An apparatus and method for the controlled release of an active agent into an aqueous system for a prolonged duration of time are provided. Some embodiments provide an apparatus for controlling the dissolution of at least one active agent to enable an increase in active agent lifetime.

Chemical compounds having antimicrobial properties have been developed over the years to reduce, eliminate and prevent microbiological growth and proliferation in aqueous systems. These compounds, generally known as cleaners, disinfectants, sanitizers, antiseptics, oxidizers, deodorizers, etc., are placed within an aqueous system to eliminate existing or prevent future microbial growth and are preferred in operation for their automatic nature over alternative methods of controlling microbiological growth which often require frequent user intervention. However, conventional antimicrobial products which are automatically delivered into an aqueous system require periodic user intervention needed to maintain effective concentration levels of antimicrobial species therein.
Conventional antimicrobial products contain at least one active ingredient and may include inert ingredients in combination. Active ingredients or "active agents" are chemical compounds typically containing a halogenated functional group such as chlorine or bromine that achieve concentration levels in aqueous systems capable of destroying microbes by forming compounds such as hypobromous or hypochlorous acid when antimicrobial active agents are dispensed in water. Active agents may generally refer to other useful compounds including water clarifying agents, perfumes, dyes, chelating agents, surfactants, etc. Inert ingredients are any other compounds contained in the product formulation other than the active ingredients. Inert ingredients give additional properties to the antimicrobial product and may include wetting agents, neutralizers, buffering agents, adhesives, acidifying agents, suspension agents, etc., that aid the manufacturing process, control dissolution rates, and facilitate the combination of powders containing the active and inert ingredients into solid forms such as tablets.
Industrial or residential aqueous systems prone to microbiological proliferation that may benefit from the use of antimicrobial compounds include but are not limited to toilets, water storage systems, ponds, pools, hot tubs, water recirculation systems, drinking water, wastewater treatment, etc. In operation, solid forms containing active agents are placed in fluid communication with an aqueous system and dissolution of the active agent from a solid form to a soluble form occurs over time accompanied by an increase in active agent concentration within the fluid of the aqueous system. When an active agent containing a halogen functional group is placed in contact with the water of an aqueous system, for example a toilet tank or placed in the path of water being dispensed into the toilet bowl, the concentration of soluble halogen species in the toilet bowl may increase over time to levels effective for antimicrobial control. When the toilet is flushed, the water containing the soluble active agent is supplied to the toilet bowl to achieve a concentration of halogen capable of microbiological control within the toilet bowl.
Examples of active agents capable of microbiological control typically contain halogenated functional groups including but not limited to: N-chloro-phthalamide, N-bromo-phthalamide, N-dichloro-p-toluene sulphonamide, 2,5-N,N′-dichloroazodicarbonamidine hydrochloride, N,N′-dichloro-dimethylhydantoin, dichloro-5,5-methylethyl hydantoin, N-bromo-N′-chlorodimethyl-hydantoin, N,N′-dibromo-dimethylhydantoin, N-bromo-N-chloro-diphenyl-hydantoin, N,N,N,N-tetrachlorodimethylglycoluracil, N-bromo-N,N-dichloro-dimethylglycoluracil, N,N′-dibromo-dimethyl-glycoluracil, N,N,N,N-tetrachloroglycoluracil, N,N-dichlorodichloroyl, N-bromo-N-chlorosodium cyanurate, dibromo triethylene diamine dihydrochloride, bromo-chlorotriethylene diamine dihydrochloride and N,N,N-trichloro-melamine, trichloro-s-triazinetrione, or combinations thereof. Active agents, referred to herein, may be incorporated into solid forms such as powders or tablets, liquids, gels or other forms suitable to be deployed into an aqueous system of use. Active agents are not limited to those having antimicrobial properties and may be expanded to include any chemical compound which produces a desired effect within an aqueous system. Active agents having antimicrobial properties are referenced as examples herein but such examples are not intended for the purpose of limiting the scope of the invention.
In conventional operation utilizing antimicrobial active agents, a solid tablet or multiple tablets containing at least one antimicrobial active agent or combinations of antimicrobial agents are placed in fluid communication with an aqueous system. Fluid communication may be achieve by placing the active agent directly into the fluid of an aqueous system of use or by creating a fluid circulation path containing the active agent in which fluid is input and subsequently dispensed or released into the aqueous system after contacting and dissolving the active agent. Dissolution of the active agent and release into the fluid of an aqueous system results in a measurable increase in the concentration level of active agent within the fluid. As dissolution continues over time, the tablet volume and surface area simultaneously decrease leading to a gradual decrease in the overall rate of active agent delivery. The decreasing rate of active agent delivery may negatively impact the effectiveness of microbiological control including increasing the amount of time required to reach active agent concentration levels capable of effective antimicrobial control and may also lead to variable active agent concentrations within an aqueous system over the tablet lifetime.
The term "lifetime" with respect to the active agent as referenced herein, will refer to the time period starting when the active agent is introduced into fluid contact with an aqueous system and ending when the active agent has been completely dissolved into the aqueous system. The term "effective lifetime" as referenced herein, will refer to the time period starting when the active agent is introduced into fluid contact with an aqueous system and ending when the active agent dissolves to a point of no longer being capable of achieving a desired function. For example, when referring to the effective lifetime of an antimicrobial active agent in tablet form, dissolution of the tablet until a substantially smaller portion of the tablet remains in the aqueous system, a reduced tablet surface area may limit the ability to achieve a concentration of active agent effective for microbiological control.
The concentration range of active agent effective for microbiological control may be placed within an optimal concentration window bounded by an effective upper concentration limit and an effective lower concentration limit depending on the antimicrobial and solubility properties of the specific active agent or combination of active agents selected. Measured concentration levels of active agent within an aqueous system falling below the lower concentration limit may result in microbiological proliferation and the inability to destroy microbes due to ineffective active agent concentrations whereas concentration levels above the upper concentration limit are wasteful of the active agent and uneconomical to the user. Ideally, constant and controllable concentration levels of active agent are maintained within the aqueous system throughout the tablet lifetime. Maintaining an effective concentration range of active agent may be accomplished by achieving zero-order release of active agent. Zero-order release of active agent may further be defined as supplying active agent into the aqueous system at a rate that does not change substantially with time. The terms "dispense" or "delivery" or "release" may further be defined as either the active or passive transfer or movement of a substance from one position to another position such as the transfer or movement of an active agent from an apparatus housing the active agent and into an aqueous system and are used interchangeably herein without limiting the scope of the invention.
Zero-order release of active agent maintains a consistent and controllable dissolution profile over time allowing a constant amount of active agent to be released into an aqueous system per unit time. However, due to the change in surface area over time, conventional antimicrobial active agents and devices placed within an aqueous system may not be capable of achieving a zero-order release profile. When the dissolution profile of conventional antimicrobial active agents including tablet forms are traced over tablet lifetime, concentrations of active agent higher than the upper concentration limit are achieved in the beginning of the tablet lifetime and concentrations below the lower concentration limit are achieved approaching the end of the tablet lifetime corresponding to a decrease in antimicrobial active agent size and surface area available for dissolution over time. Thus, the amount of active agent supplied at the beginning of the antimicrobial active agent lifetime is excessive and wasteful as concentrations reach higher levels than necessary and the amount of active agent delivered at the end of the antimicrobial active agent lifetime is ineffective for microbiological control due to being below the effective lower concentration limit. As described, the effective lifetime of the tablet is reached prior to complete tablet dissolution resulting in further waste of active agent when the tablet surface area is reduced below levels capable of effective microbiological control. It is desirable to maintain the concentration of active agent within an optimal range throughout the lifetime of the tablet to maximize the antimicrobial efficiency while minimizing or eliminating waste or excessive use of the active agent beyond what is necessary for effective microbiological control. It is further desirable to increase both the active agent lifetime and effective lifetime beyond the lifetimes of conventional active agents.
The lifetimes of conventional antimicrobial active agents and devices typically range from 1-4 months, for example when antimicrobial active agent tablets are used for microbiological control in a toilet. Users may find it preferable to maximize the lifetime of the tablet so as to reduce the frequency of tablet replacement and associated replacement costs so as to maximize the cost effectiveness of antimicrobial products. Increasing tablet lifetime has been proposed in the prior art and methods include increasing the tablet size, modifying the tablet composition including the addition of a longevity agent having a slower dissolution rate than the active agent so as to reduce the overall dissolution rate, applying higher pressure compression of the tablet during manufacture, and multilayered or multi-component tablets. However, problems maintaining optimal concentrations of active agent arise when the methods described are reduced to practice.
Increasing the size of the tablet as a means of increasing tablet lifetime yields active agent concentrations higher than the upper concentration limit resulting in waste of the active agent as excessive concentrations are achieved in addition to other adverse effects including damage to components of an aqueous system. In addition, high concentrations of chlorine containing active agents may produce an undesirable chlorine odor noticeable to the user. Increasing the size of the tablet increases manufacturing costs which are passed on to the consumer at an economic disadvantage given that more active agent will be used than is necessary for effective microbiological control near the beginning of the tablet lifetime. For the combined purpose of increasing the lifetime of the tablet, maintaining zero-order release of active agent, and keeping active agent concentrations within an optimal concentration window bounded by upper and lower concentration limits, it is desirable to place a larger quantity of active agent into an aqueous system such as by increasing the tablet volume or quantity of tablets while at the same time, controlling the amount of active agent released into an aqueous system per unit time.
Decreasing tablet solubility and thereby, the rate of dissolution by using additives in the composition of the tablet or increasing the compression ratio during tablet manufacture are effective at increasing the lifetime of the tablet but may reduce the concentration of active agent to levels below the lower effective concentration limit, thus, negatively impacting the ability to prevent microbiological proliferation. Further, the use of inert additives for the purpose of controlling the overall tablet dissolution rate which do not contribute to the antimicrobial properties of the tablet will reduce the value delivered to the user by reducing the amount of active agent in the tablet and may increase the tablet's manufacturing complexity and cost.
The use of multi-layered tablets having a low solubility region surrounding a region of higher solubility may also increase the lifetime of the tablets but also increase manufacturing costs and complexity. To benefit the user economically, it is desirable to increase the lifetime of the tablet while maintaining optimal concentration levels of active agent within an aqueous system without impacting tablet manufacturability or production costs.
Handling of chemical products may pose a health risk to the end user due to the strong oxidizing effects of antimicrobial active agents. Conventional antimicrobial tablets containing an active agent are commonly packaged in child resistant films that require the user to cut open the package to gain access to the tablet. Cutting the packaging open and exposing the tablet places the user at risk of chemical contact especially if the user must manually place the product within an aqueous system such as a toilet tank. It is desirable to provide an apparatus which limits or eliminates the user's risk for chemical exposure.
Devices containing an active agent which are disposed directly into an aqueous system often have multiple parts which add complexity during manufacturing. It is desirable to produce a device capable of microbiological control in aqueous systems that may be manufactured at a low cost and in a simple manner. Devices designed to be placed directly into the toilet bowl are visible to the user and may be undesirable. To improve aesthetic value, it is desirable for the microbiological control device to be hidden from view of the user such as by placement into the tank of the toilet.
Aqueous systems in which an active agent is disposed may have frequent exchanges of water that replace water containing a measurable concentration of active agent with fresh water or water having a lower concentration of active agent. For example, a system such as a toilet in which the water in contact with the active agent is exchanged frequently with fresh water may require a higher surface area of exposure of active agent to achieve a given concentration of active agent within a given period of time between water exchanges compared to a system in which the water is exchanged less frequently. For the purpose of achieving a desired concentration of active agent within an aqueous system, it is desirable to enable metered or incremental amounts of active agent into an aqueous system depending on the frequency that water is exchanged within the system. In operation, a user may place multiple units of the microbiological control apparatus into a toilet that is frequently flushed while reducing the number of units placed within a toilet that is less frequently flushed. The ability to control the number of units supplied to an aqueous system also prevents using excessive amounts of active agent especially in aqueous systems having a fluid that is less frequently exchanged. Active agents and devices known in the prior art may not provide the ability to modify the amount of active agent delivered into an aqueous system.

