Process for the manufacture of a mixture of fatty acid esters comprising the steps of:

The present invention relates to a method for the manufacture of an ester mixture, in particular an ester mixture of phytosterols and phytostanols (4-desmethylsterols, 4-monomethylsterols and 4,4xe2x80x2-dimethylsterols and their stanol equivalents) (hereinafter called sterols) and fatty acids.
High cholesterol levels in blood serum can cause an increased risk of coronary heart diseases. Several methods have been proposed for reducing cholesterol levels.
A well-known method relates to a careful selection of fatty acids in the diet, in particular a diet rich in unsaturated fatty acids can help to reduce cholesterol levels.
Another method relates to the addition of specific substances to the diet to lower the cholesterol level. For example WO 92/19640 disloses the use of xcex2-sitostanol ester for lowering cholesterol levels in serum.
It was found that particular sterol derivatives have better cholesterol lowering properties than others. A number of sterols occur in nature which are esterified. For example, the majority of sterols, i.e. 25-80%, found in sources like corn, wheat, oat, rice bran and sheanut are esterified with phenolic acids such as ferulic acid, coumaric acid, caffeic acid, and cinnamic acid. However, it has been found that these esterified sterols are less suitable for lowering cholesterol-levels in serum.
This means that for the majority of sterol derivatives occurring in sources like corn, wheat, oat, rice bran and sheanut, there is a desire for improvement for their blood cholesterol lowering effects.
Further, it has been found that a significant part of sterols is not esterified at all. This type of sterols is not easily soluble in oils, and so not very suitable as a good source for applications in fat based food products.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,751,569 suggests the use of esters of monocarboxylic acid and plant sterols in dietary oils for reducing the cholesterol level.
A disadvantage of the methods of WO 92/19640 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,751,569 is the high costs of the ester materials. These high costs are due to the high isolation and preparation costs for the materials.
All methods known to day for making ester materials use free sterols as occurring in nature as the starting material for obtaining ester mixtures. Also, in nature, a number of sterol esters exists that were found that are not as effective in blood cholesterol lowering as the fatty acid esters of phytosterols and phytostanols.
Where in this application sterols are mentioned, phytosterols, phytostanols or mixtures thereof are meant. Hence, the term sterols in this application refers to 4-desmethylsterols, 4-monomethylsterols and 4,4xe2x80x2-dimethylsterols, their stanol equivalents, and mixtures thereof in any of combination possible.
The present invention aims at providing a cheap process for the preparation of an ester mixture, said ester mixture having a cholesterol lowering effect on foods. By the presently found method, it is now possible to have all sterols and sterol derivatives present in fat rich sources, but which up till now were not suitable for obtaining sterol derivatives that have a significant blood cholesterol lowering effect. Moreover, the blood cholesterol lowering effect obtainable by the use of the total amount of sterols and sterol derivatives present in these sources was found to be increased. Thus, the amount of effective cholelesterol lowering sterol derivatives obtainable from sources used in the past is increased, and many more sources applicable for obtaining such effective sterol derivatives have become available.
It has been found that the costs for producing the ester mixture can significantly be reduced if materials other than free phytosterols (U.S. Pat. No. 3,751,569) or their derivatives (WO 92/19640) are used as the starting material and the process involves a specific hydrolysation step.
Further advantages of the process of the invention are that the process can be carried out without the need for high investments, the process can easily be carried out at a high yield and the level of wastage is low, because the by-products can be used for other purposes.
Further advantages are that the specific ester mixture obtained by the process of the invention can very conveniently be incorporated in food products at relatively high levels. They also show excellent abilities to reduce serum cholesterol levels.
Accordingly in a first aspect the present invention relates to a process for the manufacture of an ester mixture comprising the steps of:
(a) hydrolysing a sterol ester or a mixture of sterol esters such that a mixture is obtained comprising phenolic and/or fatty acids, and free sterols; and
(b) esterifying the so obtained free sterols with particular fatty acids.
In another aspect, the invention relates to a process for the manufacture of an ester mixture comprising the steps of:
(a) hydrolysing a sterol ester or a mixture of sterol esters such that a mixture is obtained comprising phenolic acids and/or fatty acids, and free sterols; and
(b) separating the phenolic acids and/or fatty from the reaction mixture; and
(c) esterifying the so obtained free sterols with particular fatty acids.
The method is very beneficial if the sterol esters are esters of sterols and acids other than fatty acids. In this embodiment, the sterol ester or mixture of sterol esters is a mixture comprising phenolic acid sterol esters. In a further preferred embodiment, the process is a process wherein the sterol ester or mixture of sterol esters consist of a phenolic acid sterol ester or a phenolic acid sterol ester mixture.
In a particular embodiment the invention concerns a process for the manufacture of an ester mixture comprising the steps of:
(a) hydrolysing xcex3-oryzanol such that a mixture is obtained comprising ferulic acid and sterols; and
(b) separating the ferulic acid from the reaction mixture; and
(c) esterifying the so obtained sterols with particular fatty acids.
In particular, the present invention encompasses sterol fatty acid ester mixtures obtainable by the method of the present invention. If in the process of the invention, sterols of one particular source are used without modification, the nature and tatio of the sterols found in the product resulting from the process of the present invention will be indicative of the source used. In one embodiment of the present invention, the sterol fatty acid ester mixtures is characterised by the nature of the type of sterols found in the sterol esters and the ratio of the different sterol, the nature and ratio being similar to those found in the sterol derivatives present in rice bran.
In yet another embodiment, nature and ratio of the alcohol part found in the sterol fatty acid ester mixture of the invention are similar to those found in the sterol derivatives present in shea.
In the case there is a desire to prepare fatty acid sterol esters of a further definked fatty acid type, the process indicated above can also be applied for re-esterifying fatty acid sterol esters with a further defined group of fatty acids. With particular fatty acids is meant in this application a group of fatty acids chosed as desired.
In a most preferred embodiment of this invention, sterol esters are used that are esterified with any phenolic acid. In nature, most phenolic acid sterol esters are esters of sterols and phenolic acids from the group of ferulic, coumaric, caffeic, and cinnamic acid.
Sterol esters that are in particular suitable for the method of the present invention are the sterol esters from rice bran and from sheanut.
The sterol esters and stanol esters can be isolated from natural sources by known techniques. If so desirable, the sterol esters can be hardened to stanol esters, before or after the process of re-esterification.
A particular suitable sterol esters group to be re-esterified is oryzanol. Oryzanol or xcex3-oryzanol is a mixture of ferulic acid esters of mainly the phytosterols campesterol, xcex2-sitosterol, 24-methyl-cycloartenol and cycloartenol. xcex3-oryzanol is present as a minor component at relatively high levels in rice-bran oil.
A very suitable method method of obtaining oryzanol is described in our co-pending European Patent Application No. 96201871.9. Preferably the starting material is the by-product of the alkali refining process of rice bran oil, the so called soap stock.
Another particular suitable sterol ester, group to be re-esterified is the group of sterol esters found in sheanut, a mixture of mainly cinnamic acid esters of mainly the phytosterols alpha-amyrin, beta-amyrin, lupeol, butyrospermol and germanicol.
A very suitable method method of obtaining sheanut sterols is described in our co-pending European Patent Application 96304994.5.
The process now found has the further advantage that it can be applied to a mixture of sterols and sterol derivatives from a particular source or a mixture of different sources. For example, a mixture can be applied as occurring in a natural source, e.g. a sterol concentrate obtained by concentrating the sterol rich part of an oil, without the need for isolation of one or more specific sterols prior to subjecting it to the process of the present invention. In this embodiment, fatty acid sterol esters and phenolic acid sterol esters are re-esterified with fatty acids, and any free sterol esters present in such a composition will be esterified to fatty acid sterol esters. Accordingly, a large amount or even all of the sterols present in such a natural source are processed in such a manner that they become available as effectively cholesterol lowering sterol derivatives.
It is preferred that the sterol ester or sterol ester mixture used in the process of the invention is of food-grade quality i.e. it is in pure form or in the form of a food-grade concentrate, for example a concentrated solution of sterol esters or of sterols comprising sterol esters in a solvent e.g. a natural oil. Especially preferably the level of sterol esters in the starting mixture is from 5 to 90%, and preferably from 40-90%.
The first step of the process of the invention relates to the hydrolysation of the sterol esters. This hydrolysation is aimed at the separation of the acid group from the methylsterol group. This hydrolysation can be carried out by any suitable method for hydrolysing. Suitable conditions for the hydrolysation reaction are for example described in EP 503 650. Other conditions are illustrated in the example. It is believed to be well within the ability of the skilled person to find possible variation in processing conditions to carry out the hydrolysation reaction.
Preferably the hydrolysation reaction is carried out until at least 50 wt % of the sterol esters are split in the corresponding free acid and free sterols, more preferred at least 80 wt %, most preferred 90 to 100 wt %. For example, in case xcex3-oryzanol is used, the hydrolysation reaction is carried out until at least 50 wt % of the xcex3-oryzanol is split in the corresponding ferulic acid and sterols, more preferred at least 80 wt %, most preferred 90 to 100 wt %.
Suitable esters are sterol esters as found in natural sources such as wheat, corn, rice bran, oat, and sheanut. These sterol esters can be esters of phenolic acids such as ferulic, coumaric, caffeic, and cinnamic acid. The sterols can be phytosterols and phytostanols (4-desmethylsterols, 4-monomethylsterols and 4,4xe2x80x2-dimethylsterols and their stanol equivalents), hereinafter referred to as sterols.
