A method and a control unit for driving a control circuit (1) are suggested which make possible an improved distribution of the generated power loss. A component (15), especially of a motor vehicle, is driven via at least two outputs (5, 10) of the control circuit (1). Each output (5, 10) is connected pairwise to one of several potentials (40, 45) via controllable switch means (20, 25; 30, 35) and a drive voltage (UA) is formed for the component (15) from a difference between the potentials at the two outputs (5, 10). A pregiven clocked course of the drive voltage (UA) is adjusted by switching more than one of the controllable switch devices (20, 25; 30, 35).

Control circuits are already known which include two outputs for driving a component, especially of a motor vehicle. The component can, for example, be configured as the following: a throttle flap actuator; an exhaust-gas control actuator; a charge-movement actuator; a circulating air actuator in compressor motors; a variable valve drive adjustor or the like. Each output of the control circuit is selectably connectable to an operating voltage potential or a reference potential via a controllable switching means. A drive voltage for the component is formed from a difference between the potentials at the two outputs. A control circuit of this kind can, for example, be realized by a so-called H-bridge circuit as is known, for example, from Motorola as automotive H-bridge driver MC 33186. To drive the control circuit, usually two input signals are used, namely, a pulsewidth-modulated signal for a first input of the control circuit and a constant operational-sign signal (algebraic sign signal) for a second input of the control circuit.
With the known H-bridge circuit, it is possible to drive the component in both possible rotational directions. The H-bridge circuit is either built up discretely or is integrated in an integrated circuit loop. The actuating currents for the components usually lie between 1A and more than 100A. For this reason, the power loss, which is generated at the H-bridge circuit, is critical in two respects. On the one hand, the control circuit must be able to conduct the power loss away to the outside efficiently. On the other hand, highly integrated control circuits and especially those integrated control circuits having areally optimized transistors as controllable switching means have only very little thermal capacity to absorb high loads in a short time.
In both cases, it is desirable to distribute the power loss uniformly in the control circuit or over the integrated circuit. If the control circuit or the H-bridge circuit is built up discretely, then it is desirable to distribute the arising power loss uniformly to the individual controllable circuit means.

Method and control unit for driving a control circuit


A new hinge for storage media packages and storage devices, especially for use in packages for disc-shaped storage media, includes a hinge pin formed as part of a cover of the package. The hinge pin is inserted into hinge pin receptacles formed on a support plate of the package. The support plate is held by a base plate. When the hinge pin is inserted in the receptacles and the support plate is inserted into the base plate, the receptacles are prevented from expanding, thus locking the hinge pin in the receptacles and locking the cover on the package. The hinge pin locks the support plate in the base plate by projections extending from the receptacles and engaging an undercut of the base plate. Hinge pin supports are formed on projections of the cover and are spaced so that each support is adjacent one or more receptacles.

Prior art storage media packages, such as jewel cases for audio CDs and CD-ROMs, have suffered a number of disadvantages. (I will refer to CDs in this specification, but the discussion of the prior art and the invention also applies to other disc-shaped records and storage media in general.) The most widely used jewel case comprises a top cover pivotably connected to a bottom cover, the bottom cover holding a disc carrier. The top cover typically has extensions with protrusions that fit into holes on the bottom cover to provide the pivot connection. However, the extensions snap off easily, and the protrusions often pop out of the holes into which they are inserted. The resulting connection is not very secure, and the particular construction and type of material from which the jewel cases are usually made render the connection easily broken.
The disc carrier is typically held in the bottom cover by a press or snap-in fit. The carrier includes a raised cylindrical portion that spaces the recorded surface of the stored disc from the carrier itself. A set of raised, radially arranged fingers formed on the raised cylindrical portion holds the disc in place by an interference fit with the center hole of the disc. To free the disc, the user is supposed to depress the tops of the fingers while lifting the edges of the stored disc. As a result of the construction of prior art packages, this operation can be difficult to complete, especially for the small-handed, and often results in dropped discs or contact with the recorded surface.
The ubiquity of this type of jewel case has resulted in a standard set of booklets and informational cards (so-called "C-cards") that are inserted with the storage media, especially for audio CDs. Thus, any redesign of the jewel case that requires something other than the standard booklet or C-card will result in increased publication costs and will consequently have a more difficult time becoming established in the marketplace.
Several attempts at redesigns of this "standard" jewel case have been made. The best attempt is that by Philosophe (U.S. Pat. No. 4,702,369) and includes a disc carrier that slides away from the pivot between the top and bottom covers, allowing the stored disc to be accessed in two ways: by the conventional opening of the cover and by sliding the carrier out of the jewel case. This configuration also allows for stacking of the jewel cases for more compact storage of a plurality of jewel cases, yet also allows access to the stored discs without removing a jewel case from the stack. Unfortunately, this configuration suffers from several drawbacks.
Firstly, the C-card that would be used in this newer jewel case would be non-standard or would be easily damaged when the carrier was slid out of the jewel case. If a standard C-card were used, it would ride on the carrier with its printed surface facing the bottom cover. As a result, the printed surface of the C-card could be scratched or torn from the sliding of the carrier in and out of the jewel case. If a non-standard C-card were used, it could remain in the bottom cover, but might still be torn by the sliding carrier. Additionally, as mentioned above, a non-standard C-card would be more costly and would decrease the marketability of the jewel case.
Secondly, Philosophe still relies on the standard type of hinge connection. As mentioned above, this type of hinge comes apart or breaks quite easily. Consequently, the reliability and durability of the Philosophe jewel case hinge are not what most consumers would desire. Philosophe's jewel case hinge is therefore no improvement over that of the standard jewel case.
Thirdly, the carrier Philosophe uses includes the standard radially arranged fingers for holding the disc. Thus, once the carrier is slid out of the jewel case, the user must still perform the often difficult task of depressing the tabs while lifting the edges of the stored disc. As mentioned above, this maneuver can result in a dropped disc or contact with the recorded surface, potentially damaging the disc. Further, when the stored disc is being removed from a stack of jewel cases as suggested by Philosophe, the maneuver could result in toppling the whole stack, resulting in a big mess, possible breakage of the jewel cases, and aggravating the user. Therefore, the sliding carrier of Philosophe only slightly improves on the standard jewel case.


A computer implemented method, computer program product, and system for performing create, read, update, or delete operations on a plurality of resources in a client-server environment. In an embodiment, the computer implemented method includes the steps of identifying individual resources requiring operations to be performed, assigning local references for any resources to which a URI (Uniform Resource Identifier) has not been provided by the server, generating metadata describing the local references and operations to be performed, wrapping each individual resource with the metadata to provide a plurality of wrapped resources arranging the wrapped resources into a single payload, and transmitting the single payload to the server.

Development of new and better software applications has proliferated in recent years, largely because of the growth of large-scale computing, computer networks, and increasing interest in the "cloud." The term "cloud computing" generally characterizes a computing environment where a substantial number of computers are interconnected over a large data network, such as the Internet. This is an ideal environment for network-based services, and many business entities take advantage of this arrangement to avail themselves of "software as a service," or SaaS, in which software applications and data are hosted by a remotely-located computer (or group of computers) accessible over the Internet.
This approach permits subscribers to the service to use a "thin client" at their local site that depends heavily on a fully provisioned server, connected to the client through the Internet, in what is known as a "client-server" relationship. The client-server model is a popular configuration for networked computing in which the remotely-located computer, or server, is designed to share software and data with a local client that simply needs to establish contact with the server to use its software and data resources.
Client-server is a relatively simple arrangement that enables a local computer to take advantage of remotely available resources. One of the hurdles that must be cleared in distributed computing environments, however, is the fact that many desirable software applications were originally written for use with specific operating systems and may not be easily transported (or "ported") to a different operating system or to a host computer that uses a different processor. Data formats may also be unique to particular applications, and consequently incompatible with others. Thus, behind the scenes of distributed computing, there is an ongoing effort to overcome compatibility issues through application integration. In enterprise environments, achieving operational harmony among disparate applications and data formats is often accomplished through "middleware."
In simple terms, middleware is computer software that resides between the operating system for a particular platform and application software providing desirable functionality. Middleware's primary purposes are facilitating communication and input/output (I/O) operations among applications. Since the above-cited incompatibilities among disparate applications and data structures are also regularly encountered outside the enterprise setting, even in client-server operations, enabling proper communication and I/O is a task toward which a great deal of development work has been directed.
REST, or Representational State Transfer, is an architectural style that is considered the underpinning of the World Wide Web. Because of this relationship with the way in which the web operates, REST is frequently employed in distributed computing applications, particularly when web services are involved. In fact, client-server is one of the formal REST interaction constraints applied to resources (components, connectors, and data elements). Another constraint that characterizes systems that follow REST architectural principles is statelessness. In other words, no information associated with a client context can be stored on the server between requests. After all, a network of web pages is nothing but a virtual state machine. A user navigates his way through a web application by a sequence of link selections, where each link selection invokes a state transition. Content from the page to which the hyperlink points is then presented to the user.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Bulk uploading of multiple self-referencing objects