Apparatus and method for prolonged active agent in aqueous systems


In an optical coherence tomography system for the examination of human or animal tissue or organs, a catheter is insertable into the tissue or organ to introduce light into the tissue or organ and the reflection is transmitted to an evaluation unit, where the reflection and a reference light are evaluated interferometrically to determine a two-dimensional cross-sectional view of the tissue or organ. At least one position sensor is at the tip of the catheter, and a position-determining system derives position data describing the current position of the position sensor in the coordinate system of the position-determining system. The position-determining system also captures position data regarding the spatial position of the cross-sectional views in the same coordinate system and the evaluation system derives a three-dimensional view from several of the cross-sectional views and the corresponding position data.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention proposes an optical coherence tomography system for the examination of human or animal tissue or organs of the type including a catheter that is insertable into the tissue or organ, by which light is introduced into the tissue or organ and the reflection is transmitted to an evaluation unit, where the reflection and a reference light are evaluated interferometrically to generate a two-dimensional cross-sectional view of the tissue or organ, wherein the evaluation unit uses several two-dimensional cross-sectional views to derive a three-dimensional view of the tissue or organ, and wherein at least one position sensor is disposed on or in the tip of the catheter, as part of a position-determining system for deriving position data describing the current position of the position sensor in the coordinate system of the position-determining system.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a medical examination modality, in which two-dimensional cross-sectional views of the object to be examined are obtained by shining light via a catheter into the object and then analyzing the reflection. In a method similar to B-mode ultrasound, light is emitted and the tissue or organ reflection is analyzed to derive information about the structure of the illuminated object. The depth information, i.e. the visual information about the tissue or organ, is derived in coherence tomography by means of interferometry with a reference light source of known length. The length of the reference light source is modified constantly. The interference at the interferometer corresponds to object points in the examination light ray, for which the reference ray and the examination light ray measured to the object point in question are of equal length. Light is introduced into the tissue by means of a thin catheter with a diameter of 1 mm or less. Consequently, optical coherence tomography may be used wherever a catheter may be inserted. Examples include, but are not restricted to, views of the inner surface and outer surface of vessels, the gastrointestinal tract, the urogenital tract, the eyes or the skin.
Optical coherence tomography yields two-dimensional cross-sectional views from scanning by means of the light ray emitted from the catheter, which rotates to generate a local cross-sectional view. Thus, it is a ring or annular view with a rotating light ray, primarily a laser. The doctor sees a two-dimensional cross-sectional view of the just-scanned area in real time. A method is known to derive a three-dimensional view of the vessel or organ from a number of two-dimensional cross-sectional views and to display it on a monitor in order to give the doctor a three-dimensional view of the vessel or organ for better diagnostic evaluation. Thus the doctor can see a three-dimensional view of the examined organ based on the many two-dimensional cross-sectional views. The three-dimensional view simplifies the estimation of the three-dimensional extent of anatomical structures and any pathological processes that are present.
A disadvantage of known coherence tomography systems is the lack of information regarding the relative position of the individual cross-sectional views, as the derivation of the three-dimensional view treats the cross-sectional views as parallel to each other. Consequently, the vessel, which is coiled and non-linear, is shown as a linear three-dimensional unit. The doctor will in fact see a three-dimentional view, but that view does not show the true three-dimensional extent and the path of the vessel or organ being examined, thus also not the length, width and actual location of any pathological structures present. As a result, the three-dimensional views impose limits on the quality of the final diagnosis.
German OS 100 51 244 discloses a mechanism for determining the position of a medical instrument introduced into the object being examined, as well as to view the vicinity of the medical instrument, such as a catheter, by means of a position sensor located in the tip of the instrument in conjunction with a position-determining system. A three-dimensional overview of the area where the position sensor is currently located, as indicated by the position sensor, is computed based on a set of three-dimensional view data collected prior to the intervention itself. This three-dimensional overview is transmitted to a monitor. The current position of the position sensor is indicated in this three-dimensional overview. In addition to this three-dimensional overview, the current two-dimensional view taken by the OCT scanner, which is built into the instrument, is also displayed on the monitor.
An article by Y. Zhao et al entitled Three-Dimensional Reconstruction of in Vivo Blood Vessels in Human Skin Using Phase-Resolved Optical Doppler Tomography, IEEE Journal on Selected Topics in Quantum Electronics, Vol. 7, No. 6, pages 931-935, 2001, describes a three-dimensional reconstruction procedure on the basis of optical Doppler tomography views.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Optical coherence tomography system for the examination of human or animal tissue or organs


A unit for conveying elongated products, each having a respective longitudinal axis, and wherein a conveyor successively conveys the products with the respective longitudinal axes parallel to a given traveling direction and along a path extending along a conveying plane; and an orienting assembly is located along the path to orient the products by rotating the products 90.degree. about an axis of rotation crosswise to the conveying plane, so that the respective longitudinal axes of the products are crosswise to the traveling direction.

The present invention relates to a product conveying unit.
More specifically, the present invention relates to a unit for conveying substantially elongated products, to which the following description refers purely by way of example.
Though specific reference is made in the following description to a unit for conveying diapers, the same also applies to other substantially elongated products, such as food products.
On diaper manufacturing systems, a succession of U-folded diapers is fed to a stacking device along a given path, along which each diaper is fed parallel to its longitudinal axis, with the U-folded edge facing forwards and crosswise to the longitudinal axis, and is maintained in this position up to the stacking device.
Known stacking devices normally comprise a pocket conveyor, the pockets of which are fed in steps across the path of the diapers, in a direction crosswise to both the traveling direction and the folded edge of the diapers, and are arrested successively along the path of the diapers to enable each diaper to be inserted, folded edge first, inside a respective pocket.
In addition, obviously, to depending on the traveling speed of the diapers, the operating frequency of the stacking device also depends, for a given traveling speed, on the length of the diapers, i.e. the dimension of the diapers crosswise to the folded edge, and which is always greater than the dimension parallel to the folded edge. That is, the longer the diaper is, the longer it takes, at a given traveling speed, for each to be inserted inside the respective pocket on the stacking device, and the slower the operating frequency of the stacking device is.
On the other hand, the operating frequency of the stacking device can only be increased so far by increasing the traveling speed of the diapers. Experience has shown, in fact, that, despite the folded edge being the strongest part of the diaper, the diapers are invariably damaged on impact with the bottom of the respective pockets, when the traveling speed of the diapers--which corresponds to a given output speed of the system and a given operating frequency of the stacking device--is increased over and above a given limit.

