A surgical laser smoke plume evacuator includes an evacuator body which is formed to a shape which is suitable for placement in normal use position substantially entirely around and adjacent to a tissue site upon which laser surgery is to be performed. The evacuator body has structure for removing smoke therethrough, and a smoke exit portion in communication with and extending from the evacuator body. The smoke exit portion is connectable to vacuum source, to thereby apply a vacuum to the evacuator body and cause smoke which is created at a surgical site during surgery to be removed from the surgical site through the evacuator body and the smoke exit portion.

There are many different kinds of lasers currently utilized in medical procedures. In some of these techniques the laser-tissue interaction occurs within the body, such as with the Argon laser or YAG laser for intraocular use. When this occurs, no smoke plume is produced. Other types of lasers are focused upon the outside surface of the body such as, for example, the CO.sub.2 laser which is used on skin, or the excimer laser, which is used on the surface of the cornea of the eye. When these types of lasers interact with tissue, a plume of smoke is generated which enters the air space above the tissue. This smoke plume has been shown to be composed of water vapor as well as vaporized tissue. A similar smoke plume results from electrical cauterization of body tissues.
Substances contained within the tissue are thrown into the smoke plume as a result of the laser's explosive contact with the target tissue. In the case of CO.sub.2 laser smoke, intact papillomavirus (Garden, J. M. et al. JAMA 1988,; 259:1199-1202) and intact infectious papillomavirus (Sawchuk, W. S. et at., J. Am Acad. Dermatol, 1989; 21:41-49) have been demonstrated when smoke is tested from the interaction of the CO.sub.2 laser and virally induced papillomas.
Studies have shown that the smoke generated from CO.sub.2 laser treatment of non-infected dog tongue induces a positive Ames' test for microbial mutation (Mihashi, S. et al., paper at Fourth International Society for Laser Surgery, Tokyo, November, 1981). This result indicates some level of carcinogenicity associated with such a laser generated smoke plume, even as a result of surgery on non-infected tissues.
Papillomavirus has been indicated to be a causative agent for some cervical cancers. Thus, the presence of intact papillomavirus in smoke plumes may render laser smoke from this source even more mutagenic.
Investigators such as Garden, J. M. et al. (JAMA 1988,; 259:1199-1202) who have studied the smoke plume from the CO.sub.2 laser have recommended efficient evacuation of the smoke that is produced so that the surgeon and other health care workers in the room are not exposed to any potentially infectious or carcinogenic smoke.
The United States Government Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has outlined regulations (Part II, 29 CFR Part 1910.1030, Occupational Exposure to Bloodborne Pathogens; Final Rule, Dec. 6, 1991), that require employers to keep work places safe for employees. These guidelines address the goal of avoiding reasonably anticipated occupational exposure of eyes, mouth, other mucous membrane, non-intact skin, or parenteral contact with blood or other potentially infectious materials as a result the performance of an employee's occupational duties.
Potentially infectious materials include any unfixed tissue or organ (other than intact skin) from a human (living or dead) source individual. Under circumstances in which differentiation between bodily fluid types is difficult or impossible, all body fluids are considered potentially infectious materials.
All procedures involving blood or other potentially infectious materials are required under OSHA regulations to be performed in such a manner as to minimize splashing, spraying, spattering, and generation of droplets of these substances. For example, masks in combination with eye protection devises such as goggles or glasses with solid side shields or chin length face shields must be worn whenever splashes, spray, spatter or droplets of blood or other potentially infectious materials may be generated and eye, nose, or mouth contamination can be reasonably anticipated.
Also, vacuum lines must be protected with liquid disinfectant traps and high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters or filters of equivalent or superior efficiency are required and must be checked routinely and maintained or replaced as necessary. Finally, OSHA requires that when there is occupational exposure, the employer shall provide, at no cost to the employee, appropriate personal protective equipment such as, but not limited to, gloves, gowns, laboratory coats, face shields or masks and eye protection, and mouthpieces, resuscitation bags, pocket masks, or other ventilation devices. Personal protective equipment must not permit blood or other potentially infectious materials to pass through to or reach the employee's work clothes, street clothes, undergarments, skin, eyes, mouth, or other mucous membranes under normal conditions of use and for the duration of time which the protective equipment will be used.
Surgeons who perform laser operations on the surface of the body routinely encounter the production of smoke commonly referred to as a "plume", from the laser's impact. As the plume of smoke can actually be smelled, it is actually making contact with the mucous membranes of the nose. It is clear that the smoke plume material would be considered potentially infectious by the above-referenced guidelines established by OSHA. Furthermore, since the plume material has been shown to be mutagenic and to transport intact infectious papillomavirus (in the case of CO.sub.2 laser, papilloma interactions), an efficient evacuation of this smoke plume, away from the patient, surgeon and other medical personnel is prudent and desirable. The absence of an efficient smoke plume evacuator for surgical lasers which generate a smoke plume appears to be in direct violation of current OSHA regulations.
The American National Standards Institute (ANSI), for Safe Use of Lasers in Health Care Facilities also publishes regulations governing the safe use of surgically induced smoke plumes (ANSI-Z 136.3-1996). In this publication, ANSI defines laser generated Airborne Contaminants (LGAC) in a similar way as OSHA and designates these surgically included smoke plumes as dangerous. These plumes are further stated to be produced by Class 4 lasers, high power Class 3b lasers, and electrosurgical devices and instrumentation. ANSI stipulates that through local exhaust ventilation, the LGAC shall be capture as near as practical to the point of production and either be completely trapped within the system or vented out of the area (see, American National Standard Fundamentals Governing the Design and Operation of Local Exhaust Systems, ANSI.
Currently there are two excimer (excited dimer) laser systems approved for use in The United States. Other excimer laser companies also have lasers that are being used in other countries. The Summit Technology, Inc. laser system sold in the United States has no provision for smoke plume evacuation at all. The VISX.TM. excimer laser system does have a unidirectional smoke plume evacuator, but the closest the evacuator orifice in this known evacuator is located, in relation to the laser treatment site, is approximately 3.8 cm, according to communications with VISX.TM. Incorporated technical support personnel.
Research has demonstrated that a laser smoke plume is approximately 98.6% efficiently evacuated when the orifice of the evacuator is 1.0 cm from the target site. The efficiency drops to approximately 50% when the evacuator orifice is moved to 2.0 cm. It is clear that an orifice that is maintained 3.8 cm from the treatment site is inadequate to produce an efficient evacuation of the laser plume. (Sawchuck, W. S. et al., , Infectious Papillomavirus in the vapor of warts . . . , J. AM. Acad. Dermatol., 1989; 21: 41-49).
The above limitations in equipment presently available explain why surgeons and other health care workers consistently smell the laser smoke plume that emanates from the corneal surface when excimer laser procedures are performed with laser machines presently commercially available, for example, those sold under the VISX.TM. and SUMMIT trade names.
The present invention encompasses any evacuation device which can be placed in close proximity to the site of impact of any surgical laser or electrical cautery. The devices which fulfill this criteria must have vacuum openings which are disposed during use closer than 3.8 cm from the actual treatment site.
All embodiments of the invention herein also perform as efficient smoke evacuators while remaining out of the direct path of the incident laser light. An additional feature of this invention allows various embodiments to possess additional functional features that enhance the devices' utility, but do not impair the transmission of the incident laser light and which still enable efficient smoke plume evacuation. Embodiments are described which also enable surgical lasers to interact with tissues under different fluid mixtures.