After hydrolysation a mixture is obtained containing one or more phenolic acids and or one or more fatty acids and one or more sterols. In its preferred embodiment, the phenolic acids obtained are a by-product and not needed for further processing they could be conveniently removed from the reaction mixture. In the embodiment that fatty acid sterol esters are hydrolysed, it may also be desired to remove the fatty acids obtained after hydrolysation to allow specific fatty acid sterol esters to be obtained by esterification of the sterols with these particular fatty acids.
In case a mixture of phenolic acid sterol esters and fatty acid sterol esters (and optionally, free sterols being present) are hydrolysed, a further embodiment would also comprise the removal of any of the phenolic and fatty acids obtained by the hydrolysation process. Any of these removal steps is preferably carried out prior to esterification of the free sterols obtained with the desired particular fatty acids.
The removal can take place in any stage of the process, however for avoiding possibly occurring backward reactions with the sterols it is preferred that the phenolic acid(s) is removed from the reaction mixture before further reacting by esterification. Removal of the phenolic acid and/or fatty acid can be done by any sautable technique e.g. filtering or precipitation. EP 503 650 describes suitable methods for the removal of ferulic acid which can also be applied to other phenolic acids. Other methods are illustrated in the examples.
If the estrification is carried out under such conditions that the fatty acids are, compared to the phenolic acids, (largely) selectively estrified to the sterols, separation of the phenolic acids is not required. In this particular embodiment it may be desired to use an enzymatic (selective) esterification process.
The process of the invention also involves the esterification of the methylsterol mixture obtained in the hydrolysis reaction. Preferably the sterols are esterified with one or more C2-22 fatty acids. Such fatty acid groups will form an ester bond at the former attachment point of the phenolic acid. For the purpose of the invention the term C2-22 fatty acid refers to any molecule comprising a C2-22 main chain and at least one acid group. Although not preferred within the present context the C2-22 main chain may be partially substituted or side chains may be present. Preferably, however the C2-22 fatty acids are linear molecules comprising one or two acid group(s) as endgroup(s). Most preferred are linear C8-22 fatty acids as occur in natural oils.
Suitable examples of any such fatty acids are acetic acid, propionic acid, butyric acid, caproic acid, caprylic acid, capric acid. Other suitable acids are for example citric acid, lactic acid, oxalic acid and maleic acid. Most preferred are lauric acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, arachidic acid, behenic acid, oleic acid, cetoleic acid, erucic acid, elaidic acid, linoleic acid and linolenic acid.
When desired a mixture of fatty acids may be used. For example it is possible to use a natural occurring fat or oil as a source of the fatty acid and to carry out the esterification via an interesterification reaction.
In a particular emobodiment, the fatty acid mixture contains a high amount ( greater than 35%, preferably  greater than 45%, further preferred  greater than 70%) of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). This does not only provide the advantage of PUFA itself having good blood cholesterol lowering capacity, but also of the sterols esters prepared with such fatty acids being considered as having a higher solvability and blood cholesterol lowering efficacy in the body.
Preferably fatty acid mixtures of rice bran oil, sunflower, safflower, rapeseed, linseed, linola and/or soybean are used. These are typical sources of high PUFA and/or low SAFA.
Suitable eaterification conditions are for example described in WO 92/19640. Further suitable conditions are given in the examples below.
Preferably the conditions of the esterification reaction are chosen such that at least 50 wt %, preferably at least 75 wt % most preferred from 90-100 wt % of the sterols are esterified.
In the particular embodiment where xcex3-oryzanol is used, the reaction will result in a mixture containing esters of sterols, said sterols comprising at least two sterols selected from the group of campesterol, xcex2-sitosterol, 24-methylene cyclo-artenol and cyclo-artenol.
Preferably at least 50%, more preferred more than 80 wt %, most preferred from 90 to 100% of the sterols is selected from the group of campesterol, xcex2-sitosterol, 24-methylene cyclo-artenol and cyclo-artenol.
Especially preferably the mixture of fatty acid esters of sterols is obtained by subjecting a mixture of
(a) 5-40 wt % campesterol
(b) 2-25 wt % xcex2-sitosterol
(c) 20-60 wt % 24-methylene cyclo-artenol; and
(d) 10-50 wt % cyclo-artenol
to the process of the present invention.
In another especially preferred embodiment, the mixture of esters of sterols comprises at least 50% of the sterols selected from the group of alpha-amyrin, beta-amyrin, lupeol, butyrospermol and germanicol.
In this embodiment a further preference exists for the mixture of fatty acid esters of sterols being obtained by subjecting a mixture of
(a) 2-45 wt % alpha-amyrin
(b) 0.2-25 wt % beta-amyrin
(c) 0.2-35 wt % lupeol
(d) 2-45 wt % butyrospermol and
(e) 0.1-15 wt % germanicol
to the process of the present invention.
Preferably the mixture obtained by esterification is added to food products in an amount of 0.5 to 40 wt, more preferred 2 to 30 wt %, most preferred 3 to 20 wt %, with a particular preference for 4-20 wt %. Surprisingly the use of these relatively high levels of the fatty acid sterol esters does generally not lead to sandiness of the product. Although applicants do not wish to be bound by any theory it is believed that this reduction of sandiness may be caused by a decrease of amount and/or rate of crystallisation of the ester components compared to free sterols.
Especially preferably the ester mixtures of the invention are added to fat based food products. Fat based food products are food products (partially) based on fat and regarded by the user, in particular the consumer, as xe2x80x98fatty type of productsxe2x80x99. Examples are margarines, butter, yellow fat spreads (containing vegetable fat and/or animal fat such as butterfat), dressings, mayonnaise, cheese, shortenings, cooking and frying oils and the like. These products in most cases comprise a particular amount of fat. In some cases, however, products are still regarded as xe2x80x98fatty type of productsxe2x80x99, despite a replacement of part or even all the fat by fat replacers. Fat based food products in which the fat is partially or completely replaced by fat replacers are also covered by the term fat based food products of this invention.
Fat products consisting of fat only are also considered as fat based food products in this specification. These are not only used as cooking and frying oils, but also sometimes in the industry in the preparation of food products, e.g. in baking.
The food products as such are common products in the western world, and are used by consumers on a daily basis in amounts different for each individual.
The invention is in particular very suitable for yellow fat spreads, dressings, cheese, shortenings and cooking and frying oils, and more in particular for yellow fat spreads which can comprise 0 (zero) to 90 wt % fat (usually 5-80 wt %). Dressings can comprise 0 to 85 wt % fatty (usually 5-80 wt %), shortenings, cooking and frying oil more than 95 wt % fat. In a particular embodiment of this invention, the fat based food product is selected from the group of margarines, butter and spreads.
Yellow fat spreads comprising less than 80 wt % fat and at least 2.0 wt % of the ester mixture can be regarded as very beneficial in that these not only have a very low fat content, but also show a significant lowering of the blood cholesterol working if applied similar to a common butterlike spread on a regular, daily basis. This applies even more for products with less than 60 wt % fat. In another embodiment, the spread comprises at least 3 wt % of the ester mixture. In a particular embodiment thereof, the spread comprises at least 5 wt % of the ester mixture, the ester mixture preferably being obtained by a process in which the sterol ester (mixture) to be hydrolyzed comprises oryzanol.
Another advantage of the present invention is that by addition of the mixture obtained by esterification the amount of hardstock required to make a spreadable product out of above mentioned liquid oils can be reduced, thereby optimizing the amount of PUFA rich glycerides in the product.
The use of the ester mixture in cheese shows an additional beneficial effect, which is that the cholesterol in cheese is adsorbed by the body in a far lesser amount if the ester mixture is present in the cheese than without. Hence, whereas cheese consumption usually adds cholesterol to the body, with the use of the ester mixture a strongly reduced absorbtion and a blood cholesterol lowering effect will be found. This effect can also be found for food products other than cheese comprising cholesterol or consumption of cholesterol containing food products in combination with the products as described in the invention. The amount of ester mixture to be added on the preparation of the cheese is preferably higher than the amount of cholesterol on a molar weight basis, so that the cheese product obtained still contains the ester mixture in a free and active form.
The fat that is applied in these fat based food products can be any fat, such as dairy fat and/or vegetable fat. However, if fat is present, for health reasons the use of one or more vegetable fat sources is preferred. In particular, the use of liquid fats is preferred. These can be hydrogenated, interesterified, and the like. The fat can be one single fat or a blend.
The use of fat compositions comprising a considerable amount of pufa rich triglycerides in addition to the use of the ester mixture is in particular considered highly beneficial. For example, oils of sunflower, safflower, rapeseed, linseed, linola and/or soybean can be used in a preferred embodiment.
If a fat blend is used, it is preferred that it comprises at least 30%, and more preferred at least 45% of polyunsaturated fatty acids, based on the total weight amount of the fat in the fat based food product. So, a strong effect on the cholesterol lowering effect is obtained if use is made of a mixture of the ester materials of the invention or these components in combination with the antioxidants like polyphenols and tocopherols, or extracts comprising all of these these components in a food product in which a fat blend comprising at least 30 wt. % of pufa rich triglycerides is used.
The invention further envisages the use of an oil concentrate comprising more than 4 wt % of the ester mixture for the preparation of a fat based food product as described above. In another preferred embodiment, the invention concerns the use of an oil concentrate comprising more than 4 wt % of the ester mixture for the preparation of a yellow fat spread as described above.
Particular advantages are found when a fat based food product is prepared using 0.5-40 wt %t of an ester mixture which is obtained by subjecting a mixture of
(a) 5-40 wt % campesterol
(b) 2-25 wt % xcex2-sitosterol
(c) 20-60 wt % 24-methylene cyclo-artenol; and
(d) 10-50 wt % cyclo-artenol
to the process of the present invention, or, alternatively, by using 0.5-40 wt % of an ester mixture which is obtained by subjecting a mixture of
(a) 2-45 wt % alpha-amyrin
(b) 0.2-25 wt % beta-amyrin
(c) 0.2-35 wt % lupeol
(d) 2-45 wt % butyrospermol and
(e) 0.1-15 wt % germanicol
to the process of the present invention.
In addition to the ester mixture as described above, food products of the invention may comprise further ingredients which can have positive effects on the health. Examples of these are for example anti-oxidants e.g. polyphenols or tocopherols and tocotrienols.

