An Improved Signal Receiver Having Wide Band Amplification Capability is disclosed. Also disclosed is a receiver that is able to receive and reliably amplify infrared and/or other wireless signals having frequency bandwidths in excess of 40 MHz. The receiver of the present invention reduces the signal-to-noise ratio of the received signal to ⅕th of the prior systems. The preferred receiver eliminates both the shunting resistor and the feedback resistor on the input end by amplifing the signal in current form. Furthermore, the receiver includes transconductance amplification means for amplifying the current signal without the need for Cascode stages. Finally, the receiver includes staged amplification to amplify the current signal in stages prior to converting the signal into a voltage output.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to wireless signal transmission systems and, more specifically, to an Improved Signal Receiver Having Wide Band Amplification Capability.
2. Description of Related Art
In a conventional infrared transceiver system 10 depicted by the diagram of FIG. 1, infrared signals 14 are received by an infrared diode 12. These incident infrared signals 14 generate a current within the infrared diode 12, which is conventionally converted to a voltage signal by shunting the system with resistor RS as shown. This relatively low-voltage signal is then passed through a voltage amplifier 16. The signal then passes through various stages of staged amplification 18 before being carried on out of the system as the output signal VIRRX. What should be appreciated is at node VOUT the signal is essentially the incident IR signal 14, plus any noise created by the IR diode 12 or the resistor RS. It should be apparent that the better the signal-to-noise ratio at VOUT, the better and cleaner the amplification through the voltage amplifier 16 and the subsequent staged amplification 18.
Now turning to FIG. 2, we can discuss the operation of the conventional system in more depth. FIG. 2 is a schematic of a single-ended version of a conventional infrared transceiver system of FIG. 1. As can be seen in FIG. 2, the IR diode 12 is simulated by current source I1 and capacitance C1. RS of FIG. 1 is here R7, shunted with the current source. Essentially, what we have in this diagram is a current mirror 20 and a voltage amplifier 22. What should be appreciated from this circuit is that in normal operation the typical input level for fast infrared (FIR) frequency bandwidth will result in approximately 0.5 micro amps of current at current source I1, which results in 106 micro volts across a "real" 212 ohm resistor R7. Under such conditions, the resistor R7 will have a thermal noise of 17.8 micro volts (at 40 MHz frequency bandwidth), which results in a noise ratio of 15.5 decibels without even having entered the amplification stages. If we now look at the operation of the amplifier 22, we can see that typically, it is a high impedance voltage amplifier. The problem with this type of voltage amplifier is that R7, which is required for the specified system bandwidth, also provides additional noise that is added to the incident infrared signal 14 (at VOUT) before the signal is amplified—this further decreases the signal-to-noise ratio. It should also be understood that since the "Miller Effect" will apply to the input stage, the value of the intrinsic gate-to-drain capacitance of such a stage is multiplied by the voltage gain. For example, a voltage gain of 10 will result in a "Miller Effect" drain-to-gate capacity of 11 times. In order to achieve the desired bandwidth, a Cascode stage becomes a necessity. The addition of this Cascode stage results in a corresponding addition of another transistor-based noise contribution discussed above (i.e. a total of two equal noise-contributing stages). Consequently, this phenomena further degrades the signal to noise ratio and harms the amplifier performance. Another type of amplifier has been conventionally used, in which R7 is replaced by a feedback resistor. This amplifier has not been discussed herein, since its design is limited to a lower bandwidth, in particular, because of its poor noise performance.
Now turning to FIG. 3, we can see a preferred model for the prior art circuit of FIG. 2. FIG. 3 is a simulation of the circuit of FIG. 2 provided for the purposes of modeling the performance of the circuit; the pertinent results of this modeling are shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. FIG. 4 is a plot of noise vs. frequency bandwidth for the conventional circuit of FIGS. 1 through 3. As can be seen, at a frequency of approximately 40 MHz (which is in the FIR bandwidth), the spot noise is approximately 1.6×10−21√{square root over (Hz )}. This number will become more significant once we discuss the improvements of the present invention.
Now turning to FIG. 5 we can see the effect of these noises and capacitance's created in the prior art voltage feedback type amplification circuit. FIG. 5 is a response plot of output voltage (VIRRX) for the prior system of FIG. 2. As can be seen, the peaks and valleys are extremely erratic and choppy, which creates an unstable signal and ultimately inferior data processing. What is needed is an improved amplifier system to reliably handle in excess of 40 MHz frequency bandwidth.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Signal receiver having wide band amplification capability


Provided are injectable, hyaluronic acid-based dermal filler compositions including conjugated vitamin C derivatives. The compositions provide for extended release of active vitamin C into tissue, promoting collagenesis and other benefits to skin.

The present invention generally relates to dermal filler compositions, and more specifically relates to injectable dermal filler compositions for aesthetic and health purposes.
Skin aging is a progressive phenomenon, occurs over time and can be affected by lifestyle factors, such as alcohol consumption, tobacco and sun exposure. Aging of the facial skin can be characterized by atrophy, slackening, and fattening. Atrophy corresponds to a massive reduction of the thickness of skin tissue. Slackening of the subcutaneous tissues leads to an excess of skin and ptosis and leads to the appearance of drooping cheeks and eye lids. Fattening refers to an increase in excess weight by swelling of the bottom of the face and neck. These changes are typically associated with dryness, loss of elasticity, and rough texture.
Ideally, injectable dermal fillers should have the following properties: biocompatibility; safety; stability at the implant site; and the ability to maintain their volume, remain pliable, induce minimal foreign body reactions and not cause foreign body granuloma. Many dermal fillers have been used, including autologous fat, bovine collagen, paraffin, fluid silicone, poly-tetrafluoroethylene (Teflon, DuPont, Wilmington, Del.) and polymer and silicone particles. Problems with grafts include uneven survival, variable resorption, formation of nodules and donor-site morbidity.
For these reasons, polymer particle suspension fillers have been developed and are fairly commonly used. Fillers composed of resorbable materials include collagen, hyaluronic acid, polymethylacrylate, dextran, polylactic acid substances and, in recent decades, those consisting of viscous fluids or polymer particle suspensions. These fillers have been used to correct soft-tissue defects, as well as fill in soft-tissue volume around the lips and nasolabial region.
Currently available dermal filler materials can be broadly subcategorized as nonbiodegradable (permanent) or biodegradable (temporary). The biodegradable materials can be further subdivided into those of intermediate or long duration. Permanent or nonresorbable fillers are encapsulated with fibrous tissue and escape phagocytosis. Examples of permanent dermal fillers include liquid silicone (eg, Silikon®), solid silicon particles in suspension (eg, Bioplastique®), polymethyl methacrylate microspheres with bovine collagen (eg, Artecoll®), acrylic hydrogel particles with unmodified hyaluronic acid (eg, Dermalive®), calcium hydroxylapatite (eg, Radiesse®, formerly called Radiance), and various polyacrylamide gel formulations (eg. Aquamid®). Many of these permanent fillers are associated with a risk of delayed foreign body-type reactions.
Common medium-term fillers—those that are resorbed after several months—include hyaluronic acid derivatives, polylactic acids and calcium hydroxylapatite [CaHA]. Resorbable fillers eventually are phagocytosed.
Biodegradable dermal fillers are commonly based on hyaluronic acid (HA), also known as hyaluronan. Hyaluronan is a non-sulfated glycosaminoglycan that is distributed widely throughout the human body in connective, epithelial, and neural tissues. Hyaluronan is abundant in the different layers of the skin, where it has multiple functions such as, e.g., to ensure good hydration, to assist in the organization of the extracellular matrix, to act as a filler material; and to participate in tissue repair mechanisms. However, with age, the quantity of hyaluronan, collagen, elastin, and other matrix polymers present in the skin decreases. For example, repeated exposed to ultra violet light, e.g., from the sun, causes dermal cells to both decrease their production of hyaluronan as well as increase the rate of its degradation. This hyaluronan loss results in various skin conditions such as, e.g., imperfects, defects, diseases and/or disorders, and the like. For instance, there is a strong correlation between the water content in the skin and levels of hyaluronan in the dermal tissue. As skin ages, the amount and quality of hyaluronan in the skin is reduced. These changes lead to drying and wrinkling of the skin.
Originally, dermal filler compositions comprising hyaluronan where made from naturally-occurring polymers, which exist in an uncrosslinked state. Although exhibiting excellent biocompatibility and affinity for water molecules, naturally-occurring hyaluronan exhibits poor biomechanical properties as a dermal filler. One primary reason is that because this polymer is uncrosslinked, it is highly soluble and, as such, is cleared rapidly when administered into a skin region. This in vivo clearance is primarily achieved by rapid degradation of the polymers, principally enzymatic degradation via hyaluronidase and chemical degradation via free-radicals. Thus, while still in commercial use, compositions comprising uncrosslinked hyaluronan polymers tend to degrade within a few days after administration and thus require fairly frequent reinjection to maintain their skin improving effect.
To minimize the effect of these in vivo degradation pathways, matrix polymers are crosslinked to one another to form a stabilized hydrogel. Because hydrogels comprising crosslinked matrix polymers are a more solid substance, dermal fillers comprising such hydrogels remain in place at the implant site longer. In addition, these hydrogels are more suitable as a dermal filler because the more solid nature thereof improves the mechanical properties of the filler, allowing the filler to better lift and fill a skin region. Hyaluronan polymers are typically crosslinked with a crosslinking agent to form covalent bonds between hyaluronan polymers. Such crosslinked polymers form a less water soluble hydrogel network that is more resistant to degradation, and thus requires less frequent reinjection, than the non-crosslinked hyaluronan compositions.
Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid or AsA, is well known as an antioxidant which reduces, and thereby neutralizes, reactive oxygen species such as hydrogen peroxide, thus reducing oxidative stress for various clinical benefits, including treating cardiovascular disease, hypertension, chronic inflammatory diseases, diabetes, and conditions with severe burns. For example, among other benefits, vitamin C acts as an anti-inflammatory, and promotes collagenesis and angiogenesis. Vitamin C is known to promote collagenesis and/or angiogenesis by functioning as a cofactor in enzymatic reactions to promote collagen formation, develop and maintain blood vessels and cartilage. Vitamin C is known to inhibit biological functions of tyrosinase to prevent melanin formation or lightening melanin pigmentation.
Vitamin C is generally unstable upon exposure to air, light and heat. It is also considered cytotoxic at certain levels. Vitamin C is normally derivatised to a stable form for cosmetic applications. There are a few stabilized Vitamin C forms. Examples are L-ascorbic acid 2-glucoside (AA2G), ascobyl 3-aminopropyl phosphate-(VITAGEN), sodium ascorbyl phosphate (AA2P), etc. When vitamin C (for example vitamin C derivative AA2G) is physically mixed with hyaluronic acid gel and injected into the skin, the vitamin C is fully released from the mixture in less than one week.
It would be desirable to provide an injectable hyaluronic acid-based composition with vitamin C, or another vitamin, having a sustained release rate, that is, a release rate over weeks or even months rather than a few days. However, it has proven difficult to develop stable, effective, sustained release dermal filler products which include vitamins. The present invention provides improved hyaluronic acid-based dermal filler compositions including conjugated vitamins, for example, vitamin derivatives.