Several practical embodiments of the new evacuator device are described hereafter. The various structures all share the common ability to efficiently evacuate the smoke plume generated from a laser impact upon human or animal tissue. For the sake of discussion, excimer laser ablation of the cornea will be utilized as an example, but it is to be understood that the new device is also applicable to any other surgical procedure, such as cauterization in the usual manner, that produces a smoke plume that enters the atmosphere above (exterior of and adjacent to) the surgical treatment site.
Thus, although the term "laser" is used throughout this document, it is to be understood that in most cases the procedure under discussion could also be other types of procedures, particularly surgical procedures, which cause the production of smoke. Thus the specification and claims are not to be interpreted as limited strictly to laser surgical procedures.
The new devices disclosed herein are preferably disposed with vacuum apertures closer to the treatment site than 3.8 cm. Ideally, the apertures should be as close as possible to the treatment site while not impairing the function of the laser. While the new evacuators will function at a distance greater than 3.8 cm, closer placement is necessarily preferred for optimal smoke removal. Such closer placement is not possible with evacuators known in the art. Precisely how much closer the new device may be positioned will depend on a number of factors, including, for example, the type of surgery being performed and the skill of the particular surgeon, as well as the area of the body upon which laser treatment is imposed.
In addition to being closer than 3.8 cm, it is preferred to evacuate the smoke plume from more than one aperture to increase efficiency and to draw the laser smoke away from the treatment site in a fashion that does not draw the smoke over one part of the corneal surface more than over another part.
If an evacuation device with only a single aperture is used, as repeated laser pulses strike the corneal surface, smoke being evacuated will cross the cornea in only one direction, i.e., from one side of the eye under treatment to the opposite side thereof; i.e. smoke is drawn in an uneven distribution across the surgical site and physically interferes with the fluence of the laser light upon the cornea, such that an area with greater smoke concentration will receive less laser light because the smoke itself absorbs some of the laser energy.
By using the new evacuator with numerous apertures circumferentially located around the cornea, laser generated smoke is drawn directly toward the closest aperture and not across the cornea. In other words, the smoke is drawn radially outwardly from the inner portion (approximate center) of the surgical site, within a hypothetical perimeter established by the evacuator body portion of the device. This technique will improve reliability of the excimer laser and provide a more predictable surgical outcome by preventing smoke from crossing the path of the laser.
A commercially available aspirating speculum is available and referred to as the McBratney aspirating speculum, shown on page 248 of the Storz.RTM. Ophthalmic Instruments catalog at number E4117. This device has suction tubes connected to both arms of an eyelid speculum. However, the arrangement of apertures makes the device unsuitable for the present purpose of smoke plume removal. Rather, the McBratney speculum is structurally designed for removal of fluids from the surface of the eyeball during surgery. The holes are positioned inside the upper bend, to the left and right of center on the ends of the rigid 21 gauge metal tubing of which the speculum is made, two holes per arm. The McBratney speculum holes are filed to a size of 0.016 inches, much smaller than is necessary to accomplish the present purpose of efficient smoke plume removal.
Excimer laser companies have attempted blowing clean nitrogen gas across the cornea during excimer laser corneal treatments. The theory behind this was that by blowing nitrogen across the cornea, the laser generated smoke would be removed from the pathway of the incident light and thereby create improved uniformity in the fluence of the laser light upon the cornea. The use of nitrogen blowing was abandoned when the clinical outcomes were determined to be less desirable than when no Nitrogen blowing was utilized.
One possible reason for this decrease in the quality of the clinical outcomes may be explained by the fact that the nitrogen was blown in only one direction, entirely across the cornea, as opposed to being introduced evenly and circumferentially as is possible with some of the embodiments described herein.
As explained hereafter, another potential cause for past problems with nitrogen blowing may be due to the facts that nitrogen is an intrinsically inert gas and that the atmosphere contains approximately 21% oxygen. Interaction of an excimer laser with the cornea produces a photochemical disruption of the molecules comprising the cornea. It is not clear what changing the partial pressure of the gases in the atmosphere would have upon the nature of this photochemical reaction, but considering that oxygen is a reactive molecule and that the excimer laser impact has been demonstrated to be an explosive phenomenon (Puliafito, C. A., et al., Arch Ophthalmol. 1987; 105:1255-1259), control over the concentration of potentially reactive gases in the air space above the laser impact site is considered to be important to obtaining predictable, reliable results with any laser surgery, e.g. excimer laser surgery. With the present invention, the vacuum produced by the smoke plume evacuator can be configured to efficiently remove the generated laser smoke in exchange for clean room air, leaving the partial pressure of the air mixture above the treatment site unchanged. Furthermore, another embodiment of this invention allows for simultaneous evacuation of the laser plume and circumferential delivery of any clean fluid mixture into the laser path which may be more desirable for laser-tissue interaction (for example, a reactive atmosphere containing a partial pressure of oxygen of 25% as opposed to 21%).
During excimer laser corneal surgery, it is customary to place an eyelid speculum into the cul-de-sacs (engaging and/or under the lids) of the eye. This is done so that the patient cannot blink during the treatment process. In one embodiment of this invention, a lid speculum is configured with an integral smoke plume evacuator so that this device addresses a need that already exists in standard excimer laser surgery. Other embodiments are disclosed herein which serve multiple purposes but which alter the already somewhat established protocol for excimer laser treatments.
In some embodiments of this invention, a lid speculum is configured with a smoke plume evacuator so that the new device can simultaneously keep the eyelids open while efficiently removing the laser smoke plume. The apertures of this lid speculum are preferably disposed in normal use position less than one centimeter from the treatment site and as such can be optimally efficient in removing the laser smoke plume.
Because a lid speculum is a standard device utilized for excimer laser surgery, this device will perform two functions at the same time. The evacuated smoke plume can be routed into the standard filtration system that is present on the VISX.TM. Star Excimer Laser System.TM., or routed to a standard commercially available evacuation system with appropriately replaceable filtration systems. The nature of the commercially available filtration system is well known.
Finally, for the lid speculum design, one embodiment would contain an additional set of tubing that would be stacked upon the plume evacuator tubing. This additional set of tubing can be used to bring in clean gas or other fluids or mixtures thereof which are different from atmospheric (ambient) gas. This process enables the laser to interact with tissue under a fluid environment which is different from atmospheric gas and which may allow for an improved laser-tissue interaction.
Another embodiment of this invention is an ocular fixation device which comes in contact with the conjunctiva around the cornea. One design that is considered is similar to the Fine-Thornton fixation ring as sold by Rhein Medical, Inc. This device has a handle suitable for manually controlling the device. The portion which contacts the patient's eye is an incomplete circle with small teeth to engage the conjunctival surface. In this embodiment, the portion of the fixation ring just above the part that contacts the conjunctiva can be a tube with one or more apertures, which tube leads to a filtration vacuum system which is appropriate for receipt of biohazardous materials for disposal thereof.