International Business Machines Corporation


A substrate having at least one main surface comprising a first coating deposited on said main surface and a second coating having anti-soiling properties deposited and adhering on the surface of said first coating,                the first coating being a (meth)acrylate based coating and being obtained by polymerizing a polymerizable composition comprising:                    i) at least one (meth)acrylate compound and            ii) at least one compound I having at least one —M—Z′ bond with M representing Si or a Metal atom, Z′ representing OH or a hydrolysable group, and at least one ethylenic unsaturated group or epoxy group, and/or            iii) at least one silica or metal oxide colloid having free ethylenically unsaturated groups; and                        the second coating, having anti-soiling properties, being obtained by depositing on said first coating an anti-soiling coating composition comprising at least one compound II, or a hydrolyzate thereof, having at least one —Si—Z″ group with Z″ representing OH or a hydrolysable group.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to substrates coated with a modified (meth)acrylate based coating, providing good scratch resistance along with interfacial adhesion with an anti-soiling coating, especially a fluorinated hydrophobic coating, deposited thereon.
The invention also relates to a coating composition comprising a (meth)acrylate based coating composition, usable for obtaining the coated substrate here above mentioned and a corresponding coated substrate able to be coated with an anti-soiling coating.
The invention is preferably used for manufacturing ophthalmic lenses coated, especially on their back side (concave side), with the coating of the invention and that subsequently can be treated with an anti-soiling coating.
2. Description of Related Art
It is well known in the field of ophthalmic lenses to apply anti-soiling coatings, especially hydrophobic and/or oleophobic top coats having low surface energy on antireflective (AR) stacks.
The anti-soiling has generally reactive groups such as SiO-alkyl groups, Si—Cl, Si—NH2 or Si—NH— groups that can hydrolyze and react with pendant reactive groups at the surface of the AR.
When the anti-soiling coating is deposited on inorganic AR layers that have been vapour deposited, there is generally no severe problems of adhesion between the AR and the anti-soiling coating.
When the anti-soiling coating is deposited on another coating, especially those of organic nature, such as an abrasion resistant coating, adhesion problems are encountered.
According to the invention, it was found that it is necessary to use a specific coating composition in order to obtain a good adhesion at the interface between the coating and the anti-soiling coating.

Essilor International Compagnie Generale d'Optique


A first mobile terminal testing device 1 including plurality of pseudo base station units 12-0, 12-1 operating as LTE base stations of NSA, and second mobile terminal testing device 2 operating as 5G NR base stations of NSA are provided. Each of the pseudo base station units 12-0, 12-1 is associated with the second mobile terminal testing devices 2, 2. The second mobile terminal testing device 2 generates a 5G NR control signal when testing a mobile terminal 3 which supports for NSA. The generated 5G NR control signal is transmitted to the first mobile terminal testing device 1. The first mobile terminal testing device 1 transmits the received 5G NR control signal to the mobile terminal 3 by the LTE control signal using the pseudo base station unit 12 corresponding to the second mobile terminal testing device 2 which transmits the control signal.

When a mobile terminal, such as a mobile phone or a data communication terminal, which performs communication while moving, is developed, it is necessary to test whether or not the developed mobile terminal can normally perform communication. Therefore, a mobile terminal to be tested is connected to a testing device, which operates as a pseudo base station for simulating a function of an actual base station, and communication is performed between the testing device and the mobile terminal, thereby performing a test to confirm content of the communication.
In addition, in a mobile communication system, formulation of standard specifications for 5-th Generation New Radio (5G NR), which is a 5G wireless method, is completed.
In 5G NR, 5G lines are specialized for User plane (U-Plane: user data signal), and Control Plane (C-Plane: control signal for communication) is specified with specifications of Non-Standalone (NSA), in which transmission and reception are performed using Long Term Evolution (LTE) lines, and SA (Stand Alone) in which an operation is independently performed with 5G NR without being in cooperation with LTE.
Patent Document 1 discloses handover in a communication system for NSA and SA.

Mobile terminal testing device, mobile terminal testing system, and non-standalone (NSA) testing method


A power assist apparatus, which includes a battery powered motor mounted on a manually operated vehicle, such as a bicycle, and is to be selectively usable by the rider of the bicycle to not only assist in the manual operation of the bicycle, but also conceivably as a sole source of operation of the bicycle. The power assist apparatus is fixedly mounted on the bicycle and is carried with the bicycle at all times. The power assist apparatus includes a motor assembly which is operated through a gear connection to drive a driven gear mounted in conjunction with a wheel of the bicycle. The rotational axis of the shaft of the motor is parallel to the rotational axis of the wheel.

1) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a battery powered assist apparatus for a manually operated vehicle such as a bicycle, and more particularly to a new and novel construction of a powered assist apparatus for that bicycle.
2) Description of the Prior Art
The subject matter of this invention has been found to be particularly useful in conjunction with bicycles. However, it is within the scope of this invention that it could be used in conjunction with other manually operated vehicles such as tricycles, scooters and the like.
Electric powered bicycles are well known. Electric powered bicycles generally incorporate an electric motor powered by a rechargeable battery. The electric motor is connected to a drive wheel which frictionally engages with a wheel of the bicycle. Operation of the drive wheel supplies power which supplements the manual movement of the bicycle. These prior art types of power assist devices for bicycles have offered solutions toward significant powering of a bicycle with the motor by permitting usage of the bicycle in a normal manner. These prior art solutions have, however, been mechanically and or cosmetically complex. The past designs have been inclined toward adding mechanical hardware rather than toward the utilization of existing bicycle hardware Extra gears, gear boxes, chains and sprockets are often featured conspicuously on such designs. Also, motor accessories such as throttles, belts and shields are also commonly featured. Additionally, the complexity of the prior art devices has inherently substantially increased the cost of such devices.
Air pollution has become an increasing undesirable problem due, in part, to the increase in use of automobiles and motorcycles. Air pollution is particularly acute in cities. It has been known that one way to improve air quality is to decrease the usage of automobiles and motorcycles. People use automobiles and motorcycles not only for longer trips but for short term travel close to home such as "running to the store." One way to decrease air pollution is to use a bicycle for making these short trips in close proximity to one's home. However, frequently these short trips require that the operator of the bicycle pedal the bicycle up one or more hills. This generally deters most people from using a bicycle when making such trips. However, if a power assist device was incorporated in conjunction with the bicycle, then possibly a user may be more apt to use a bicycle when making such trips since the overall effort to be expended by the operator would be decreased.
In the past, designing a practical, economical electric propulsion system for a bicycle has proven to be a formidable task. This task is evidenced by the absence of electric powered bicycles in commercial production at this time. An electrically operated bicycle, which effectively competes against other forms of transportation, remains lacking.
The prior art direct drive power assist for a bicycle has invariably required a right angle gearing arrangement utilizing bevel gears. Such gearing arrangements are complex as well as noisy. The fact that the axis of the motor is located at a right angle to the wheel axis of the bicycle inherently produces a complex and more expensive driving arrangement for the bicycle. Also, the prior art power assist apparatuses have made it difficult to remove and replace the wheel of the bicycle for tire repair and/or replacement.

Direct drive power assist apparatus for a bicycle


Methods and devices for qualifying a client machine to access a network, based on policies governing required protective measures, such as virus checking and operating system updates, are disclosed. A client machine must pass various checks to qualify for access. A client machine may be redirected to remediation resources that support efforts to bring the client machine into compliance with applicable network access requirements. A policy repository is updated regularly by vendors of protective measures. An administrator establishes user roles that are mapped to policy rule sets retrieved from the policy repository. The policy rule sets govern qualification of client machines for access to the network in accordance with the roles of the users of the machines. An access server is an intermediary between a client machine and the access manager. A client agent runs on the client machine and carries out checks, and reports the results via the access server to the access manager.

The approaches described in this section could be pursued, but are not necessarily approaches that have been previously conceived or pursued. Therefore, unless otherwise indicated herein, the approaches described in this section are not prior art to the claims in this application and are not admitted to be prior art by inclusion in this section.
Damage to information systems by viruses, worms and other malicious code is one of the biggest challenges in network and system security. The threats continue to grow both in terms of frequency and degree of potential damage.
Furthermore, the extended reach of networks across campuses, into meeting places, coffee houses, hotels, airports and elsewhere has encouraged development of IP-based devices, such as voice over IP (VOIP) telephones and, particularly, wireless IP (Internet Protocol) devices, such as IEEE 802.11 conforming and Bluetooth VOIP (Voice-Over-IP) telephones and PDAs (Personal Data Assistants). Connection of mobile devices to networks presents even greater challenges for protecting networks, as the growth in access points has resulted in an increase in points of vulnerability in the network, and has allowed viruses to spread at ever faster rates.
The old paradigm for many businesses was to standardize desktop machines because standard configurations are easier for an Information Technology (IT) department to maintain, and desktops tend to be less expensive than equally powerful portables. However, users today tend to customize their machines, and may install software over which IT loses control. Mobile devices attach to networks over which IT has no control. It is much more challenging to protect a network against software that is loaded and active when a mobile device gains access to the network than to protect a desktop from accidentally downloading a virus over controlled network channels.
One approach to protecting a network has been to enforce the presence of a particular virus checker on machines seeking Internet access through controlled network channels. For instance, SonicWALL™ firewalls can be configured to enforce installation of an edition of McAfee's virus checking software. However, the firewall's enforcement mechanism is limited to blocking Internet access, as firewalls are conceptually placed on the perimeter of a network, facing the Internet. A firewall can block the spread of viruses between different networks, but not within the network itself. The firewall's checking mechanism is only invoked when a user attempts to reach the Internet through the firewall, and it only checks for an active virus scanning program. A mobile device that joins the network will have free access to core network resources without necessarily invoking the firewall's checking mechanism.
Another approach has been to implement Patch Management Systems that prevent and cure viruses and worms by patching the software. However, many patches when implemented have unintended consequences, such as introducing new glitches into the software. Therefore, even when a patch is available, actual patching is frequently only performed after testing on a parallel system. Furthermore, when a network system is already compromised, automated patch updating may not work. Significantly, patch management systems also regularly rely on users to comply with instructions to download and install a patch. However, users frequently ignore pop-up windows or other messages that indicate that patches and updates are recommended, and do not install the patch.
Complicating the issue, many network environments provide different users with access to different resources depending on who the user is. In particular, many networks are configured to allow guests, such as consultants or contractors, to have at least limited access to network recourses. Visitors gaining access to a network are especially likely to introduce problems into a network, as enterprise IT departments have no control over these users or the devices they use.
Based on the foregoing, known techniques for managing the security of IP connected devices and software are inadequate, especially for mobile users that remotely access a network, and there is a need for alternative techniques for protecting a network.