Method of manufacturing a sterol ester mixture

Abstract: (b) optionally, separating the phenolic acids and/or fatty from the reaction mixture; and


Microcircuits may include polysilicon features that are vulnerable to defects due to undesirable phenomena during manufacturing processes such as, inter alia, over-etching. The same phenomena that may cause defects can be exploited to automatically isolate the affected circuit and thus limit the harm caused by defects or incipient defects.

Integrated circuit (IC) manufacturers produce dice containing circuits on typically circular substrates referred to as semiconductor wafers. Each individual die may be of rectangular or square shape and a wafer may contain hundreds of them. The unsingulated dice on a wafer, (i.e. each unsingulated die), must ordinarily be tested to determine good from bad before the dice are singulated in order to manage cost and yield.
The use of photolithography with etching is well-known and commonplace in semiconductor wafer fabrication. A single photo-mask may be used with a stepper to create multiple (more or less) identical reticles—clusters of circuits that often contain more than one substantially identical unsingulated die. Thus a set of masks (often one per layer) for a reticle may include a plurality of circuit images, including images of application circuit components and elements. Each die will typically contain one or more application circuits composed of many circuit elements (such as gates, channels, lines etc.)
Because a typical circuit cluster, sometimes termed a "reticle", includes more than one unsingulated die it is often advantageous to expose a partial (i.e. incomplete) reticle, such as at the wafer edge. This applies even though it is known that only some (at most) of the dice etched will ultimately be usable in products. A significant problem arises wherein systemic defects within a reticle but outside a particular unsingulated die impede the testing of that otherwise good unsingulated die.
Thus, there is a need for improved defect isolation in regards to semiconductor die fabrication. Benefits may include increased average yield for a fabrication process and/or improved reliability of the finished product (such as by eliminating marginal dice that might otherwise have passed testing).
Although embodiments of the invention were developed to address and remedy a particular class of wafer defects, the benefits of the invention may be expected to find a wider usage and utility and may extend far beyond solving the problem that originally motivated the invention.


A dual chamber airbag and method for making a dual chamber side impact airbag with an integral vented panel. A partial vent panel is formed from a section in each airbag piece such that the to partial panels meet as the airbag pieces are assembled to make the airbag. The two panels are subsequently sewn together, thereby forming an integral vented panel separating an upper and lower chamber within the airbag.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a side impact airbag, and more specifically, to a dual chamber side impact airbag with an integral vent panel and an improved method for making the dual chamber airbag.
2. Discussion
Side impact vehicle collisions have caused a significant percentage of vehicle driver and passenger injuries. In order to minimize these injuries, several versions of side impact airbag systems have been developed. Many of these variations have involved different locations of the airbag system and various sizes and shapes of the airbags. Typically, these systems are installed on the outboard side of a seat back, on the door, or on the A or B pillars of a vehicle.
In order to provide protection for the occupant, an airbag of substantial size which deploys quickly is desired to fill the area between the occupant and the vehicle interior during a collision. Rapid inflation is particularly important for side impact airbags where very little time is available between sensing an impact and deploying the restraint. However, traditionally the larger the airbag, the slower the fill time is for that airbag. It is, of course, desirable to have the protection of a large airbag but with the inflation performance of a smaller airbag. This can be accomplished by utilizing a dual chamber airbag with a vented panel or membrane separating the upper and lower chambers. Studies have shown that the impact of the occupant's head to the head region of the airbag occurs after the impact of the occupant's torso with the lower torso region of the airbag. Therefore, it is desirable to have an airbag that rapidly fills the lower chamber, and later fills the upper chamber as it is needed. By providing delayed pressurization of the upper chamber the airbag can achieve better performance by providing a more rapid inflation of the lower chamber.
One type of dual chamber airbag is filled by an inflator connected to an opening in the lower thorax chamber. A panel is provided between the lower chamber and the upper chamber. The panel includes a vent so that the inflation gas may pass from the lower chamber into the upper chamber. The improvement accomplished by such an airbag is that the lower chamber is inflated rapidly, similar to a small airbag, and protects the thorax of the occupant. The upper head chamber is then inflated. The inflation of the upper chamber is also rapid because it is inflated as the thorax of the occupant presses against the thorax chamber, thereby forcing more gas through the vent in the panel and into the head chamber. All of this occurs before the occupant's head contacts the airbag. The end result is an airbag with the inflation performance of a small airbag in the thorax region, where it is necessary, and a slower inflation response to the upper head region where the occupant's head contacts the airbag at a later time than the occupant's thorax.
Dual chamber airbags, similar to the one described above, are not new in the art. Two general types are available. One type comprises two separate airbags, a larger upper airbag and a smaller lower airbag. The two airbags are sewn together such that openings located on the upper surface of the lower airbag and on the lower surface of the upper airbag correspond with each other and allow the inflation gas to communicate between the two airbags.
The process required to make the dual airbag described above involves a great number of steps and a large number of parts. First, both airbags have to be cut and sewn together. Following completion of that step, the two separate airbags have to be aligned and sewn together such that the opening in each airbag corresponds with the opening in the other airbag.
Another type of dual chamber airbag is a single airbag with a vented panel separating the airbag into its two separate chambers. This type requires several parts and several sewing and assembly steps in order to arrive at the completed airbag. Using known design approaches, five pieces of fabric must be cut and a hole must be cut in the separator panel. The two lower pieces and the two upper pieces are then joined together to form each separate chamber. The two chamber sections are then sewn together and the panel is attached along the seam that separates the two chambers. This entire process involves the cutting and sewing together of five separate pieces with the added concern of aligning the many different seams. This is both inefficient and expensive, due to the part proliferation and extra processes required for cutting five pieces and sewing them together. As with any process requiring additional steps increased waste can result when the pieces have to be scrapped because the later sewn seams are not properly aligned.
In view of the foregoing limitations and shortcomings of the prior art devices, as well as other disadvantages not specifically mentioned above, there is a need in the art for a more efficient method for making a vented dual chamber side impact airbag that involves fewer parts and processes.
It is therefore a primary object of this invention to fulfill that need by providing a side impact airbag with an upper and lower chamber separated by a vented panel.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an airbag with the vented panel separating the upper and lower chambers such that inflation of the upper chamber is controlled by the panel, resulting in an airbag which offers more rapid inflation to the lower chamber and delayed inflation to the upper chamber.
It is another object of this invention to provide an airbag where the vented panel is incorporated into the side pieces of the airbag itself, and not attached as a separate component of the airbag.
Finally, it is another object of this invention to provide an improved method for making a dual chamber side impact airbag with an integral vented panel, involving fewer parts and processes.