In use, this embodiment of the new device is placed against the conjunctiva around the cornea to assist in the fixation of the eye for surgery, and the vacuum, when activated, enables efficient smoke plume evacuation preferably at a distance approximately 1.0 cm or less. With the fixation ring embodiment, an additional circle of tubing can be attached to the fixation device so that different gas mixtures can be delivered to the treatment site and enable potential modifications of the laser-tissue interaction.
Other embodiments of this invention are conceived whereby a structure with one or more apertures is placed against the eyelid skin hovering over the cornea. With this embodiment, a standard eyelid speculum could be utilized. This tubing, with one or more apertures, could have small vertical extensions which then contact the skin and enable the surgeon to hold this in place in close proximity to the treatment site. This device will have a greater distance from the treatment site than either the lid speculum embodiment or the fixation ring embodiment but will still provide a level of smoke plume evacuation efficiency which is greater than that which is currently available in the VISX.TM., Incorporated or Summit Technology, Inc. lasers. This embodiment can also incorporate a separate ring of tubing which can introduce different gas mixtures to the space above the treatment site.
One of the ways in which the fixation embodiment of the device disclosed herein is useful is for surgery on other body surfaces, when those surfaces are receiving various laser treatments. One example of this is the laser removal of virally produced condyloma of the genital tract. In this fashion, the condyloma to be treated are located within the circular fixation ring which holds the skin taut, while the laser treatment is delivered efficiently through the central aperture of the fixation ring. Also during this treatment, the smoke that is generated is efficiently removed because of the very short distance between the laser tissue interaction site and the apertures of the smoke evacuation system.
Another site for potential use is the cervix. Collins has described a vaginal speculum which is partly connected to a vacuum suction device. The intention of that device is to remove smoke from the vaginal vault during cervical laser treatments or other smoke producing procedures. The Collins patent does not teach any important distances from the source of the smoke, and as such the embodiments described in that patent do not provide for an efficient smoke removal system, as does the present devices.
In the present invention, a standard vaginal speculum is inserted and a long handled fixation device connected with tubing inserted into the vagina with the circular fixation ring being brought against the uterine cervix to hold it steady, to manipulate it during treatment, and, most importantly, to evacuate any smoke generated from this tissue during laser or other smoke producing procedures. This function for the fixation device is better than the Collins device in that improved visualization and more efficient smoke evacuation can occur because of the greatly shortened distance between the laser tissue interaction and the apertures of the smoke evacuation tubing.
The embodiment for cervical treatment is therefore ordinarily expected to have a longer fixation handle than that used upon the eye, and the distal fixation ring would have to be of larger diameter than that used on the eye. A reasonable useful range of diameters is considered, for example, a 2.5 to 3.0 cm diameter ring-shaped evacuator body is appropriate for treatment of the uterine cervix. Similarly, any other surface or body cavity which requires an efficient evacuation of smoke from the interaction of laser or other cautery devices with tissue could be utilized with appropriate modification of the speculum, fixation device or smoke evacuation tube of the new evacuation device.
As mentioned elsewhere herein, an independent, but connected tubing can be arranged such that one set of tubing is used for efficient close range smoke evacuation, while the other is used for the importation of any desired air/gas mixture, or liquid (fluids). If liquid is introduced through the second set of tubing, the vacuum present on the second set of tubing can double as a liquid evacuator as well. If the fixation device is used in the vagina, other baffles or structures can be affixed to the fixation handles, as may be necessary to assist in keeping vaginal tissues out of the direct path of the laser.
Although possibly unnecessary, the present device is considered a conduit for these procedures, such that even a conventional light pipe could be introduced down the handle to facilitate the view of the cervix for appropriate treatment with the laser.
Accordingly, it is among the many goals and advantages of the present invention to provide a surgical smoke plume evacuation device which may be integral with or detachably connected to a speculum for use in surgical treatment of tissue with a laser, electrical cautery or other smoke plume causing device. Various embodiments of the new device are appropriate for different tissues, at different areas of the body and can be used with a variety of types of speculums.
It is further among the many goals and advantages of the device having the features enumerated above, that it can be made of materials that are relatively inexpensive and disposable, or alternatively may be sterilizable for reuse and may be adapted for introduction of fluids into the area ambient to the surgical site.
It is still further among the many goals of the invention to provide a device which can be used by an already skilled professional in the art with little or no additional training or practice prior to use on a patient, which device will protect the surgeon, the patient and other individuals in the vicinity of a surgical procedure from any potentially hazardous substances that may be in a smoke plume produced during the procedure, and that such device will thereby assist medical facilities in meeting OSHA and ANSI standards for safety in work places using laser surgical procedures.
Accordingly, in furtherance of the above goals, the present invention is, briefly, a surgical laser smoke plume evacuator which includes an evacuator body formed to a shape which is suitable for placement in normal use position substantially entirely around and adjacent to a tissue site upon which laser surgery is to be performed. The evacuator body has structure for removing smoke therethrough, and a smoke exit portion in communication with and extending from the evacuator body. The smoke exit portion is connectable to vacuum source, to thereby apply a vacuum to the evacuator body and cause smoke which is created at a surgical site during surgery to be removed from the surgical site through the evacuator body and the smoke exit portion.
The invention is also, briefly, the combination of an eyelid speculum and a surgical laser smoke plume evacuator device, wherein the smoke plume evacuator device includes an evacuator body which is formed to a shape which is suitable for placement in normal use position substantially entirely around and adjacent to a tissue site upon which laser or other smoke producing surgery is to be performed. The evacuator body has structure for removing smoke therethrough. A smoke exit portion is in communication with the evacuator body, and extending away from the evacuator body, the smoke exit portion is connectable to vacuum source, to thereby apply a vacuum to the evacuator body and cause smoke which is created at a surgical site during surgery to be removed from the surgical site through the evacuator body and the smoke exit portion.
Further in the combination, the evacuator body of the smoke plume evacuator device is formed of tubing and the structure for removing smoke therethrough is a plurality of openings spaced around an internal aspect of the evacuator body and extending from a luminal surface of an internal aspect thereof to a nonluminal surface thereof, at least some of the plurality of openings being disposed less than 3.8 cm from a point of smoke producing surgical contact with tissue of the surgical site.
The invention is further, briefly, a method of removing a smoke plume created during surgery. The new method includes selecting a smoke plume evacuator device having an evacuator body and a smoke exit portion in communication with the evacuator body, positioning the evacuator body of the surgical smoke evacuation device around a surgical site so that the site is accessible via an inner aspect of the evacuator body, and so that at least some structure on the evacuator body inner aspect for removing smoke are disposed less than 3.8 cm from the smoke producing surgical treatment site, connecting the smoke exit portion of the evacuation device to a vacuum source, applying a vacuum to the smoke exit portion of the evacuation device, and initiating a smoke producing surgical procedure upon tissue at the surgical site, the smoke being produced exiting radially away from the surgical site via the structure for removing smoke on the evacuator body and then via the smoke exit portion toward the vacuum source.
These and other advantages and features of the invention will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinbelow.