Dermal filler compositions including antioxidants


A mattress storage and sorting conveyor, which discharges to one or more extendable conveyors, has a feed section that collects the mattress from one or more wrappers and inserts the mattress onto a circulating system which stores the mattresses until ready to be transferred. A short length of the circulating system may be repositioned to discharge a particular mattress to one or more conveyors that transport the mattress to a respective extendable conveyor. An operator at a control station selects which mattress to discharge from the circulating system. The conveyor system is controlled by a series of sensors, relays, and motor controllers to prevent or minimize the collisions between mattresses on the circulating system of the conveyor.

This invention relates generally to conveyors and other devices used to load heavy and/or awkward loads into trucks, and more particularly to conveyors that are used to store, sort, and load heavy and/or awkward objects such as mattresses into trucks, containers, or other confined areas.
Conveyors and the like, together with manpower have long been used to load trucks and move packages within a manufacturing facility. The use of many people to move objects within a plant or to load a truck with heavy and/or awkward objects is becoming less and less attractive as the cost of wages increase. In addition to the labor costs, there are costs associated with on the job injuries. These costs include both the costs of workers"" compensation insurance and the costs associated with loss of the injured individual""s labor for a period of time while the injury heals. During the period of time when a person is absent from work due to an injury, not only may the employer have to pay the absent worker, but the employer may also have to pay the wages of a replacement worker who may be unfamiliar with the employer""s operations.
Moving or loading of heavy and/or awkward items raises the risks substantially of the worker being injured. While the use of conventional methods can prevent many injuries, these tools are not effective for all types of cargo. For example, a large king size mattress can weigh as much as two hundred pounds and have dimensions exceeding six feet long, six feet wide, and fourteen inches high. Modern mattresses are both heavy and awkward for one person to carry and/or move by hand or with a dolly and are awkward to move from the machine that wraps the mattress in plastic to the truck.
Typically, a mattress is manufactured, wrapped, and shipped in the same day to ensure that the customer receives a xe2x80x9cfreshxe2x80x9d mattress. Thus, to save time and to ease the unloading process, mattresses are often manufactured in the order that they will be loaded in the truck or shipping container. Often, due to order changes or errors on the assembly line one or more mattresses may be manufactured out of the loading sequence. These out of sequence mattresses are typically piled in an area that is out of the way. When it is time to load one of the mattresses in the stack, the stack is disassembled, the selected mattress removed, and the other mattresses that are not yet required are re-stacked. This stacking, unstacking, sorting, and re-stacking takes time and reduce the number of mattresses that can be loaded in a day.
Therefore, a storage and sorting conveyor system that discharges to an extendable conveyor is needed that will enable a mattress manufacturer to collect mattresses quickly and easily from one or more wrappers, store, sort, and discharge mattresses, box springs, and/or other heavy and awkward packages to an extendable loading conveyor while minimizing the risk of injury to the worker. The extendable loading conveyor enables the mattresses to be loaded into trucks, containers, or other limited areas without the workers having to support the weight of the mattress.
The present invention has solved the package handling problems cited above and generally comprises a mattress storage and sorting conveyor that discharges to one or more extendable conveyors. The storage and sorting conveyor has a feed section that collects the mattress from one or more wrappers and inserts the mattress onto a circulating system which stores the mattresses until ready to be transferred elsewhere. Typically, this circulating system is located overhead to minimize the loss of floor space, although the circulating system may be located at any convenient location. A short length of the circulating system typically is repositioned to discharge a particular mattress to one or more conveyors that transport the mattress to a respective extendable conveyor. An operator at a control station selects which mattress to discharge from the circulating system. The conveyor system is controlled by a series of sensors, relays, and motor controllers to prevent or minimize the collisions between mattresses on the circulating system of the conveyor.
The extendable conveyor is a modification of existing extendable conveyors. The modifications enable the discharge end of the conveyor to move from a loading position near the top of the truck to a loading position near the bottom of the truck through out the length of the truck. This range of movement is greater than the range of movement that is typically employed in extendable conveyors and enables mattresses and other cargo to be loaded into a truck without the worker having to lift and/or catch the mattress or package. Additionally there may be provided dual control boxes at the discharge end of the conveyor to enable the conveyor to be controlled from either side depending on the worker""s preference and/or best location for observing and controlling the loading procedure.
An object of the present invention is to provide a mattress conveyor system for storing, sorting, and discharging mattresses to extendable conveyor that will permit a truck to be loaded with mattresses without a worker having to lift and/or catch a heavy mattress.
Additional objects, advantages and other novel features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description that follows and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned with the practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Overhead mattress storage and sorting conveyor


A method for guaranteeing at least one characteristic of a fluid used for producing food products. This method utilizes a system for piping and delivering the fluid, combined with means for producing the products, in order to use the fluid for producing the products; the measuring a value of the characteristic; the comparing the measured value with a predetermined threshold value; the act of executing an action if the measured value departs from the threshold value; the combining the measured value with first information for identifying at least one product; and then the storing the associated value and the associated information.

The present invention relates to a method for guaranteeing at least one characteristic of a fluid used for producing food products.
The requirements in terms of safety and quality are becoming increasingly important in the food industry.
Thus, it seems to be desirable to guarantee that certain characteristics of the fluids used for producing food products possess acceptable values. These characteristics are, for example, characteristics relating to the content of chemical, physical or biological impurities.
The fluids to which the invention relates may be used as technological auxiliary and are therefore not involved in or do not come into contact with the finished food products up to the moment of their consumption. They are, for example, cryogenic fluids used for cooling the food products.
Such fluids may also be used as additives or as ingredients, and they therefore remain in or in contact with the finished food products. These are, for example, fluids used as propellents or for forming protective atmospheres or for modifying the pH.
EP-932 007 discloses a method of filtering, in liquid phase, a cryogenic fluid in order to remove microorganisms and/or physical particles. The cryogenic fluid is, for example, used in the agri-food industry. This filtration method does not include a step of measuring a characteristic of the cryogenic fluid.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,759,848 discloses a method of sterilizing a cryogenic liquid by filtration. This method too does not include a step of measuring a characteristic of the cryogenic liquid.
FR-2 728 803 discloses a method of delivering dry air comprising steps of purifying compressed air, but no step of measuring a characteristic of this air.
WO-98/48259 discloses an in-line method for quantitatively and qualitatively differentiating between biotic and abiotic particles in a gas. This method can be used in the food industry.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,428,555 discloses a system for obtaining and analyzing information relating to a method of producing semiconductor chips using a gas. That document does not mention the step of measuring a characteristic of the gas.
EP-584 747 discloses the use of high-purity helium for producing products. A purity measurement is carried out downstream of the purification devices that are connected in parallel and contain desiccants, adsorbents and/or oxidation catalysts. Such a measurement is used to determine whether the helium has to pass via one or other or via both devices in order to ensure satisfactory purification. Helium is not a fluid used for producing food products, but it can be used as a tracer for any leaks in a package. The method described is also not suitable for such production, as it does not guarantee that the products have been produced with a fluid, at least one characteristic of which complies with a predetermined constraint.
Thus, none of these documents provides a method for guaranteeing at least one characteristic of a fluid used for producing food products.
It is an object of the invention to solve this problem.
This is because it should be pointed out that although the quality of the gases delivered by the gas producer and/or supplier is usually guaranteed, on the other hand no guarantee or no systematic control of the quality of the gases from the chemical, physical and/or microbiological standpoint is provided at the point of use. The influence of the system on the quality of the gas is not monitored, and likewise the constancy over time of the quality of the gases at the point of use is not checked.
The generalized use of HACCP methods in food companies requires users to establish critical control points where risks (of a microbiological, physical or chemical nature) may arise. The quality of the gases at the point of use is therefore a critical point to be controlled within the context of this approach so as to ensure that the gas in contact with the food is not a source of contamination.
The object of the present invention is to formulate an overall approach for controlling and/or guaranteeing the quality of the gases or of the gas mixture from production to the point of use from the microbiological, physical and chemical standpoint.
It is preferable to include the setting up of measures for removing chemical, physical and/or microbiological contaminants at the point of use, the setting-up of a control system for checking the quality of the gases or of the gas mixture right up to the point of use, the setting-up of a continuous recording system for archiving the information (measurements, maintenance operations, failures) that occur along the gas delivery line and the setting-up of a traceability system for linking the delivery of the gases with the customer's production batches.