Dual chamber airbag with improved assembly features


A linear actuated needle seeder comprising a frame, a seed dispenser assembly further including a shuffler assembly and a capture assembly. The seed shuffler assembly further comprises: an energizeable vibrator having a top portion and a bottom portion, and a seed tray attached to the vibrator. The capture assembly further comprises: a master cylinder supported by the frame and having a cylinder shaft with spaced apart ends operably extending therefrom, a vacuum bar attached to the cylinder shaft, and a slide extending upwardly above the frame and having a slide surface angled in a linearly downward direction toward the seed tray and positioned to enable the vacuum bar to rest thereon and oscillate between an up position and down position in response to the reciprocating movements of the cylinder shaft. The vacuum bar includes a plurality of orifices positioned along the length of the vacuum bar each of which is configured to receive a cannulated needle having a free end and an attachment end such that when the attachment end of the needle is placed in communication with the orifice an air flow channel is established and moves from the hollow interior of the vacuum bar through the cannula and out to the atmosphere.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to seeder machines capable of selectively delivering plant seeds from a reservoir thereof and delivering them into a seed germination tray, but more particularly to seeder machines of the needle variety that incorporate a plurality of vacuum assisted needles or cannula configured to take possession of a single seed or multiple seeds and depositing them into a germination tray to promote their germination and growth.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is well known that virtually all plants and flowers, other than those that are tubor propagated or grafted, begin their growth cycle with the sowing of a single seed. Considering the millions of plants and flowers sold in the wholesale and retail marketplace, and the length of the spring and summer growing seasons, in order to meet consumer market demands time management in the growing industry is considered critical by the growers.
In the past, virtually all seeds were placed manually by hand into the soil filled cells, cavities or compartments of germination trays or "flat". The germination flats are then watered and cared for to enable the seed to germinate into a small seedling having foliage only inches tall. When the seedling is only inches tall, it is known that it begins to become root bound within the germination tray and must be transplanted into a larger tray or cup-like container having a much greater volume than the cells of the germination flat in which the seeds were initially placed. Only within the past several years have machines been constructed to perform this transplanting function and they have greatly advanced the efficiency of the growing industry. One such machine, considered by many as the industry standard with respect to efficiency and versatility is the PLUGPLANTER automated transplanter manfactured by Bouldin & Lawson, Inc. of McMinnville, Tenn.
The advent of the automated seeding machine is believed to be another highly useful and efficient machine which has been well received by the planting ad growing industry. There are two principal types of automated seeding machine. They are: the drum seeder and the needle seeder. A drum seeder typically includes a rotating drum configured to roll over a germination flat and transfer a single seed from the surface of the drum into the cavities of the flat. The operable configuration of the drum is believed to be critical for effective seed deposition and may be varied depending upon the type and configuration of the flat being used.
A needle seeder typically includes a needle carrier of some type configured with a plurality of needles including a cannulated portion through which a vacuum or suction is established. The needle size, corresponding to the internal diameter of the canula, is user selected depending upon the type and configuration of the seed to be sown. Once the suction force is established at the tip or distal end of the canula, the needle assembly may be inserted into a quantity of seed at which time a single seed or several seeds become lodged against the opening in the cannula due to the force of the suction.
The needles are then typically moved to a sowing position at which time the suction is relieved or reversed to expel the seed(s) from the tip of the canula into the cavities of the germination tray. Prior to the present invention, automated needle seeders caused the percent yield of seedlings to increase. Coupled with better seed stock, the grower was able to achieve superior seedling yields in less time, and at a cost savings, as compared to manually sowing of seeds. However, the yield of seedlings was still not completely acceptable to some growers. Most often the yield of seedlings was attributable to open cells in the germination flat. That is, a cell that did not get a seed sown into it.
After considerable investigation by the record owners of the present invention, it was determined that at least two factors contributed to "open cell" conditions during the seed sowing operations using needle seeders. First, it was determined that the manner in which needle carrier, and thus the needles, moved to the sowing position entailed a non-linear movement. That is, the needle carrier traveled up and over an obstacle or step to a substantially horizontal position. This movement "over the hump" caused a slight jarring of the seed attracted to the cannula which often resulted in the seed becoming dislodged from the tip of the cannula causing it to fall off before it was released into the cell of the germination tray, thereby resulting in an open cell.
The second problem relates to the manner in which the other commercially available needle seeders handled seed dust which is inherent in all large bulk quantities of seed. The seed dust was found to have been readily mixed and inseparable from the seed stock allowing the dust to be sucked into the cannula and deposited into the germination tray instead of a seed, or the dust clogged the cannula preventing it from capturing a seed. Often times a clogged cannula is not discovered until several flats had been processed which resulted in numerous open cells.
Thus, in automated seeding operations a device which would be most desirable would minimize the possibility of open cell conditions. In this manner the grower maximizes his growing efficiency and yield of seedlings after they have germinated. With regard to the aforementioned problems, when a seed is dislodged from its cannula by the travel of the seed carrier assembly, an open cell or cavity is the result. Similarly, when seed dust clogs or takes the place of a seed, this too means an open cell in the germination flat. Open cells in germination flats result in wasted growing space to the grower and wasted material in the nature of soil mixtures filling their cells or cavities not having a seed for germination, and thus lower seedling yields and lost profits.
Accordingly, a needle type automated seeder constructed in such a manner as to separate seed dust from the seeds to be sown, and move its seed carrier assembly smoothly and without jarring or the seeds captured by the needle cannula would be an desired by the grower and user of such a machine.

Seeder with linear actuation and seed leveling shuffler with dust removal capability


A transport apparatus (300) for transporting a preform (200) for blow molding comprises: a transport device that transports the preform while allowing the preform to rotate on its axis in a horizontal direction; and an engaging device (310) that engages the preform being transported while being allowed to rotate on its axis, and setting the orientation of the preform to a predetermined orientation. The engaging device engages a convexity or a concavity provided in the outer periphery of the preform.

As a blow molding apparatus in which a preform is disposed in a blow cavity mold and blow-molded into a container, there has been known an injection stretch blow molding apparatus operated by a so-called 1.5 stage process (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The injection stretch blow molding apparatus by the 1.5 stage process adopts a 1 stage process connecting an injection molding section and a blow molding section inline, but has the advantage of a 2 stage process in which the number of products simultaneously injection molded and the number of products simultaneously blow molded are inconsistent.
Such a blow molding apparatus is provided with a transport line for transporting the preforms continuously. The transport line, for example in Patent Document 1, has a plurality of sprockets, a plurality of transport members capable of engaging the plurality of sprockets for holding the preforms, and a guide rail for guiding the transport members along a transport direction.
If the shape of the container is a uniform shape in a diametrical direction, such as a nearly circular shape in a plan view, the preform is also of a uniform shape nearly circular in a plan view. Depending on the shape of the container, however, there may be a case where the shape of the preform is not uniform in the diametrical direction of the preform, for example, a case in which the preform is elliptical in a plan view, or a case in which the thickness of the preform is not uniform. Such a preform is used, for example, in molding a flat container or a square-shaped container.
When the flat container is to be molded by the so-called 2 stage process, it is necessary to impart a heat distribution to the preform in its major-axis direction, and a heating technique, for example, as in Patent Document 2, is used.


Cutting bit holding elements removably receiving cutting bits are secured to a cutting assembly used in a roadway surface reclaiming machine. The cutting assembly includes a driven member having a surface, typically cylindrical, rotatable in a cutting direction. The surface includes a plurality of recesses arranged in a preselected pattern, each recess being defined by a generally circular upper edge and including a bottom surface depressed below the driven member rotatable surface. Each cutting bit holding element has a body portion having at least one aperture receiving the cutting bit and a lower portion having a generally cylindrical outer surface sized to be received in only one of said recesses The lower portion has a reference lower end abutting the recess bottom surface with a locating element engaging the cutting bit holder element lower end with a niche within said recess for orienting the cutting bit holder with respect to said cutting direction. An edge of the cutting bit holding element is sized to be proximal to the recess circular upper edge to permit fixed attachment of the body portion to the driven member rotatable surface at a location spaced away for the reference lower end so that, upon replacement of the cutting bit holding element, the reference surface and locating element receiving niche remain undisturbed to ensure proper alignment of replacement structure.

The present invention relates generally to rotary driven cutters and scarifiers for use in earth working, mining, and other in situ disintegration of hard materials. The invention is particularly directed to cutting bit holders which are fixed to a surface portion of a rotary driven member such as a cylindrical drum and has particular utility in connection with roadway planing machines, also known as roadway surface reclaiming machines, which are employed prior to roadway resurfacing.
Typical roadway surface reclaiming machines disclosed in the prior art include rotary driven cylindrical drums to which are fixed holders holding one or more cutting bits which scarify and mine the top portion of an asphaltic road surface. While several styles of drums have been employed, at least some styles have included an array of cutting bit holders fixed usually by a peripheral weld to the drum surface. Replaceable cutting bits are received within the cutting bit holders which can be periodically replaced as needed depending upon the amount of wear suffered as a result of the road surface mining operation. Examples of prior art cutting bit holders are to be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,582,468 and 5,098,167, as well as the prior art cited therein.
During the operation of such roadway surface reclaiming machines, a cutting bit and/or a cutting bit holder may strike a particularly hard portion of the road surface in such a way to cause significant damage to the cutting bit holder. The shearing forces in such a situation can be sufficient to shear part or all of one or more of the cutting bit holders from the surface of the rotary driven drum or other driven member thus mandating an immediate replacement of the lost or damaged holders in the field by welding new cutting bit holders to the drum surface. Such a replacement requires that the surface of the drum be prepared to receive the replacement cutting bit holder and can include using a cutting torch to remove any remaining portion of a cutting bit holder as well as a hand held grinder to grind away any residual portion of the weld which held the damaged cutting bit holder to the surface.
Such drum surface preparation is rarely completely satisfactory and generally leaves a roughened surface to which the new cutting bit holder is to be applied. The roughness of the drum surface often prevents the correct alignment of the new cutting bit holder and as a result further damage to the replacement cutting bit holder or other holders adjacent to or aligned with the replaced cutting bit holder are increasing susceptible to accelerated wear and potential damage. Even small changes in alignment of a cutting bit holder of a few degrees can also contribute to substantially accelerated wear of the cutting bits which are removably inserted into the cutting bit holders.
Thus, an object of the present invention is to provide a cutting bit holder and a drum surface adapted to receive a cutting bit holder which is designed to preserve a reference surface engaged by the cutting bit holder, but protected from alteration during replacement of the cutting bit holder, to assure proper alignment of the replacement structure. An additional objection of the present invention is to provide a cutting bit holding element which is designed for field replacement, yet will maintain the originally designed alignment of the cutting bit with respect to the drum assembly as a whole.

Keystone Engineering & Manufacturing Corporation


Presented herein are systems, and methods thereof, that is configured to enter a maintenance mode to isolate itself from its neighbor and to gracefully cause neighbor devices to isolate themselves from the system, as to cause minimal or “zero” service disruption with its neighbors. The system broadcasts a maintenance-related message, via a standard transport layer, over routing protocols, to counter parts protocols at the neighbor device and waits for an acknowledgement message from the neighbor network devices. The broadcast and acknowledgement, through standard transport layer messaging, ensures that traffic generated by such protocols at the neighbor devices, regardless of manufacturer, are redirected before the system fully enters into the maintenance mode.