A process for manufacturing an electrode utilizing electron beam (EB) or actinic radiation to cure electrode binding polymers is provided. A process is also disclosed for mixing specific actinic or EB radiation curable chemical precursors with electrode solid particles, application of the mixture to an electrode current collector, followed by the application of actinic or EB radiation to the current collector for curing the polymer, thereby binding the electrode material to the current collector. Lithium ion batteries, electric double layer capacitors, and components produced therefrom are also provided.

Electrochemical devices including batteries and electric double layer capacitors (EDLCs) have found great usefulness in power supplies, including power supplies of portable devices and auxiliary power supplies for automobiles. For example, lithium ion batteries are one of the most popular battery types for use in portable electronics such as phones, music players, portable computers, and so forth. Lithium ion batteries have very high energy-to-weight ratios, no memory effect, and a slow loss of charge when not in use. Lithium ion batteries are also growing in popularity for military, electric vehicle, and aerospace applications due to their high energy density.
The basic working unit of a lithium ion battery is an electrochemical cell. The electrochemical cell includes two electrodes, an anode and cathode, separated and connected by an electrolyte. The anode typically is a thin metal sheet of electrically conducting material, such as copper, which is referred to as the anode current collector and is coated with solid anode material particles. The solid particles are held to the anode current collector and to each other by a binding material, which is typically a polymer which retains adhesion and hardness and does not swell or disintegrate during use. Typical anode particles include carbon (generally graphite) and silicon-based materials. The particle sizes of the anode material coated on the current collector range from several nanometers to several microns in nominal diameter.
The lithium ion battery electrolyte may be liquid, solid or a gel. For liquid electrolytes, a separator is employed to separate the anode from the cathode. A typical separator is a thin porous polymer sheet. Void spaces in the polymer are filled with electrolyte. A typical liquid electrolyte is a mixture of organic carbonates such as alkyl carbonate containing complexes of lithium ions, generally non-coordinated anion salts such as lithium hexafluorophosphate (LiPF6), lithium hexafluoroarsenate monohydrate (LiAsF6), lithium perchlorate (LiClO4), lithium tetrafluoroborate (LiBF4), and lithium triflate (LiCF3SO3). Typical solid electrolytes are polymers. A wide variety of materials may be used as a gel electrolyte. The electrolytes are designed to withstand the voltage between the anode and the cathode, and offer a high mobility of lithium ions without a risk of flammability.
The cathode typically employed in a lithium ion battery includes a thin metal sheet of electrically conducting material such as aluminum, which is referred to as the cathode current collector, and is coated with solid cathode particles. Cathode solid particles are held to the cathode current collector and to each other by a solid polymer binding material, which is typically a polymer produced to retain adhesion and hardness and not swell or disintegrate during use. Typical cathode materials include particles of metal oxides such as lithium, cobalt, manganese, nickel, or vanadium oxides, and other lithium compounds such as lithium iron phosphate. The cathode materials often include a small amount of carbon as well, to improve conductivity, though the carbon will generally not be as graphitic as that of the anode. Particle sizes of the cathode material coated on the current collector range from several nanometers to several microns in nominal diameter.
An EDLC, also known as a supercapacitor or an ultracapacitor, is an electrochemical capacitor that has an unusually high energy density when compared to traditional capacitors. An EDLC includes two separate electrodes of the same construction separated by an intervening substance that provides effective separation of charge despite a vanishingly thin (on the order of nanometers) physical separation of the layers. The electrode of an EDLC employs a current collector, typically a current collector similar to that of a lithium ion battery cathode, such as aluminum. To improve energy storage density a nanoporous material, typically a particulate carbon such as graphite or activated charcoal, is applied to the surface of the current collector with a binder, which is typically a polymer produced to retain adhesion and hardness and not swell or disintegrate during use. The particle size of the carbon generally ranges from several nanometers to several microns in nominal diameter. The pores of the electrode carbon are then filled with the intervening substance, i.e., an electrolyte that is a liquid or a gel. A typical liquid electrolyte is an organic alkyl carbonate that can include selected lithium salts.
A typical process for forming an electrode such as is found in a lithium ion battery or an EDLC includes:                1) The polymeric binding material is formed into a solution with a solvent such that the solution has a suitably low viscosity for application to the current collector after mixing with the solid particles.        2) The low viscosity binding solution is mixed with the electrode solid particles at approximately 20-80 wt. % of the solvent, and particularly approximately 50 wt. % of the solvent to form a paste.        3) The paste is coated in a thin layer (typically 10 to 200 microns) onto the current collector using conventional coating techniques.        4) The coated current collector is passed through a thermal drying oven where solvent is driven off and the binder polymer is set.        5) The electrode is passed through a pair of rotating rollers separated by a narrow gap (e.g. 5 to 200 microns) to compress the current collector coating to a specified thickness.        6) Typically, both sides of the electrode current collector are coated with anode/cathode particles and processed by the aforementioned steps.
There are multiple shortcomings of the aforementioned prior art involved in the manufacturing of electrodes that have a direct effect on the cost of manufacturing. These shortcomings include, without limitation:                a) Solvent used to dissolve the polymer binding material must be vaporized requiring substantial thermal energy input.        b) Substantial energy inefficiencies associated with thermal drying.        c) The vaporized solvent must be recovered and either disposed of or recycled.        d) The oven required for drying the polymer binding material occupies significant manufacturing space at a significant capital cost.        e) The time required to manufacture the electrodes is increased by the time required for the polymer binding material to be dried in the drying oven.
What are needed in the art are improved materials and methods for forming electrodes. For instance, improved binding materials for use in lithium ion cathodes and anodes and EDLC electrodes would be of great use.