Azionaria Costruzioni Macchine Automatiche A.C.M.A S.p.A.


An apparatus and system for alerting a driver within an automotive vehicle is provided. An alerting device is disposed within the vehicle, which is configured to alert a driver. A controller is operable to activate the alerting device to produce an alert. A hazard detecting device is configured to detect a hazard. The controller is configured to activate the alerting device to produce the alert if the hazard detecting device detects a hazard. The alert is produced a predetermined reaction time period before a desired driver response. The controller is configured to determine a driver response time. The driver response time includes the time from the alert to an actual driver response. The controller is configured to alter the predetermined reaction time period based on the driver response time. A method for assisting a driver of a vehicle and a non-transitory machine-readable medium that provides instructions are also provided.

Advancements in available sensor technologies allow for improved safety systems for vehicles. One such improved system is an arrangement and method for detecting and avoiding collisions. This type of system is referred to as a driver assistance system. Driver assistance systems can include sensors located on the vehicle to detect an oncoming collision. The systems may warn the driver of various driving situations to prevent or minimize collisions using any number of available warning systems. Furthermore, driver assistance systems can provide specialized warnings for any number of conditions that could potentially lead to a collision. For example, alerts may be provided for lane departure warnings, forward collision, warnings, blind spot detection, etc.
Existing warning systems typically provide either an audible warning, a dashboard/windshield mounted visual cue, or a combination of the two. The dashboard/windshield mounted visual cues assume that the driver is attentive and forward facing. In cases where the driver is not attentive, or is looking elsewhere, the dashboard/windshield mounted visual cues are ineffective.
In addition, different drivers have different average reaction times in response to a vehicle alert. For example, some drivers take longer than others to response to an alert produced from a vehicle. Such drivers may not have enough time to react appropriately in response to the warning, which may result in compromising their safety or the safety of others around them. Other drivers may react quickly to warnings or alerts, such that an alert may come too early and be an annoyance. These drivers may attempt to deactivate the alert system altogether to avoid the annoyances of early alert signals. Accordingly, there exists a need for a driver alert system that provides safety benefits for various different kinds of drivers.

Adjustment of vehicle alerts based on response time learning


Provided are exemplary methods for forming a semiconductor devices incorporating silicide layers formed at temperatures below about 700° C., such as nickel silicides, that are formed after completion of a silicide blocking layer (SBL). The formation of the SBL tends to deactivate dopant species in the gate, lightly-doped drain and/or source/drain regions. The exemplary methods include a post-SBL activation anneal either in place of or in addition to the traditional post-implant activation anneal. The use of the post-SBL anneal produces CMOS transistors having properties that reflect reactivation of sufficient dopant to overcome the SBL process effects, while allowing the use of lower temperature silicides, including nickel silicides and, in particular, nickel silicides incorporating a minor portion of an alloying metal, such as tantalum, the exhibits reduced agglomeration and improved temperature stability.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an improved method for fabricating semiconductor devices and, more particularly, an improved method for forming salicide structures during semiconductor device manufacturing processes using nickel, a nickel alloy, or another metal or metal alloy capable of forming silicides at lower temperatures, e.g., less than about 725° C., to form the salicide layer and modifying the heat treatment sequence to reactivate previously deactivated dopant atoms.
2. Description of the Related Art
As the integration density of semiconductor devices continues to increase and the critical dimensions associated with such devices continue to decrease, there has been a corresponding increase in interest in identifying materials and processes for producing interest in low resistance materials to maintain or reduce signal delay. Silicide and salicide (self-aligned silicide) materials and processes have been widely used to lower the sheet resistance and contact resistance for the gate conductor and source/drain regions of MOS devices.
A number of metals, including tungsten, tantalum, zirconium, titanium, hafnium, platinum, palladium, vanadium, niobium, cobalt, nickel and various alloys of such metals have been used to form silicide layers on semiconductor devices. For gate lengths below about 100 nm, however, conventional salicide processes and materials tend to experience a variety of difficulties including opens, residues and layer non-uniformity, resulting at least in part from agglomeration within the silicide material layer.
These difficulties tend to be exacerbated by the high-temperature processing required to react most metal(s) with silicon to form the desired silicide layers. The high temperature anneals required also raise concerns regarding the impact of the silicide annealing process(es) on the thermal budget for the devices being manufactured. For example, when cobalt is used to form the silicide, the initial stoichiometry of the silicide may be generally represented as CoSi, but as the annealing process continues, particularly at higher temperatures, the silicide tends to incorporate an increasing amount of silicon and approaches a composition more closely represented as CoSi2. For devices having gate lengths below about 100 nm, however, the second high temperature silicidation used in conventional Co salicide processes tends to induce agglomeration within the silicide material layer, increasing the degree of non-uniformity within the layer and tending to degrade the performance of the resulting devices.
A conventional salicide process sequence is illustrated in FIG. 1, wherein, after forming a gate structure (S10), a first ion implant process is used to form a lightly-doped drain (S20), gate spacers are formed (S30) adjacent the gate electrode sidewalls, a heavier source/drain (S/D) implant (S40) is used to form the S/D regions in the substrate, and an activation anneal (S50) is conducted to activate a portion of the implanted dopant(s) to modify the performance of the implanted regions of the substrate. After the dopant activation anneal, a silicide blocking layer is formed (S60), a silicidation metal or metal alloy layer is formed and a salicide pattern is formed by reacting the silicidation metal(s) with exposed silicon surfaces, after which the remainder of the silicidation metal(s) are removed (S70). Once the salicide pattern has been formed, the unreacted portion of the silicidation metal(s) may be removed and an interlayer dielectric formed (S80) to begin the metallization process.
Nickel is an attractive metal for forming silicides because the annealing process required to form the desired silicide may be conducted at a relatively low temperature, e.g., below about 550° C. Depending on the reaction conditions, nickel can react with silicon to form dinickel monosilicide, Ni2Si, nickel silicide, NiSi, or nickel disilicide, NiSi2, as the silicidation product. Using annealing temperatures greater than about 550° C. tends to increase the formation of the most resistive nickel-disilicide NiSi2 and a corresponding increase in the silicon consumption and are, therefore, generally avoided. Nickel silicide, NiSi, however, can be preferentially formed at lower temperatures and provides the lowest sheet resistance of the three nickel silicide phases. Due to the low silicidation temperature, NiSi exhibits a decreased tendency to agglomerate and form a silicide layer in which the sheet resistance is generally independent of the device dimensions, increasing its utility for lowering the resistance of fine line structures.

Nickel salicide process with reduced dopant deactivation


Assembly for unidirectional magnetic proximity detecting wherein a magnet is used in conjunction with a permeable plate for absorbing magnetic flux and a reed type switch. The switch contacts remain open due to the absorption of the magnetic flux away from the contacts and into the permeable plate. Proximation of a permeable target object near the magnet enhances the magnetic flux creating an opposite magnetic flux across the switch contacts; thus, actuating the switch closed. Proximation of the permeable target object is only effective in actuating the switch when it approaches the sensing area defined adjacent to the magnet portion opposite the permeable plate. A preferred apparatus includes an enclosure which provides a weatherproof environment for the detector assembly.

The present invention relates generally to a magnetically actuated detector which is responsive to proximation of a permeable object, and which is particularly useful in providing a magnetically actuated switch having unidirectional sensitivity to permeable objects.
Magnetic proximity switches employing reed switches or similar contact configurations for actuation in response to a magnetic field exist in the prior art. U.S. Pat. No. 5,128,641 provides a representative showing of a magnetic proximity switch wherein reed contacts are disposed in a neutral magnetic flux such that switch actuation occurs upon unbalancing the magnetic flux field. This type of magnetic proximity switch employs a plurality of magnets and places the reed switch axis in a magnetic field null position which is shifted or unbalanced by proximation of a permeable object to actuate the switch. This prior art magnetic switch does not have limited directional sensitivity, and therefore, cannot be mounted or located near a permeable material and remain actuatable with respect to proximation of a permeable target object.
Magnetic switches with reed type contacts that are actuatable in response to proximation of a permeable object, become permanently actuated when adjacently mounted to permeable material because the material creates a permanent change in the magnetic flux field. However, the embodiment of the present invention provides an apparatus which can be mounted on a permeable material and remain actuatable in response to a permeable target object.
Because magnetic proximity switches in the prior art are not unidirectional in sensitivity and are normally rendered inoperable when mounted on a permeable material there is a need for a simple, economical and effective unidirectional magnetic proximity detector; however, until now, no such apparatus has been developed.