Method of guaranteeing at least one characteristic of a fluid used for producing food products

L'Air Liquide, Societe Anonyme A Directoire et Conseil de Surveillance pour l'Etude et l'Exploitation des Procedes Georges Claude


A drive device of an automatic ice machine turns over an ice tray in which ice has been made. This is done to separate the ice. The drive device includes a motor, a first output shaft and a second output shaft having positional relation of mutually crossing, and a reduction gear for reducing rotation of the motor and transmitting respectively different driving forces to the first output shaft and the second output shaft. The second output shaft crushes ice, and the first output shaft separates ice from the ice tray. In this manner the ice is made rocky without roundness.

A drive device of an automatic ice machine mounted in a domestic electric refrigerator disclosed in Patent Laid Open 2001-272146 automatically supplies water on an ice tray disposed in a refrigeration room, and after frozen, discharges ice from the ice tray by the drive device.
FIG. 6 is a plan view showing the drive device of an existing automatic ice machine. The existing device is composed of (i) ice tray 1 of storing water and making ice, (ii) a plurality of fixing fingers 2 making fixed rows on the upper face of ice tray 1, (iii) moving pawls 3 rotating by a motor (not shown) and discharging ice, (iv) stop arm 4 of detecting an amount of ice storing in an ice box (not shown), and (v) control box 5 of working moving pawls 3 and stop arm 4.
Ice tray 1 includes a thermister and a heater. When water in ice tray 1 is frozen, and the thermister detects completion of making ice, the heater is electrically conducted. When ice begins melting at an ice surface contacting ice tray 1, the electric conduction to heater 1 is finished, and subsequently the conduction to the motor begins. When moving pawl 3 is rotated 360° by rotation of the motor, ice in ice tray 1 is discharged. The discharged ice is sent to the ice box. After moving pawls 3 are rotated 360°, ice tray 1 is supplied with water, and again the ice making work is started. The above work is repeated until stop arm 4 detects predetermined amount of ice.
However, in the drive device of the existing automatic ice machine, since ice is easily removed from the ice tray, ice shapes are uniformly rounded. Less round and rock like ice cannot be made, which is demanded by consumers.


A bicycle shift control device is provided with a shift winding member, a winding pawl, a winding member return element, a gear shifting mechanism and a winding pawl biasing element. The winding member is movably arranged between a rest position and a shifting position. The winding pawl moves in response to movement of the winding member. The winding member return element biases the winding member to the rest position and to bias the winding pawl to a pawl engagement position when the winding member is moved from the rest position towards the shifting position. The gear shifting mechanism includes winding teeth that are engaged with the winding pawl. The winding pawl biasing element applies a biasing force to the winding pawl that urges the winding pawl to the pawl engagement position when the winding member is in the rest position.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to a bicycle control device. More specifically, the present invention relates to a bicycle shift control device that performs shifting operations including a winding operation without a lost motion occurring during movement of a winding lever.
2. Background Information
Bicycling is becoming an increasingly more popular form of recreation as well as a means of transportation. Moreover, bicycling has become a very popular competitive sport for both amateurs and professionals. Whether the bicycle is used for recreation, transportation or competition, the bicycle industry is constantly improving the various components of the bicycle. In particular, control devices for shifting have been extensively redesigned in recent years.
Currently, there are many types of cable operated shifting devices currently being installed on bicycles. For example, some cable operated shifting devices have a pair of shift levers and a cable winding mechanism that rotates via a ratchet mechanism. With conventional cable operated shifting devices of this type, operation of one of the shift lever causes the cable winder to rotate via the ratchet mechanism in one direction by one gear at a time. As a result, the cable is wound around the cable winder, and a shift is made by the shift mechanism from one gear to the next gear. Operation of the other shift lever causes the ratchet mechanism to be released and the cable winder to rotate in the other direction by one gear at a time. As a result, the cable that was wound on the cable winder is played out, and a shift is made in the opposite direction by the shift mechanism. More recently, some cable operated shifting devices have been developed that allow multiple gear shifts in a single operation of one of the shift levers. These prior shifting devices can be complicated and expensive to manufacture and assemble. Furthermore, these prior shifting devices are sometimes heavy and/or cumbersome.
Also in some of these prior shifting devices, a winding pawl is used to rotate a wire takeup member by engaging a set of winding ratchet teeth of a ratchet wheel that is mounted to the wire takeup member. The winding pawl is engaged with one of the winding ratchet tooth in a rest position. In some of these prior shifting devices, when a rider moves the winding lever, the winding pawl immediately rotates the wire takeup member which integrally rotates with the ratchet wheel. However, in other prior shifting devices, the winding pawl is disengaged from the winding ratchet teeth in a rest position. In this case, some amount of movement of the winding lever is required before the wire takeup member begins to rotate. In other words, some of prior shifting devices have some lost motion occurring in the winding lever.
In the shifting devices without lost motion, positioning teeth for holding the wire takeup member are formed on the same plate or at least they move integrally with the winding ratchet teeth. Thus, when one of the positioning teeth is caught (positioned) by a positioning pawl, the positions of the winding ratchet teeth are automatically fixed. Therefore, in these shifting devices without lost motion, it is theoretically possible to design the rest position of the winding pawl to be at the bottom of the winding teeth. If this type of design is created, there is no lost motion, that is, when the winding lever is rotated, the wire takeup member is immediately rotated by the winding pawl. However, in a mass production, it is not easy to precisely position the winding pawl relative to the positioning pawl(s) and the ratchet wheel and so on. Therefore, some manual adjustment would be necessary in order to assembly a shifting device having such a design. This type of shifting device can be very time consuming to assemble, and thus, increase the manufacture costs of the shifting device.
In view of the above, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure that there exists a need for an improved bicycle control (shifting) device. This invention addresses this need in the art as well as other needs, which will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure.


A device to facilitate filling a reusable bag, a conventional trash bag or a receptacle. The device and bag or receptacle are used horizontally. The device comprises a funneled receiver, channel, stakes, and optionally four legs. The receiver is a scoop-like device having semi-frusto-conical cross-sections. The channel is a non-funneled extension of the receiver, having trapezoidal cross-sections. If a bag is used, the device facilitates filling the bag and it also holds open the bag. The optional four legs also hold open the body of the bag and, by contributing to the stability of the device, they allow the device to be smaller and lighter than otherwise. The device is normally placed on the ground, and inserted into either the bag or the receptacle. Leaves, grass clippings and other debris are raked or otherwise projected through the front of the receiver. The front of the receiver has a turned-over lip that facilitates filling the bag and that also acts as a handle.

The present invention satisfies the need of an improved device to facilitate fitting a reusable bag, a conventional trash bag or a receptacle.
Information relevant to attempts to address this problem can be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,731,184; 3,997,169; 4,671,708; 5,593,117; 5,655,739; 5,879,039; 6,166,548; 6,116,549; 6,135,518; 6,450,461; 6,554,810; 6,708,742; 6,974,167; 7,066,432; 7,281,690; 7,302,904; 7,302,978; 4,776,478; D289,577; D389,634; D440,729; D502,582; D513,352; and U.S. Patent Application No.'s 20020100844; 20020100845; 20030173471; 20030218104; and 20050087657; which are not admitted to be prior art with respect to the present invention by its mention in this Background Section. However, it is desirable to have better apparatuses and/or methods than what is disclosed in the identified references. Relevant fields of art include 52/155; 141/391; 248/99, 146, 156; and D34/5, 6.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,593,117 is a lawn and garden debris collecting apparatus comprising a two-component funneled receiver and a bag. The front of the receiver has an funnel-shaped mouth with a tapering rectangular cross-section followed by a much shorter portion tapering in the reverse direction. All four sides of the funnel taper in three dimensions, in contrast to the present invention in which only three sides of the funnel taper in three dimensions and the fourth side tapers in two dimensions. The rear of the receiver has a non-tapering rectangular cross section. These front and the rear portions are separate from one another, and are connected only by a strap on both sides, in contrast to the present invention in which the receiver and channel are integrally formed. The receiver lies on the ground, but unlike the present invention it has no stake or anchor. It has a cut-out hand-hold, unlike the present invention which has a handhold integrally formed from the receiver front terminal edge.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,655,739 is a tubular receiver having a sigmoidal tapered front, a baseboard, and a rear locking ring for holding a bag in place.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,879,039 is an elongated tube with two handles on the sides. The device is made for vertical use, for fitting sandbags.
In contrast to U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,116,548 and 6,116,549, the legs of the present invention are not a support stand, in the sense that they do not support the receiver. The receiver lies on the ground. Two of the legs lie lengthwise on the ground.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,135,518 has a funneled receiver and channel. All four walls of the receiver taper away from the plane of the channel. The device is made for vertical use.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,450,461 is simply a hollow four-sided rectangular frame, with holes with longitudinal slits for receiving bolts connected to a bag to hold the bag.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,708,742 has a funneled receiver and channel with parallel sides, but only the channel has a top wall. The handle is attached onto the top wall of the channel. The device is made to insert into a custom receptacle. Optionally the channel is removable and the funnel placed into a bag; such as configuration has no handle. It has no stakes.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,974,167 has a receiver with parallel side walls and a funneled channel, the reverse of the present invention. It has no top wall or optional legs. It is not made to lie flush on the ground. It works only with receptacles, not with bags. It has a bracket for attaching to the mouth of the receptacle. It has no stakes.