In data centers, during maintenance windows of network devices, e.g., for module installation, cabling changes, and firmware and software updates, the network device is isolated from other network devices, and traffic is redirected around the isolated device, to prevent disruptions to the data center operation. One class of network devices supports a graceful insertion/removal (GIR) mode, or entry and exit of the device into a maintenance mode, that disables and modifies routing configuration at the device. This graceful insertion/removal mode, or maintenance mode, may modify, for example, Layer-2 or Layer-3 protocol interfaces for the device to isolate the device from its neighbors. Certain classes of devices may modify their Border Gateway Protocol (e.g., BGPv4 or BGPv6); Multiprotocol BGP (MP-BGP) (e.g., VPNv4, VPNv6, Layer 2 VPN (L2VPN), and Ethernet VPN (EVPN)); Enhanced Interior Gateway Routing Protocol (EIGRP); Enhanced Interior Gateway Routing Protocol Version 6 (EIGRPv6); Intermediate System-to-Intermediate System (IS-IS); Open Shortest Path First (OSPF); Open Shortest Path First Version 3 (OSPFv3); Virtual PortChannel (vPC and vPC+); and FabricPath.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Methods and systems for neighbor-acknowledged graceful insertion/removal protocol


A fender apron includes: a front member; an upper member provided on the front member; a radiator side member connected to the front member; an upper lamp support member connecting the radiator side member and the upper member; and a side upper reinforce member connecting a first connection portion disposed between the front member and the radiator side member and a second connection portion disposed between the upper member and the upper lamp support member.

The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.
A typical fender apron applies a single impact load path using a back beam and a side member to respond to crash safety regulations.
In the case of a separate lamp where the general head lamp and the turn signal lamp are separated, a separate bracket is desired for applying the mounting structure. However, in the radiator support type (non-module structure), a separate structure for mounting a detachable lamp is not applied, and an appropriate response to the collision safety regulation cannot be performed.
The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the disclosure, and therefore it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known in this country to a person of ordinary skill in the art.

Fender apron, vehicle body provided with the same, and manufacturing method for the same


The invention is related to a dental impression composition which is curable at a temperature below about 50 C, the composition comprising: (A) a curable organopolysiloxane polymer as component (A), (B) a crosslinker compound capable of cross-linking said organopolysiloxane polymer as component (B), (C) a catalyst as component (C) capable of catalyzing a crosslinking reaction of component (A) and component (B), (D) a hydrophilizing agent as component (D), (E) a filler as component (E), (F1) a stabilizer as component (F1) selected from compounds comprising a phosphite moiety and mixtures thereof, (F2) a stabilizer as component (F2) selected from antioxidants and mixtures thereof, the composition being present in the form of a base paste and a catalyst paste physically separated from another, the base paste comprising components (A), (B), (D), (E), (F1), (F2), the catalyst paste comprising components (A), (C), (E).

Materials applicable for dental impression are well known in the art.
Commonly used classes of dental impression materials are typically based either on addition- or condensation crosslinking-reactions of polyorganosiloxane containing components as described e.g. in U.S. Pat. No. 5,064,891, EP 0 729 341 A1 or U.S. Pat. No. 4,657,959 or on polyether technology, e.g. azridino-polyethers as described e.g. in EP 1 210 055 B1.
Recently, also hybride materials of polyorganosiloxanes and polyether as described e.g. in EP 1 290 998 A1 are available. The mentioned materials typically possess a variety of properties including a fast setting behaviour and a good dimensional stability. Generally, the materials are provided in two components to be mixed prior to use and cure by a crosslinking-reaction.
An important aspect for dental impression material, especially for polysiloxane based materials (VPS materials), is to make those by nature hydrophobic materials hydrophilic. Means to accomplish this task can be found in EP 1 893 163 A1, EP 2 165 693 A2, EP 0 244 478 B1, EP 0 231 420 B1 or EP 0 613 926 B1. Recently, even improved systems for the hydrophilization of VPS materials have been described, e.g. in EP 1 976 479 B1, EP 2 386 287 A2 or EP 2 231 102 B1.
One problem associated with the higher hydrophilization of silicone impression materials, however, is the storage stability of the obtained pastes, i.e. base paste and catalyst paste.
Therefore, the use of scavengers for the absorption of water such as CaSO4 or CaCl2 as well as Zeolithe A for the stabilization of the base paste have been described in WO 98/53791 A2.
Another approach to stabilize dental impression material is described e.g. in EP 1 893 163 B1 or WO 2007/001869 A2. There, phosphorous based compounds are used for the stabilization of the base paste of hydrophilized addition-curing silicone formulations. U.S. Pat. No. 5,367,001 (Itho et al.) describes an impression composition comprising a polyether polymer having at least two alkenyl groups in the molecule, a polyorganohydrogensiloxane having at least three silicon-bonded hydrogen atoms in its molecule, a platinum catalyst, an inorganic filler and an antioxidant. As suitable fillers fine powdery silica, quartz powder, glass fiber, carbon powder, iron oxide, titanium oxide, zinc oxide, calcium carbonate and magnesium carbonate are described.
WO 99/27895 (Curtis et al.) describes a dental impression composition containing a color change indicator. The impression composition is based on a thermoplastic material like polycaprolactone and may contain filler, an antioxidant and a stabilizer.
US 2007/0173557 A1 (Bublewitz et al.) describes a condensation cross-linked dental material base on alkoxysilyl-functional polyethers. The dental material may contain stabilizers and/or antioxidants.
As nowadays systems with increased hydrophilicity are available, there is a need for improved dental impression materials having e.g. a long shelf-life.

Stabilized dental impression composition, kit of parts and use thereof


Methods and systems are provided for a valve for controlling the flow of a fluid medium in a coolant circuit of an internal combustion engine. The valve is configured to react to the temperature of the coolant via an expansion element and to the charge pressure in the intake tract via a pressure-sensitive actuator.

Reduction in carbon dioxide emissions may be desired for current and future technology of internal combustion engines. For example, various methods for counteracting carbon dioxide emissions through reduction of the internal friction in the engine have been developed. One example method may include not allowing the internal combustion engine to cool down beyond a threshold temperature during low loads by controlling the temperature of the coolant of the internal combustion engine. Compared with high loads, high cooling may not be desired at low loads, and the settings of the combustion parameters (for example, a knocking limit) may permit relatively high internal combustion engine temperature. A thermostat or controllable valve in a coolant circuit may be used to control a temperature of the coolant. Previous examples of thermostats may be inexpensive and relatively robust. However, a reaction time of previously designed thermostats may be delayed. By contrast, controllable valves may react quickly, but demand a complex control strategy; moreover, complex mechanisms may be needed to counteract overheating of the internal combustion engine in the event of degradations. It is therefore the object to control the cooling of an internal combustion engine in a quick and reliable manner that overcome the issues described above with thermostats and controllable valves.
In one example, the issues described above may be at least partially solved by a valve for controlling the flow of a fluid medium in a coolant circuit of an internal combustion engine which can be supercharged, having an expansion element which is operatively connected to a transmission pin of the valve in order to control the flow of the fluid medium through the valve by way of a change in volume which is dependent on the temperature of the fluid medium. The thermostat valve furthermore has an actuator which can be regulated by pressure and which is additionally operatively connected to the transmission pin of the valve in order to control the flow of the fluid medium through the valve.
The valve according to the present disclosure may include a combination of an expansion element with a pressure-sensitive actuator, which may allow controllable, quick, and robust control of the temperature of a coolant in a coolant circuit. The influence of the pressure may allow the valve to be opened at different coolant temperatures. The valve may simply and efficiently control of the coolant temperature.
The pressure-sensitive actuator may be connected to variable-pressure surroundings via a connecting line. In this way, a pressure generated by a compressor arranged in the intake tract (charge pressure) may be transmitted to the actuator. Here, a high charge pressure, which correlates with a high load of the internal combustion engine, effects a movement of the transmission pin and thus a lower opening temperature of the thermostat valve with respect to the cooler. Thus, at high loads, the thermostat valve according to the disclosure allows a lower opening temperature of the valve with respect to the heat exchanger than previous examples of valves. Thus, at the commencement of high loading, heat may be dissipated from the internal combustion engine at an early stage.
The expansion element may comprise wax. In a threshold temperature range, the wax melts and in the process undergoes a change in volume, that is to say the volume of the expansion element is increased. The expansion element therefore assumes the temperature of the coolant and changes its volume in a manner dependent on the temperature, whereby said expansion element acts on the transmission pin of the valve. In some example, the expansion element may be any other suitable element other than wax.
It should be understood that the summary above is provided to introduce in simplified form a selection of concepts that are further described in the detailed description. It is not meant to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, the scope of which is defined uniquely by the claims that follow the detailed description. Furthermore, the claimed subject matter is not limited to implementations that solve any disadvantages noted above or in any part of this disclosure.

Advanced thermostat system for an internal combustion engine with boost pressure depending control function


A computer implemented method, computer program product, and computer usable program code for preventing execution of program components having errors. First, a software application is executed. The software application interacts with a number of programs. Next, an error message is received. The error message indicates an error has occurred in a first program within the number of programs. The first program is then isolated such that the first program no longer interacts with the software application.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an improved data processing system and in particular to handling errors that occur in computer software. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to a computer implemented method, computer program product, and computer usable program code for isolating erroneous software components.
2. Description of the Related Art
Modern software is often very complex and can involve a large number of lines of code. If printed onto paper, a single program can possibly be thousands of pages long. To address this problem, software engineers often design software programs in modular form. The modules are then put together and programmed to interact with each other to accomplish a desired purpose. The process of combining modules in this way is analogous to constructing a building in that pre-fabricated components are brought to the construction site and combined in a desired manner. In the same sense that building design can be referred to as building architecture, the design of how software modules are combined can be referred to as software architecture.
However, even software architecture can become exceedingly complex. Furthermore, if a problem or error arises in one software module, then that problem or error can propagate to other software modules or otherwise affect other software modules. Additionally, the error can propagate to or affect a main program, application server, or other software designed to coordinate modules in a software architecture. Whether or not the error propagates to or affects such coordination software or only modules within a software architecture, the error in one module can cause the entire architecture to fail, operate in an undesirable manner, or otherwise be subject to additional errors.