Unidirectional magnetic proximity detector


An objective is to achieve a positional change measurement device which measures positional change of a dynamic measured surface by using speckle patterns while easily reducing influence of fluctuations in a measurement environment temperature. Provided is a positional change measurement device including: a light source; an illuminating optical system configured to guide light from the light source to a measured surface; an imaging optical system; an image pickup device configured to acquire a speckle pattern by receiving reflection light from the measured surface via the imaging optical system; and detected-length compensation means for compensating for fluctuations in a detected length caused by temperature fluctuations. Positional change of the measured surface is measured based on a result of cross-correlation computation performed on multiple speckle patterns acquired at predetermined time intervals.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a positional change measurement device, a positional change measurement method, and an image forming apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Measurement of the traveling velocity or traveled distance of a surface of a belt or the like moving rotationally is performed in various techniques.
For example, a so-called tandem system has become the mainstream system employed by a color image forming apparatus using an electrophotographic process, in order to meet demands for high-speed image formation.
In a color image forming apparatus using the tandem system, four photosensitive bodies are arranged in parallel, the photosensitive bodies corresponding to toner of respective four colors (black, cyan, magenta, and yellow).
Then, toner images of the respective colors are formed on the photosensitive bodies and finally superimposed on one another on a recording medium such as a sheet of paper (a standard-sized sheet, a postcard, a cardboard, an OHP sheet, or the like) to obtain a color image.
There are two methods used in this event: a direct transfer method in which the toner images of the respective colors are superimposed directly on the recording medium, and an intermediate transfer belt method.
In the intermediate transfer belt method, the toner images of the respective colors on the photosensitive bodies are superimposed on and transferred to an intermediate transfer belt to form a color image, and collectively transferred to a recording medium.
In such a transfer, color misalignment occurs unless a conveyer belt for conveying the recording medium in the case of the direct transfer method or the intermediate transfer belt in the case of the intermediate transfer belt method is moved with high accuracy.
Meanwhile, inkjet is known as a type of a color image forming apparatus. The inkjet-type color image forming apparatus obtains a color image by combining ink images of multiple colors and forms the color image on a recording medium such as paper moving in a certain direction.
Such an inkjet-type color image forming apparatus also suffers from color misalignment unless the movement of the recording medium is controlled with high accuracy.
Thus, also in the image forming apparatus, the traveled distance or traveling velocity of the recording medium, the conveyer belt, or the intermediate transfer belt needs to be measured with high accuracy in order to control the movement thereof accurately.
It has been proposed to use speckle patterns for control of driving of a recording medium, a conveyer belt, an intermediate transfer belt, or photosensitive bodies in an image forming apparatus (Japanese Patent Application Publication Nos. 2009−15240, 2003−267591, and 2010−55064 (referred to as Patent Documents 1 to 3, respectively, hereinbelow)).
Speckle patterns are random patterns produced when coherent light beams, such as laser light, are applied to a surface having minute asperities, are reflected by or penetrate the surface, and interfere with each other.
It is known that, when the surface irradiated with the coherent light moves in a planar direction, because an illuminated area is moved and obtained speckle patterns are changed bit by bit, a cross-correlation peak position of an image of the speckle patterns at around the movement is moving.
Hence, the positional change (traveled distance or traveling velocity) of the surface can be measured through measurement of the positional change of the speckle patterns.
Herein, a target to be measured for its positional change in the planar direction by use of the speckle patterns is called a dynamic measured surface.
Patent Documents 1 to 3 each disclose measurement of the positional change of the dynamic measured surface by use of speckle patterns, but do not consider influence of fluctuations in a measurement environment temperature.
The measurement environment temperature is a temperature affecting measurement of the positional change of the dynamic measured surface.
Fluctuations in the measurement environment temperature affect measurement of the positional change of the dynamic measured surface, and cannot be ignored when accurate measurement is demanded.

Positional change measurement device, positional change measurement method, and image forming apparatus


In a connector for connecting first and second connection objects faced to each other, a conductive contact includes a holding portion held by an insulator, a first spring portion, and a second spring portion connected to the first spring portion. The first spring portion extends from the holding portion in one direction and has a first contacting portion to be connected to the first connection object. The second spring portion extends in the other direction opposite to the one direction and has a free end provided with a second contacting portion to be connected to the second connection object.

This invention relates to a connector for electrically connecting connection objects, such as a printed board and a FPC (flexible printed circuit).
As a connector of the type, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication (JP-A) No. H11-339907 discloses a connector for connecting two printed boards faced to each other. The connector comprises an elastic contact having a fixed part fixedly attached to a housing and one and the other split parts branched from one end of the fixed part. The one and the other split parts are disposed in an opening portion of the housing and led out to one and the other surfaces of the housing, respectively.
In the connector, the one and the other split parts as contacting portions of the contact are formed by a single integral component but are independent from each other as spring members. Therefore, it is difficult to achieve a sufficiently high contacting force while suppressing stress so as to prevent occurrence of permanent strain in the one and the other split parts. Further, the housing may possibly be damaged by stress concentration to an area where the fixed part is fixed to the housing. In addition, since the contacting portions of each single contact are shifted in pitch from each other, a narrow pitch can not be achieved so that the connector is increased in size.
As another connector of the type, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication (JP-A) No. 2003-163045 discloses an electrical contact element having a fixed support portion engaged with and held by a holder, a first contact spring part to be brought into press contact with an electronic component, and a second contact spring part to be brought into press contact with a printed board. The first and the second contact spring parts are connected to one end of the fixed support portion and are generally symmetrically folded on upper and lower sides of the fixed support portion. Each of the first and the second contact spring parts has a bent portion formed at an intermediate peak point to serve as a movable contact point, and a free end folded back towards the fixed support portion to form an elastic support portion. However, the above-mentioned structure is not suitable for reduction in profile of the connector.
As still another connector of the type, U.S. Pat. No. 6,328,573 discloses an electrical connector comprising an S-shaped contact formed by press punching and arranged in an opening portion of a housing. The contact has holding portions formed at opposite ends thereof and supported by the housing. In the electrical connector, the contact is bent in an S shape and has contact points formed at opposite sides of an S-shaped portion. The contact points are brought into contact with lands of printed boards faced to each other, respectively. In this manner, the printed boards are electrically connected to each other.
However, since the contact is formed by press punching, the lands of the printed boards may possibly be chipped away by sheared edges of cut surfaces of the contact points when the contact points are brought into contact with the lands. Further, since the contact is merely bent into a generally S shape, the shape of the contact points is not definitely fixed. Consequently, it is difficult to assure stable electrical connection. Following reduction in profile of the connector, an insulator of the connector is reduced in thickness. Therefore, as the number of contacts is increased, opposite ends of the insulator are increasingly warped due to reactive force of the contacts upon assembling the connector to connect the printed boards. Thus, the above-mentioned connector is disadvantageous in assemblability.

Connector which can be reduced in warpage

Japan Aviation Electronics Industry, Limited


An improved method for fabricating Chip-on-Board memory modules using partially-defective memory chips or a combination of partially-defective and flawless memory parts, comprises mounting unpackaged (or a combination of packaged and unpackaged) memory parts to a printed circuit board using one or more selectively settable materials, testing and patching the memory parts, and providing a protective cover after a suitable combination of memory parts and patches produces a fully-functional memory module. Also, a new set of printed circuit boards designed to allow fabrication of memory modules using single-bit patching, any-bit patching, and DDR technology with unpackaged memory parts. In a preferred embodiment, the method and printed circuit boards mentioned above are combined to produce a number of low-cost memory modules using modern, available partially-defective and flawless memory parts.

Semiconductor manufacturing processes have become increasingly more complex. From the beginning with the creation of discrete transistors and other semiconductor devices through subsequent medium and large scale integrated devices, the number of transistors or independent elements which can fit on to a semiconductor chip has grown exponentially each year. For example, the first integrated processors comprised on the order of 2300 transistors. A recently announced integrated circuit processor comprises more than 220 million transistors. Other circuits are projected to contain over 1 billion transistors in the foreseeable future.
This continued exponential growth of semiconductor manufacturing processes, while contributing to the greatly decreased costs of individual semiconductor devices and products has also exacerbated many production and testing problems associated with commercial semiconductor manufacturing processes. The substantial increase in the density of electronic circuits in the semiconductor integrated manufacturing processes has resulted in the production of many more less-than-perfect semiconductor die or chips. This increase in the production of less than perfect chips and die has spawned a new market for electronic component sellers who find ways to utilize less-than-perfect chips or die to assemble working components.
The many enhancements and advancements in semiconductor manufacturing and packaging processes have resulted in the creation of a number of price sensitive semiconductor product applications for electronic parts sellers. In particular, these electronic parts sellers develop low cost memory modules or other semiconductor devices through the utilization of cost effective processes, including less-than-perfect semiconductor parts.
One method of building memory modules using partially-defective memory parts may use unpackaged semiconductor memories, or die, for all or part of the memory parts used to build a memory module. Using die instead of packaged parts increases the complexity of the fabrication process, but provides substantial savings by eliminating the cost of packaging parts. The use of unpackaged parts to build memory modules, or other electronics, is called Chip-on-Board, or COB. In recent years, improvements in semiconductor memory technology and manufacturing have led to the creation of new memory products and patching techniques implemented using a Chip-on-Board process.
While the process used to assemble Chip-on-Board modules, referring to the process disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,119,049, is effective, modem adhesives provide new methods of mounting unpackaged parts. In particular, an improvement in the yield of Chip-on-Board memory modules can be attained by using one or more selectively settable liquids. A standard burn-in process used to test electronic memory modules (including Chip-on-Board modules) under high heat and high voltage stress may frequently cause a number of failed and broken chips, due mostly to a difference in the thermal expansion coefficients of the chips and the circuit board base.
In summary, there is an ongoing need in the art for means and methods of producing low cost semiconductor devices, particularly memory modules. Related to this is an ongoing need to make use of semiconductor devices that are partially-defective so that such device are not completely wasted. The use of unpackaged parts, including new mounting techniques, is desirable to provide important cost saving practices.

