(EO)pxe2x80x94(PO)qxe2x80x94(EO)rxe2x80x94Hxe2x80x83xe2x80x83(i-1)
wherein R, EO and PO have the same meanings as defined above, p represents 0-10 and preferably 1-7, q represents 1-10 and preferably 1-5 and r represents 0-10 and preferably 1-7, provided that the case both p and r are 0 is excluded.
Examples of compounds which may be used as the component (b) include nonionic surfactants (EO-added non ions) in which EO is added to alcohol (specifically, Emulgen 507 (an adduct of C12/C13 mixed alcohol with 7 mols of EO, manufactured by KAO Corp., Emulgen 109P (an adduct of C12 alcohol with 9.2 mols of EO, manufactured by KAO Corp. or the like) and nonionic surfactants (EO/PO addition non ions) in which EO and PO is added to alcohol (specifically, Emulgen KS-108 (an adduct of C12 alcohol with EO (5 mols), PO (2 mols) and EO (3 mols), manufactured by KAO Corp., Emulgen LS-106 (an adduct of C12 alcohol with EO (2.5 mols), PO (1.5 mols) and EO (3 mols), manufactured by KAO Corp. or the like). EO/PO addition non ions are preferred from a viewpoint of improving the solubility.
When, in the activator composition of the present invention, the content of the component (a) is 30 to 96% by weight, preferably 50 to 96% by weight and more preferably 60 to 90% by weight and the content of the component (b) is 1 to 10% by weight and preferably 2 to 8% by weight, a granulated bleaching activator having a high solubility can be obtained. Also when the weight ratio the component (a) to the component (b), namely (a)/(b) is in the range of from 15/1 to 70/1, preferably from 15/1 to 50/1, a high bleaching effect can be obtained in the system in which the concentration of the bleaching activator is high, and the solubility of the component (a) is improved.
Component (c)
In the granule of the present invention, a solid or powder acid may be incorporated as the component (c). The component (c) is used as a stabilizer for the bleaching activator. Examples of the component (c) include formic acid, succinic acid, maleic acid, fumaric acid, citric acid, glycolic acid, p-hydroxybenzoic acid, phosphoric acid and solid state zeolite exhibiting acid. Among these compounds, succinic acid and citric acid are preferable. In this case, the acid may form a salt with a counter ion including an alkaline metal ion or ammonium ion.
The content of the component (c) in the granule of the present invention is preferably 0.01 to 20% by weight, more preferably 1 to 15% by weight and particularly preferably 1 to 10% by weight. When the content is in this range, the component (c) can fulfill an excellent function as the stabilizer for the bleaching activator.
Component (d)
Besides the above components (a) and (b) or the components (a) to (c), for example, a water-soluble polymer may be added as a component (d) to the granule of the present invention to improve granulation. Here, the water solubility of the aqueous polymer at 20xc2x0 C. is preferably 60% or more and more preferably 80% or more. Also, the molecular weight thereof is preferably 600 or more (though excluding those corresponding to the component (b)). Moreover, the melting thereof is preferably 20xc2x0 C. or more. Specific examples of the aqueous polymer include polyethylene glycol and polypropylene glycol. The molecular weight of the polyethylene glycol and polypropylene glycol is preferably 600 to 20000, and more preferably 1000 to 10000.
Although the content of the component (d) in the granule of the present invention is not particularly limited, the content is preferably 2 to 30% by weight and more preferably 10 to 25% by weight to obtain a granule having good granulation and high solubility.
Other Components
It is desirable to incorporate an anionic surfactant, particularly at least one selected from alkyl sulfates and alkyl ether sulfates in an amount of 0 to 50% by weight, preferably 1 to 45% by weight and more preferably 5 to 40% by weight to improve the solubility of the component (a) in a washing bath more greatly. As alkyl sulfates, sodium salts having 10-18 carbon atoms are preferred and specifically, sodium lauryl sulfate or sodium myristyl sulfate is preferred. As alkyl ether sulfates, polyoxyethylenealkyl ether sulfates in which the alkyl group has 10-18 carbon atoms are preferred and also sodium salts are desirable. Here, the polymerization degree of a polyoxyethylene (POE) is 1 to 10 and preferably 1 to 5. In particular, sodium polyoxyethylene (POE=2-5 in average) lauryl ether sulfate and sodium polyoxyethylene (POE=2-6 in average) myristyl ether sulfate are preferable.