Method of isolating erroneous software program components

International Business Machines Corporation


A method for preparing a composition of matter, the method including: 1) mixing a Zn(NO3)2 solution, a Hg(NO3)2 solution, and a mercaptopropionic acid solution, thereby yielding a precursor solution of Zn2+—Hg2+-mercaptopropionic acid; dissolving a selenium powder and a NaBH4 solid in water thereby yielding a NaHSe slurry; mixing the precursor solution and the NaHSe slurry thereby yielding zinc-mercury-selenium (ZnHgSe) quantum dot; 2) preparing a drug delivery system including dextran-magnetic layered double hydroxide-fluorouracil (DMF); binding the drug delivery system and the ZnHgSe quantum dot in a mass ratio of 1:1-3; and grinding the drug delivery system including the ZnHgSe quantum dot (QD) thereby yielding powders; and 3) dissolving the powders in absolute ethyl alcohol thereby yielding a first suspension; ultrasonically dispersing the first suspension thereby yielding a second suspension, magnetically separating the second suspension thereby yielding a solid product, centrifuging and washing the solid product.

The disclosure relates to a method for preparing a composition of matter comprising dextran-magnetic layered double hydroxide-fluorouracil and zinc-mercury-selenium quantum dot.
At present, there are few studies on the mechanism of cancer cell death induced by chemotherapy agents. A key technical bottleneck is the dearth of biological probes for elucidating the mechanism of action and for marking the changes of the morphological structure of cancer cells.

Method for preparing composition of matter comprising fluorouracil and zinc-mercury-selenium quantum dot


Embodiments of the present invention provide various approaches for mobile device intercommunication (e.g., digital) as well as various authentication methods. In one embodiment, the present invention provides direct line-of-sight visual digital communication between mobile devices for controlled security. In another embodiment, the present invention provides direct contact motion-based digital communication between mobile devices for controlled security. Embodiments of the present invention also provide various authentication methods. One such example relates to secure authentication code exchange with subsequent digital communications in one or more channels. In another example, human-readable information is used along machine-readable digital codes (e.g., quick response (QR) codes to verify visual codes. Still yet, embodiments of the present invention provide non-obtrusive visual codes that maintain a user's access to a mobile device screen.

Mobile terminal-to-terminal communication typically requires manual authorization. As such, it is subject to miscommunication and security breach. Moreover, wireless authentication protocols are subject to hacking, as there is no control over wave propagation direction. Machine readable codes are not human readable, and, therefore, they are not verified before use which causes security loop holes. Still yet, visual data communication codes involve extensive use of user screens. Such a requirement obstructs and suspends user's access to the terminal during communication.
U.S. Patent Application 20110000958 discloses a method and system for communicating encoded information through "animated" barcodes wherein a single bar code area on an electronics' display or television is scanned multiple times while the bar code area changes from one bar code image to another.
U.S. Patent Application 20100020970 discloses a system and method for creating a camera imaging data channel by encoding a sequence of bar codes from a display screen and captured by a camera, then decoded by software on a cell phone or similar device.
U.S. Patent Application 20060054695 discloses a dynamic bar code display apparatus that includes a storage medium and means for displaying at least two or more bar codes continuously.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,360,706 and U.S. Pat. No. 7,273,180 disclose a hand-supportable digital imaged-based bar code symbol reading device.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,591,952 discloses a bar code reader that utilizes a CCD imager device to capture the image, and the memory data from the imager device is analyzed to recognize and decode any symbols included within the image.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,278,397 discloses a multi-resolution bar code reader in which the bar code reader's optics and sensing elements are organized to send two channels of data derived from a bar code scan.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,073,954 discloses the bar code location and recognition processing system in which a bar code is optically scanned and a digital video processor converts the scan to binary data and determines the location and pattern of the bar code in the scan image.
U.S. Patent Application 20080277475 discloses a digital image capture and processing system that combines video and snapshot image captures into a single bar code data capture cycle.
U.S. Patent Application 20070199993 and U.S. Patent Application 20070187509 disclose a hand-supportable digital bar code reader that has multiple modes of image processing capabilities that include reading both 1D and 2D bar code symbols.

Mobile device digital communication and authentication methods


Mixtures comprising alcohol/ether/non-linear hydrocarbon are separated using polyester or polyester polyimide copolymer membranes. The mixture is contacted under pervaporation conditions with the membrane and the alcohol selectively permeates through the membrane. In this way alcohol especially C.sub.1 -C.sub.10, preferably C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alcohols can be effectively removed from the synthesis solutions used for the production of high value ethers such as methyl-tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) or tertiary-amyl methyl ether (TAME) used as octane enhancers in motor fuels.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a process for selectively removing alcohols, especially C.sub.1 -C.sub.10, preferably C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 most especially methanol from solutions comprising alcohol, ether, olefin and non-linear hydrocarbons, or alcohol/ether or alcohol/olefin, or alcohol/nonlinear hydrocarbons by use of membranes and the removal of ethers from mixed ether hydrocarbon streams. The solutions of alcohol, especially solutions of alcohols, ether, olefins, and non-linear hydrocarbons are typically the synthesis solutions encountered in the production of high value ethers such as methyl tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE) and tertiary-amyl methyl ether (TAME) used as octane enhancers in motor fuels. The alcohol is present as one of the starting materials in the ether synthesis but cannot readily be separated from the synthesis solution due to azeotrope formation.
The present invention selectively removes the alcohols from solutions comprising alcohol/ether, alcohol/non-linear hydrocarbons alcohol/olefins or alcohol/ether/olefin/non-linear hydrocarbons by selectively permeating the alcohol under pervaporation conditions through polyester and polyester copolymer membranes, or selectively removes ether from an ether-hydrocarbon stream by selective permeation of the ether through the membrane, again under pervaporation conditions.
2. Description of the Related Art
Environmental concerns have focused on reducing pollution associated with motor vehicles, especially gasoline burning internal combustion engine vehicles. While improvements in vehicle and engine design can account for part of the desired improvements in emission levels, much attention has been focused on improvements in the motor vehicle fuels, especially gasoline. Legislation is either being considered or being actively pursued on the state and federal level to mandate lower allowable aromatics and sulfur content in gasoline and reduce the final boiling point and alter the vapor pressure of gasolines. Much as when lead was phased out of gasoline it is anticipated that these changes in motor gasoline formulation will inevitably become world wide.
Lowering the emissions of fuels by removing lead octane additives and reducing aromatics contents however, have forced refiners to seek new, environmentally acceptable octane enhancers to make up the loses due to regulation.
Oxygen containing organic molecules such as ethers, in particular methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) and tertiary amyl methyl ether (TAME) are very high octane components which are currently viewed as environmentally acceptable and the additives of choice to make up the octane shortfall. As a result, demand for these materials has increased as has their price.
MTBE and TAME and other ethers and mixtures thereof are produced by any of numerous processes which utilize methanol or other alcohols and hydrocarbons in the synthesis.
To be economically attractive these processes must convert the hydrocarbon, e.g., isobutylene or isoamylene to as high a degree as possible to ether, e.g., MTBE or TAME respectively. To accomplish this the alcohol, e.g., methanol is added in excess to shift the equilibrium as far as possible to product formation. Excess alcohol is also desirable in that an increase in catalyst life due to reduced polymerization is also achieved.
A problem is encountered however when one seeks to separate the unreacted alcohol from the ether and hydrocarbon for recycle and product purification. Alcohol forms an azeotrope with the ether/hydrocarbon mixture and cannot be readily separated by distillation.
Membrane separation processes are not affected by azeotrope formation. However, membrane processes typically do not achieve the high purities usually associated with distillation.

Separation of alcohol from alcohol/ether/olefin/non-linear hydrocarbon mixtures using polyester or polyester copolymer membranes


A motor-driven compressor that suppresses the transmission of vibration and noise to the exterior, while obtaining heating performance that is sufficient for use in a heat pump. The motor-driven compressor includes a compressor mechanism, which compresses a refrigerant, and a motor mechanism, which actuates the compressor mechanism. The motor-driven compressor further includes an inner housing, which accommodates the compressor mechanism and the motor mechanism in a sealed state, and an outer housing, which accommodates the inner housing. The outer housing includes a mounting portion that can be mounted to another member. A first intermediate member is arranged between the inner housing and the outer housing. The first intermediate member includes anti-vibration and thermal insulation properties.