The invention relates to a switch-mode power converter including a bias circuit. A power converter power transformer includes a magnetic core. The switch-mode power converter power transformer also includes an initial bias primary winding and an initial bias secondary winding, both wound on the magnetic core, wherein the initial bias secondary winding shares at least one magnetic path in common with the initial bias primary winding. A driver is configured to drive the initial bias primary winding with high frequency pulses when enabled by an enable signal. A rectifier and capacitor are configured to provide a voltage to power a control circuit during a power converter start-up. A method provides an initial bias power for a power converter output side referenced controller, powering the output side referenced controller from the initial bias windings.

It is a common problem in isolated converters to provide a proper bias for both primary and output circuitry, particularly during start-up or restart of the converter. Usually a controller (pulse width modulated (PWM) is one example) is on the input side and the feedback signal is provided via an opto-coupler, while synchronous rectifiers are self-driven from the transformer windings. There are two drawbacks in using this approach. First, the use of an opto-coupler generally limits the bandwidth of the regulation loop and the maximum ambient temperature and temperature of the printed circuit board (PCB) to less than about 85° C. Secondly, the self-driven synchronous approach is generally not a good solution for higher frequencies.
In addition, protection such as over-voltage protection (OVP) has to be on the output side, and might require an additional opto-isolator just for over-voltage protection. Therefore, there is an advantage to having the control circuit on the output side. One problem is to provide a needed initial bias voltage across the isolation break, before the converter is started. One possible solution is to have a separate isolated converter that will provide the bias voltage. Such a solution would require an additional magnetic core and, if realized employing planar magnetics, would consume a lot of board space.
One viable solution for providing initial bias and enable signals was described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,724,642, Method and apparatus for providing an initial bias and enable signal for a power converter, issued to the same inventor as the instant application. The '642 patent is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. The '642 patent uses an isolated coreless transformer having windings formed in or on layers of a printed circuit board (PCB). As a coreless solution, the bias circuit of the '642 patent does not require any additional magnetic material, such as is used in conventional planar magnetic solutions. However, the windings of a coreless transformer occupy precious space on the layers of the power converter PCB, as well as limit the placement of components in the vicinity of the windings.
What is needed is a solution to the problem of how to supply bias power across an isolation barrier that uses less area on the PCB.


An angular position transforming device shifts a bicycle saddle relative to a seat post which has front and rear upright portions, and an anchoring head portion connected to the front and rear upright portions and having two opposite anchoring walls and a sliding wall joining transversely the anchoring walls. The device includes a support frame having right and left lug portions fixed to a rear portion of the saddle about a first pivot, and a front seat portion with an upper support wall, a releasably retaining device to retain angular positions of the lug portions on the anchoring portion between a position of use, and a lifted position. A detent lever includes a fulcrum pivoted under the upper support wall of the front seat portion around a second pivot parallel to the first pivot, an actuating arm extending outwardly of the upper support wall so as to be operated manually, and a catch arm disposed at an opposite side of the actuating arm relative to the fulcrum portion for engaging releasably the front upright portion when the lug portions are in the position of use.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an angular position transforming device, more particularly to an angular position transforming device for shifting the angular position of a bicycle saddle relative to a seat tube of a bicycle.
2. Description of the Related Art
A bicycle saddle is generally fixed on a bicycle seat post that is inserted into a seat tube. For battery-operated bicycles or multi-purpose bicycles, such as a battery or a tool kit, are sometimes carried on the seat tube. Since no angular position transforming device is used in the mounting of the bicycle saddle relative to the seat tube, it is difficult to move the saddle upward relative to the seat tube for replacement of the battery or for fetching tools from the tool kit.

Angular position transforming device for a bicycle saddle


The terminal includes a front portion, a middle portion, and a rear portion. The rear portion is opened and has a pair of upright segments. The front portion is a shape of hollow cylinder and has bent tips. The middle portion is partly opened and an inner edge thereof has a collapsed or chamfered face. A step H is disposed between the rear portion and the front portion so that the middle portion is downwardly tapered to the rear portion. A through-hole is disposed at inner wall of the middle portion close to the rear portion for a part of the core wires, preferably edges of the covers also, to be visible through the through-hole.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a terminal to be connected to covered electric wires, particularly to a terminal to be connected to the covered electric wires without feazing or bending exposed core wires, more particularly to a terminal preventing core wires from being cut when the core wires are depressed with pressure, and further particularly to a terminal for a waterproof agent to penetrate below core wires uniformly.
2. Description of the Related Art
In an assembly of a wiring harness, an insertion of covered electric wires to a terminal or the fixing of the terminal is carried out manually with hand tools or swaging machines. Problems arising at the assembly are explained by referring to drawings.
FIG. 7 is a perspective view to explain a conventional terminal and an insertion of covered electric wires. FIG. 8 is a sectional view of FIG. 7 and a drawing to explain problems of the conventional type.
As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, a plurality of covered electric wires 2 with a prescribed length of core wires 22 exposed by removing covers 21 are inserted into a sleeve terminal 9. Since there are many core wires 22 in the each covered electric wire 2, the covered electric wires are inserted into the terminal 9 in an arrow direction without feazing or bending the core wires 22.
JP,2005-197159,A discloses a prior art of an insertion method of covered electric wires.
As shown in FIG. 8, the conventional terminal 9 has a small opening G with a planar insertion edge 91 so that it is quite difficult to insert the core wires 22 into the terminal 9 without feazing or bending them.
Accordingly, when the core wires 22 are inserted into the terminal 9, it is necessary to watch around the insertion edge 91 for the core wires 22 not to feaze or bend so that the handling is quite difficult and the workability is reduced. Furthermore, the feazing and bending of the core wires 22 cause an increase of electric resistance or a decrease of fitting strength, resulting to a low reliability of connection.
FIG. 16 shows a perspective view of a conventional terminal. FIG. 17 shows a problem of the conventional terminal. Reference numerals in FIG. 17 correspond with those of FIG. 16.
As shown in FIG. 16, the conventional terminal 9′ includes an electric connection portion 92′ having an insertion through-hole 93′ at a front side to connect a terminal of electric instruments and upright segments 91′ at a base side to fix covers 21′ of covered electric wires 2′. Core wires 22′ exposed from the covers 21′ with a prescribed length are thermo-compression bonded or ultrasonic bonded to the terminal 9′ with an electrode or horn.
JP,H10-125363,A discloses a prior art related to the conventional terminal.
As shown in FIG. 17, when a front portion of the core wires 22′ is pressure-bonded to the terminal 9′ as shown by a large arrow, the core wires 22′ near to and in an upper position of the covers 21′ are pulled rapidly in a slim arrow direction. Accordingly, the upper portion of the core wires 22′ is forced to deform and is cut. The problem often occurs when the covers' 21 are thick or a large number of the covered electric wires 2′ are utilized so that a difference of outer diameters between a bundle of the core wires 22′ and a bundle of the covers 21′ is large. The cutting of the core wires 22′ increases electrical resistance and decreases the fixing strength, resulting to a decrease of connection reliability.
In an assembly of a wiring harness, after covered electric wires are inserted into a terminal and fixed with upright segments, a waterproof agent is applied to the terminal. There is a problem in a conventional assembly as described below.
FIG. 24 is a perspective view of a conventional terminal. FIG. 25 is an illustration explaining the problem. The reference numerals of FIG. 24 correspond with those of FIG. 25.
As shown in FIG. 25, the conventional terminal 9″ includes an electric connection portion 92″ having an insertion through-hole 93″ at a front side to connect a terminal of electric instruments and upright segments 91″ at a base side to fix covers 21″ of covered electric wires 2″.
In order to obtain a waterproof of the terminal 9″, the core wires 22″ of the covered electric wires 21″ are covered with a heat shrinkable tube 99″ with a hot-melt adhesive as shown in FIG. 25. The hot-melt adhesive is melted with a heat treatment and the waterproof agent penetrates into gaps among the core wires 22″.
JP,H10-125363 discloses a prior art related to a waterproof of a terminal.
The hot-melt adhesive covers around the terminal 9″ but does not penetrate between the core wires 22″ and a terminal base plate shown by an arrow of FIG. 25. Hence, the satisfactory waterproof between the core wires 22″ are not attained in the structure of the conventional terminal 9″.


Methods of treatment and pharmaceutical combinations are provided for the treatment of acute leukemia, such as acute myelogenous leukemia, and myelodysplastic syndrome. The methods of treatment and pharmaceutical combinations employ an anti-CD33 cytotoxic conjugate in combination with at least one compound selected from the group consisting of an anthracycline and a pyrimidine or purine nucleoside analog. Preferred methods of treatment and pharmaceutical combinations employ gemtuzumab ozogamicin, daunorubicin, and cytarabine.