In the present invention, pigments or dyes may be further blended in the granule for coloring from an aesthetic point of view. As such a colorant, phthalocyanine green (e.g., C.I. Pigment 7, 36, 37, 38 etc.) or ultramarine blue (e.g., C.I. Pigment Blue 29 etc.) from a viewpoint of storage stability. The amount incorporated into the granule is preferably 0.01 to 1% by weight and particularly preferably 0.05 to 0.5% by weight.
Further, recontamination inhibitors such as polyvinylpyrrolidone and a solubility-promoting agent such as urea, urea derivatives, thiourea, paratoluene sulfonate or water-soluble inorganic salts maybe added. In addition, magnesium salts such as magnesium sulfate or magnesium silicate known as a stabilizer for peroxides or peroxide adducts may be used.
There are no limitations to the method for the production of the granule of the present invention. For example, a method in which the component (a) and the component (b) (as required, the component (c) and as further required, the component (d)) are fused and mixed, and then the resulting mixture is granulated by extrusion granulation may be proposed. Particularly, a method in which at least a part of the component (a), component (b) and anionic surfactant is previously mixed to prepare a homogeneous mixture, and thereafter a binder is added is preferably. As the binder, at least one selected from polyoxyethylenes and fatty acids are preferable. As the polyoxyethylene, those having an average molecular weight of 2000 to 20000, preferably 4000 to 10000 and more preferably 4000 to 8000 are preferable. The number of carbon atoms of fatty acid is 8 to 20, preferably 10 to 18 and more preferably 12 to 18. A part or all of the fatty acid may be in the state of sodium or potassium soap. Such a binder is used in the granule in an amount of 0.5 to 30% by weight, preferably 1 to 20% by weight and more preferably 5 to 20% by weight.
As the pelleter used for granulation, an extrusion pelleter is suitable. Specific examples of the extrusion pelleter include xe2x80x9cPelletor Doublexe2x80x9d (trade mark) and xe2x80x9cTwindomegranxe2x80x9d (trademark) manufactured by Fuji Paudal Co., Ltd., and a granulating machine manufactured by Kikusui K. K.
With regard to the temperature in the granulation, the extrusion is preferably conducted at temperature close to the melting point of the binder more preferably at the temperatures ranging from the temperature 20xc2x0 C. higher than the melting point of the binder to the temperature 20xc2x0 C. lower than the melting point to restrain the generation of a fine powder and to provide proper particle strength. At this time, a proper screen is selected so that the granule has an average particle diameter of 700 xcexcm to 1500 xcexcm and the extrusion pressure is controlled so that the bulk density is made to be 0.5 to 0.8 g/ml.
Among other granulation methods, a method of making a tablet by using a briquetting machine may be exemplified as a preferable granulation method.
In the present invention, grading may be carried out as required by, for instance, cracking or globing after granulation. Examples of equipment used for cracking include Flash Mill (trade mark) manufactured by Fuji Paudal Co., Ltd. and Fitz Mill (trade mark) manufactured by Fitzpatrick (USA). As examples of equipment used for globing, a Marumeraizer (trade mark) manufactured by Fuji Paudal Co., Ltd. is exemplified. With regard to the temperature of the granule supplied to the cracking machine, the granule is preferably cooled close to ordinary temperature. For example, when the granule is supplied to a vibrating cooler, cooled to a given temperature and thereafter cracked, adhesion of cracked materials in the cracking machine can be restrained. Also, the cracked material may be further classified to reduce fine powders generated by cracking and globing and crude powders which have been insufficiently cracked and globed.
Examples of the granulated bleaching activator of the present invention include a granulated bleaching activator comprising (a) 50-96% by weight of a bleaching activator and (b) 1-10% by weight of an ethylene oxide- and/or propylene oxide- added nonionic surfactant having a melting point less then 20xc2x0 C., and further include a granule further comprising 0.1-10% by weight of a solid or powder acid as the component
The bleaching agent of the present invention comprises the granulated bleaching activator (I) containing the above-mentioned components (a) and (b), and an inorganic peroxide (II).