The present invention relates to a motor-driven compressor.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 11-294365 discloses a motor-driven compressor of the prior art. The motor-driven compressor includes a compressor mechanism, which compresses a refrigerant, and a motor mechanism, which actuates the compressor mechanism. The motor-driven compressor includes an inner housing, which accommodates the compressor mechanism and the motor mechanism in a sealed state, and an outer housing, which accommodates the inner housing.
A spring, which supports the inner housing, is arranged in the outer housing of the motor-driven compressor. Thixotropic fluid is filled in a void formed between the outer housing and the inner housing. The outer housing includes a mounting portion that allows for mounting to another member.
The spring and thixotropic fluid function to suppress the transmission of vibration and noise from the compressor mechanism and motor mechanism to the exterior of the motor-driven compressor.
In this prior art motor-driven compressor, the heat of the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant compressed by the compressor mechanism is transmitted via the inner housing and the spring to the outer housing and released to the exterior or absorbed via the inner housing by the thixotropic fluid. Accordingly, there is a tendency for the heat of the refrigerant to be easily decreased. Thus, for example, when the motor-driven compressor is used in a heat pump, the heating performance of the heat pump becomes insufficient.


Blades on a rotating grinding plate force waste against a stationary grinding ring. The blades are mounted on radially aligned guides on the grinding plate, allowing the blades to move freely inwardly and outwardly between opposing stops. The blades are thrown outward by rotation of the grinding plate. A receding face on the blades cooperates with the grinding ring for moving the blades inwardly and for forcing waste against the grinding ring.

For use in a kitchen a waste disposer must be sufficiently versatile to satisfactorily process not just soft materials or viscous materials (such as fruit or cooked cereals) but also hard and tough materials (such as some vegetables and bones). Particularly in processing these latter materials the duration of grinding required is an important consideration in the design of a disposer.
Food waste in a conventional food waste disposer is forced by blades on a rotating grinding plate against teeth of a stationary grinding ring. Reduced processing times could be achieved if this action could be improved.
Additional time is also required, for example, if harder food fragments such as carrot and bone pieces rotate at the same speed as the grinding plate without being ground. This results in increased noise and vibration, as well as residual food left in the grinding chamber after the disposer is turned off. Over time, this residual food may cause unpleasant odours.
A further problem in designing a food waste disposer is jamming which occurs when hard objects such as bones enter the food waste disposer and get stuck between the blades of the rotating grinding plate and the stationary shredder ring.
It is an object of the present invention to overcome or substantially ameliorate the above disadvantages or more generally to provide an improved apparatus for disintegrating food waste.


An apparatus and method of searching an electronic document are disclosed. A document that is assumed to contain a search symbol set is searched. The search symbol set is a symbol set being extracted from a plurality of symbols representing a search request when the symbol set being extracted satisfies a predetermined condition.

Recently, the use of electronic data has been increased especially in an office environment. For example, instead of keeping a document in the paper form, the document may be converted to electronic data using an image processing apparatus, and stored in the form of electronic data. In order to retrieve a desired document from a large number of stored documents, a user usually requests an information retrieval system to search through the stored electronic documents. In order to improve the office work efficiency, there is a need for the information retrieval system capable of locating the desired document with less time and with high accuracy.
One technique of retrieving the desired document is to search through the stored documents for one or more documents that matches a keyword input by the user and to provide a list of the documents that matches the keyword, for example, as described in the Japanese Patent Application No. 2004-348591. This text search technique however requires the use of an optical character reader (OCR) as it is necessary to convert information contained in the electronic document to text data. Further, this technique may require the user to additionally provide information regarding the electronic document when storing or searching the electronic document, such as information regarding the language used in the electronic document.
The Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2003-281181 describes a technique of retrieving the desired document, which does not require the use of OCR or information regarding the language used in the document. To locate the desired document, the technique described in the Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2003-281181 converts a keyword input by the user to a set of symbols, and searches through the stored documents for one or more electronic documents each having a set of symbols that matches the set of symbols converted from the keyword. This technique may not be practical in terms of the time that may be required for searching, especially when the number of stored documents is large.

Apparatus and method of searching document data


Methods and systems for design of integrated circuits including performing OPC are discussed. In one embodiment, design data having a geometric feature is provided. A base feature is formed from the geometric feature, which has a substantially linear edge. A pseudo dissection point is determined on the base feature. Add or trim a polygon from the base feature to form a modified feature. An OPC process is performed on the modified feature to generate an output design. The output design is used to fabricate a semiconductor device on a semiconductor substrate.

The present disclosure relates to optical proximity correction (OPC) or resolution enhancement technologies (RET).
Fabrication and design of semiconductor devices, such as integrated circuits, is becoming more and more challenging as semiconductor technology nodes are progressively decreasing to small feature sizes.
In a design flow for an IC, it is typical to transform design data into a physical design or layout that describes specific geometric elements. The geometric elements, which can include various types of polygons, define the shapes that will be created in various materials to manufacture the circuit. A GDSII file is a typical representation of a layout. The design defined by the layout is produced onto various layers disposed on a semiconductor substrate. In doing so, it is typical for there to be numerous optical lithography processes. As the technology nodes decrease however, accurately reproducing the layout is becoming more and more difficult as optical effects can cause unwanted distortions in the printed features. These distortions include regions, such as in a critical dimension (CD) feature, have poor fidelity with the design data (e.g., ripple, narrowing of the line, etc.).
To account for these distortions, or potential distortions, typical design flows include various optical proximity correction (OPC) operations, also referred to as resolution enhancement techniques (RET). These techniques include adding additional features onto a photomask defining the layout (e.g., scattering bars). These techniques also include adjusting a polygon or geometrical element of the layout so that the printed feature will more accurately reflect the desired feature. In typical OPC processes, the edges of the geometric elements (polygons) are divided into segments, and each edge segment is adjusted to reflect the desired modifications. The adjustment is typically performed based on deviation between the desired layout and a simulated printed layout. While performing OPC on layout design data can improve the fidelity of the lithographic process, OPC can be expensive in terms of time, resources (e.g., computing and engineering), and/or photomask complexity. For example, having smaller and smaller edge segments may improve the fidelity but the computational time and power needed to process these segments for a complex IC design may be problematic.
Therefore, while the typical methods of OPC are suitable, what are needed are OPC methods that provide for suitable fidelity while improving upon one or more of the above mentioned challenges.

Polygon-based optical proximity correction

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.


A process for separating a natural B avermectin from a natural avermectin containing fermentation broth by using an aqueous precipitation. The process comprises extracting natural avermectins from the fermentation broth with a water miscible solvent and adding sufficient water to precipitate the natural B avermetins. Preferably, the water miscible solvent is a C.sub.1 -C.sub.3 alcohol, acetone, or acetonitrile. In addition, an acid, base, salt or surfactant may be added to facilitate the precipitation. This invention provides an isolation technique that substitutes the use of an aqueous precipitation for nonaqueous solvent precipitations. The reduction in use of nonaqueous solvents provides economic, environmental and safety benefits.

The field of art to which this invention relates is processes for the isolation and purification of avermectin compounds, particularly processes for the extraction of avermectin compounds from a fermentation broth.
The avermectins are a group of broad spectrum macrolide anti-parasitic agents. They are produced by fermenting a strain of the microorganism Streptomyces avermitilis (e.g., ATCC 31267, 31271 or 31272 or mutants thereof) under aerobic conditions in an aqueous nutrient medium containing inorganic salts and assimilable sources of carbon and nitrogen. Typically, avermectins have been characterized by a nomenclature system that utilizes various letters and numbers to refer to specific substituents.
A subset of avermectins, the natural avermectins, includes compounds wherein the C.sub.5 position is substituted by methoxy (denoted by A) or hydroxy (denoted by B); the C.sub.25 position is substituted by secbutyl (denoted by a) or isopropyl (denoted by b); and the C.sub.23 position is substituted by hydroxy (denoted by 2) or attached to the C.sub.22 position by a double bond (denoted by 1). Thus, there are eight possible natural avermectins and specific compounds are referred to by using a combination of symbols such as B1a or B2b. In addition, a subset of the natural avermectins could be referred to, for example, by using the term B natural avermectins. The B natural avermectins refers to the four natural avermectins wherein the C.sub.5 position is substituted by hydroxy, the C.sub.25 position is substituted by either isopropyl or secbutyl and the C.sub.23 position is substituted by hydroxy or is connected to the C.sub.22 position by a double bond. The isolation and chemical structure of the eight natural avermectin compounds (sometimes referred to as the C-076 compounds) are described in detail in British Patent Specification No. 1573955.
There are a variety of processes for isolating avermectins from a growth medium and for the selective isolation of particular avermectins from a growth medium. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,423,211 describes a process wherein the pH of the fermentation broth is adjusted within the range of 1.5 to 6 with a mineral acid such as sulfuric, hydrochloric or nitric acid. Then, the broth is contacted with and agitated with an extractant such as toluene, and the avermectin components are dissolved into and taken up by the extractant. The solution comprising the avermectin and the extractant is then passed through a separator to strip off the extractant, and the remaining avermectin isolated by, for example, crystallization.
In addition, U.S. Pat. No. 5,077,398 describes a two step process in which B1 components are crystallized, from a concentrated water immiscible solvent extract of the avermectin containing broth, with an alcohol or hydrocarbon/alcohol mixture. B2 components are crystallized from the leftover extract (which remains after the B1 crystallization) subsequent to its supersaturation (e.g., by lowering the temperature) utilizing B2 seed crystals.
Although the above methods have advanced the art these methods still depend on the use of nonaqueous solvents and environmental concerns dictate the reduced use of solvents whenever possible. Thus, there is still a continuing search for new methods of isolating avermectins.

Method for precipitating natural avermectins


A process is provided for freezing, including freeze-drying of cells, cell-membranes or cell-like materials using a cryoprotectant medium which stabilizes the cells or membranes for freezing or freeze-drying and allows for freezing or freeze-drying to be performed at -60.degree. C. or higher.