Methods and apparatus for fabricating Chip-on-Board modules


This invention discloses an orthogonal type card edge connector and a combination type card-plugged connector. The orthogonal type card edge connector includes a terminal component for transmitting current signal and/or current and a shell component for accommodating the terminal component. The terminal component comprises a first contact part and a second contact part, a spur line of the first contact part is orthogonal or parallel to a spur line of the second contact part. After the terminal component is electrically connected to a first circuit board and a second circuit board, the first contact part and the second connect part are separately connected with the first circuit board and the second circuit board, which are separately orthogonal and parallel to an extend surface of the orthogonal type card edge connector. The combination type card-plugged connector comprises at least two orthogonal type card edge connectors which are assembled together.

In existing technology, when connecting two orthogonal circuit boards, male connector is connected with one circuit board, a female connector is connected with another circuit board, then the signal can be transmitted between the two circuit boards by connecting the male connector and the female connector together. During installing the circuit boards, a plurality of connectors are used, which requires more installation space and more signal conversion steps, and increases the cost of the connector.

Orthogonal type backplane connector and combination type card-plugged connector

Amphenol Commercial Products (ChengDu) Co. LTD


The knee protecting airbag device is assembled such that a retainer and an attachment bracket clamp the peripheral portion of a gas inlet opening of an airbag, bag holding wall parts of a case, and a gas providing inflator. This inflator is provided with a diffuser for covering the gas discharge port of a body. The retainer and the attachment bracket are connected by inserting bolts and connecting members through the airbag and the case, by retaining retaining portions on the retaining portions of the connecting members, and by inserting the bolts into through holes and fastening them with nuts. At this connecting time, guide portions of the retainer and the diffuser are fitted on each other to form a guide passage for guiding the gas into the airbag.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a knee protecting airbag device capable of protecting the knees of an occupant such as a driver or an occupant on an assistant seat with an airbag, which is expanded and inflated by introducing an inflating gas.
2. Description of Related Art
In the related art, a device for protecting the knees of an occupant such as a driver is constructed to include: an airbag folded so that it can be expanded and inflated toward the front side of the knees of the seated occupant; an inflator for providing the airbag with an inflating gas; and a case for accommodating and holding the folded airbag and the inflator (as referred to JP 2003-118528A, for example).
In the knee protecting airbag device of the related art, however, an inflator of a generally column-shaped cylinder type is arranged together with the airbag in the case. This arrangement makes it difficult to house the folded airbag without clearance in a space around the inflator. For example, the airbag is hard to enter the clearance in the case on the front side of the inflator. There is room for improvement in the point that the space in the case is effectively utilized.
If, in this case, the construction is modified such that only the airbag is accommodated in the case by arranging the inflator outside of the case, the flexible airbag can be accommodated so far as the corners of the case. Therefore, the space in the case can be effectively utilized to make the case compact.
In case, however, the inflator is arranged outside of the case, it is necessary to guide the inflating gas into the airbag without any gas leakage.
Further, in another knee protecting airbag device of the related art, a folded airbag and an inflator are accommodated in a case opened on the vehicular rear side, and airbag cover is arranged to cover the case opening on the vehicular rear side (as referred to JP-A-2003-267178, for example).
However, the knee protecting airbag device of the related art is so mounted on the vehicle that the case accommodating the folded airbag and the inflator is fixed at its predetermined portion on the vehicular body side while assembling an airbag cover integrally with the case. When the case is mounted and fixed on the body side, therefore, the mounting works have to be done at the portion, where the worker finds it hard to view, such as the back or the side of the case, so that the mounting workability is not excellent. Especially in the knee protecting airbag device of the related art, after an instrument panel as an interior component arranged around the airbag cover was attached to the body side, the integrated airbag device is fixed on the body side. This makes the working space small at the mounting work and makes it difficult to observe the mount portion of the case on the body side. Therefore, the knee protecting airbag device of the related art cannot have a satisfactory workability for the mounting operation.


Pyro sulfuric acid is employed to decontaminate air. Contaminated air is contacted with pyro sulfuric acid in a pyro sulfuric acid system, and released as decontaminated air. The system can be especially useful in a chemical/biological/nuclear defense module.