Device to facilitate filling a reusable bag, a conventional trash bag or a receptacle


A wireless communication system, a wireless transmitting apparatus, and a wireless receiving apparatus which can be applied to all types of light sources and can be applied to a variety of fields, provided with a medium forming an information transmission source, a general light source made of for example a lamp or the sun or another natural light source or artificial light source, a wireless transmitting apparatus for making the polarization of the light from the light source uniform and controlling the polarization plane of an infrared ray, visible ray, UV ray, or other light (modulating the light in polarization) so as to superimpose other information invisible to the human eye on visual information due to general reflected light and transmitting the same as an optical wireless signal, and a wireless receiving apparatus for receiving the optical wireless signal transmitted from the wireless transmitting apparatus and able to determine a change in orientation of the polarization plane of the light as information of the signal.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a wireless communication system, a wireless transmitting apparatus, and a wireless receiving apparatus for optical communications by controlling the polarization planes of light.
2. Description of the Art
In the art, wireless communication technology utilizing light is known and applied to mobile phones and other information communication apparatuses.
As a specific example of wireless communication technology utilizing light, the technology of changing light intensity of infrared rays or the like to generate a pulse signal and utilizing this pulse signal to transmit and receive data, the technology of utilizing modulated light of an LED or laser diode and analyzing the intensity of the light on the reception side to acquire data, and other technologies are known (see for example Japanese Patent Publication (A) No. 2004-72365).
However, the wireless communication technology as disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication (A) No. 2004-72365 was limited to use of specific light sources, therefore the fields to which the wireless communication technology was applied were limited.

Wireless communication system, wireless transmitting apparatus, and wireless receiving apparatus


An apparatus for conditioning a component of a processing chamber is provided. A tank for holding a megasonic conditioning solution is provided. A mount holds the component immersed in a megasonic conditioning solution, when the tank is filled with the megasonic conditioning solution. A megasonic conditioning solution inlet system delivers the megasonic conditioning solution to the tank. A megasonic transducer head comprises at least one megasonic transducer to provide megasonic energy to the megasonic conditioning solution, wherein the megasonic energy is delivered to the component via the megasonic conditioning solution. A megasonic conditioning solution drain system drains the megasonic conditioning solution from the tank at a location above where the component is held in the megasonic conditioning solution. An actuator moves the megasonic transducer head across the tank.

The disclosure relates to a method for conditioning a ceramic component. More specifically, the disclosure relates to a method for conditioning a ceramic component for use in a wafer plasma processing chamber.
In forming semiconductor devices wafer plasma processing chambers are used to process substrates. Some plasma processing chambers have ceramic containing components, such as dielectric power windows, gas injectors, edge rings, electrodes, showerheads, high flow liners, and electrostatic chucks.


Disclosed herein is a method of measuring a resistivity parameter of an earth formation. The method includes: applying a first electric measurement current including a first series of pulses to a first electrode and inducing a first formation current in the earth formation; applying a second electric measurement current including a second series of pulses to a second electrode and inducing a second formation current in the earth formation, the first series of pulses and the second series of pulses occupying distinct portions of a time domain in a selected time window; measuring the first measurement current, the first formation current, the second measurement current and the second formation current by coherent in-phase demodulation; and calculating at least one resistivity parameter by i) comparing the first measurement current to the first formation current and ii) comparing the second measurement current to the second formation current. A system for measuring a resistivity parameter of an earth formation is also provided.

Various formation evaluation (FE) tools are used in hydrocarbon exploration and production to measure properties of geologic formations during or shortly after the excavation of a borehole. The properties are measured by formation evaluation tools and other suitable devices, which are typically integrated into a bottom hole assembly (BHA).
FE tools include various types of sensors, such as resistivity sensors, which measure formation resistivity by passing an electrical current through a formation and measuring a change in the current through the formation. This may be accomplished by physically coupling a measurement electrode and a return or ground electrode to the formation, emitting a current into the formation between the measurement and ground electrodes, and measuring electrical potential differences between the electrodes. The resulting voltage/current (V/I) ratios are converted to apparent resistivities, using algorithms based upon the electrode array geometries and potential theory. Alternatively, the electrodes are capacitively coupled to the formation. In other alternatives, a transmitting antenna inductively couples current to the formation, which is in turn received by the same or a separate antenna.
Some resistivity sensors utilize simple equal potential drivers to attempt to eliminate current leakages from the resistivity buttons and pads. However, such configurations often introduce an operational delay that causes resistivity parameters such as impedance measured by the resistivity sensor to include other factors beyond a formation resistivity, resulting in potentially inaccurate measurements.