Actinic and electron beam radiation curable electrode binders and electrodes incorporating same


A header assembly for a harvesting machine comprising a primary cutter head for cutting the crop, and a feeder for feeding the cut crop into the mouth of a crop processing mechanism. The assembly further comprises a secondary scissor-action cutter head trailing behind the primary cutter head for cutting stalks left behind by the primary cutter head, the secondary cutter head coupled to the rear of the header and supported by ground engaging rollers. The rollers include at least one support cylinder having a circumferentially discontinuous ground engaging outer surface operative to perform a preliminary processing of at least one of the crop residue and the soil.

Conventional combine and forage harvesters have a header assembly for harvesting crop from a field and feeding it into a processing mechanism. For crops such as barley, rye, oats and wheat, the header assembly usually comprises a header having a primary cutter head that cuts the crop, and a reel and two lateral augers that draw the cut crop into a central feeder (also known as a straw elevator). The augers drive the crop from the ends of the header towards the feeder which then raises the crop into the mouth or infeed of the crop processing mechanism of the harvester.
In a combine harvester, the processing mechanism may typically comprise a threshing cylinder for separating the grain from the straw and the chaff. After the crop has been threshed, the grain passes over oscillating sieves that separate it from the chaff and it is stored in a grain tank. The straw on the other hand is transported by straw walkers or a separating cylinder to the rear of the harvester where it is either chopped and dispersed with the chaff or laid down in swaths or windrows for later baling.
It is known from U.S. Pat. No. 2,401,513 and EP 0 212 185 for a header assembly for a harvester having a header as described above to be provided with a secondary scissor-action cutter head mounted on a support frame trailed behind the primary cutter head for cutting stalks left behind by the primary cutter head. The secondary cutter head may be supported by ground engaging rollers or skids.

Header assembly for a harvester with a secondary cutting and processing mechanism

ESM Ennepetaler Schneid-und Mahtechnik GMBH


A method for making semiconductor devices may include forming a phosphosilicate glass (PSG) layer on a semiconductor wafer, with the PSG layer having a phosphine residual surface portion. The method may further include exposing the phosphine residual surface portion to a reactant plasma to integrate at least some of the phosphine residual surface portion into the PSG layer. The method may additionally include forming a mask layer on the PSG layer after the exposing.

Cleaning is performed during semiconductor processing to remove surface particles, contaminants, native or chemical oxides, etc. Wafer cleaning and surface preparation steps may be required throughout the fabrication process, and inadequate cleaning may result in significant losses in device yield.
Various approaches for semiconductor wafer cleaning may be used. One approach involves wet chemical cleaning, in which a chemical is applied to react with a contaminant and remove it from the wafer surface. Another approach involves a jet scrubber, which sprays very fine droplets of water or chemicals at a high velocity onto a wafer surface to scrub contaminants or other particles away from the surface of the wafer.
Despite the existence of such approaches, further enhancements in wafer cleaning may be desirable, such as for next generation devices with relatively small dimensions.