The threat of exposure on US soil to chemical/biological/nuclear agents is taken seriously by members of Congress. Many government agencies and Armed Forces have taken steps, as summarized herein.
It appears that there is a niche market for several hundred Headquarter (HQ) Vehicles of the same basic design, but customized by agencies with modules for communication, for threat analysis and for medical evacuation.
All have in common a novel system (disclosed hereby) which is capable of providing a shirtsleeve protected vehicle with entry and exit via personal protective suits. This novel system is a large step forward compared with presently used filters and cartridges. It offers simultaneous protection against all three threats: chemical, biological and nuclear, while remaining at top capacity to provide clean air for weeks. The potential customers are listed and tentative specifications for a HQ vehicle. A discussion is given on the technical details of how it works. Finally, a concluding section is set forth, which in part may be likened to a summary of the invention or claim.
The Threat
The US government has expressed strong concern about possible terrorist activity on US soil with chemical, biological and nuclear agents or devices. Extensive measures are in progress on rapid analysis, antidotes and response systems.
There appears to be a critical need forxe2x80x94so far not existingxe2x80x94general purpose headquarter vehicles to be used in areas possibly contaminated with chemical spills or war gases, biological contamination such as anthrax and typhoid, and radioactive contamination.
This HQ vehicle is intended to serve as a safe haven for observation, identification of threatening agents, as a basis for exit and reentry in personal protective suits and evacuation of victims with at least partial decontamination.
The vehicles are intended to be used by the US Army, National Guard, Red Cross, FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency), Fire Departments, Emergency Field Hospitals and others. Vehicles have some advantages over helicopters, whose air blasts tend to spread localized contamination sources and fail to protect the pilot.
The threat became reality during the Atlanta Olympic Games with a bomb blast. There is a published report on the various government agencies and US Armed Forces which responded. Accordingly, this 8 page report was studied and used particularly to plan the needs for a general HQ vehicle (see specifications) and to find out who the customers would be.
References:
1. xe2x80x9cFBI takes lead in developing counter terrorism effort.xe2x80x9d Chemical and Engineering Chemistry. Nov. 4, 1996 pages 10 to 16
2. The CBIAC Newsletter regularly covers the field of chemical warfare/Chemical and Biological Defense. Its Information Analysis Center is sponsored by the Defense Technical Information Center (DTIC) which in turn is part of the US Department of Defense.
3. The US Department of Defense regularly issues a list of mainly technical problems which they have clearly identified and have authorized the money for. The SBIR program is the Small Business Innovation Research Program. Dr. Walles has successfully won the competition for several of these projects and gave presentations and demonstrations at SBIR award programs.
4. A most likely source of money to support the HQ vehicle project at the start is the TAT program (Technical Area Tasks) run by the CBIAC (see 2). It regularly reports who got how much money for which project.
Announced events with many people attending are especially vulnerable, such as stadium games and political conventions. Government command centers also are interested in improving their security with HQ vehicles.
Customer for HQ vehicles
The main potential customers appear to be federal, state, local agencies and certain chemical companies, plus US Army, Navy, Marines and Air Force. These diverse customers can be served by small variations on the main design, particularly by not including, but leaving space for communications and analytical modules.
The air decontamination unit covered by this invention should be useful as well for ship borne, airborne, aboard armored vehicles and in Field Hospitals. The nerve gas release in the Tokyo subway, the bombing of the New York Trade Center, the nuclear arms race between India and Pakistan have heightened awareness of terrorist threats.
Presidential Decision Directive 39 of Jun. 22, 1995 lays out US policy on counter terrorism. It gives the FBI lead responsibility for managing the crisis of a credible threat and the FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) the lead in managing the consequences of actual use, both under oversight by the NSC (National Security Council).
However, some 40 federal agencies also have some responsibility. For the 1996 Olympic Games a multi-agency partnership formed the Science and Technology Center (STC) with a fixed HQ and Chem/Bio Response Team which was staffed by 50-70 chemists and biologists borrowed from various federal agencies and headquarters in Atlanta.
The US Army, for rapid identification of chemical warfare agents, set up the Material Command Treaty Laboratory which has a self-contained mobile lab. The US National Guard, eager not to lose mission, is organizing the Homeland Defense Command for greater emphasis on countering poison gas and germ warfare. The US Army also has the Medical Research Institute for Infectious Diseases in Fort Detrick, Md. There also is a US Army Technical Escort for special emergencies and VIP""s. The US Navy has the Biological Defense Research Program for identification and verification of biological agents. It is portable and designed to travel quickly anywhere in the world. It is part of the Naval Medical Research Institute. The US Marine Corp has CBIRF, the Chem/Bio Incident Response Force which just received special funding of S10 million. The US Coast Guard now has Coast Guard Strike Teams equipped with bulldozers, backhoes and loaders. The US Air Force has a Chem/Bio Response Team.
The Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta has a Center for Infectious Diseases with close ties to the WHO (World Health Organization) of the United Nations. The US Public Health Service concentrates on treating casualties. Nuclear threats are addressed by the US Dept. of Energy. It has the Forensic Science Center at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.
The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) has the NEIC (National Enforcement Investigations Center) in Denver, Colo. for identification of hazardous materials. It also has an Emergency Response and Removal Branch which can field a mobile monitoring laboratory. It can drive through a hazardous plume and monitor for poisons. It also has a vehicle with a suite of real time instruments. The NEIC is training 11 of its experts to fit into the Multi-Agency Task Force on Ecoterrorism. The EPA also has a counter terrorism unit called the National Incidents Coordination Team.
The FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) sees itself as a xe2x80x9csystems integratorxe2x80x9d and has chemical and biological counter terrorism experience. It has a Laboratory Division and an Evidence Response Team.
The Central Intelligence Agency and the US Secret Service maintain certain interest, activities and capabilities. Among legislators the highly regarded Defense overseer Senator Sam Nunn has proposed special protection for the most populous 120 US cities. Together with Senator Richard Lugar (R-Ind.) and Senator Pete V. Domenici (R-NM) they recently gave the Pentagon an extra $144 million for response to nuclear/chemical/biological/radiological emergencies. On May 22, 1998 the US President ordered stock-piling of antibiotics and vaccines for civilian protection against biological warfare.
In April 1998 $800,000 was awarded to a small company by DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency for vaccine development against bio warfare. The Pentagon has created a new Joint Program Office for Biological Defense in Arlington, Va. It was funded with $1400 million for passive defenses against bio weapons and is managed by the US Army under direct control by the JCS (Joint Chiefs of Staff). The US Army has now set up a new command, the Chemical and Biological Defense Command APG (Maryland).
The Battelle Research Institute operates via its Battelle Edgewood Operations the US Army Edgewood Research, Development and Engineering Center.
Thus, there appear to be agencies eager to conquer part of the new missions, and others concerned about losing mission.
It appears worthwhile to invite the various government and state agencies to participate in a meeting set up to specifically address the specifications for a novel HQ vehicle and to their interest in purchasing one or more.
Announcing the intent to build a series of 100 of these vehicles with greatly improved capabilities may secure their attention and cooperation.
Co-sponsors for such a meeting may be the FBI, DARPA, FEMA, CBIAC, and others, see above.
HQ Vehicle Specifications
The challenge to private industry is to come up with a design which permits the customers with different needs to customize, while sticking to a uniform design. Thus, communications equipment and portable analytical gear are not part of the specs, but space is reserved for them plus an extra large access door and extra electrical power for their modules.
Thus, multiple missions can be accommodated, such as
threat analysis with special equipment
people rescue with medical specialists
command headquarters
special fighting capability
Listed specifications are tentative and can be modified via discussion with customers:
1. Maintain slight over-pressure to prevent entry of threat agents into the sealed HQ vehicle.
2. Be self-contained as far as breathing air: 1 month (or 1 week?).
3. Fuel for 1 week, food for 1 week.
4. 1000 mile range per fuel tank.
5. Decontamination capability for 1 month with 200 re-entries.
6. Accommodate 5-10 personnel.
7. Storage for 20 exit personal protective gear; gear itself not included, as agencies have their own.
8. Large door to permit loading of communications module and specialized analytical modules or medical supplies in a module.
9. Air purification system fully automatic, good for 1 month in the field, fool proof.
10. Provide its main mission to provide a shirtsleeve HQ protected from moderate outside chem/bio/nuclear threat and permitting exit and re-entry for people with personal protective suits during threats.
11. Provide 4 simultaneous re-entry cubicles with full decontamination, or as variant 2 simultaneous re-entry cubicles plus 1 stretcher re-entry of double size.
12. Provide extra HQ shirtsleeve protection by having a separate area for donning and storing protective suits and providing emergency rapid contaminated entry bypassing the slow but secure re-entry cubicles. Have an extra cubicle between the shirtsleeve and protective suit area.
13. Carry the novel pyro sulfuric acid type equipment which works without filters, can handle all three threats (chem/bio/nuclear) simultaneously with 1 month fully automatic service.
14. Equip the re-entry, one person cubicles with multiple decontamination faucets and gear for:
ultraviolet light
ozone
pyro sulfuric system
diluted bleach or peroxide
bicarbonate in water
dry, clean breathing air
slight over pressure and leak tight

Headquarter vehicles for chemical biological nuclear defense


The present invention provides a pigment dispersant: that is capable of remarkably ameliorating fluidity of a liquid product, such as an ink or a paint, which contains particles of a pigment, such as a black azo pigment, in a dispersed state; that can suppress aggregation of pigment particles; that prevents occurrence of foreign substances; and that is capable of producing a colored article excellent in optical density. Provided is a pigment dispersant being a compound represented by the following formula (1).