Examples of the inorganic peroxide (II) used in the present invention include perborates and percarbonates. Among them, percarbonates are particularly preferable from a viewpoint of environmental safety. When a percarbonate is used in a composition containing zeolite, a percarbonate coated with at least one selected from a paraffin, borate, perborate, ethylene oxide adduct of alcohol, polyethylene glycol and silicic acid compound is preferable. (III) Particle including surfactant
In the present invention, particles including surfactant may be incorporated into the bleaching agent to provide washing ability. As examples of the surfactant include anionic surfactants, nonionic surfactants, amphoteric surfactants and cationic surfactants. Specifically, examples of the surfactant include anionic surfactants such as alkylbenzene sulfonates, alkyl sulfates, alkyl ether sulfates, olefin sulfonates, alkane sulfonates, fatty acid salts, alkyl or alkenyl ether carboxylates and xcex1-sulfofatty acid salts or esters thereof, nonionic surfactants such as polyoxyethylenes or polyoxypropylenes or copolymers thereof, polyoxyethylenealkyl or polyoxyethylenealkenyl ethers, polyoxyethylenealkyl phenyl ethers, higher fatty acid alkanolamide or alkyleneoxide adducts thereof, cane sugar fatty acid ester and alkyl glycosides, amphoteric surfactants such as amine oxides, sulfobetaines and carbobetaines and cationic surfactants such as quaternary ammonium salts. The surfactant is incorporated in an amount of preferably 10 to 60% by weight and particularly preferably 20 to 50% by weight in the particles including surfactant (III).
The bleaching agent of the present invention comprises the granulated bleaching activator (I) in an amount of 1 to 30% by weight and preferably 3 to 20% by weight, and the inorganic peroxide (II) in an amount of 20 to 95% by weight and preferably 30 to 90% by weight. The percentage composition when the particles including surfactant (III) is incorporated is as follows: the granulated bleaching activator (I): 0.5 to 10% by weight and preferably 1 to 8% by weight, the inorganic peroxide (II): 0.5 to 20% by weight and preferably 1 to 10% by weight, and the particles including surfactant (III): 0.5 to 50% by weight and preferably 5 to 40% by weight.
Moreover, in the present invention, preferably the ratio of the granulated bleaching activator (I) to the inorganic peroxide (II), namely (I)/(II) is 2/1 to 1/20 and particularly 1/1 to 1/15 from a viewpoint of bleaching effect.
In the present invention, sodium carbonate may be incorporated in an amount of 1 to 50% by weight and preferably 5 to 40% by weight in the bleaching agent. Examples of the sodium carbonate, light ashes and dense ashes may be proposed. In the present invention, dense ashes having an average particle diameter of 300xc2x1200 xcexcm and particularly 300xc2x1100 xcexcm are preferred.
In the present invention, a crystalline aluminosilicate such as zeolite A, X and P may be incorporated in the bleaching agent in an amount of 0 to 40% by weight and more preferably 1 to 40% by weight to improve the bleaching washing effect. Zeolite A is particularly preferable. An average primary-particle diameter thereof is preferably 0.1 to 10 xcexcm and particularly preferably 0.1 to 5 xcexcm.
In the present invention, a metal-sequester may be incorporated into the bleaching agent in an amount of 0.0005 to 30% by weight and more preferably 0.01 to 15% by weight, to improve the stability of the inorganic peroxide. Examples of the metal-sequester include (1) phosphoric acid compounds such as phytic acid, or salts thereof, (2) phosphonic acids such as ethane-1,1-diphosphonic acid, ethane-1,1,2-triphosphonic acid, ethane-1-hydroxy-1,1-diphosphonic acid or derivatives thereof, ethanehydroxy-1,1,2-triphosphonic acid, ethane-1,2-dicarboxy-1,2-diphosphonic acid and methanehydroxyphosphonic acid or salts thereof, (3) phosphonocarboxylic acids such as 2-phosphonobutane-1,2-dicarboxylic acid, 1-phosphonobutane-2,3,4-tricarboxylic acid and xcex1-methylphosphonosuccinic acid or salts thereof, (4) amino acids such as aspartic acid, glutamic acid and glycine, or salts thereof, (5) aminopolyacetic acids such as nitrilotriacetic acid, iminodiacetic acid, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid, glycol ether diamine tetraacetic acid, hydroxyethyliminodiacetic acid, triethylenetetraaminehexaacetic acid and diene col acid or salts thereof, (6) organic acids such as diglycolic acid, oxydisuccinic acid, carboxymethyloxysuccinic acid, citric acid, lactic acid, tartaric acid, oxalic acid, malic acid, gluconic acid, carboxymethylsuccinic acid and carboxymethyltartaric acid or salts thereof and (7) aminopoly(methylenephosphonic acid) or polyethylenepolyaminepoly(methylenephosphonic acid) or salts thereof.