Method for making semiconductor devices including reactant treatment of residual surface portion


A molded body is produced on the basis of a raw material, the main content of which is material which is left after remolding pulp from paper and extraction of fibers from the pulp mass for remanufacturing of paper. This raw material which mainly consists of water, short fibers, and fine, mineral particles is drained by pressing in a first pressing stage between filter belts for production of a coherent body, is dried partially in a first drying stage is pressed and in a second pressing stage, and dried finally in a second drying stage. The invention concerns a similar method for separation of fibers and particles from waste water which results from repulping paper and reclaiming of fibers from the pulp mass for remanufacturing of paper, whereby an enviromental problem is solved in a very suitable way. A plant for manufacturing of a molded body on basis of the raw material mentioned comprises a largely horizontal filter unit (3, 25) for draining, a first pressing unit (7) for pressing the material between surfaces of filter belt, a first drying unit (8) for drying of the material, a second pressing unit (10) for pressing the material, and a second drying unit (11) for heat treatment of the material.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to a method for the manufacturing of a moulded body on basis of a raw material which is the material left after remoulding pulp from paper and extraction of fibres for manufacturing of paper, which rawmaterial in principle contains water, short cellulose fibres, and fine, mineral particles.
The invention concerns additionally a moulded body produced by this procedure and a plant for exercising the method.
2. Background Art
From GB patent specification No. 1 275 042 is known a method for utilizing papermud for producing a board-shaped product or a mouldable mixture. The raw material used is papermud, i.e. an aqueous suspension which passes through the filter belt when cellulose pulp is manufactured in a fourdrinier apparatus for the manufacturing of paper. To this raw material which contains short fibres and inorganic minerals is added fibres of middle-length within the interval 1/16"-5" (1.6-127 mm), and it is concentrated by passing a rotating, perforated roller, and is layed out in a filter belt press which produces an endless fibrous length. This material can after pressing and drying be used as filling material in board-shaped products. Boards of higher strength may be obtained by adding cement, gypsum or adhesives to a liquid mixture.
From GB patent specification No. 1 405 587 is known a development of this technique, where the aquous suspension is layed out on a support permeable to liquid, in the form of an endless filter belt and pressed through a set of rollers with gradually narrower gaps to force out the water. Hereby is produced a layer having some wet strength, which can be formed under pressure and heat. It is noted that the mould may be perforated so as to let water escape while the body is kept under pressure and heat, and it is noted as a second possibility that in between the surface of the mould and that of the body may be inserted a flexible tissue which may be founded on to the surface of the finished body. Adhesive substances are added to the raw material as required. The heat founding can for example be carried out at 160.degree. C. at a pressure of 37 kp/cm.sup.2 and a residence time of 15 minutes. The finished product has a moisture content of approx. 15%.
In GB patent specification No. 1 416 321 the same inventors describe a similar process and in that patent explain that the flexible tissue which can be inserted in either one or both sides of the body during pressing has the function of keeping the material together in the mould and to make it easier for liquid or steam escape from the body.
From Swedish patent specification No. 85 128 it is known to produce boards from paper pulp according to a method comprising shaping, pressing, drying and, finally, hot-pressing carried out at gradually increasing pressure. It is explained that the last pressure step is initiated when the boards actually begin to warp. The specification also states the fact that vegetable fibres contain water, partly as moisture in the holes of the wooden cells and partly absorbed by the fibres and stays there also after air-drying. It is also noted that in the hot press it is suitable to place a wire netting on one or both sides of the board for easier steam exit. This, of course, causes hobbing of a corresponding pattern into the board surfaces. If the wire netting is not used, the moisture content to be removed during the hot pressing, can practically escape only via the border slit, which results in a very long pressing time, and the process will be unrealistic except for the production very small board sizes.
Within the woodworking industry it is known to produce particle boards by producing a liquid slurry from crushed wooden fibres, water and glue in a filter curtained press and to later on harden the particle boards in a hot press. The required pressure is very high and a considerable quantity of glue is used to achieve a continuous unbroken board with a suitable density. Steam explosion of the boards is a very important factor which has to be overcome by keeping a high pressure for a comparatively long period of time, during which the boards are allowed to dry and the glue is hardened. As hot press is a rather high initial investment, and as the press is occupied for a quite long time per board, depending on the thickness of the board, the pressing operation will represent an important part of the production cost.
From U.S. Pat. No. 1,578,609 it is known to produce thin wood fibre boards according to a process where wood chips are crushed and softened under heat treatment and subsequently pressed. According to that professional process, the softened chips are pressed at very high temperatures in a press in which a filter net is inserted on one side so as to allow steam and water to escape during the pressing. These boards, which are known under the commercial name Masonite, are produced without glue but kept together only by the natural content of lignin from the wood chips. The filter curtain causes the hobbing of a pattern on one side of the manufactured boards.
It is known to produce Masonite boards which are smooth on both sides. These are produced after the above mentioned method but before the boards are completely dried the boards are pressed in a press with smooth pressplanes. The press is further equipped with heated planes and the temperature is preset to a temperature where the lignin in the Masonite board melts and a Masonite board with smooth surface is produced.

Method for the manufacturing of a moulded body


Methods in a driver assistance system of a vehicle for detecting wetness on a road surface as well as a corresponding driver assistance system having a rearview camera are described. The method may include the following: recording an image of an area located behind the rear end of the vehicle, using the rearview camera; evaluating the recorded image for the presence of a spray trail caused by the vehicle; and selectively outputting, based on the evaluation, a wetness signal for triggering an automatic response by the driver assistance system to the wet road surface.