Acute leukemia is typically a rapidly progressing leukemia characterized by replacement of normal bone marrow by blast cells of a clone arising from malignant transformation of a hematopoietic stem cell. There are two types of acute leukemias, acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and acute myelogenous leukemia (AML). ALL is the most common malignancy in children, but also occurs in adolescents and has a second, lower peak in adults. AML, also know as acute myeloid leukemia and acute myelocytic leukemia, is the more common acute leukemia in adults and its incidence increases with age, but AML also occurs in children. For both types of acute leukemias, the primary goal of treatment is to achieve complete remission, with resolution of abnormal clinical features, return to normal blood counts and normal hematopoiesis in the bone marrow with <5% blast cells, a neutrophil count of >1,000-1,500, a platelet count of >100,000, and disappearance of the leukemic clone; however, the drug regimens for treating ALL and AML have differed. The Merck Manual, Sec. 11, Ch. 138 (17th ed. 1999); Estey, E., Cancer (2001) 92(5): 1059-1073. Initial therapy aims at inducing remission. Treatment of AML differs most from ALL in that patients with AML respond to fewer drugs and have a high rate of relapse.
Patients with AML who achieve a complete remission live longer than patients who do not, and only patients who achieve complete remission are potentially cured if their complete remission remains for at least three years. Estey, E., Cancer (2001) 92(5): 1059, 1060. Remission induction rates in patients with AML range from 50 to 85%, with patients older than 50 years, and especially those older than 65 years, less likely to achieve remission. Long-term disease-free survival occurs in a low percentage of patients, 20-40%, and increases to 40-50% in younger patients treated with bone marrow transplants. Patients with secondary AML have a poor prognosis. The Merck Manual, Sec. 11, Ch. 138 (17th ed. 1999).
Treatment of AML is problematic because normal stem-cell precursors are sensitive to the agents used, and therapy aimed at myeloid leukemic clones results in destruction of part of the normal stem-cell pool. Induction of remission is usually possible with intensive chemotherapy. Complete remission has been stated to be achievable in up to 80% of younger patients and about 50% of older patients (who form the majority of those with AML), but patients suffer severe neutropenia during induction and remission rate is to some extent dependent upon the standard of supportive care. Remission rates are lower in those with adverse prognostic factors such as poor performance status, AML secondary to myelodysplasia or antineoplastics, high white cell count, features of multidrug resistance, and unfavorable cytogenetics. Löwenberg, B., et al., N. Engl. J. Med. (1999) 341:1051-62; Correction. ibid.; 1484. The greatest unmet medical need is in AML patients over 70 years of age. For these elderly AML patients, complete remission may be difficult to obtain, but an increased benefit in their quality of life is a treatment goal to be achieved.
Established regimens are based on cytarabine, a pyrimidine nucleoside analog, with the anthracycline daunorubicin. Löwenberg, B., et al., N. Engl. J. Med. (1999) 341:1051-62; Correction. ibid.; 1484; Burnett, A. K. & Eden O. B., Lancet (1997) 349:270-275; Hiddemann, W., et al., J. Clin. Oncol. (1999) 17:3569-76. The first successful regimens also included thioguanine, which is still used by some medical centers, although the majority opinion is that it gives no additional advantage and thioguanine has been dropped from most induction protocols. Alternatives to daunorubicin include idarubicin and mitoxantrone. Löwenberg, B., et al., N. Engl. J. Med. (1999) 341:1051-62; Correction. ibid.; 1484. Etoposide has been added to induction protocols of cytarabine and daunorubicin with improved results in younger patients.
The basic induction regimen for treatment of AML includes administration of cytarabine by continuous intravenous (IV) infusion for 7 days, with an anthracycline such as daunorubicin or idarubicin given IV for 3 days during this time, usually in the first three days. The Merck Manual, Sec. 11, Ch. 138 (17th ed. 1999). This widely used regimen for the treatment of AML is known as a 3+7 regimen and produces complete remission rates of 60-80%. De Nully Brown, P., et al., Leukemia (1997) 11:37-41. Treatment usually results in significant myelosuppression, often for long periods before marrow recovery. Other adverse events from these two drugs include chemical arachnoiditis, myocardial toxicity, and neurotoxicity. The induction regimen may be repeated, usually up to a total of three times, to achieve remission. Before repeating the induction regimen, a bone marrow analysis is done on after fourteen days from the completion of the last induction regimen. If the bone marrow has been cleaned out, i.e., there is a complete response, then the physician will wait until the patient's peripheral blood counts recover before administering another induction regimen. If the bone marrow analysis shows that disease is still present, i.e., there is a partial or minimal response, then the induction regimen will be repeated without waiting for the patient's peripheral blood counts to recover. The waiting period between induction regimens is therefore twenty-eight to thirty-five days for a complete responder, and fourteen to twenty-one days for partial and minimal responders. For patients with relapsed AML, the standard induction therapy of cytarabine and daunorubicin does not produce a good response rate, typically <40%, and the prognosis is poor for these patients.
After remission is achieved, a second treatment regimen using the same drugs or other drugs to knock out the disease, known as consolidation therapy, may be employed. However, a high percentage of patients suffer from relapse, even in series with intensive post-remission consolidation chemotherapy. De Nully Brown, P., et al., Leukemia (1997) 11:37-41.
The current trend is towards the use of more intensive induction regimens. Use of high-dose cytarabine in doses of up to 3 g/m2 every twelve hours for up to six days per day (with daunorubicin and etoposide) has been reported to improve the duration of first remission and disease-free survival compared with standard doses of cytarabine. Bishop, J. F., et al., Blood (1996) 87:1710-1717. Equally the timing of induction cycles may be important: intensive timing (where the second cycle was given 10 days after the first) has improved disease-free survival, despite more toxicity-related deaths, compared with the standard interval of 14 days or more. Woods, W. G., et al., Blood (1996) 87:4979-4989.
Once remission is induced, further treatment (post remission therapy) is essential in preventing relapse. Löwenberg, B., et al., N. Engl. J. Med. (1999) 341:1051-62; Correction. ibid.; 1484; Burnett, A. K. & Eden O. B., Lancet (1997) 349:270-275; Hiddemann, W., et al., J. Clin. Oncol. (1999) 17:3569-76. Options include further chemotherapy, or allogeneic or autologous bone marrow transplantation. Long-term survival of about 50% may be possible with these options when used in patients in first remission. However, which option to use is controversial. The most successful chemotherapy regimens use high-dose cytarabine for up to 4 courses, and appear to be comparable to bone marrow transplantation in terms of survival. Mayer, R. J. et al., N. Engl. J. Med. (1994) 331:896-903; Cassileth, P. A., et al., N. Engl. J. Med. (1998) 339:1649-1656. Consequently, some advocate a policy of intensive post remission chemotherapy, reserving transplantation for subsequent relapse, particularly for patients with favorable cytogenetics. Edenfield, W. J. & Gore, S. D., Semin. Oncol. (1999) 26:21-34.
Another drug used in the treatment of AML is gemtuzumab ozogamicin (Mylotarg®). Gemtuzumab ozogamicin was approved in May 2000 in the United States of America for the treatment of AML in patients in first relapse who are 60 years old or older and not considered candidates for other cytotoxic chemotherapy. Gemtuzumab ozogamicin is administered as a two-hour IV infusion in a dose of 9 mg/m2. A second dose may be administered fourteen days later. While many patients receiving gemtuzumab ozogamicin have achieved complete remission, a significant number of patients have had a delay in platelet recovery or incomplete platelet recovery. Physician's Desk Reference (56th ed. 2002). Hepatic venoocclusive disease (VOD), which is potentially fatal, has occurred in patients who have undergone stem cell transplantation after gemtuzumab ozogamicin therapy. Tack, D. K. et al., Bone Marrow Transplantation (2001) 28(9):895-897. It was also reported in July 2001 that patients receiving gemtuzumab ozogamicin who did not undergo stem cell transplantation developed as much as a 10% increased risk of developing significant hepatotoxicity and possible morbidity and mortality, although most of these patients received gemtuzumab ozogamicin in previously untested combinations or outside the approved labeled use. Giles, F. J., et al., Cancer (2001) 92(2):406-413. Like the standard cytarabine-daunorubicin induction therapy, the response rate of patients with relapsed AML to gemtuzumab ozogamicin therapy can be <40%.
Combination therapies with gemtuzumab ozogamicin have been tried with limited success. In one study, gemtuzumab ozogamicin was administered to elderly patients previously untreated for AML by 2-hour IV infusion at a dose of 9 mg/m2 on day 1 and 15, with MICE (mitoxantrone, cytarabine and etoposide) being given for one or two courses within seven days from the response assessment to gemtuzumab ozogamicin (between day 28 and 35 following the last infusion). Significant non-hematologic adverse events included, among others, VOD (6%), arrhythmia (6%), and infection (24%). At the end of the whole induction program, thirteen patients were in complete remission (38.2%) and 3 achieved a complete remission with incomplete platelet recovery (8.8%) for an overall response rate of 47%, not an improvement over existing therapies for AML. Amadori, S., et al., "Sequential Administration of Gemtuzumab Ozogamicin (GO) and Intensive Chemotherapy for Remission Induction in Previously Untreated Patients with AML over the Age of 60: Interim Results of the EORTC Leukemia Group AML-15A Phase II Trial," Blood (2001) 98:587a.