Among these compounds, at least one selected from the group consisting of the above (2), (5) and (6) are preferable, and the above (2) and (5) are particularly preferable.
In the present invention, an enzyme such as protease, cellulase, pectinase, amylase and lipase may be incorporated into the bleaching agent to improve the bleaching effect. In particular, it is preferable to use at least one of protease and cellulase. Examples of cellulase include bacterial cellulase and mycotic cellulase with those having an optimum pH particularly between pH 5 to pH 9.5 being preferable. For instance, the enzymes described in JP-A 63-264699, page 4, right upper column, line 13 to page 5, right lower column, line 12 maybe used. Among these enzymes, particularly alkali cellulase produced by alkaliphilic microorganism Bacillus SP KSM-635 (FERM BP-1485) or its mutant is preferably used. Also, cellulase described in JP-A 8-53699 may be used. More specifically, enzymatic granules such as KAC-500 (trademark) manufactured by Kao Corp. and Celluzyme (trademark) manufactured by Novo Nordisc may be typified. As protease, alkali protease having an optimum pH of 8 or more and preferably 8 to 11 is preferable. For example, Alkalase and Sabinase (trademark, manufactured by Novo Nordisc), Plafect (trademark, manufactured by Zenenco) and KAP4.3G and KAP11.1G (trademark, manufactured by Kao Corp.) maybe exemplified. Particularly, KAP4.3G and KAP11.1G are excellent. The enzyme is incorporated into the bleaching agent in an amount of 0.005 to 3% by weight and preferably 0.01 to 2% by weight as a raw powder in view of washing effect. When protease is used together with cellulase, the ratio by weight of protease to cellulase is 1/50 to 1/1 and preferably 1/30 to 1/2 as a raw powder.
It is to be noted that these optional components may be incorporated into the granule (I) and/or the particles including surfactant (III), or may be separately incorporated by after-blending. The particles including surfactant (III) may contain a bleaching activator. In this case, it is preferable that the bleaching activator be incorporated in the particles in an amount of less than 40% by weight, further 10% by weight or less and substantially zero in particular.
Examples of the bleaching agent of the present invention include a bleaching agent containing the granulated bleaching activator (I) containing (a) at least one selected from an alkanoyl- or alkenoyl-oxybenzenecarboxylic acid having 8 to 14 carbon atoms in the alkanoyl or alkenoyl group or a salt thereof and an alkanoyl- or alkenoyl-oxybenzenesulfonate having 8 to 14 carbon atoms in the alkanoyl or alkenoyl group and (b) an nonionic surfactant fulfilling the requirements (1) and (2) described below in the weight ratio (a)/(b) of 15/1 to 70/1, and the inorganic peroxide (II):
(1) when 0.1 g of the component (a) is added to an aqueous solution produced by dissolving 10 g of the component (b) in 500 ml of water at 10xc2x0 C. and the mixture was stirred for five minutes, the solubility of the component (a) just after the stirring is 50% by weight or more; and
(2) when 0.1 g of the component (a) is added to an aqueous solution produced by dissolving 0.25 g of the component (b) in 500 ml of water at 10xc2x0 C. and the mixture was stirred for five minutes, the solubility of the component (a) just after the stirring is 20% by weight or less.
Moreover, among the above bleaching agents, a bleaching agent in which the component (b) is a polyoxyalkylenealkyl or polyoxyalkylenealkenyl ether represented by the following formula (i) is typified.