A driver assistance system provides one or multiple accessory equipment items in a vehicle to support the driver in certain driving situations. Such additional equipment includes, for example, an ABS (antilock brake system), an ESP (electronic stability program), an ACC (adaptive cruise control) or a parking assistance system.
The use of a rain sensor for automatic activation of the windshield wipers of a vehicle when it is raining belongs to the area of driver assistance. In this regard, German Patent No. DE 103 16 794 A1 describes a rain sensor which includes a camera. The camera is directed from the interior at an object fixedly mounted on the vehicle in front of the windshield, for example, the hood of the vehicle. The image recorded by the camera is compared with a stored image recorded when the windshield was dry. The presence of moisture, e.g., in the form of droplets on the windshield, is detected by comparing the images.
However, the rain sensor described above has the disadvantage that it generally responds only to rain. If it is not raining (any longer), the rain sensor will consequently detect dryness. Such a sensor may be used to control the windshield wiper but it can hardly be used appropriately to control other components of the vehicle in which an adaptation to moisture in the surroundings of a vehicle would be meaningful. For example, automatic control in response to a wet road surface cannot be derived from the rain sensor data: the road surface might still be wet or might already be wet even if it is not raining at the moment.
German Patent No. DE 101 497 68 A1 describes a method for determining the visual range of a laser scanner mounted on a front side of a vehicle. A sensor receives radiation emitted by the scanner into a monitoring area in front of the vehicle and then reflected from there. An evaluation unit evaluates the reflected radiation. Interference such as rain fog or spray from a preceding vehicle is detected. Measures are then taken in response to this detection. These measures may include, for example, intervention into operation of the vehicle, for example, by reducing the instantaneous vehicle speed or a predefined maximum speed.
The scanner described above provides information about wetness which might be present on the road more reliably than does a rain sensor. However such a system is complex and is therefore expensive.


The invention relates to a system and a method for optical measurement of a target, wherein the target is illuminated, either actively illuminated, reflecting ambient light, or self illuminating, and a measurement radiation beam received from the target or through it is detected. The measurement system has optical fibers for guiding radiation from/to target positions. Radiation of several target positions is simultaneously filtered by a Fabry-Perot interferometer and detected by a row detector, for example.

Optical measurement systems are used for e.g. analysing properties or material contents of a target. Such optical measurement systems typically measure absorbance, reflection or emission of a target. The measurement systems usually have filters in order to facilitate the measurements with specified radiation wavelengths. Such filters can be controllable Fabry-Perot interferometers, for example.
It is often necessary to provide measurements of a target with two or more wavelengths. When such measurements are made successively the measurement tends to take a long time. Document FI119830B1 discloses a system for optical measurement where radiation of several wavelengths is measured simultaneously. This system requires a radiation detector which has detector elements with different spectral sensitivities. Document GB2445956A discloses another measurement system where several wavelengths can be measured simultaneously. Radiation sources of different wavelengths are modulated, and the detected radiation is demodulated in order to separate the signals that correspond to the different wavelengths.
It is often also necessary to measure a large number of samples, especially in the field of pharmaceutical testing. This is usually done by providing the measurements for one sample at a time, and changing the sample under measurement by moving a sample tray. This way, however, providing the measurements for a large number of samples takes a long time. It is possible to use an image detector and measure several samples simultaneously. However, such image detectors which qualify for accurate optical measurements are expensive. Especially, suitable low-cost image detectors for measuring radiation of long wavelengths such as NIR need to be measured.

System and method for optical measurement of a target at multiple positions


To determine whether an emergency braking situation exists for a vehicle, the vehicle determines at least the following state variables: its own velocity, its own longitudinal acceleration, its relative distance from an object in front, and the speed and acceleration of the object in front. A suitable evaluation method to assess whether an emergency braking situation is present is determined as a function of these state variables from a plurality of evaluation method options, including at least a movement equation evaluation method in which a movement equation system of the vehicle and of the object in front is determined, and an evaluation method in which a braking distance of the vehicle is determined.

It is generally known to establish equations of motion in order to determine a collision time for the current driving behavior of a vehicle and of a vehicle ahead. It is also generally known to determine target decelerations in order to avoid possible collisions.
EP 1 539 523 B1 and DE10258617B4 disclose a method and a device for triggering an automatic emergency braking process of a vehicle. The speed and the acceleration of the subject vehicle are determined and a minimum distance is set as a target safety distance. Furthermore, a target relative speed between the two vehicles is set that should be reached at the end of the automatic emergency braking process. In addition, the determined currently existing relative acceleration between the two vehicles is used.
DE 10 2006 019 848 B4 discloses a device for reducing the effects of a vehicle collision in which an obstruction is detected with its relative distance and its relative speed and a possible collision or accident is assessed, whereupon an occupant protection device may be activated. Such systems are also known as pre-crash systems.
JP 2004038245 A1 discloses an obstruction detector for vehicles with which a detected steering wheel operation is additionally used. EP 0 891 903 B1 discloses an automatic emergency brake function that assesses the possibility of avoiding an obstruction. EP 1 625 979 B1 discloses a method and a device for triggering emergency braking with which a probability of collision and furthermore a risk to the subject vehicle in the case of triggering of emergency braking are determined and the triggering threshold for the emergency braking can be varied depending on the determined risk. EP 1 803 109 B1 discloses a method for determining relevant objects close to a vehicle by which collision-relevant values are calculated from vehicle data and/or environmental sensor data including possible evasive maneuvers or braking processes.
Such conventional methods have the disadvantage that, in general, they are often restricted to only special driving situations and thus do not always contribute in a timely manner to avoiding accidents by autonomous braking. Furthermore, triggering of emergency braking may also take place too early and thus possibly unnecessarily.
Furthermore, various cruise control systems without emergency braking are known. For example, the Bendix-Wingman ACB adaptive cruise system with a braking property comprises a distance maintaining method for maintaining the distance to a vehicle ahead constant. Warning display signals and also emergency braking signals can be output for automatically carrying out an emergency braking process. For this purpose the distance to the vehicle ahead is measured, e.g., with radar.

Method for determining an emergency braking situation of a vehicle


A harvesting machine combination for the utilization of harvested plant remains is provided and includes a combine with an outlet for harvested crop remains, a self propelled forage harvester that includes a conveyor to take over the harvested crop remains from the outlet of the combine, a discharge arrangement for the harvested crop remains, an engine for the drive of the conveyor and a container to take up the harvested crop remains delivered by the discharge arrangement. The combine is equipped with a transmitting arrangement for the transmission of position data and/or operation direction and speed data of the combine. The forage harvester is equipped with a receiving arrangement that interacts with an automatic steering and speed input arrangement of the forage harvester that can be operated on the basis of the data received by the receiving arrangement in order to permit the forage harvester to follow the combine automatically.