System and method for measuring resistivity parameters of an earth formation


In a first crystal growth step, a first cladding layer, an active layer, and an optical wave-guide layer are sequentially grown on a semiconductor substrate. A diffraction grating is formed at a surface of the optical waveguide layer. In a second crystal growth step, a current block layer is grown on the optical waveguide layer having the diffraction grating. The current block layer is selectively etched to expose the diffraction grating and thus to form a stripe groove. In a third crystal growth step, a second cladding layer is grown on the diffraction grating inside the stripe groove and on the current block layer.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for producing a semiconductor laser device. In particular, the present invention relates to a method for producing a distributed feedback semiconductor laser device which is capable of stable control of the transverse mode to obtain a fundamental transverse mode even at a high output, and therefore is suitable for a light source for an optical data processing or an optical measuring instrument.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Recently, a semiconductor laser having the advantages of compactness, high output, and low cost has been put into practical use and applied to general industrial equipment and consumer equipment in which it has been difficult to use a conventional laser as a light source. The application of the semiconductor laser is especially remarkably advanced in the fields of optical data processing, optical measuring, and optical communication. It is expected that a semiconductor laser will be applied in more diverse fields in the future. Under these circumstances, it is demanded to further improve the inherent features of the laser such as coherency and monochromaticity of light and their stability, and thus to develop a semiconductor laser device having characteristics which are close to those of a gas laser. For example, a semiconductor laser device for application in a high speed laser printer has been developed.
For the application in a laser printer, a laser in which the transverse mode is controlled to obtain the fundamental transverse mode is required. In the optical system using a hologram or the like, a semiconductor laser, in which the transverse mode is controlled to obtain the fundamental transverse mode and the longitudinal mode is controlled to obtain the single longitudinal mode, is required. In response to these demands, a semiconductor laser device is proposed which has a diffraction grating formed in a resonator and thus selectively controls only the longitudinal mode corresponding to the Bragg wavelength of the diffraction grating. Such a semiconductor laser device is called a distributed feedback semiconductor laser device (hereinafter, referred to as DFB-LD). GaAs or InP semiconductor laser devices having such a construction have been developed.
Today, a semiconductor laser device using InP/InGaAsP materials and having a wavelength of 1.3 .mu.m or 1.55 .mu.m is practically used in a part of the optical communication field. The DFB-LD structure is employed in an AlGaAs/GaAs semiconductor laser device having a wavelength of 830 nm or shorter for use as a stable light source in a system utilizing a hologram or diffraction grating, for example, a hologram laser beam scanner and an integrated pickup for an optical disk.
A method for producing a DFB semiconductor laser device which includes a stripe groove and a light absorbing current block layer portions disposed on both sides of the stripe groove and thus controls the transverse mode is disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2-206191. According to this publication, a diffraction grating is formed in the semiconductor laser device in a simple method including only two crystal growth steps. This semiconductor laser device, which has a schematic construction shown in FIG. 7, is produced in the following manner.
In a first crystal growth step, as is shown in FIG. 8, an n-In.sub.0.5 (Ga.sub.0.3 Al.sub.0.7).sub.0.5 P first cladding layer 31, a non-doped In.sub.0.5 Ga.sub.0.5 P active layer 32, a p-In.sub.0.5 (Ga.sub.0.7 Al.sub.0.3).sub.0.5 P optical waveguide layer 33, and an n-GaAs current block layer 34 are sequentially grown on an n-GaAs substrate 30 under a reduced-pressure by use of metal organic chemical vapor deposition (hereinafter, referred to as MOCVD).
Next, as is shown in FIG. 9, the current block layer 34 is etched by use of a chemical etching method, applying a photo resist mask until the optical waveguide layer 33 is exposed, thereby forming a stripe groove.
After the photo resist mask is removed by an appropriate solvent, the optical waveguide layer 33 inside the stripe groove is applied with another photo resist mask. A periodical corrugation is formed at the photo resist mask by use of holographic exposure, and then the periodical corrugation is transferred onto a surface of the optical waveguide layer 33 by use of a chemical etching method through this photo resist mask, thereby forming a diffraction grating 37 (FIG. 7).
In a second crystal growth step, as is shown in FIG. 10, a p-In.sub.0.5 (Ga.sub.0.3 Al.sub.0.7).sub.0.5 P second cladding layer 35 is grown on the optical waveguide layer 33 in the stripe groove and on the current block layer 34, and a p-GaAs contact layer 36 is grown on the second cladding layer 35, both by use of MOCVD.
Finally, a p-type electrode 38 is formed on a top surface of the contact layer 36, and an n-type electrode 39 is formed on a bottom surface of the substrate 30, and then the obtained wafer is cleaved into chips to produce the DFB semiconductor laser device shown in FIG. 7.
In the above DFB semiconductor laser device, portions of the light absorbing current block layer 34 disposed on both sides of the stripe groove controls the transverse mode. The longitudinal mode is controlled by the diffraction grating 37.
The above method has an advantage of producing the semiconductor laser device in only two crystal growth steps, but has the following problems.
It is extremely difficult to uniformly apply photo resist to form the photo resist mask for forming the diffraction grating on a bottom of the narrow groove sandwiched between the thick current block layers 34. For example, the photo resist tends to be thickly applied in the vicinity of the current block layer at the bottom of the groove. This portion is also hard to expose because the current block layer acts as a shielding wall, so the resist is not irradiated with UV light. Accordingly, it is impossible to form the diffraction grating in the vicinity of the current block layer on the bottom of the groove. In order to form a uniform diffraction grating at an entire bottom area of the stripe groove, the stripe groove acting as the waveguide region should be formed so as to have a width as wide as 10 .mu.m or more. Such a wide waveguide region causes a deformation in the transverse mode due to spatial hole burning in the waveguide region, thereby adversely affecting the characteristics of the semiconductor laser device.
In the semiconductor laser device produced in the above method, the waveguide region in the vicinity of the current block layer without diffraction grating is thicker than the waveguide region at the central bottom portion of the stripe groove. Accordingly, the former portion has a larger equivalent refractive index than the latter portion. Since light is led to a portion having a larger refractive index, the former portion has a larger optical intensity distribution than the latter portion. As a result, the loss of light due to the light absorption effect of the current block layer is large, thereby excessively losing the light in the waveguide region in the fundamental transverse mode.
For these problems, the semiconductor laser device produced in the above prior art method is not always excellent in quality, resulting in a low production yield.
FIG. 21 shows a typical conventional AlGaAs/GaAs DFB semiconductor laser device having a mesa ridge and portions of a light absorbing current block layer disposed on both sides of the mesa ridge as a transverse mode controlling structure. This semiconductor laser device is produced, for example, in two crystal growth steps by use of MOCVD. An optical waveguide layer necessary for laser emission and a diffraction grating important for the DFB-LD structure are formed between the two crystal growth steps. Practically, this semiconductor laser device is produced in the following manner.
As is shown in FIG. 22, an n-AlGaAs first cladding layer 401 (thickness: 1.3 .mu.m), an AlGaAs active layer 402 (thickness: 0.12 .mu.m), and a p-AlGaAs optical waveguide layer 403 (thickness: 0.3 .mu.m) are sequentially grown on an (100) facet of a n-GaAs substrate 400 by use of MOCVD. The resulting wafer is then taken out of a liquid phase epitaxy (hereinafter, referred to as LPE) apparatus, and a surface of the optical waveguide layer 403 is etched by an appropriate etching method to form a mesa ridge 404. The mesa ridge 404 has, for example, a width of approximately 3 .mu.m and a height of approximately 0.15 .mu.m. The mesa ridge 404 constitutes an optical waveguide region. As is shown in FIG. 23, a diffraction grating 405 is formed at an entire top surface of the optical waveguide layer 403 having the mesa ridge 404 by use of holographic exposure.
A p-AlGaAs second cladding layer 406 (thickness: 1.0 .mu.m) and a p-GaAs contact layer 407 (thickness: 0.3 .mu.m) are grown on the diffraction grating 405 by use of MOCVD. Then, a SiO.sub.2 film 408 (thickness: 0.2 .mu.m) is formed on the contact layer 407 by use of plasma chemical vapor deposition (P-CVD). A ortion of the SiO.sub.2 film 408 positioned right above the mesa ridge 404 is etched away to form a window in a stripe pattern 409 (width: 3 .mu.m). The current injection path is regulated by the stripe pattern.
Finally, a p-type ohmic electrode (not shown) is formed on a top surface of the contact layer 407 in the window 409, and an n-type ohmic electrode (not shown) is formed on a bottom surface of the substrate 400, and the resulting wafer is cleaved into chips to produce the DFB semiconductor laser device shown in FIG. 21.
The above method has the advantage of simplicity owing to only two crystal growth steps required, but has the following problems.
Since the positional alignment of the mesa ridge 404 and the window 409 should be performed so that the gain generated by current injection is largest at the center of the optical waveguide region in the transverse direction, an extremely high precision (generally, an error of 0.1 .mu.m or less) is required. Practically, since the mesa ridge 404 is buried by the second cladding layer 406 and the contact layer 407, such a highly precise alignment is extremely difficult. When the current injection path and the optical waveguide region are even slightly deviated in position from each other, the control of the transverse mode is ineffective. Since an effective refractive index waveguide is utilized in order to control the transverse mode in this semiconductor laser device, a higher order mode or an asymmetrical mode light cannot be reduced. Especially in the high optical output operation, the peak of the emitted laser intensity distribution is easily deviated from the center of the waveguide region.
In forming the diffraction grating 405, it is necessary to apply resist on a surface of the optical waveguide layer 403 on which the mesa ridge 404 is formed and then expose the resist so as to have a stripe pattern. Since the thickness of the resist film is non-uniform at the vicinity of the foot of the mesa ridge 404, it is difficult to determine appropriate exposure conditions. Accordingly, the diffraction grating cannot be formed to have a uniform thickness.
In order to solve these problems, still another method for producing a DFB semiconductor laser in which a diffraction grating is formed on an entire surface of the flat wafer is proposed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2-206191. The semiconductor laser device according to this publication is shown in FIG. 24, and is produced in the following manner.
An n-InGaAlP first cladding layer 501, an InGaP active layer 502, and a p-InGaAlP optical waveguide layer 503 are sequentially grown on an n-GaAs substrate 500. Next, a diffraction grating 504 is formed at an entire top surface of the optical waveguide layer 503, and then a p-InGaAlP second cladding layer 505 is grown on the diffraction grating 504. The second cladding layer 505 is etched by use of a thin film mask formed of a dielectric material to form a mesa ridge 506. The thin film mask formed of the dielectric material is used again to grow a current block layer 507 on the optical waveguide layer 503 provided on both sides of the mesa ridge 506. Then, the dielectric thin film mask is removed, and a p-GaAs contact layer 508 is grown on the mesa ridge 506 and the current block layer 507. Finally, a p-type ohmic electrode 509 is formed on a top surface of the contact layer 508, and an n-type ohmic electrode 510 is formed on a bottom surface of the substrate 500. Thus, the DFB semiconductor laser device shown in FIG. 24 is produced. In this prior art example, all the layers are grown by use of MOCVD.
In the DFB semiconductor laser device having the mesa ridge shown in FIG. 24, the diffraction grating is formed at the entire surface of the optical waveguide layer. Therefore, this semiconductor laser device is more excellent than the one in FIG. 7 in the control precision of the manufacturing process. On the other hands, this semiconductor laser device has problems that a dielectric film should be used as a mask to selectively grow the current block layer and that four crystal growth steps are required to grow the contact layer, resulting in a low production yield.

Method for producing a distributed feedback semiconductor laser device


A play table with integral storage areas accessible through the play surface has a frame which supports a horizontal board having one or more openings. A removable storage bin is suspended within each opening. Atop each opening, a removable panel is provided. Preferably, the panels collectively cover the entire surface area of the board, thus providing a smooth play or work surface. When articles stored in a bin are needed, the panel overlying the bin is removed and its contents withdrawn, either piecemeal or by removing the bin itself. The panel then is replaced atop the opening, thus restoring the smooth play surface to its entirety. When the articles need to be returned to the storage bin, the appropriate panel is removed and the articles may either be swept or placed into the bin.

The invention relates to a table with integral storage areas accessible through the work surface.
Tables of one form or another have long been used for storing articles in proximity to a surface on which the articles are used. A typical desk is a common example. Desks commonly are comprised of one or more drawers located below a flat top surface. Articles can be removed easily from a desk drawer and placed on the top surface to be used as desired.
In certain contexts, there is a heightened need for storing articles in the same table having the surface on which the articles are to be used. Perhaps the best example of this is the context of children playing with a number of toys. In such a situation, it is desirable that the toys be stored as near as possible to the location where the children are to play with the toys; in this manner, the possibility of toys being scattered is reduced, while the possibility of toys neatly reaching their storage area is increased.
Play tables are known in which storage space is provided in a children's play table. One such table, manufactured by Funblock Tables, provides drawers for storing toys underneath the flat top surface of the table. The drawers can be drawn from underneath the table to remove toys for playtime or to return the toys to storage. Another table, manufactured by Table Toys, Inc., provides a play surface having raised bumps which accept interlocking blocks. In the middle of the play surface is an opening. Underneath the opening is a net attached to the underside of the play surface. Toys may be "swept" into the opening for storage within the net.
These play tables all have disadvantages. The table manufactured by Table Toys, Inc. is ill-suited for uses other than playing with the interlocking blocks. Children may be disinclined or forget to open a drawer fitting underneath the table top in order to return the toys to storage. Furthermore, even if such a drawer is opened, the child could not sweep the toys from the play surface into the drawer, but rather must replace them piece by piece, due to the raised edges surrounding the entire play surface. In the hole-and-net arrangement, the storage volume of the net is inversely proportional to the surface area of the play table. Thus, the advantages of storage are offset by the disadvantage of reduced surface area on the table. Furthermore, the net cannot easily be detached by a child wishing to dump the entire contents of the net onto the surface of the play table. Finally, children cannot easily reach toys stored in the net because the opening is in the center of the play surface, far from the edges of the table.