ROxe2x80x94(PO)mxe2x80x94(EO)nxe2x80x94Hxe2x80x83xe2x80x83(i)
wherein R represents a C10-18 alkyl or alkenyl group, m and n independently represent a number of from 1 to 20, PO represents a propyleneoxy group and EO represents an ethyleneoxy group, provided that PO and EO may be added in block and at random.
Moreover, the above-mentioned bleaching agent comprising the particles including surfactant (III) may be proposed.


Soft-sided luggage having means for preventing unauthorized access through the zipper is disclosed herein. Preferred means for preventing unauthorized access through the zipper include a rigid barrier attached internally to a first side of the luggage, positioned alongside and extending to the length of the zipper track, and extending past the plane of the zipper towards the second side of the luggage. Further security features can also be used with soft luggage provided herein, including padlocks, and flaps crossing the zipper plane, for example.

Security for luggage is an important issue for travelers. Every day, many people have their belongings stolen from inside their hard case or soft-sided luggage. In, contrast to soft-sided luggage, hard cases are not as vulnerable to theft as both the lid and the compartment are rigid shells, buckled together and locked with a combination lock or padlock. It is thus very difficult to separate the hard case lid from the main compartment. While considered more secure, hard cases are not a popular choice among travelers because they are typically heavy and not easily manipulated to fit within confined spaces such as overhead bins or automobile trunks.
In contrast, soft-sided luggage is typically much lighter and pliable for easier travel and storage. Soft-sided luggage predominately utilizes a zipper that traverses the outer perimeter and thus allows easy access to the internal compartment, whether authorized or not. A common way of preventing unauthorized access into the internal contents of soft-sided luggage is to lock the zipper's two pull-tabs together with a padlock. While a padlock locking the two pull-tabs together prevents the unauthorized unzipping of the zipper, it fails to prevent a breach along the zipper chain. A closed zipper chain can readily be breached by simply jabbing it with one of many common items such as a pencil, pen, knife, fork, or screwdriver, regardless of whether the pull tabs are locked or not.
After an opening is created along the zipper chain, the remaining closed chain can be easily separated by manually pulling the zipper teeth apart and exposing the internal contents. The unauthorized person would then have complete access to either steal the contents of the luggage or place dangerous materials inside, including chemical, radioactive, or biological agents, and explosives. After accessing the internal compartment, the intruder could then slide the zipper pull tabs, whether locked together or not, along the chain, thus zipping the opening closed so the intrusion is difficult to detect.
Until now, the above-described susceptibility of zippers has not been adequately addressed, much less a viable solution. Accordingly, one object of the teachings herein is to provide improvements to zippered, soft-sided luggage that prevent unauthorized access into the internal contents, yet still retain the popular properties of soft-sided luggage, including lightweight and pliability.


A cheese-producing textile machine 1 has a plurality of winding stations 2 and a service unit 23 for servicing the winding stations 2. The textile machine 1 has a central control unit 37 as well as separate winding station computers 39 for the individual winding stations 2. The service unit 23 has a control computer 38 which is connected by a machine bus 40 with the central control unit 37 as well as with the winding station computers 39. During the process of exchanging a cheese with an empty bobbin performed by the service unit 23, the yarn tensioner 14 of the respective winding station 2 is actuated via the machine bus 40 in accordance with the control computer 38 of the service unit 23, to set the tension of the yarn 30 optimally according to the respectively existing processing conditions.

German Patent Publication DE 39 04 065 C2 describes an automatic cheese winder having a plurality of winding stations each of which has a device for regulating the yarn tension during the winding process. These known installations have a device for detecting the rotational speed (rpm) of the cheese, a device for calculating the instantaneous diameter of the cheese, and a memory device with a preset yarn tension program. In installations of this type, the yarn tensioner is controlled during the course of the bobbin winding operation to gradually reduce the yarn tension as the diameter of the cheese increases.
Furthermore, another cheese winder is known from European Patent Publication EP 0 350 081 A1, wherein the winding speed of the winding units is controlled as a function of the remaining yarn length of the supply bobbins. Each of these winding units also has a yarn tensioner which can be actuated in a defined manner, if required, by the winding station computer during the winding process.
Yarn tensioners have been known for a long time in connection with automatic: cheese winders and basically have a rotatably disposed brake pad arrangement wherein a brake pad can be axially acted upon by means of a moving coil. For example, German Patent Publication DE 41 30 301 A1 describes such a yarn tensioner, which has been proven effective in actual use.