In another study, patients with poor prognosis AML (>70 years age, myelodysplasia, leukemia developing after toxic exposure) were either treated under a protocol designated "AML 9503" in which the patient received two "pulses" of chemotherapy each consisting of 2 gm/m2 of cytarabine (a high dose of cytarabine) administered at time=0 and time=12 hours and mitoxantrone in an amount of 35 mg/m2 immediately after the second cytarabine dose, with the second "pulse" being given 96 hours later, or were treated under a protocol designated "AML 9798" in which the patient received two "pulses" of chemotherapy each consisting of 2 gm/m2 of cytarabine administered at time=0 and time=12 hours and mitoxantrone in an amount of 35 mg/m2 immediately after the second cytarabine dose, with the second "pulse" being given 96 hours later, followed by administration of amifostine. The complete remission rate for AML 9503 was 30% and for AML 9798 was 40%. When the chemotherapy was changed to add a single dose of gemtuzumab ozogamicin in an amount of 9 mg/m2 three days prior to the first pulse of chemotherapy, two of four such treated patients with refractory AML entered complete remission. Preisler, H, D., et al., "Synergistic Antileukemia Effects of Mylotarg and Chemotherapy in AML," Blood (2001) 98:193b.
In a feasibility study, patients <60 years of age received H-DAT 3+10 regimen (daunorubicin 45 mg/m2 days 1, 3, 5; cytarabine 400 mg/m2 bd days 1-10; thioguanine 100 mg/m2 bd days 1-10) with gemtuzumab ozogamicin (3 or 6 mg/m2 given as a 2-hour infusion on day 1). The second course given was H-DAT 3+8 with the same gemtuzumab ozogamicin dose as in course 1. While both the 3 mg/m2 and 6 mg/m2 doses of gemtuzumab ozogamicin were tolerated in these two regimens, increased liver toxicity was seen when gemtuzumab ozogamicin was given at 6 mg/m2 in the first course and it was decided to thereafter use 3 mg/m2 of gemtuzumab ozogamicin in courses 1 and 2. Kell, J. W., et al., "Effects of Mylotarg™ (Gemtuzumab Ozogamicin, GO) in Combination with Standard Induction Chemotherapy in the Treatment of Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (AML): A Feasibility Study," Blood (2001) 98:123a-124a.
In a further study, patients <60 years of age were given H-DAT 3+10 (daunorubicin 50 mg/m2 daily by slow IV push on days 1, 3, 5; cytarabine 200 mg/m2 IV push bd days 1-10; thioguanine 100 mg/m2 bd oral days 1-10) or S-DAT 3+10 (daunorubicin 50 mg/m2 daily by slow IV push on days 1, 3, 5; cytarabine 100 mg/m2 IV push bd days 1-10; thioguanine 100 mg/m2 bd oral days 1-10) with 3 or 6 mg/m2 gemtuzumab ozogamicin as induction therapy. A second course of H-DAT 3+8 (daunorubicin 50 mg/m2 daily by slow IV push on days 1, 3, 5; cytarabine 200 mg/m2 IV push bd days 1-8; thioguanine 100 mg/m2 bd oral days 1-10) or S-DAT 3+8 (daunorubicin 50 mg/m2 daily by slow IV push on days 1, 3, 5; cytarabine 100 mg/m2 IV push bd days 1-8; thioguanine 100 mg/m2 bd oral days 1-10) was given with or without gemtuzumab ozogamicin in an amount of 3 mg/m2. Consolidation therapy consisted of MACE (MACE: Amsacarine 100 mg/m2 daily by one hour infusion (in 5% dextrose on days 1-5); cytarabine 200 mg/m2 by daily continuous IV infusion days 1-5, Etoposide 100 mg/m2 daily by one hour IV infusion days 1-5) chemotherapy with or without gemtuzumab ozogamicin in an amount of 3 mg/m2. Patients who received gemtuzumab ozogamicin in courses 1 and 2 had delayed hematological recovery and VOD, one of whom died. The 6 mg/m2 dose of gemtuzumab ozogamicin was also associated with increased liver toxicity. It was concluded that 3 mg/m2 gemtuzumab ozogamicin can be given with H-DAT 3+10 in course 1 and in course 3 with MACE, but that two courses of gemtuzumab ozogamicin in induction or an increase of the dose of gemtuzumab ozogamicin to 6 mg/m2 is associated with increased toxicity and not recommended. Burnett, A. K. and Kell, J., "The Feasibility of Combining Immunoconjugate and Chemotherapy in AML," Hematology J. (June 2002) Vol. 3, supp. 1, p. 156.
In another preliminary study to assess safety and efficacy, gemtuzumab ozogamicin was given to de novo and relapsed/refractory AML patients >60 years old in a combination therapy with cytarabine. Six patients were treated with cytarabine by continuous infusion in an amount of 100 mg/m2/day on days 1 to 7 and gemtuzumab ozogamicin in an amount of 6 mg/m2 on days 1 and 15. While the combination was well tolerated, four patients died. To reduce the duration of myelosuppression following induction therapy, gemtuzumab ozogamicin was administered on days 1 and 8 in an amount of 6 mg/m2 on day 1 and 4 mg/m2 on day 8. Of seven patients who were treated, three achieved complete remission. Durrant, S., et al., Proc. Amer. Soc. Clin. Oncol. (2002) 21:271a.
To assess the safety and efficacy of gemtuzumab ozogamicin as part of combination therapy for AML, a phase I/II study was developed in the United States of America combining gemtuzumab ozogamicin with cytarabine and daunorubicin. The phase I portion of the study began in October 2000 and a preliminary report was published at the 43rd American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting electronically on Nov. 6, 2001 and in print on Nov. 7, 2001. DeAngelo, D., et al., "Preliminary Report of the Safety and Efficacy of Gemtuzumab Ozogamicin (Mylotarg®) Given in Combination with Cytarabine and Daunorubicin in Patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia", Blood (2001) 98:199(b). That report described the treatment of three patients, one with de novo AML and two with relapsed/refractory AML, with cytarabine in an amount of 100 mg/m2/day by continuous infusion on days 1 to 7, daunorubicin in an amount of 45 mg/m2 on days 1 to 3, and gemtuzumab ozogamicin in an amount of 6 mg/m2 on day 4 (dosage group 1). The combination was well tolerated, no dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) was observed, and two patients achieved a remission. Three patients with relapsed/refractory AML then were enrolled in the next dosage group in which the dose of gemtuzumab ozogamicin was escalated to 9 mg/m2 (dosage group 2), with the combination well tolerated, but all three patients were nonresponders. Six additional patients, three with de novo AML and three with relapsed/refractory AML, were enrolled at the dosage level of 9 mg/m2. Therapy was again well tolerated, and no DLT was observed. There were, however, 2 episodes of grade 3 non-drug-related elevations of ALT/AST and 2 episodes of grade 4 non-drug-related dyspnea. All 3 patients with de novo AML achieved remission and recovered both an ANC >1500/L and platelets >100,000/L on days 26, 28, and 36, respectively. Patients then were enrolled in the next dosage group in which the cytarabine dose was increased to 200 mg/m2/day (dosage group 3). Infusion of the combination therapy was well tolerated, but DLT was observed in four of six patients enrolled in this group with one patient with refractory AML developing hepatic VOD soon after completing induction therapy and dying on day 28. Another patient with de novo AML died of cardiac arrest on day 24 and also had reversible grade 3 elevation of ALT. In light of the foregoing results, it was concluded that six additional patients would be enrolled in dosage group 1 to expand the safety data, and if the combination of cytarabine 100 mg/m2/day, daunorubicin 45 mg/m2, and gemtuzumab ozogamicin 6 mg/m2 would be found to be well tolerated in this expanded group, then the phase II portion of the study would begin and approximately 45 patients with de novo AML would be enrolled. DeAngelo, D., et al., supra. The efficacy of the combination of cytarabine 100 mg/m2/day, daunorubicin 45 mg/m2, and gemtuzumab ozogamicin 6 mg/m2 could not be determined based on the limited number of patients enrolled in the phase I portion of the study or the efficacy of this combination compared to the efficacy of standard chemotherapy for AML.
Myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) is a group of syndromes (preleukemia, refractory anemias, Ph-negative chronic myelocytic leukemia, chronic myelomonocytic leukemia, agnogenic myeloid metaplasia) commonly seen in patients >50 years old. Its incidence is unknown, but it is increasing, probably in part due to the increasing proportion of elderly in the population and an increase in treatment-associated leukemias. Exposure to benzene and radiation may be related to its development. In the preleukemic phase of some of the secondary leukemias (e.g., after drug or toxic exposure), altered and defective cellular production may be seen with diagnostic features of myelodysplasia. The Merck Manual, Sec. 11, Ch. 138 (17th ed. 1999).
MDS is characterized by clonal proliferation of hematopoietic cells, including erythroid, myeloid, and megakaryocytic forms. The bone marrow is normal or hypercellular, and ineffective hematopoiesis causes variable cytopenias, the most frequent being anemia. The disordered cell production is also associated with morphologic cellular abnormalities in marrow and blood. Extramedullary hematopoiesis may occur, leading to hepatomegaly and splenomegaly. Myelofibrosis is occasionally present at diagnosis or may develop during the course of MDS. The MDS clone is unstable and tends to progress to AML. The prognosis of a patient with MDS is highly dependent on FAB classification and on any associated disease. Patients with refractory anemia or refractory anemia with sideroblasts are less likely to progress to the more aggressive forms and may die of unrelated causes. The Merck Manual, Sec. 11, Ch. 138 (17th ed. 1999).
There is no established treatment for MDS. Therapy is supportive with RBC transfusions, platelet transfusions for bleeding, and antibiotic therapy for infection. In some patients, cytokine therapy (erythropoietin to support red blood center needs, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor to manage severe symptomatic granulocytopenia, and, when available, thrombopoietin for severe thrombocytopenia) can serve as important hematopoietic support. Allogeneic bone marrow transplantation is not recommended for patients >50 years old. Colony-stimulating factors (e.g., granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor) increase neutrophil counts, and erythropoietin increases RBC production in 20 to 25% of cases, but survival advantage has not been shown. Response of MDS to AML chemotherapy is similar to that of AML, after age and karyotype are considered. The Merck Manual, Sec. 11, Ch. 138 (17th ed. 1999).
Thus, there is a need for an improved treatment for patients with acute leukemia or myelodysplastic syndrome which will produce a higher rate of complete remission, thereby increasing the survival prospects of such patients. It has been surprisingly been found that a combination therapy employing an anti-CD33 cytotoxic conjugate in combination with an anthracycline and a pyrimidine or purine nucleoside analog, in particular, gemtuzumab ozogamicin, daunorubicin, and cytarabine, respectively, a significant improvement in efficacy compared to the combination therapy of daunorubicin and cytarabine or to gemtuzumab ozogamicin alone.