It is generally difficult to mix and disperse a pigment (particles) stably in a vehicle of a paint, a gravure ink, an offset ink, or the like. For example, fine pigment particles once dispersed in a vehicle tend to aggregate in the vehicle. When the pigment particles aggregate, the viscosity of the vehicle increases. In addition, when a vehicle containing pigment particles which are in an aggregation state is used, various problems that the colorability of an ink or a paint is lowered, the gloss of a coating film is lowered, etc. are liable to occur. Among the pigments, it is particularly difficult to mix and disperse a black pigment stably.
As black pigments which have been used as a colorant for paints, printing inks, plastics, and the like, carbon black-based pigments, iron oxide-based pigments, and the like are generally used. These black pigments exhibit a black color by absorbing all the rays of light, including a visible light region in the sunlight.
The sunlight is composed of electromagnetic waves, and the light in a wavelength region of approximately from 380 to 780 nm forms visible light rays. Therefore, the black color is exhibited only by absorbing all the visible light rays. The light in a wavelength region of 0.8 μm to 2.5 μm (800 nm to 2,500 nm), which is a wavelength region on the longer wavelength side of the visible light rays and is between a visible light ray region and an infrared ray region, is called near infrared rays. The carbon black-based pigments also absorb these near infrared rays. It is to be noted that, among the near infrared rays, it is considered to be the light in a wavelength region of 800 nm to 1,400 nm that has a particularly large degree of contribution to heat in a wavelength region of the sunlight.
As described above, a black pigment such as a carbon black-based pigment also absorbs the near infrared rays in the wavelength region of 800 nm to 1,400 nm, which have a large degree of contribution to heat. Therefore, there has been a problem that when an article colored with a black pigment is exposed to the sunlight, the temperature of the article thereby easily rises. As an article colored with a black pigment, there are a large number of sophisticated products such as a black matrix (hereinafter, also simply written as "BM") that constitutes a color filter (hereinafter, also simply written as "CF"). Therefore, various studies have been investigated on: a black pigment; a colorant composition for coloring various articles into black; and the like, the temperature of which does not rise even when they are exposed to the sunlight.
In Patent Literature 1, a black azo pigment that exhibits a black color by absorbing visible light rays and reflects infrared rays, the black azo pigment having an azomethine group, is disclosed. In addition, since this black azo pigment reflects infrared rays, obtaining an article the temperature of which does not rise excessively even by direct sunlight or the like by coloring the article with this black azo pigment; and the like are proposed.
By the way, with remarkable progress in information devices in recent years, a liquid color display (hereinafter, also simply written as "LCD") is applied as an information-displaying member to a large number of information display-related devices. With the application of the liquid color display to the information display-related devices, improvements in display quality of LCD and cost reduction of LCD are desired. Therefore, having more excellent product quality in terms of color properties and optical properties, such as definition, color density, light transparency, and contrast, is required also in CF to be mounted on LCD.
In CF, respective pixels of R (red), G (green), and B (blue) are arranged in the form of a stripe, a mosaic, or a triangle, and in order to shield unwanted light, BM in the form of a grid is formed around each pixel. A picture is formed by irradiating CF from the back with light of a back light and developing colors through additive color mixture with transmitted light from each pixel of R, G, and B. A red pigment, a green pigment, a blue pigment, a yellow pigment, a violet pigment, and the like are used for chromatic (RGB) pixels, and these are each improved. In addition, a light-shielding material that constitutes BM is shifting from a conventional metallic chrome film to a resin film using a black pigment in order to meet increases in substrate size, reductions in environmental load, and the like.
In addition, various improvements are proposed also in the method of displaying pixels in CF, and concomitantly with the improvements, light-shielding black pigments for use in BM are also improved. For example, an in-plane switching method (IPS method), in which pixels are displayed by applying an electric field in parallel with a substrate to convert a liquid crystal layer in order to widen the viewing angle, is proposed. In addition, a black-matrix-on-array method (BOA method), in which BM is formed on a thin film transistor (TFT), and a color filter-on-array method (COA method) are proposed. In these methods, the aperture ratio is made high, and therefore a pixel area can be expanded. Further, the efficiency of a sticking process is improved, and therefore an operation process can also be streamlined.
For example, to widen a viewing angle more in the IPS method, it is considered that a space (cell gap) between the substrates that hold a liquid crystal layer therebetween is required to be kept constant with high accuracy. However, it is difficult to adjust the cell gap uniformly in a conventional system in which a bead-like spacer is sprayed. Therefore, as a method of adjusting the cell gap uniformly, methods such as thickening BM itself and thickening by laminating a resin on BM, the resin supporting the space of a coloring layer, a photoresist layer, and the like, are proposed. Further, in these methods, a conventional bead-like spacer is not used, and therefore it is considered that deterioration in the display quality due to scattering and transmission of light can be suppressed (Patent Literatures 2 and 3).
Methods such as the IPS method, the BOA method, and the COA method are the methods of forming BM on an active element such as TFT, and therefore there is a possibility that the active element malfunctions when BM is not electrically insulating. A carbon black-based pigment which is conventionally used as a light-shielding black pigment has a low electric resistance, and therefore it cannot be said that the carbon black-based pigment is suitable as a black pigment to be applied to the above-described methods. Accordingly, a light-shielding black pigment that is more excellent in electric insulation is desired.
To meet such desire, for example, a black pigment for BM, wherein carbon black in which the amount of oxygen is specified is covered with a highly insulating resin film to improve the electric insulation, is proposed (Patent Literature 4). In addition, applying BM to the COA method, the BM formed using insulating carbon black selected by measuring the volume resistance value or using carbon black covered with a resin to improve the electric insulation, is proposed (Patent Literature 5). However, a carbon black-based pigment is a material which has electric conductivity inherently, and therefore it has been difficult to secure sufficient insulation even when the carbon black-based pigment is subjected to resin coating or the like.
On the other hand, using a black azo pigment having an azomethine group, the black pigment proposed in Patent Literature 1, is proposed in order to secure the insulation of BM (Patent Literature 6). However, it has been difficult to mix and disperse the black azo pigment proposed in Patent Literature 1 stably in a vehicle. Fine pigment particles once dispersed in a vehicle tend to aggregate in the vehicle. The viscosity of the vehicle in which pigment particles have aggregated increases. In addition, when a vehicle containing pigment particles which have aggregated is used, a problems such as that the colorability of an ink or a paint is lowered, the gloss of a coating film is lowered, or the optical density is insufficient as a light-shielding material for forming BM has occurred.
In order to disperse particles of a pigment, such as a black azo pigment having an azomethine group, stably in a dispersion medium, a method of using a pigment derivative as a dispersant; a method of using a pigment treated with a pigment derivative; and the like are proposed. Specifically, when a phthalocyanine-based pigment, such as PB 15:6, is used, using as a pigment dispersant a substituted derivative of phthalocyanine is proposed (Patent Literature 7). In addition, when an anthraquinone-based pigment, such as PR 177, is used, using as a pigment dispersant a substituted derivative of anthraquinone is proposed (Patent Literature 8). Further, when a diketopyrrolopyrrole-based pigment, such as PR 254, is used, using as a pigment dispersant a substituted derivative of diketopyrrolopyrrole is proposed (Patent Literature 8).

Pigment dispersing agent, pigment composition, and pigment coloring agent

Abstract: wherein R1 and R2 each independently represent a group obtained by eliminating one hydrogen atom from an amino group of an amine compound containing a basic nitrogen atom, and R3 and R4 each independently represent a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, an alkyl group, an alkoxy group, or a hydroxy group.

DAINICHISEIKA COLOR & CHEMICALS MFG. CO., LTD.


An MQ organopolysiloxane compatible with organic plastics, has an epoxy-containing organic group, and has the following general formula ##STR1## R.sup.1 represents monovalent hydrocarbon groups, R.sup.2 represents the hydrogen atom and monovalent hydrocarbon groups, R.sup.3 represents epoxy-containing organic groups and alkoxysilylalkyl groups, a is 0 or a positive number, b and c are positive numbers, a/c has a value of 0 to 4, b/c has a value of 0.05 to 4, and (a+b)/c has a value of 0.2 to 4. Also, a method for the preparation of this organopolysiloxane comprises an addition reaction of an Si-H containing organopolysiloxane with an epoxy-containing compound in the presence of a hydrosilylation catalyst.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an organopolysiloxane and to a method for its preparation. More specifically, the present invention relates to an organopolysiloxane comprising monofunctional siloxane units (M unit) and tetrafunctional siloxane units (Q unit) and that also has an epoxy-containing organic group.
2. Prior Art
Various types of MQ organopolysiloxanes are already known in the art. Shirahata in U.S. Pat. No. 4,707,531, issued Nov. 17, 1992, describes a method of making MQ organopolysiloxanes which have long been used as starting materials for varnishes and pressure-sensitive adhesives. According to Shirahata an alkyl silicate is dripped into a mixture of an aqueous hydrochloric acid which contains at least 5 weight percent hydrogen chloride and a trialkylailane or a disiloxine at a temperature of 0.degree. to 90.degree. C.
Shirahata and Fukutani in U.S. Pat. No. 4,946,921, issued Aug. 7, 1990, describe a hydroxyphenyl-containing MQ organopolysiloxane of the general formula ##STR2## where A is a hydroxyphenyl group, R' is an alkylene group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, n is zero or one, R" is an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, x and z are positive numbers, y is zero or a positive number, x, y, and z have values such that their ratios are 0<(x+y)/z<4, and zero<y/x<5.
Fukutani in U.S. Pat. No. 5,011,901, issued Apr. 30, 1991, describes a chloromethyl-containing MQ organopolysiloxane of the general formula ##STR3## where R' is a monovalent hydrocarbon group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, R" is a hydrogen atom or a monovalent hydrocarbon group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, x and z are positive numbers, y is zero or a positive number, and x, y, and z have values such that their ratios are 0.3<(x+y)/z<4 and zero<y/x<100.
However, the groups that may be bonded to the silicon atom in the monofunctional siloxane units (M unit) in the above-referenced MQ organopolysiloxanes are limited to the hydrogen atom, alkyl groups, alkenyl groups, the hydroxyphenyl group, and the chloromethyl group. There have been no reports to date of MQ organopolysiloxane in which the silicon atom of the monofunctional siloxane unit (M unit) carries an epoxy-containing organic group.
The present inventor achieved the present invention as the result of extensive efforts directed at solving the aforementioned problem.

Organopolysiloxane and method for the preparation thereof


Apparatus for adjusting a first member relative to a second member comprises a button with two sets of teeth and movable between first and second positions. When in the first position, both sets of teeth engage sets of teeth carried by the first and second members to prevent relative movement of the first and second members. When in the second position, one of the sets of teeth carried by the button disengages one of the sets of teeth carried by one of the first and second members to allow relative movement thereof.

Portable rotary cutting tools, such as string trimmers, long have been used to cut vegetation, particularly in areas inaccessible by a lawn mower or other cutting device. Such portable rotary cutting tools include a small internal combustion engine or electric motor operatively connected to a distal cutting element. Such tools typically are provided with a fixed rear support handle and a forward control handle secured to the shaft. The forward handle, in conjunction with the rear handle, serves the purpose of supporting the tool with both hands and provides for better guiding control of the rotary cutting element. Typically, the forward handle attached to the shaft is fixed in position, however, others have devised forward string trimmer handles that are adjustable with respect to the shaft, such as disclosed in the Driggers U.S. Pat. No. 4,825,548.

Apparatus for adjusting relative positions of first and second members


An optical tracking device includes a light source, an image sensor and a processing unit. The light source emits light at a lighting frequency. The image sensor outputs an operating image when the light source is being turned on and outputs a background image when the light source is being turned off. The processing unit is configured to obtain background information from the background image, calculate a differential image of the operating image and the background image, obtain object information from the differential image and compare the background information and the object information thereby removing background noise.