The invention disclosed herein utilizes magnetic forces to draw metal particles having magnetic characteristics into and beneath the surface of a molten metal stream flowing through a non-magnetic trough. The apparatus of the present invention includes a declined non-magnetic trough having an interior channel. Means are provided for introducing a molten metal stream into the trough. A magnetic source is provided which produces a magnetic field having flux lines which extend through the non-magnetic trough and to at least the surface of the molten metal stream. A particle discharge mechanism having contained therein substantially ferromagnetic metal particles is positioned above the surface of the molten metal stream. Gravity draws the metal particles onto the surface of the stream and the particles are drawn beneath the surface of the stream by the magnetic field.

Steel is manufactured by "reducing" iron ore in a blast furnace. This process generates scrap and by-products of ores and oxides such as BOF dust, mill scale and the like. Because this scrap and by-products are fine grain and powder-like in size, these particles are too small to be easily used in the steel-making process and typically must be sintered before they are suitable for use in steel-making. Several prior art systems have attempted to reintroduce these particles into a flowing stream of hot metal. Most of the particles which are introduced into the stream merely float on the surface of the stream due to their light weight and slow wetting action. As more particles are added to the stream of hot metal, the particles "freeze up" and form a dam at the area of introduction. Thus, relatively little use of these particles is possible in the manufacture of steel without prior processing of the particles.
My U.S. Pat. No. 3,881,915 ('915) discloses a process for enhancing the reduction of such scrap and by-products added to a molten metal stream by utilizing magnetic forces. The '915 patent discloses a process whereby a substantially continuous charge of metallic particulates is introduced onto the surface of a substantially continuous molten metal stream which flows through a conventional trough. A magnetic field, emanating from beneath the trough and extending through the trough and stream, forces the metal particles into and beneath the surface of the stream and holds them at or beneath the surface until their temperature exceeds the Curie temperature and they are no longer attracted by the magnetic field, thereby accelerating the dissolution or chemical reaction of the particulates by exposure to the heat and movement of the stream.
Conventional troughs are typically comprised of steel and permit only a small portion of the magnetic flux to pass through the trough as the trough itself becomes magnetized. To ensure extension of the magnetic flux through the conventional trough and into the metal stream, a powerful magnetic source must be used. Thus, the magnetic characteristics of conventional troughs render them less than ideal for use in the reduction of metal particulates using magnetic forces.

Method and apparatus for reduction of metal particulates


The present invention provides a fluidics system and a method for selectively drawing fluid from at least one selected reservoir into a channel by providing a negative pressure source downstream of the fluid and channel and selectively back filling the selected reservoir with a gas.

Fluid control is necessary for many systems capable of automated chemical and biochemical analysis. These systems typically require liquid samples, reagents, and buffers to be dispensed in a controlled manner. Making these analysis systems portable presents unique demands on fluidics systems that have not been successfully met by currently available technology. These demands stem from the combined requirements of automation, compact size and compatibility with unprocessed samples, especially for field operations or point-of-care applications.
For laboratory-scale devices, there is an assortment of mechanical valves suitable for fluid handling and control. However, the size of these components makes them impractical for portable analysis systems. While small valves of analogous design have been developed and are commercially available, as the valve size is reduced, clogs by the components of complex sample matrices become an important limitation.
Micro-total analysis systems (F-TAS) perform integrated chemical analysis and fluid control on the micron scale. Many of these systems are capable of valveless fluid control by means of electrokinetic pumping and switch-driving pressures. (Manz, A. et al. in Micro Total Analysis Systems; and van den Berg, A. et al., Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, 1995, pp. 5-27). However, micron-scale channels can become clogged when unprocessed environmental and clinical samples are used. In addition, materials can be adsorbed onto channel walls and interfere with osmotic pumping. Furthermore, these devices have a relatively low-volume throughput making them impractical for the analysis of milliliter volumes, as may be required for accurate measurement of trace constituents or analysis of inhomogeneous samples.
The need for intermediate scale fluid handling systems has been identified. (VerLee, D. et al., Technical Digest, Solid-State Sensor and Actuator Workshop, 1996, pp. 9-14) Among the developments in this area are pneumatic diaphragm valves integrated directly into the device's fluidics channels. This approach provides fluid regulation while adding only slightly to the overall size of the system. However, diaphragm-based valves can suffer from sticking, clogging, and performance loss due to diaphragm aging.
Valveless fluid control has also been developed, thus eliminating the problem of valve clogging by suspended contaminants. For example, pressure control and pressure differentials can switch fluid flow between micro-channels. (Brody, J. P., 1998, U.S. Pat. No. 5,726,404) This method of fluid control is based on the application and regulation of differential pressures to each fluid channel and is only applicable in the low Reynolds number regime. The regulation of differential pressures makes the design inherently complex and, further, the requirement for pressure sources and regulators limits the feasibility of this method for portable instrumentation. The limitation with regard to the low Reynolds numbers regime makes the method impractical for the control of aqueous fluids in channels greater than approximately 100 microns. (Brody, J. P. et al., Technical Digest, Solid-State Sensor and Actuator Workshop, 1996, pp. 105-108; and Brody, J. P., Biophysical Journal, 1996, 71, pp. 3430-3441). Although valves may not be clogged with these approaches, the fluid channels themselves are likely to be clogged by suspended contaminants. Electrokinetic pumping and switching systems have also accomplished valveless fluid control in micron-scale devices. (Manz et al., Advances in Chromatography, 1993, 33, pp. 1-67.) Similarly, however, these designs are limited to the low Reynolds number regime, where micron-scale channels are prone to clogging. Further, these methods require large driving potentials, typically on the order of a kilovolt, and fluid flow that can be drastically affected by sample components adhering to the wall of the channel.

The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy


Fuel cell systems and methods that perform maintenance hydration by supplying power to satisfy at least part of an applied load from an energy-consuming assembly while a primary power source is in electrical communication with and available to supply power to the energy-consuming assembly to satisfy the portion of the applied load. In some embodiments, the systems or methods may determine a start time, or start condition, for hydration of the fuel cell system. Power may be supplied from the activated fuel cell system at an output voltage that is higher than a voltage at which power from the primary power source is being supplied, such that the applied load is satisfied, at least in part, by power from the fuel cell system instead of from the primary power source. Upon operation for a period sufficient to rehydrate the fuel cell stack, operation of the fuel cell system may be discontinued.

Fuel cell stacks are electrochemical devices that produce water and an electrical potential from a fuel, such as a proton source, and an oxidant. Many conventional fuel cell stacks utilize hydrogen gas as the proton source and oxygen gas, air, or oxygen-enriched air as the oxidant. Fuel cell stacks typically include many fuels cells that are fluidly and electrically coupled together between common end plates. Each fuel cell includes an anode region and a cathode region that are separated by an electrolytic barrier. In some fuel cells, the electrolytic barrier takes the form of an electrolytic membrane. Hydrogen gas is delivered to the anode region, and oxygen gas is delivered to the cathode region. Protons from the hydrogen gas are drawn through the electrolytic barrier to the cathode region, where water is formed. While protons may pass through the electrolytic barrier, electrons cannot. Instead, the electrons that are liberated from hydrogen gas travel through an external circuit to form an electric current.
Fuel cell systems may be designed to be the primary and/or backup power source for an energy-consuming assembly that includes one or more energy-consuming devices. When implemented as a backup, or auxiliary, power source for an energy-consuming assembly, the fuel cell system is utilized during times when the primary power source is unable or unavailable to satisfy some or all of the energy demand, or applied load, of the energy-consuming assembly.
The electrolytic membranes of some fuel cell systems, such as proton exchange membranes (PEM), or solid polymer fuel cell systems, generally need a proper level of hydration to allow the electrolytic membranes to function efficiently for generation of electrical output. During generation of power by a fuel cell system, water for membrane hydration is generated by electrochemical reaction. However, during periods of inactivity, which are common for fuel cell systems that are utilized as an auxiliary (i.e. backup) power supply, the electrolytic membranes have a tendency to dry out as their period of inactivity increases. As a result, the ability of the fuel cell system to reliably and efficiently provide power when needed may be reduced substantially. One approach to maintaining hydration is to connect the fuel cell system to an artificial, or "dummy," load, such as one or more resistors or light assemblies, and then to operate the fuel cell system periodically to supply power to the artificial load. This load-applying structure is referred to as an artificial load because it is present primarily to enable the fuel cell system to generate an electrical output by satisfying the applied load. However, the artificial load increases the size, weight and/or expense of the fuel cell system. Furthermore, other than providing maintenance, powering the artificial load wastes electrical output—and thus fuel—and may generate substantial heat in or near the fuel cell system. Accordingly, new approaches are needed for maintaining the readiness of fuel cell systems serving as backup power sources.

Fuel cell systems with maintenance hydration by displacement of primary power


A system and method for responding to user requests for a product provides a selection of alternate products that are similar to the requested product. Available products each have a plurality of attributes, which are compared to corresponding attributes of the requested product. Available products having attributes which are similar to those of the requested product are ranked in order of a similarity measure, and presented to the user.