Combination therapy for the treatment of acute leukemia and myelodysplastic syndrome


In a method of magnetic resonance imaging, a set of nonlinear, mutually orthogonal magnetic gradient encoding fields are sequentially and separately generated in an imaging region [100]. Using multiple receiver coils having nonuniform sensitivity profiles, echo data representing signal intensities in the imaging region is sequentially acquired as the magnetic gradient encoding fields are sequentially generated [102]. A reconstructed image of the imaging region is computed from the acquired echo data [104], and the reconstructed image is then be stored and/or displayed on a display monitor [106].

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a medical imaging technique based on the phenomenon of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). In contrast with medical imaging techniques using x-rays, MRI is capable of producing high resolution images for a variety of applications and anatomies without using ionizing radiation. Typically, a MRI scan is initiated by generating a strong magnetic field which aligns the magnetic moments of protons (i.e., the nuclei of hydrogen atoms) in the volume of interest being scanned. A radiofrequency (RF) pulse is then transmitted into the volume of interest. If the frequency of the RF pulse matches the Larmor frequency of protons in the volume, the pulse may induce a spin-flip transition of the protons from an aligned state to a higher-energy anti-aligned state. When the protons relax after the pulse, they will then emit RF signals at the Larmor frequency which can be detected with receiver coils. The intensity of the detected signal is representative of the concentration of protons in the volume.
The Larmor frequency of a proton is proportional to the strength of the magnetic field. Consequently, if the applied magnetic field is generated with a known spatial gradient, then the Larmor frequency of protons will also have a known spatial localization. Because the frequencies of the detected RF signals from the relaxing protons are known (i.e., the signal data is measured in the frequency domain, or k-space), and because these frequencies are correlated with spatial locations through the known magnetic gradient field, the signal can be transformed from the frequency domain to the spatial domain to produce an image. Because the gradient field provides the correlation between the frequency domain and image domain, it is sometimes called an encoding field.
Conventionally, several orthogonal linear gradients are used in MRI, and several repetition times (TRs) are needed to gather sufficient information to reconstruct an image of the volume. Thus, conventional MRI requires relatively long scan times. Consequently, researchers have developed various techniques in attempt to reduce scan times. For example, one recent advance in MRI, known as parallel imaging, involves acquiring signals simultaneously with multiple receive coils. The acquired data can be under-sampled and the resulting aliasing can be unwrapped using receiver coil sensitivity information to produce full images.
Generally, parallel imaging methods combine spatially-weighted data from multiple simultaneous measurements in order to reduce scan time. Most parallel imaging approaches collect a reduced data set for later interpolation for a Fourier or algebraic reconstruction. By relying on the Fourier reconstruction approach, conventional approaches use orthogonal gradients that complement each other. These gradients, however, can be inefficient with regards to information gathered from the coil sensitivities, resulting in longer scan times and/or reduced image resolution.
For an N×N image, a classic fully-sampled linear gradient data collection scheme requires N repetitions of the basic procedure to generate N lines of k-space. During each repetition time, linear magnetic gradients create plane-wave oscillations in the phase across the image. As the phase variation replicates the kernel of the Fourier transform, the k-space data set is reconstructed via the fast Fourier transform (FFT). When k-space lines are undersampled, aliasing occurs as image fold over.
Conventionally, parallel reconstruction operates on an undersampled frequency domain data set, and data sets from separate coils are either combined in the k-space domain, in the image domain, or a hybrid space. GRAPPA, SENSE, and SMASH exemplify three known approaches within a Fourier acquisition scheme using linear magnetic gradients for signal encoding. SMASH uses linear combinations of coil sensitivity profiles as a free parameter to shift existing k-space lines to fit omitted data. In order to shift k-space lines, linear combinations of coil profiles must approximate spatially oscillating functions. In practice, coil sensitivity profiles are slowly varying and spatially distinct. The limited flexibility in changing coil profiles makes implementation on an anatomy-constrained geometry difficult.
In another approach to reducing scan time, some research has aimed to modify receive coils, allowing for less data collection and better unwrapping of the aliasing artifacts. This research has focused on increasing the number of receive coils to localize the sensitivity, only to face issues of ballooning cost and diminishing returns. Recent hardware advances used up to 96 receive coil elements. Hardware costs increase dramatically with the number of coils since each coil must use a separate receiver, cabling, pre-amplifier, and so on. The difficulty of constructing large coil arrays is nontrivial as elements must be de-coupled. Nearest neighbor approaches through overlapping coils and pre-amplifier decoupling partially addresses inductive coupling of numerous further elements. Increasing coil number reduces the g-factor, a pixel by pixel measure of noise amplification, but drives the cost much higher. Moving to higher fields and including spatially selective parallel transmission pulses show promise, but fundamentally does not address the underlying encoding problem.
Improvements have been made in SENSE and GRAPPA reconstructions to preserve reconstruction quality, but these penalize acceleration in image acquisition. There has been a trend towards auto-calibration, which has been adopted by SENSE/SMASH as generalized SENSE/SMASH (GSENSE/GSMASH). Another generalization is the expansion of data sampling trajectories to radial and spiral k-space trajectories. For example in radial k-space sampling, an auto-calibration scan (ACS) is collected near the center of k-space during each readout. Using auto-calibration improves image quality at the expense of imaging time by requiring more data collected, or introduces bias by emphasizing low spatial frequency components of the image.
Though sharing a frequency and phase acquisition scheme with Cartesian data, PatLoc (parallel imaging technique with local gradients) performs orthogonal gradients imaging with nonlinear gradients. Non-bijective curvilinear gradients enable faster gradient switching through dB/dt reduction. PatLoc reconstruction relies on the local orthogonality in the magnetic fields to apply a volumetric correction term to the integrand of the signal integral. With the volumetric correction, the image is reconstructed using a fast Fourier transform (FFT). Limiting gradients to a pair-wise orthogonal multi-polar gradient set causes position dependent resolution, with a noticeable absence of signal localization in the center of the image. To date, higher-order gradient encoding has only been performed using custom-built gradient coils.

Accelerated MRI with nonlinear spatial encoding gradients


A circuit card assembly is provided for use in testing a system wherein the circuit card assembly employs a surface mount device such as a field programmable gate array. The circuit card assembly includes severable traces on a bottom surface of the assembly connecting pairs of near and far vias. The severable traces and the pairs of near and far vias allow the circuit card assembly to be selectively re-worked to accommodate changes to the design of the surface mount device. Hence, a new circuit card assembly need not be designed and fabricated each time the design or programming of the surface mount device is changed. The circuit card assembly includes a network of interconnection paths wherein each path to or from a pin terminal area of the circuit card assembly passes along at least one severable trace between at least one pair of near and far vias along the bottom surface of the assembly. Hence, any selected interconnection path to or from a terminal area can be broken, if desired, by severing the bottom surface trace of the selected path. Likewise, new interconnection paths can be added, if desired, between any two pre-existing paths to or from a terminal area by connecting jump wires along the bottom surface of the assembly between any two appropriate vias. Thus, re-working of interconnection paths of the circuit card assembly, perhaps to accommodate reprogramming of the surface mount device, is made much easier. Moreover, the chances that a re-programming of the surface mount device can be accommodated by re-working, rather than by fabricating a new circuit card assembly, is significantly enhanced.