An automatic cheese winder with a plurality of winding stations, each of which has a separate winding station computer connected to a central control unit of the textile machine, is known from German Patent Publication DE 39 02 182 A1. In addition, a service unit for the winding stations is connected with this central control unit of the textile machine. The service unit can actuate the winding drive of each winding station via the central control unit and the winding station computers such that, during the process of changing from a cheese to an empty bobbin the yarn guide drum rotates at a circumferential speed which is reduced in respect to the "normal" winding process.
German Patent Publication DE 42 21 504 A1 describes an automatic cheese winder, whose work positions are connected by means of a bus with a service vehicle. If a need for service arises at one of the work stations, the respective work station issues an optical signal which is detected by the service vehicle patrolling in front of the work stations and is acknowledged by it by means of a light signal after it has been positioned at this work station. The respective work station is activated by this light signal so that it is subsequently possible to issue work commands from the service vehicle via the bus to the respective work station, such as, for example, for the rewinding of the drive roller, blowing the work station clean, or the like.


A discharge-lamp control device for lighting a discharge-lamp includes two electrodes, first and second driving units to supply power to the discharge-lamp through the electrodes, respectively. Each driving unit includes a transformer having primary and secondary coils and a capacitor connected in parallel to the secondary coil. The first driving unit has impedance characteristics with a minimum impedance at a first frequency and a maximum impedance at a second frequency lower than the first frequency. The second driving unit has impedance characteristics having a minimum impedance at a third frequency and a maximum impedance at a fourth frequency lower than the third frequency. The first frequency is set to be higher than the third frequency. The second frequency is set to be lower than the fourth frequency. An operating frequency of the driving circuit is selected within a frequency bandwidth from the fourth frequency to the third frequency.

1. Technical Field
This invention relates to a discharge-lamp control device for controlling a discharge lamp used, for example, as a backlight of a liquid crystal display.
2. Related Art
Liquid crystal displays are widely used as personal computer monitors and/or televisions as well as displays for portable personal computers and word-processors. Recently, as the liquid crystal displays have become larger in size, the number of devices for lighting a plurality of discharge-lamps connected in parallel has increased.
Japanese Patent Application Publication 2004-241136 discloses a discharge-lamp control device for a single discharge-lamp having two electrodes. The discharge-lamp control device includes a pair of inverters, each of which is electrically connected to each of two electrodes. In this apparatus, the lighting of the discharge-lamp is controlled by transmitting high-frequency alternating-current power from the inverter to the discharge-lamp.
However, when this apparatus is used to light a plurality of discharge-lamps connected in parallel, the pair of inverters are necessary for each discharge-lamp, which increases power consumption and manufacturing cost. In order to solve these problems, a new system for lighting the plurality of discharge-lamps has been developed and is commercially available which has two inverter circuits, and two driving circuits connected to each of the inverter circuits. In this system, one inverter is connected to one of the two electrodes of the plurality of discharge-lamps connected in parallel.
However, when the plurality of discharge-lamps connected in parallel is lighted in the above new system, the amount of electric power supplied from the driving circuits to the discharge-lamps may become unbalanced because of variation in the impedances of the discharge-lamps. The power balance may also lose by distributed capacities of the discharge-lamps induced by the alternating-current driving. When the power of the driving circuits is unbalanced, a variation in a current flowing in the discharge-lamp may arise, which may result in shortening the service lives of discharge-lamps.
As described above, variation in the impedances of driving circuits may result in a loss of the power balance and/or current balance of the driving circuits. Therefore, the above phenomenon may lead to variation in the brightness of the discharge-lamp along the longitudinal direction and/or shortening the service lives of the discharge-lamps.
One attempt to conform the impedances of the driving circuits is to mount another component for adjustment, such as a transformer and a ballast capacitor, in the driving circuit. However, it is still difficult to obtain power balance and current balance of the driving circuits because of initial variations in characteristics of these components.
Further, if the transformer and the capacitor are selected with more strict specifications, cost will increase for selecting the components, thereby increasing the manufacturing cost of the discharge-lamp control device.