1. Field of the Disclosure
This disclosure generally relates to a human machine interface device and, more particularly, to an optical object tracking device and operating method thereof that may remove the moving background noise.
2. Description of the Related Art
The conventional optical object tracking device generally includes a light source, an image sensor and a processing unit, wherein the light source is configured to illuminate an approaching object; the image sensor is configured to capture a plurality of image frames containing the object; and the processing unit is configured to track the motion of the object according to the image frames.
However, besides the object image, the image frames captured by the image sensor may further include the ambient light image. Conventionally, in order to remove the ambient light image, the image sensor is arranged to capture bright image frames corresponding to the turning on of the light source and dark image frames corresponding to the turning off of the light source. Then, the processing unit calculates the differential image of the bright image frames and the dark image frames so as to eliminate the ambient light image. Although this denoising method can eliminate the noise caused by a fixed ambient light source, when the position of the ambient light source changes with time, the background noise can not be effectively eliminated only by calculating the differential image between the bright image frames and the dark image frames. Accordingly, the processing unit is not able to correctly track the motion of the object according to the differential image.
Accordingly, the present disclosure further provides an object tracking device and an operating method thereof that may effectively eliminate the noise caused by the moving background.

Object tracking device capable of removing background noise and operating method thereof


Methods and apparatus are provided for soft-decision maximum likelihood demodulation to decode a data vector transmitted in a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) communications channel. Soft-decision demodulators are disclosed that implement sphere decoding to reduce complexity of demodulation while preserving optimal performance. Candidate signal values associated with the transmitted data vector may be obtained and partitioned into signal bit groups. A sphere search may be performed over the candidate signal values within a search radius value to determine a smallest distance metric for each signal bit group. The search radius value may be updated based on a current smallest distance metric for each signal bit group. A log-likelihood ratio (LLR) may be computed from the determined smallest distance metrics for each signal bit group using a soft-decision demodulator.

The background description provided herein is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Work of the inventors hereof, to the extent the work is described in this background section, as well as aspects of the description that may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither expressly nor impliedly admitted as prior art against the present disclosure.
This disclosure relates generally to signal detection, and more particularly to detecting signals received in a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) system by performing maximum likelihood demodulation using a soft sphere decoder.
With the continuing demand for higher-speed digital communications systems and higher-density digital storage systems, various techniques have been applied to increase the capacity of these systems. However, even with high-capacity communications and storage media, their respective bandwidths and densities are still limited. Therefore, MIMO systems are often used to fully exploit the capabilities of these systems. In particular, increasing the dimensions of these systems enables higher throughput and reliability, as more information can be conveyed without increasing the bandwidth of such systems.
However, the efficiency gained by MIMO systems comes at the expense of a complex receiver design. In particular, a MIMO receiver may obtain a plurality of signals from its multiple receiver inputs, where each signal includes information from each of the multiple transmitter outputs. From all of this jumbled information, a MIMO detector can attempt to recover the independent information transmitted from each of the various transmitter outputs. Thus, this information recovery process may require some tradeoff between receiver complexity and performance.

Soft sphere decoder for MIMO maximum likelihood demodulation


An improved and efficient process for the production of recombinant human insulin by folding of a proinsulin hybrid polypeptide is provided.

The disclosures of publications listed at the end of this specification immediately preceding the claims are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties into this specification in order to more fully describe the state of the art to which this invention pertains.
Insulin is a polypeptide hormone essential for the control of glucose metabolism and it is administered daily to patients suffering from diabetes mellitus, a metabolic disorder characterized by an inadequate supply of insulin.
In vivo, the hormone is first synthesized as a long precursor molecule, subsequently processed to its biologically active form, consisting of an A and a B chain. In more detail, the gene for preproinsulin is transcribed in the beta cells of the endocrine pancreas into an mRNA precursor, which is then spliced to produce mature mRNA. This mRNA is translated into preproinsulin (NH.sub.2 -preregion-B chain-C peptide-A chain-COOH), which is sequentially processed into proinsulin and finally into insulin. The first step in the processing is the proteolytic elimination of the preregion, which serves as a hydrophobic signal sequence for the transfer of the nascent chain through the microsomal membranes of the rough endoplasmatic reticulum. In human preproinsulin, the length of the preregion is 24 amino acids.
In proinsulin, the two regions of the polypeptide chain that will become the mature insulin, the B- and A chains, are connected to each other by the C peptide (or C-chain), which comprises at the N and C termini two pairs of basic amino acids. In most C-peptides, these pairs are Arg-Arg and Lys-Arg. The human C peptide, including the two flanking pairs of basic amino acids, contains 35 amino acids. The C peptide connects the two portions of the polypeptide in order to aid in appropriate disulfide bridge formation between the B and A segments. Therefore the role of the C peptide does not depend greatly on its structure. In fact, its replacement by a shorter synthetic bridge still allows proper folding of the proinsulin molecule (1,2).
The proinsulin folds with the concomitant oxidation of two interchain disulfide bonds and of one disulfide bond within the A chain. In the last stage of maturation, proteolytic enzymes cleave at the basic amino acids to release the C peptide and form the mature insulin (3). In human insulin, the A chain is 21 amino acids long while the B chain is 30 amino acids long.
World demand for insulin exceeds several tons annually and there is a severe shortage of supply. Traditionally, insulin was produced from limited animal sources, mainly bovine and porcine pancreatic preparations, which differ from human insulin and may elicit an adverse immune reaction.
Studies carried out during the 1960's demonstrated in vitro production of insulin. Insulin synthesis was achieved by combining the A and B chains in their S-sulfonated forms (4) or by the spontaneous reoxidation of reduced proinsulin (5). The latter method was not practical for large scale insulin production due to very low protein concentration in the oxidation mixture. Insulin could subsequently be recovered following treatment with trypsin and carboxypeptidase B (6).
Semi-synthetic and biosynthetic (recombinant) human insulin have recently become available. Semi-synthetic human insulin is produced from porcine insulin by the trypsin catalyzed exchange of alanine with threonine at position 30 of the B chain (the only difference between porcine and human insulin). The recombinant human insulin produced either in E. coli or yeast will eventually replace all other routes of manufacture.
Biosynthetic recombinant human insulin is currently manufactured by two routes: either by producing the A and B chains separately in E.coli and subsequently combining them (7,8), or by enzymatic conversion of pro-insulin like polypeptides expressed in either E.coli (1,8) or yeast (2,9).
In most cases proinsulin is produced as a hybrid protein which accumulates as intracellular precipitated protein. This hybrid is normally purified and cleaved by CNBr in order to release the proinsulin polypeptide. The latter is further modified by oxidative sulfitolysis to proinsulin S-sulfonate. The proinsulin S-sulfonate is then purified and folded, under reducing conditions, to proinsulin (8). Conversion of the proinsulin to insulin is achieved by the combined action of trypsin and carboxypeptidase B (6).
Patent Publication No. EP 195691 B1, assigned to Novo Nordisk A/S describes a proinsulin of the formula B-Lys-Arg-A and the use thereof for the preparation of insulin in yeast.
Patent Publication No. EP 196056 Bi, assigned to Chiron Corp., describes an hSOD-proinsulin protein produced by yeast. The hSOD-proinsulin protein is subjected to cyanogen bromide cleavage and sulfitolysis prior to folding. Hoechst discloses in EPO Publication No. 379162 that `false recombinants of insulin precursors` (i.e. recombinant insulin products with incorrect or partially incorrect intermolecular disulfide bridges) can be converted to `correct` insulin products without sulfitolysis by reacting the false recombinants with excess mercaptan in an aqueous medium in the presence of an organic redox system. The original sulfitolysis step takes place after the amino acid or peptide radical is cleaved off (chemically or enzymatically) from the fusion polypeptide (which takes place after lysis of the host cell) since then the six cysteines of the insulin precursor are converted into their S-sulfonates. In a subsequent renaturing step, natural proinsulin is produced from this proinsulin S-sulfonate by formation of the three correct disulfide bridges. During this renaturing step, the so-called `false recombinants` are produced.
Hoechst further discloses, in PCT International Publication No. WO 91/03550, a process for the preparation of fusion proteins containing a desired protein (e.g. proinsulin) and a "ballast constituent". Sulfitolysis is carried out before folding while the "ballast constituent" is cleaved off concomitantly with the C-chain of the proinsulin, after folding.
In addition, Hoechst describes in EP 347781 B1, a "mini-proinsulin" (B-Arg-A) and the use thereof for the preparation of mono-Arg insulin and insulin. They further describe fusion proteins which comprise B-Arg-A and a "ballast constituent". The "ballast constituent" is cleaved off by cyanogen bromide and sulfitolysis is carried out before folding of the polypeptide.
The subject invention discloses recombinant human insulin production by an improved and efficient process. Recombinant proinsulin hybrid polypeptides comprising a leader sequence are synthesized in E.coli. After partial purification, they are folded with the leader peptide still attached under conditions which permit correct folding. Biologically active human insulin is then produced by combined treatment with trypsin and carboxypeptidase B in which these enzymes cleave off the leader peptide and the C-chain concomitantly. The purified human insulin thus produced is identical to naturally occurring human insulin.
The hazardous and cumbersome procedures involved in CNBr cleavage of hybrid polypeptides and sulfitolysis used to protect the abundant SH groups are excluded from this novel process since the entire proinsulin hybrid polypeptide can fold efficiently into its native structure even in the presence of the leader peptide and the unprotected cysteine residues. The active recombinant human insulin is released by enzymatic cleavage and is thereafter purified.

Refolding of proinsulins without addition of reducing agents