I. Field of the Invention
The invention generally relates to printed wiring boards (PWB's) for use with surface mount integrated circuit (IC) devices such as Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) devices and in particular PWBFPGA's employed to emulate Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASIC's) to the PWB.
II. Description of the Related Art
ASIC's are increasingly employed to perform data processing functions within electronic products, such as cellular telephones, computer devices, and the like. ASIC's are often preferred over non-application specific IC's, such as microprocessors, because ASIC's can be designed to perform sophisticated, specialized data processing at higher processing speeds than can be achieved using, for example, microprocessors. Attaining high processing speeds is often a critical consideration for many electronic products, especially products such as digital cellular telephones wherein a significant amount of data processing must be performed in real-time.
In the present highly competitive marketplace for electronic products, it is particularly important to be able to quickly develop new electronic products to maintain competitiveness. Unfortunately, a considerable amount of time is often requiring to design, fabricate and test the ASIC's to be employed in the electronic product. Moreover, the design of the ASIC is often dependent upon the design of system software which may be developed concurrently with the ASIC. Hence, changes to system software can require corresponding changes to the ASIC. Furthermore, even the basic specifications of the overall system or product may undergo revisions as the ASIC is being developed, thereby typically necessitating changes to the ASIC.
One technique for expediting the development of an ASIC is to employ one or more FPGA's to emulate the ASIC. The design cycle for an FPGA is typically much shorter than that of an ASIC and an FPGA can be easily and quickly reconfigured. Indeed, FPGA's are typically bought "off the shelf" and merely programmed via software to perform selected functions. Hence, the design of the ASIC can be developed, modified and tested relatively quickly using FPGA-emulation before the actual ASIC is fabricated. In particular, FPGA emulation allows for the relatively fast incorporation of modifications required in response to design changes necessitated by software or specification changes, or by correction of bugs and the like. Also the use of FPGA's to emulate an ASIC allows other components of the overall product or system or of a motherboard of the system to be tested as if the ASIC were present. In this regard, one or more FPGA's are connected to a motherboard to functionally replace the ASIC thereby allowing the motherboard or the entire product or system including the motherboard to be tested.
To emulate an ASIC using FPGA's, a PWB is fabricated to provide appropriate interconnection paths for interconnecting input/output pins of the FPGA's to each other or to external input/output devices and power sources. Some of the input/output pins of the FPGA are "fixed" pins dedicated to performing predefined functions such as providing power to the FPGA, programming the FPGA or resetting the operation of the FPGA. Other input/output pins of the FPGA are "user programmable pins" configurable by the user to route input to and output from the FPGA to, for example, facilitate emulation of the ASIC.
The input/output pins of the FPGA are coupled to a set of terminal areas (pads) on the PWB having a "footprint" configured to match the physical arrangement of the pins of the FPGA. FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional footprint 10 having a square arrangement of terminal areas 12 for use as part of a PWB configured to receive an FPGA having a square arrangement of input/output pins. Terminal areas for connection to fixed pins of the FPGA are connected to the appropriate external devices, such as power sources, via internal traces within the PWB. Terminal areas for connection to user programmable pins of the FPGA are typically connected by traces on the top surface of the PWB to plated through hole vias which, in turn, provide interconnection to other traces typically formed within inner layers of the PWB. The other traces typically interconnect with still other vias, which provide interconnection to other surface traces for connection back to the terminal areas of the FPGA or to the terminal areas of other devices on the PWB such as other FPGA's. Often, a fairly complicated network of interconnection paths is provided within the PWB. The PWB with the FPGA's and other devices mounted thereon is referred to as a circuit card assembly (CCA).
FIG. 2 illustrates a portion of a PWB having the footprint of FIG. 1 and also having an exemplary arrangement of vias and surface traces connected thereto. More specifically, FIG. 2 illustrates a set of surface traces 16 connecting a set of vias 18 to the terminal areas 12 of footprint 10. As can be seen, the vias are positioned adjacent to the terminal areas with each terminal area connected to a single respective via by a single surface trace. Although not shown in FIG. 2, additionally traces are provided on inner layers of the PWB which selectively interconnect the vias to one another or to the vias of other footprints for use with other FPGA's to thereby provide appropriate interconnection paths for the FPGA's.
The network of interconnection paths of the PWB for interconnecting the various terminals areas, vias, external pins, powers sources, etc. is typically designed using a computer routing tool which inputs a "netlist" defining how the pins of the FPGA interconnect to external pins or power sources. Typically the routing tool assumes that the footprint for use with the FPGA includes only the aforementioned terminal areas (FIG. 1) and operates to determine the location of all traces and all vias (FIG. 2). The routing tool converts the netlist into a set of specific interconnection paths formed from combinations of terminal areas, surface traces, vias and inner layer traces. The netlists often also include information specifying the required impedance for each path as well as other physical and electrical considerations such as any minimum spacing requirements between adjacent traces or vias. The routing tools are often designed to attempt to provide a set of interconnection paths that maximize performance while also minimizing mass production fabrication costs. Performance is maximized, typically, by providing the most compact possible network of interconnection paths providing the shortest possible signal paths with the lowest impedance. Typically this results in a PWB design having multiple internal layers of interconnection paths employing closely-spaced traces and vias. The traces are often arranged on inner layers of the PWB, rather than on the surface, to control and minimize impedance. Mass production costs are minimized, typically, by arranging the traces to provide a network of interconnection paths that requires the fewest and easiest steps to fabricate.
A PWB is then fabricated using the arrangement of interconnection paths defined by the routing tool and the FPGA's and other devices are mounted to the terminal areas footprints of the PWB to yield CCA. The FPGA's are programmed using the fixed programming pins of the FPGA to emulate the function of the ASIC. The CCA may then be mounted within a system having still other components. The functionality of the CCA or of the entire system is then tested (using any of a variety of conventional techniques), which in turn serves to test the design of the ASIC that the FPGA's are configured to emulate. If design flaws are detected, the FPGA's are redesigned to emulate a modified ASIC design and the process is repeated, i.e., the computer routing tool is employed to define a new set of interconnection paths, based on a new netlist of the redesigned FPGA, and a new PWB is fabricated for use with FPGA's programmed with the new design. This process continues until the design and functionality of the ASIC has been verified, then the ASIC itself is fabricated and tested.
As noted, because the cycle time to program and test an FPGA is much quicker than the cycle time required to design, fabricate and test an ASIC, the overall cycle time to develop an ASIC is expedited by employing FPGA's to emulate and test the ASIC design. Hence, the overall time required to develop a new electronic product employing the ASIC, such as a new cellular telephone or computer device is also expedited.
Although the use of FPGA's to emulate ASIC's has proven to be quite successful, room for improvement remains. One disadvantage relates to the PWB's that contain the interconnection paths employed for use with the FPGA's. Changes to an FPGA often necessitate changes to the interconnection paths. Hence, once any particular FPGA is redesigned, perhaps to remedy a design flaw in the ASIC that it is emulating, the PWB that was fabricated to provide interconnection paths for use with the previous FPGA design typically can no longer be used and is merely discarded. Hence, any CCA's that had been fabricated using the PWB are also discarded. Time and effort is required to fabricate a new PWB providing interconnection paths appropriate for use with the new FPGA design. A new CCA is then fabricated by mounting FPGA's and other devices to the new PWB and the FPGA's are programmed using the new FPGA design. Although the fabrication of a new CCA is much less expensive than that of an ASIC, such fabrication may still be expensive, particularly for CCA's having PWB's providing high density interconnection paths on multiple layers.
In some cases, redesign of the FPGA does not necessitate a new set of interconnection paths. This may occur, for example, if the redesign of the FPGA is purely internal and does not affect the pinout of the FPGA. In those cases, the FPGA mounted is merely reprogrammed by downloading the new configuration of the FPGA while is sits in-circuit within the CCA and then the CCA or the system it forms a part of is tested again. In rare cases, even if new interconnection paths are necessitated, changes to the interconnection paths can be accommodated merely by re-working selected interconnection paths of the CCA, perhaps by severing existing traces that are no longer required and by employing jump wires to provide new required paths between existing vias. If such is the case, the FPGA is merely reprogrammed and the interconnection paths of the CCA are re-worked to accommodate the new FPGA.
Unfortunately, the manner by which interconnection paths are conventionally routed on a PWB of the CCA usually prevents re-working of the interconnection paths merely by manually severing traces and providing jump wires. As noted above, computer routers are typically designed to determine the positions of all vias and traces for use with a fixed terminal footprint to generate compact interconnection path networks which maximize performance and minimize mass production costs. None of these considerations, however, is particularly advantageous when configuring PWB's to be used within CCA's only for testing ASIC-emulating FPGA's. Indeed, these considerations typically yield a network of interconnection paths that is difficult or impossible to re-work by severing traces and providing jump wires. In many cases, traces that need to be severed often lie within inner layers of the PWB and therefore cannot be severed. Even if the trace to be severed is on the surface, the trace may be too short or may be too closely spaced to other traces to be easily manually severed. Also in many cases, vias that need to be connected by jump wires may be buried, semi-buried or blind vias not accessible for reconnection using jump wires. Hence, largely because of the manner by which interconnection paths are conventionally routed and particularly because the router assumes a standard footprint that includes only terminal areas and determines the position of all vias and traces for use with that footprint, even a relatively simple modification to the interconnection path network cannot be accommodated without requiring fabrication of a new CCA incorporating a new PWB. Moreover, even if the network of interconnection paths can, in theory, be manually re-worked, it may be too difficult or time consuming to determine how the network is to be re-worked to make such a reconfiguration worthwhile. Also, if the pitch size of the PWB is too small, it may not be practical to manually reroute the PWB even if otherwise possible. Hence, if manual re-working is to be feasible, it is often necessary to employ a pitch size that is relatively large, which may be otherwise undesirable.
Accordingly it would be desirable to provide a technique for allowing CCA's to be more easily re-used in connection with redesigned FPGA's or other surface mount devices. In particular, it would be desirable to provide an enhanced footprint on the PWB of the CCA that maximizes the chances that a redesigned FPGA can be easily accommodated merely by re-working the interconnection paths of the PWB by, for example, manually severing traces and connecting jump wires. It is also desirable to provide an enhanced footprint that permits re-working even small pitch devices. Aspects to the invention are directed to these ends.