An image pickup apparatus configured to pick up a still image includes an image pickup device having a plurality of pixels to convert an object image formed by an optical system to an electric charge. A pixel reading circuit operates in either a first reading mode for reading electric charges obtained from the respective pixels of the image pickup device on a pixel by pixel basis or a second reading mode for adding and reading the electric charges obtained from the respective pixels of the image pickup device. A controller evaluates camera shake during exposure. When an evaluation level of the shake is greater than a predetermined level, this controller controls the pixel reading circuit to operate in the second reading mode. when the evaluation level is smaller than the predetermined level, the controller controls the pixel reading circuit to operate in the first reading mode.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image pickup apparatus comprising an image pickup device that corresponds to an additive reading function for a pixel output, wherein normal reading and additive reading can be used in accordance with a situation.
2. Description of the Related Art
In an image pickup apparatus such as a camera, there is a problem that an image is shaken due to camera shake or object shake during exposure, and a blurred image is generated. As countermeasures against shake of such an image, in Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 8-223471 or Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKOKU Publication No. 8-15316, there is proposed a technique of moving an optical system or an image pickup device so as to eliminate motion of an image caused by camera shake, thereby preventing a blurred image. In addition, there is known a technique of increasing a shutter speed and reducing an effect of shake while amplifying an output of the image pickup device by means of an amplifier circuit or the like to increase imaging sensitivity. Further, in the case where a high definition image pickup device for still image pickup is applied to motion image pickup, for example, in Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2004-222130 or the like, there is known a technique of adding (mixing) pixels of the same color in an analog manner by predetermined number in the image pickup device, and then, reading an output after adding, for the purpose of increasing imaging sensitivity and reducing a read time.

Image pickup apparatus and method for controlling pixel reading using a shake determination


A cartridge type attachment lens is arranged in front of a digital camera for receiving card lenses. A cuboid shaped shell is removably attached to a camera lens. A battery and a lighting unit as a light source for the close-up photography are in the shell. A plurality of parallel slots are each disposed on one lateral side of the shell, and each slot extends inwards to form a sliding groove in the shell for accommodating the card lens. Multiple card lenses can be inserted the shell to form arbitrary permutation and combination.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a camera, and more particularly to an attachment lens for facilitating close-up photography in front of a camera lens.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Applications of digital cameras currently are very mature and popular so that they almost can have replaced conventional film cameras. As film cameras, digital cameras may be roughly divided into single lens reflex (SLR) cameras and compact cameras, wherein the latter ones are in the majority because of convenience, cheapness and easy operation. However, the compact cameras are equipped with a fixed (uninterchangeable) lens, which usually has a focal length of 35˜105 mm (equivalent to 35 mm film camera) and a minimum focus distance of 50 cm. It can not satisfy the requirement of close-up photography or macrophotography. There may be some high level compact cameras that have so-called close-up photography function of 1 cm to 5 cm. However, they can only provide closer focusing distance instead of providing sufficient optical magnification. Therefore, it's not really capable of close-up photography (the ratio of an image size to an object size is at least 1:4). For the users with a demand on close-up photography, adding an attachment lens, which has a function of magnification, in front of a compact camera's original lens is necessary unless an expensive, heavy, and complicated SLR camera with a close-up lens and a close-up flash is adapted.
Currently, there are various attachment lenses on the market, such as U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,781,807, 5,541,686 and 4,755,833 etc. Those configurations are mainly to install a fixed magnifying lens or glass in front of the original camera lens, and further equipping with a secondary flash (as element 52 in '807) or adding a bent light guide cover (as element 35 in '838) on the original camera flash). However, such current attachment lenses only can provide a unitary and unvarying magnification. Users can't adjust the magnification depending on practical requirements. They at best can change the working distance ( a distance between a camera and a shot object ) to slightly adjust the magnification. However, the magnification only can be reduced below the predetermined maximum magnification by prolonging the working distance. The maximum magnification still can not be exceeded. Moreover, for some applied occasions of industrial and business photography, cameras and shot objects are usually fixed at a specific position to perform photographing largely and continuously. It's very inconvenient to change magnification by adjusting the working distance. Hence, such current attachment lenses should be further improved.

Cartridge type attachment lens for a digital camera