Supply chain, enterprise and site planning applications and environments are widely used by manufacturing industries for decision support and to help manage complex manufacturing operations. In contrast with conventional planning software applications that provide a monolithic application architecture, products are becoming available to support multi-domain, distributed and heterogenous planning environments that characterize present day supply chains. One such product is the RHYTHM COLLABORATION suite of software products available from i2 Technologies, Inc.
An inherent characteristic of such products, and in particular the multi-domain heterogenous architecture of the RHYTHM COLLABORATION suite, is that they support products spanning multiple domains. The products supplied by the seller domain in the collaboration are consumed by the buyer domain. It is not uncommon that the product supply is constrained and does not meet the buyer demand. This, in general, leads to lost sales and customer dissatisfaction for the seller domain and can be further detrimental to the multi-enterprise supply chain as the buyer domain may not be able to satisfy its own customers in a timely fashion.
A solution to the problem is to provide the buyer domain with a list of viable alternate products that can be consumed instead of the original product. This will also extend the domain of the decision support across multiple enterprises in the supply chain. It is desirable for decision support software to cover even larger domains in the decision making process because typically, the larger the domain of the decision support, the more optimal the decision will be. It is the purpose of the present invention to develop a system and process for providing such product alternates to partners in a multi-enterprise collaborative supply chain.


This invention relates to the production of cutout masks used in a reproduction process. The cutout mask production apparatus and method according to the present invention allows both the layer process and the choke and spread process to be independently implemented. In the choke and spread process, frame drawings 92 which need no choke and spread are left intact, while other frame drawings 93 to be choke-and-spread processed are manipulated for the processing. As a result, the choke and spread process and the layer process can be implemented in a simple and quick manner. As each layer containing one or more frame drawings is painted in its assigned color on the monitor screen 22, the layer process becomes simple. Accordingly, the cutout mask production productivity improves.

1. Field oft he invention
This invention relates to the production of cutout masks used in a reproduction process. In particular, the present invention relates to a layer process in the production of cutout masks.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Cutout masks are commonly used to produce process films in the reproduction process. The cutout masks are produced from processing peel-off films. The peel-off films are transparent (light-transmitting) film substrates with a coating of colored (typically red) light-shielding films. The light-shielding films are cut in a pattern, and any film area (peel portion) closed by the pattern may be peeled off, exposing transparent film substrates.
Assuming that a reproduction process starts with a mechanical 156 showing FIGS. 150 overlaps with FIGS. 151 and that a back ground 158 surrounds FIGS. 150 and 151, in FIG. 1A, the entire process to process films is as follows: First, peel-off films are so cut that peel portions are outlined as indicated in FIG. 1B and FIG. 1C. The peel portions are then peeled off, resulting in a cutout mask 152 in FIG. 1B and another cutout mask 153 in FIG. 1C. Original films 154 and 155, bearing FIGS. 150 and 151 respectively, are attached onto both cutout masks 152 and 153 so that their transparent portions 152a and 153a are correspondingly covered as shown in FIG. 1D and FIG. 1E. The cutout mask 152 is further attached onto a process film (not shown), and then an exposure step is taken. The process film is exposed through the FIG. 150, thereby in accordance with its location and patterns, wherein the location and patterns fall in the transparent portion 152a. The cutout mask 152 shown in FIG. 1D is then replaced with another cutout mask 153 shown in FIG. 1E. The process film is again exposed through the FIG. 151, thereby in accordance with its locations and patterns, wherein the location and patterns fall within the transparent portion 153a. As a result, the process film now bears both FIGS. 150 and 151 as shown in FIG. 1A.
Further to the above description, more detail description is given below on how both cutout masks 152 and 153 (see FIG. 1B and FIG. 1C) are produced from the mechanical 156 shown in FIG. 1A. Used in the cutout mask production process are a digitizer 20 (See FIG. 5A), a computer 21, a monitor 22, a keyboard 23 (See FIG. 5B) and a cutting plotter 26 (see FIG. 5C).
FIG. 2A shows a first prior art example of the cutout mask production. Presented on the screen of the monitor 22 (see FIG. 5B) are two frame drawings of the FIGS. 150 and 151 shown in FIG. 1A within them as shown in FIG. 2A(1). One frame drawing overlaps with the other frame drawing, forming a overlapping portion 80. Note that the two frame drawings are drawn, based on the graphic data derived from the digitizer 20 (see FIG. 5A). Similarly, the frame drawing of the entire mechanical 156 is presented on the screen.
Next step is to cut a set of the predetermined number of peel-off films according to the graphic data which are graphically presented on the monitor screen. In this case, a set of three peel-off films as shown in (2), (3) and (4) of FIG. 2A are prepared and cut in the same pattern. The cutting plotter 26 performs the cutting step according to a signal from the computer 21. Referring to FIG. 5C, a cutting head 26C of the cutting plotter 26 cuts a peel-off film 30 set up on the cutting plotter 26.
The cut peel-off films, (2), (3) and (4), are then transferred to a factory peeling crew. The crew peel off the peel-off films, completing the cutout mask production step. It should be noted that each of peel-off films, (2), (3) and (4), has peel portions of T1, T2, T3, T4 and T5, all in common (see the peel-off film in FIG. 2A(1)). The crew have to determine what combination of peel portions to peel, referring to how frame drawings are overlapped in the mechanical 156 shown in FIG. 1A. In FIG. 2A (5), (6), and (7), hatching represents light-shielding portions and the blanks represent transparent (peel) portions. The cutout mask (5) is obtained by peeling the peel portion T5 off the peel-off film (2), and the cutout mask (6) is obtained by peeling the peel portions T3 and T4 off the peel-off film (3). The cutout mask (7) is obtained by peeling the peel portion T2 off the peel-off film (4). The cutout mask (7) is a film used to expose the process film for the background portion 158 (see FIG. 1) surrounding the FIGS. 150 and 151 in the mechanical 156.
Next step is to perform a choke and spread process to the cutout masks (5) and (7). The choke and spread process is to avoid in prints blanked borders which are due to a misaligned setup, likely to happen in the reproduction process. For example, when a misalignment takes place between the cutout masks (5) and (7) in FIG. 2A, a blank line may be created on the border 159 where the FIG. 150 and the FIG. 151 meet as in FIG. 1A. As choke and spread offset means for avoiding such a blank line, a transparent portion 82 on the cutout mask (5) is slightly enlarged so that its edge spreads over a transparent portion 83 on the cutout mask (6), when both cutout masks are set up. In the same manner as above, the choke and spread process is performed to the cutout mask (7) so that no blanked borders take place where the background portion 158 meets either the FIG. 150 or the FIG. 151. The width of enlarging the transparent portions is normally 50 .mu.m to 75 .mu.m. Such a degree of spread width in figures is too small to be noticed; thus, the choke and spread process will never affect the sharpness of prints.
In this prior art example, the choke and spread process adopts a reversing technique as illustrated in FIG. 2B. A cutout mask 70, a diffusion film 72, and a process film 74 to be choke-and-spread processed are stacked in a sandwich construction. The diffusion film 72 is of a film type that allows light to diffusively transmit. To perform the choke and spread process, light is directed to a transparent portion 70a of the cutout mask 70 in the direction of an arrow mark 100. The process film 74 is exposed to light which has passed the transparent portion 70a and then the diffusion film 72 in a diffusive manner. As a result, the choke and spread process has completed to the process film 74, with its transparent portion 74a being slightly larger than the transparent portion 70a of the cutout mask 70.
Referring to FIG. 3A, a second prior art example of producing the cutout masks 152 and 153 (see FIG. 1B and FIG. 1C) is described below. In a similar manner as in the first prior art, a display (8) is presented on the screen of the monitor 22 by means of the digitizer 20 (see FIG. 5A and FIG. 5B). The display (8) is made up of a first frame drawing 91, a second frame drawing 92, and a third frame drawing 93. The first frame drawing 91 shows the outline of the entire mechanical 156 in FIG. 1A. The second frame drawing 92 shows a frame of the FIG. 150, and the third frame drawing 93 shows another frame of the FIG. 151. The second frame drawing 92 overlaps with the third frame drawing 93, making the overlapping portion 80.
In this prior art example, the frame drawings are grouped to produce a required number of mask layers on the screen of the monitor 22. The choke and spread process is also performed along with this grouping step. More specifically, the frame drawings are once stored, and then the choke and spread process is performed by enlarging the portion T5 derived from excluding the overlapping portion 80 from the third frame drawing 93 on the screen of the monitor 22 as shown in FIG. 3A(9) and FIG. 3A(12). FIG. 3B is a detail drawing of display (9). A first step of the choke and spread process is to contract the second frame drawing 92. The contracted drawing is here designated 92X. A point P6 is one of the frame drawing 92X's corners which falls in the overlapping portion. A point P1 is the intersecting point where the frame drawing 92X meets the top side of the third frame drawing 93. A point P2 is the intersecting point where the frame drawing 92X meets the right side of the third frame drawing 93. A next step is to select a spread drawing for the choke and spread process. The spread drawing (see FIG. 3A(12)) here is a closed area formed by connecting the corner P6, points P1, P2 and three corners P3, P4 and P5, of the third frame drawing 93. After that, the first frame drawing 91, the second frame drawing 92, and the contracted frame drawing 92X are then all erased.
Next, the layer process starts with the display (10) in FIG. 3A. Both the first frame drawing 91 and the third frame drawing 93 should be first erased. This step is to produce the mask layer bearing the second frame drawing 92 only as illustrated in display (13).
Furthermore, another mask layer as in the display (14) is produced which corresponds to the background portion 158 in FIG. 1A. The choke and spread process of this mask is performed by combining the first frame drawing 91 and the second frame drawing 92 to form a frame drawing 94 as in display (11) of FIG. 3A, and then by contracting the frame drawing 94. A display (14) shows the contracted frame drawing 90N, which is already choke-and-spread processed. A digitizer input device 20M on the digitizer 20 is used to instruct graphic commands, like selecting, enlarging, or contracting drawings.
As mentioned above, three mask layers, shown in the display (12), the display (13) and the display (14), have been produced, through the mask grouping procedure based on the graphic data in the display (8), in FIG. 3A. These mask layer data are used to cut peel-off films, leading to the peel-off films (15), (16) and (17) in FIG. 3A. The peel-off films are then handed over to peeling crew who then peel off the peel portion T6, T7 or T8. The cutout masks (18), (19) and (20) have now been produced.
The prior art cutout mask production techniques, however, involve the following problems. In the first prior art example, the cutting patterns on the peel-off films (2), (3) and (4), are identical as shown in FIG. 2A. Thus, peeling crew have to determine what peel portions to peel and group mask layers for each final cutout mask. In case of FIG. 1F where a mechanical is composed of many overlapped figures, many combinations of figures are expected in a single mask layer. It is rather difficult to make a judgement in combining figures keeping the number of masks to a minimum. Peeling crew thus need long and experienced skill. Since peeling crew unavoidably have their own characteristics or preference in peeling work, they fail to produce cutout masks up to an established standard, and thus the integration and standardization of the peeling work cannot be reached. Also, when a cutout mask needs modifying after its full process of production, for example, the modification work should be done by the same crew who peeled off that cutout mask rather than some other crew. Furthermore, the first prior art example employs the reversing technique for the choke and spread process as illustrated in FIG. 2B. This technique allows the spread width to vary dependent on the exposure time in use. To reach the spread width, data on exposure or other related controls should be strictly managed. Such otherwise unnecessary management items are problematic from the viewpoint of quality assurance of cutout masks.
In the second prior art example, layering is performed by grouping drawings on the screen of the monitor 22. Each peel-off film has different cutting pattern for desired mask. Unlike the first prior art example, there is no need for peeling crew to determine which portions to peel off. Since the choke and spread process is performed along with the layer process on the screen, no reversing step as in the first example is required. This allows spread width to be set in a secure manner.
On the other hand, the second example has following disadvantages. When the third frame drawing 93 is in the choke and spread process as in FIG. 3B, the second frame drawing 92 needs contracting first. This means that a drawing itself which does not need choke and spread process should be graphically manipulated taking into consideration its spatial relationship with other drawings. Such an additional manipulation affects low productivity. In case of FIG. 1F where a mechanical is composed of many overlapped figures, spatial relationships among them are very complex. Even more time is needed. In the second example, the layer process is performed on the screen of the monitor. Therefore, when spatial relationships in figures are complex, it is not easy to determine, referring to displays on screen, which combination of figures gives which required mask. The layering task is thus a time consuming one. Since the layer process is associated with the choke and spread process, the overall task is even more complex.