Circuit card assembly footprint providing reworkable interconnection paths for use with a surface mount device


A waterproof cover for an audio system includes a frame and a shield pivotally connected to the frame. The flame has two elongated recesses respectively defined in two opposed sides defining the through hole and an inclined trough sandwiched by the two elongated recesses and defined in a bottom side defining the through hole. The shield has two rails formed on two opposed sides thereof to correspond to and be movably received in the two elongated recesses, a water blocking flange sandwiched by the two rails and formed on a bottom side of the shield to correspond to and be received in the inclined trough and a flange formed on a top side of the shield to abut a top side defining the through hole such that a full coverage of the through hole by the shield is completed and water seeping from engagement between the shield and the frame is reduced.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a waterproof cover, and more particularly to a waterproof cover for protecting an audio system from water.
2. Description of Related Art
In outdoor activities, an audio system including items such as a loudspeaker, a CD player or a radio for reproducing music is a requirement. However, the audio system will often be affected by water in some situations such as boats, leisure spas etc. Therefore, the audio system is generally provided with a waterproof cover mounted in front of a control panel.
A conventional waterproof cover has an inner gasket, a frame, an outer gasket, and a shield.
The inner gasket is mounted at a first side of the frame and has a first opening defined therethrough. The frame has a second opening defined therethrough and corresponding to the first opening.
The outer gasket is mounted at a second side of the frame. The shield has a tongue protruded from a rear side thereof. Two lugs are formed at two ends of the tongue and positioned in the apertures respectively. Therefore, the shield is pivotally mounted on the frame.
In use, the waterproof cover is installed in front of the control panel of the audio system. Blocked by the inner gasket and the outer gasket, water cannot dampen the control panel, and the audio system is protected.
However, limited by the manufacturing technology, the shield, the outer gasket and the frame can not be tightly assembled together and gaps exist between the shield and the outer gasket, and between the outer gasket and the frame, so water can penetrate the gaps and the audio system may be seriously damaged by the water.
Therefore, the invention provides a waterproof cover to mitigate the aforementioned problems.

Waterproof cover with a water blocking flange for an audio system


A method and apparatus for estimating the cardinality of graph pattern queries using graph statistics and metadata is presented. In various embodiments, node and edge labels are used to compute estimates for graph patterns (bi-grams) and the estimates for these patterns as composed to provide cardinality estimates of longer paths. The computation of bi-grams is low cost and requires only minimal changes to the existing query planner in the existing database machinery to be useful. The resulting estimates are used during query execution to minimize the amount of work needed to complete a query and return a faithful and accurate answer to the user. The apparatus includes modules containing computer-executable instructions to perform the above method.

A graph database uses data structures with nodes, edges, labels, and properties to represent data. A node may represent an entity such as a person, a business, an organization, or an account. Each node has zero or more labels that represent its role in the graph, for example as a customer or a product. Nodes have zero or more properties which contain data for that node. For example, if a node represents a person, the properties associated with that node may be the person's gender, age, and/or identification number of some kind. Edges connect the nodes in a way that is meaningful for the domain. They are directed, have a type which indicates their purpose and may also have associated property data (such as weightings).
Graph databases have numerous applications. For example, a graph database may be used in healthcare management, retail recommendations, transport, power grids, integrated circuit design, fraud prevention, and a social network system, to name a few.
Prior graph database methods for planning the efficient execution of queries stem from relational database technology.

Bi-gram cardinality estimation in a graph database


The multi-unit wavelength switch enables multiple independent wavelength switching of a plurality of incoming multiplexed optical beams simultaneously on the same optical platform. The different units can have similar functionality or provide disparate functionality, e.g. any one or more of switching, dynamic gain equalization, wavelength blocking, and power monitoring.

Conventional optical wavelength dispersive devices, such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,097,859 issued Aug. 1, 2000 to Solgaard et al; U.S. Pat. No. 6,498,872 issued Dec. 24, 2002 to Bouevitch et al; U.S. Pat. No. 6,707,959 issued Mar. 16, 2004 to Ducellier et al; U.S. Pat. No. 6,810,169 issued Oct. 26, 2004 to Bouevitch; and U.S. Pat. No. 7,014,326 issued Mar. 21, 2006 to Danagher et al, separate a multiplexed optical beam into constituent wavelengths, and then direct individual wavelengths or groups of wavelengths, which may or may not have been modified, back through the device to a desired output port. Typically the back end of the device includes individually controllable devices, such as a micro-mirror array, which are used to redirect selected wavelengths back to one of several output ports, or an array of liquid crystal cells, which are used to block or attenuate selected wavelengths.
FIG. 1 illustrates a top view of a typical platform 102A for a wavelength dispersive device in which a light redirecting element having optical power in the form of a spherical reflector 120 receives a beam of light from a front-end unit 122. The spherical reflector 120 reflects the beam of light to a diffraction grating 124, which disperses the beam of light into its constituent wavelength channels. The wavelength channels are again redirected by the spherical mirror 120 to a backend unit 126.
In the case of a wavelength blocker (WB) or a dynamic gain equalizer (DGE) the front end unit 122 can include a single input/output port with a circulator, which separates incoming from outgoing signals, or one input port with one output port. Typically the front end unit 122 will include a polarization diversity unit for ensuring the beam (or sub-beams) of light has a single state of polarization. The backend unit 126 for a WB or a DGE is an array of liquid crystal cells, which independently rotate the state of polarization of the wavelength channels to either partially attenuate or completely block selected channels from passing back through the polarization diversity unit in the front end 122.
In the case of a wavelength selective switch (WSS) the front end unit 122 includes (See FIG. 2) an array 132 of input/output fibers 132A to 132D, each of which may have a corresponding lens 134A to 134D, respectively, forming a lens array 134. An angle to offset (or switching) lens 136 converts the lateral offset of the input fibers 132A to 132D into an angular offset at a point 138, which is imaged by the spherical lens 120 onto the backend unit 126. The lens array 134 can be removed depending on the relative positions of the switching lens 136. The backend unit 126 in an WSS is typically a micro-electro-mechanical (MEMS) array of tilting mirrors which can be used to steer each of the demultiplexed beams to one of several positions corresponding to a desired output port. The angle introduced at the back end unit 126 is then transformed by the angle to offset lens 136 to a lateral offset corresponding to the desired input/output fiber 132A to 132D. Alternatively, a liquid crystal phased array (LC or LCoS, if incorporated on a silicon driver substrate) can be used to redirect the light.
In operation as an WSS, a multiplexed beam of light is launched into the front-end unit 122 and optionally passes through a polarization beam splitter 138 and a waveplate 140A or 140B (See FIG. 3) to provide two sub-beams of light having the same state of polarization. The two sub-beams of light are transmitted to the spherical reflector 120 and are reflected therefrom towards the diffraction grating 124. The diffraction grating 124 separates each of the two sub-beams into a plurality of channel sub-beams of light having different central wavelengths. The plurality of channel sub-beams are transmitted to the spherical reflector 120, which redirects them to the MEMS or LC phased array 126, where they are incident thereon as spatially separated spots corresponding to individual spectral channels.
Each channel sub-beam can be reflected backwards along the same path or a different path, which extends into or out of the page in FIG. 1 to the array of fibers 132, which would extend into the page. Alternatively, each channel sub-beam can be reflected backwards along the same path or a different path, which extends in the plane of the page of FIG. 1. The sub-beams of light are transmitted, from the MEMS or LC phased array 126, back to the spherical reflector 120 and are redirected to the diffraction grating 124, where they are recombined and transmitted back to the spherical reflector 120 to be transmitted to a predetermined input/output port shown in FIG. 2.
FIG. 4 illustrates a conventional in-plane or horizontally switching platform, in which an input beam with optical wavelength channels λ1 and λ2 is launched via input/output port 31 through switching lens 35 to concave mirror 40. The input beam is redirected and collimated onto a diffraction grating 50, which laterally disperses the optical wavelength channels, and directs them at the concave mirror 40. Each optical wavelength channel is directed at and focused onto a different independently controllable micro-mirror, e.g. 61 and 62, which make up a MEMs array 60. The first optical wavelength channel λ1 is reflected straight back and therefore exits the input/output port 31, while the second optical wavelength channel λ2 is reflected at a predetermined angle corresponding to the lateral position of a second input/output port 32.
A transmission path correction element, i.e. wedge, 100, with front and rear non-parallel faces 101 and 102, respectively, is installed between the concave mirror 40 and the MEMS array 60. The purpose of this correction element 100 is to modify the paths of the optical signals focused by the concave mirror 40, so as to effectively rotate the best fit planar surface approximation FP into coplanar coincidence with the optical signal-receiving surface MP 65 of the MEMS array 60. Non-limiting examples of a suitable (field-flattening) transmission path correction element that may be used for this purpose include a portion or segment of a cylindrical lens and an optical transmission wedge. With the curvilinear focal surface LP of the spherical mirror 40 being transformed into a focal plane FP, and with that plane FP being coincident with the MEMS array plane MP 65, variation in loss, as minimized by the best fit linear approximation of the focal plane, will be effectively eliminated.
Unfortunately, each time a customer wishes to purchase a WB, a DGE, an MWS or any form of monitor therefor, they must purchase a separate dispersion platform, i.e. spherical lens and diffraction grating along with associated opto-mechanics and packaging. An object of the present invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art by providing a multi-unit wavelength dispersive device, in which a plurality of independent front and backend units can utilize the same dispersion platform and share the same opto-mechanics and packaging.