Current storage of fresh human platelets in liquid form (i.e., as platelet-rich concentrate in residual plasma) is limited in the following ways:
1) Platelets in liquid suspension (platelet concentrate) are generally not stored refrigerated as they suffer from a well-documented "storage lesion" involving loss of clotting function and in vivo viability (refer to AABB Technical Manual, 10th edition, 1990, pp. 51-52). Platelet concentrates stored refrigerated are limited to a 72 hour shelf life due to the rapidity of the storage decay. The method used by most blood banks is to store platelet concentrate at room temperature (20-24 deg. C.) with continuous agitation by mechanical rocking. Agitation is essential at these temperatures to prevent cell aggregate formation. Currently regulations of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) limit room temperature storage to 5 days. PA0 2) The quality of room temperature stored platelet concentrates, as measured by aggregometry and other in vitro measures, decays after the first 24 hours of storage to some 75-85% of fresh values. Further deterioration occurs by five days of storage, such that the therapeutic value is only about 30% of fresh cells (i.e., the clotting efficacy of infused 5 day-old concentrate in patients, as measured by their bleeding time reduction, is only some 30% of a comparable dose of fresh platelets). PA0 3) FDA limits room temperature storage of platelet concentrates to five days due to the threat of bacterial growth in the nutrient rich plasma concentrate. Contamination of platelet concentrates by Yersinia bacteria has been associated with deaths due to platelet transfusion. PA0 4) The short shelf life means that some 25% of platelet concentrates collected by U.S. blood banks become unusable by outdating. This is a loss of a valuable voluntary resource.
The current useful method of storage of platelet concentrates in frozen form uses a 5% DMSO storage method developed by Schiffer et al (1983) Annals N.Y. Acad. Sci. 411, 161-169. This requires that the cells be stored at -120 deg. C. in the vapor phase of liquid nitrogen. Most blood banks do not use this method due to the expense of liquid nitrogen storage, plus the impracticality of shipping in liquid nitrogen. (See AABB Technical Manual, 1990, pp. 100-101 for review of blood cell freezing literature). Valeri has reported a 6% DMSO method that allows storage at temperatures as high as -65 deg. C., (referenced in the AABB Manual p. 102), a temperature compatible with ultra-low mechanical freezers. These freezers are also very expensive and have limited storage capacity.
An accepted shelf life for frozen platelets in 5% DMSO is 3 years. In actual clinical use, a frozen-thawed DMSO unit of platelets will normally exhibit about 50-60% of the clotting efficacy seen with a fresh platelet concentrate unit (i.e., usually two units of frozen thawed platelets are needed to achieve the same effect in vivo as one fresh unit).
It should be noted that FDA has not approved any DMSO platelet frozen storage method due to controversy over the efficacy and possible toxicity of DMSO (usually the frozen cells are thawed and infused directly, along with the 5% DMSO). Thus, U.S. blood banks today only freeze and infuse platelets with the approval of their medical review boards (i.e., interstate transport is prohibited).
Platelets are collected at most blood collection facilities, ranging from large regional blood centers (over 100,000 donations per year) to local hospital blood banks. Platelets can only be stored for 5 days as a platelet-rich plasma fraction at room temperature according to current FDA regulations. Although platelets can be frozen at -80 degrees for up to two years, the expense of freezing has discouraged frozen storage among civilian entities. The short shelf life is a major impediment to directed pre-deposit of plateletpheresis units.
A second issue problem is the transport of frozen platelets, which presents difficulties in container design, especially for air shipment. There is thus a need for lyophilized platelets which can be stored, shipped and reconstituted for therapeutic use.
Platelets play a vital role in blood clot formation and platelet transfusions are administered to arrest an existing bleeding condition or to prevent an imminent loss of blood. Often platelet transfusions are indicated when the patient cannot mobilize his own platelet reserves, as a result of standard chemotherapy treatments or diseases that cause low levels of circulating platelets or loss of normal platelet function. The American Red Cross (ARC) in 1987 reported a total of 4,500,000 transfusions of random donor platelet units and 350,000 transfusions of plateletpheresis units during calendar year 1986 in the United States. Some 245,000 patients received platelet transfusions during this period. The average patient receiving random donor units isolated from whole blood donations required 6 platelet units per transfusion event and also required 6 separate transfusions per year. The high rate of transfusions reflects the need for multiple transfusions for cancer patients undergoing aggressive chemotherapy or bone marrow transplantation as an adjunct to chemotherapy.
Multiple platelet transfusions can cause immune sensitization and rejection, especially when random donor units are used. This sensitization reaction, combined with improved plateletpheresis methods, has spurred demand for directed-donor plateletpheresis units. Plateletpheresis selectively isolates platelets from whole blood and returns the depleted blood to the donor's arm. This allows collection of concentrated platelet units from a single donor, as often as once per week. Each plateletpheresis unit contains the equivalent of 5-6 units obtained from donated whole blood (random donor units). Plateletpheresis allows more closely matched donors, such as close relatives, to donate and minimize the risk of sensitization. The use of concentrated plateletpheresis units also reduces the patient's exposure to numerous random donors, which reduces both sensitization risk and exposure to viral contaminants (a chemotherapy patient may require 60 platelet units during the course of treatment, and may be exposed to over 50 random donors).
Platelets are prescribed to control massive bleeding events before or during cardiopulmonary bypass surgery, and organ transplants. Unlike red cells, the normal human body possesses platelet reserves that can be mobilized rapidly if blood is lost. As a result, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services advises that platelets not be wasted on prophylactic transfusions for routine surgery or even most trauma situations (patients can cope with a major bleed of 20 units by mobilizing platelets provided red blood cells are administered).
Bone marrow transplants designed to restore marrow destroyed by chemotherapy accounts for the single most intensive use of platelet transfusions. Most patients recovering from chemotherapy require at least three weeks (and sometimes months) before the new bone marrow graft can begin to produce platelets. During this period circulating platelet levels are maintained by transfusions, which must be frequent due to the short 5 day circulation lifetime of normal platelets.
The present invention provides a method utilizing a buffer for platelets which allows frozen storage at high temperatures (i.e., in the range of -20 deg. C.). This temperature range is easily achieved by conventional mechanical freezers such as chest freezers now used for food storage. The present invention enables long term frozen storage, which will obviate the short shelf life of room temperature or refrigerated storage, as well as the threat of bacterial growth in room temperature stored liquid concentrates. The prohibitive costs of liquid nitrogen frozen storage or ultra-low temperature mechanical freezers are also eliminated, and the use of DMSO is eliminated.
The present invention provides a method for freezing (and freeze-drying) cells or cell-like materials, including platelets, by the use of polymer glass transition theory to determine an effective cryopreservation for natural cells suspended in an aqueous environment. As reviewed by Levine and Slade (1987) Water Science Reviews (F. Franks, ed.) Vol. 3, pp. 79-185, Cambridge University Press, in aqueous systems comprising many natural and synthetic polymers, water acts as a plasticizer that affects the glass-to-rubber transition temperatures (Tg') of the aqueous-polymer system. This area of research has had a significant impact on the design of polymeric food materials (such as those based on starches), since the raising or lowering of Tg' can confer unique advantages for processing or storage stability of a material.
A working definition of a glass (Levine and Slade, 1987) is that it comprises a mechanical solid capable of resisting flow. In a typical amorphous glass the viscosity is extremely high, in the range of 10.sup.11 to 10.sup.14 Pa-s at the glass transition temperature (Tg). The Tg value, as illustrated in FIG. 2.4 of Slade and Levine (1987) occurs at the transition from the glassy fluid to the rubbery fluid state for systems comprising glassy or partially crystalline polymers. Below Tg, in the glass phase, the high viscosities preclude molecular diffusion and hence chemical reactions (which can lead to product spoilage) cannot proceed at significant rates. From this same figure another important point can be seen: that once the product temperature exceeds Tg, viscous flow can occur in the rubbery state, allowing for molecular diffusion and chemical reaction rates to proceed with exponential kinetics (WLF kinetics).
As a practical example, this explains why certain frozen and perishable biological products, such as human blood cells, must be stored within carefully defined temperature ranges (American Association of Blood Banks Technical Manual, 10th edition, 1990, chapter 5, pp. 91-103). Currently accepted blood cell freezing solutions containing glycerol or dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) form glasses at very low temperatures (between -65.degree. C. and -198.degree. C.), thereby maintaining the cells in a chemically unreactive environment. However, exposure to temperatures that exceed Tg lead to poor cell viability as measured by red blood cell circulation time following freeze-thawing and transfusion or bleeding time reduction following transfusion of frozen-thawed platelets. In essence, the perishable cells can spoil even at temperatures below 0.degree. C. normally thought of as "freezing temperatures" because the cryoprotective media have Tg values much lower than the -20.degree. C. range commonly achieved by standard kitchen freezers.
Many of the fundamental principles of glass transition theory have derived from physical chemical studies in single component systems (see Levine and Slade, 1987) capable of forming a homogeneous "pure" glassy phase at the glass transition temperature (Tg) characteristic of that component, and in multicomponent systems. The present invention, however, provides multi-component aqueous cryopreservative systems that at appropriate temperatures form partially crystalline mixtures of water ice with interspersed regions of a separate amorphous glass phase. As defined in Pikal (1990), BioPharm, Sop-Oct 1990, the glass transition temperature of the amorphous phase in a partially crystalline aqueous system will be defined as Tg', to distinguish this particular phase from the glass transition temperatures of individual buffer components (i.e., the component Tg values).

Method of freezing cells and cell-like materials