Cutout mask production apparatus and method


The subject invention provides for a shifter assembly for selecting one of a plurality of gears of a transmission of a vehicle. The shifter assembly includes a pin engaging a lever and one of a handle and a support and rotatable towards first and second ramps to define a first range of movement between the lever and one of the handle and the support. A first post and a second post extend from the lever. A first bushing is attached to the first post and a second bushing is attached to the second post. A pair of first and second engagement surfaces are disposed on the one of the handle and the support. The first bushing is sandwiched between the pair of first engagement surfaces and the second bushing is sandwiched between the pair of second engagement surfaces to define a second range of movement.

1. Field of the Invention
The subject invention generally relates to a shifter assembly for selecting one of a plurality of gears of a transmission of a vehicle.
2. Description of Related Art
There is a desire within the industries utilizing shifter assemblies to restrict the range of movement of a shifter within a desired set of parameters. Many techniques have been used to restrict this range of movement. One solution in the industry is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,569,245 (the '245 patent). Specifically, the '245 patent discloses a shifter having a pivotable shift stick and a lower plate with the shift stick partially disposed within the lower plate. A spherical ball is disposed on the shift stick and a rocking shaft extends through the spherical ball transverse to the shift stick such that the rocking shaft presents first and second ends. Bushings are disposed on the ends of the rocking shaft. The lower plate defines a spherical socket and a channel adjacent to the spherical socket. The bushings on the ends of the rocking shaft are disposed within and slide within the channel, thus there must be a space between the bushings and the channel which could create lash.
Therefore, there remains an opportunity to develop a shifter assembly that reduces lash and more efficiently defines the various ranges of movement of the shifter.


A thermal plate-making apparatus has a line thermal head comprising a plurality of heat units aligned on a line. Each of the heat units comprises electrodes and plural heat elements located therebetween. The apparatus effectively prevents back face reprint of image in a stack of printed sheets, stains due to rubbing between the printed sheets, and dotted images, allowing printing of stable image density. Further, a thermal plate-making apparatus has a line thermal head comprising heat units aligned in a first direction, in which each of the heat units comprises a pair of electrodes opposed in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction and a heat element positioned between the electrodes, and in which the heat element is formed not lower than the electrodes. This apparatus also effectively prevents the back face reprint with the minimum ink transfer amount necessary for printing, providing a loyal print image.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a thermal plate-making apparatus. More particularly, the invention relates to a structure of a thermal head which heats to perforate an original sheet for screen printing.
2. Description of the Related Background Art
In conventional thermal plate-making apparatus, a thermal head has a line of heat units at a predetermined pitch in a primary scan direction. Each of the heat units has a heat element between a pair of electrodes opposing to each other in a secondary scan direction perpendicular to the primary scan direction. The secondary scan direction is a shift direction of a thermal screen original sheet composed of a thermoplastic resin film and a porous support. The heat elements are contacted with the thermoplastic resin film to heat to perforate the thermal screen original sheet.
The size of the heat elements would be limited by an amount of shift of the thermal screen original sheet. For example, supposing dimensions of each heat element are a in the primary scan direction and b in the secondary scan direction, one has a ratio of a to b as 1:2, another has longer b than the pitch between two adjacent heat elements, and other has equal a and b. Using such thermal heads with thus formed heat elements, there has been recognized the following problems after perforation of the thermal screen original sheet.
The heat elements are heated while contacting with the thermoplastic resin film to fuse and perforate the film. Such a problem occurs after heating that the fusing thermoplastic resin film is melted too much after the heating of the heat elements due to thermal inertia, causing interconnection of perforations.
Then, when the thus formed thermal screen original sheet is used for screen printing, an excessive amount of ink would be transferred through the interconnected perforations onto a print sheet. The printed sheets with images formed with an excessive amount of ink cause problems when stacked on a sheet tray. One of the problems is back face reprinting, which is reprinting of an image on a printed sheet discharged onto the tray, onto a back face of the next discharged printed sheet. Another problem is rubbing stains caused on a stacked printed sheet which is rubbed by the following printed sheet.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication Hei 2-67133 describes a thermal plate-making apparatus preventing the interconnection of perforations by shortening the length b of heat elements in the secondary scan direction as being smaller than the pitch of heat elements to reduce a contact area between the heat elements and thermoplastic resin film, to solve such problems.
In the above arrangement of only one heat element between the opposing electrodes, a smaller diameter of perforation may reduce an amount of ink passed therethrough to prevent the back face reprinting or the rubbing stains to some extent. However, too small perforations result in enlargement of spacing between neighbouring perforations, which in turn causes a dotted image when printed. The dotted image might lack an image density required.
Furthermore, the thermal head as disclosed in the above-mentioned Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication Hei 2-67133 has rises at respective electrodes due to wiring with a height difference. The rises change a condition of contact of a thermal screen original sheet with a protection layer covering the heat elements and the electrodes, so that ununiform perforations would be formed on the original sheet.
In detail, the thermal screen original sheet is composed of the thermoplastic film contacting the surface of the thermal head and the porous support supporting the back of the film. The porous support includes numerous fibers therein.
When the thermoplastic film is brought into contact with the thermal head to form the ink passing perforations, one of the heat elements might be located by chance at a position where there is no fibers in the porous support. In such occasion, there would be caused a spacing between the thermoplastic film and the protection layer of the thermal head, separating them from each other even upon pressing by a platen roller. This causes unstable heat transfer from the thermal head, which results in reduction of perforation size or no formation of perforation.

Thermal plate-making apparatus and thermal head therefor


A medical instrument for engaging tissue includes a flexible shaft, a tissue piercing coil at a distal portion of the shaft, and a tissue stabilizer positioned over the shaft and biased in a distal direction such that as the tissue piercing coil enters tissue, the tissue stabilizer is urged against a surface of the tissue. A medical instrument for reconfiguring tissue includes a flexible shaft defining a lumen housing actuating controls, and a distal actuating assembly with a sealing portion configured to substantially seal the shaft lumen from contact with bodily fluids. A cartridge assembly includes first and second members configured for releasable attachment to a medical instrument, and a holder configured to receive the first and second members and to be released from the first and second members upon action of the first and second members attaching to the medical instrument.

This invention relates to methods and apparatus for reconfiguring tissue, and more particularly to reconfiguring tissue in the vicinity of the gastroesophageal junction.
Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a common upper-gastrointestinal disorder in which acidic contents of the stomach flow inappropriately from the stomach into the esophagus. Backflow of gastric contents into the esophagus results when gastric pressure is sufficient to overcome the resistance to flow that normally exists at the gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) or when gravity acting on the contents is sufficient to cause flow through the GEJ. Medication, open surgical procedures, minimally invasive surgical techniques, and endoscopic techniques are known for treating GERD.