During harvesting of cereal crops, corn or other kernel-producing plants by means of a combine, further plant materials are produced in addition to the clean crop, such as chaff and straw. These plant components, characterized herein as plant remains are, as a rule, deposited on the ground in the state of the art in order to take them up subsequently with a baler or a forage harvester (DE 1 096 667 A) or they are chopped by means of a straw chopper and distributed across the field. In order to be able to utilize the harvested crop remains for other purposes, for example, as animal bedding, feed, or blocking material, or for purposes of energy production, it has been proposed that the harvested crop remains be blown out of the combine, by means of a blower fastened to the frame of the combine and connected to a drive of a motor of the combine and to deposit it on a trailer that is pulled behind the combine (U.S. Pat. No. 3,669,123 A and SU 376 054 A).
Moreover it has been proposed (U.S. Pat. No. 3,317,064 A, U.S. Pat. No. 3,952,889 A, U.S. Pat. No. 5,941,768 A and AU 699 834 B) that a separate chassis be coupled to an attachment coupling on which a conveyor is located that would accept harvested crop remains ejected from the combine, a blower, and an internal combustion engine to drive the blower, as well as the conveyor and a storage container be provided. The conveyor conducts the harvested crop remains to the blower which, in turn, deposits them in the storage container.
The deposit of the harvested crop remains on the ground and the subsequent take-up by means of a baler or a forage harvester has the disadvantage that the harvested crop remains can be contaminated by particles on the ground. The blowers attached to the combine avoid this problem (U.S. Pat. No. 3,669,123 A and SU 376 054 A), but require energy from the internal combustion engine of the combine, which is not always available in a sufficient quantity. The chassis that are separately towed behind the combine with internal combustion engines and blowers are not subject to the same disadvantage, but they are rather cumbersome during operation of the combine on public roads, since they must in addition transport the cutter head of the combine, which, as a rule, is drawn along behind the combine on a trailer, which requires a separate tractor and operator. A further disadvantage of the chassis with internal combustion engine and blowers lies in the fact that no means are provided for the reduction of the harvested crop remains, which has shown itself to be particularly disadvantageous if they are to be used to produce bio-energy.

Harvesting machine combination for the utilization of plant remains


An Auger plate for converting line emission x-ray photons into cascades of Auger electrons that form transient electric charges and for channeling the transient electric charges to an optical imager for conversion of the transient electric charges into a radiographic signal, the Auger plate including an array of Auger sensors which are graphite fibers coated with CsI or Gd coatings. The coatings are configured and arranged to bind the graphite fibers together and to convert the line emission x-ray photons into the cascades of Auger electrons to form the transient electric charges. The graphite fibers are configured and arranged to channel the transient electric charges toward the optical imager. Also, a detector including the Auger plate, a conductive film and an optical imager and a method for preparing the Auger plate.

US Patent Application Publication 2018/0078229 to C G Wang and Zhao Cheng (the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety) describes Auger mammography using a transmission x-ray tube to provide a largely monochromatic fluorescent line x-ray emission that couples with an Auger sensor imager modified from a CMOS optical imager chip, wherein the metal of the MOS sensor is replaced by an Auger sensor array with a discriminating energy window for Phase Shift Contrast (PSC) imaging, also called X-ray Phase Contrast imaging (XPC). The efficiency of line-emissions coupled with the Auger sensor enhances conventional X-ray Attenuation Contrast (XAC) imaging by two or more orders of magnitude. This allows a higher x-ray beam energy and reduced source/imager distance to reduce the tissue dose by about 200 fold, or 60 fold without breast compression, and the thermal load of the mammo-tube from 6.5 kW to 160 watts without breast compression, which also facilitates the x-ray beam to be delivered from a much sharper e-beam focal point useful for XPC imaging.
The inventor has discovered a way to improve upon the Auger mammography techniques described in the aforementioned patent publication with the use of Auger plates that can be disposed on low cost optical silicon imager chips that are mass fabricated from, for example, 200 mm or 300 mm wafers. The Auger plates can be used with modified optical imager chips and can be mass produced at low cost.

Auger plate for x-ray phase contrast imaging and detectors comprising the Auger plates


An image formation method includes: a first image formation misregistration correction processing that causes each image formation unit to form a misregistration amount detection pattern, obtains an image formation misregistration amount by detecting the patterns, and corrects an image formation misregistration based on the obtained image formation misregistration amount; comparison processing that compares a previous image formation misregistration amount with a latest image formation misregistration amount; and a second image formation misregistration correction processing that causes each image formation unit to form new misregistration amount detection patterns, obtains a new image formation misregistration amount by detecting the new patterns and corrects the image formation misregistration based on the obtained new image formation misregistration amount when receiving a new print job and if a difference between the previous image formation misregistration amount and the latest image formation misregistration amount is larger than a predetermined value.

1. Field of the Invention
This disclosure relates to an image formation apparatus and a method of controlling the image formation apparatus, and is applicable to an MFP (Multi Function Printer) including an electrophotographic color printer unit and a scanner unit, for example.
2. Description of Related Art
In image formation apparatuses to perform electrophotographic color image formation in a color printer, a color copying machine, a color MFP and the like, multiple independent image formation units are detachably provided, one after another, along a conveyance belt to convey a recording medium. Each of the image formation units mounted in the conventional image formation apparatus includes a photosensitive drum. Toner images of respective colors are formed on the photosensitive drums and are sequentially transferred in a superimposed manner onto the medium to form a color image.
In the conventional image formation apparatus as described above, a dimensional error, misalignment of mounting positions or the like of the image formation units causes misregistration in print position (superimposed position) among the toner images of the respective colors in the formed color image (hereinafter referred to as a "color misregistration", "print misregistration" or "image formation misregistration"). This leads to a problem of deterioration in image quality. To solve this problem, the conventional image formation apparatus as described above includes a color misregistration correction processing unit to correct a misregistration in print position between the colors.
In the image formation apparatus, the color misregistration as described above may occur after the apparatus receives shocks by opening and closing of a cover due to jamming of a medium (e.g., paper conveyance failure or the like). The conventional image formation apparatus capable of color misregistration correction processing, for example, detects opening and closing operations of the cover and executes color misregistration correction in response to the closing of the cover.
As a color misregistration correction method for the conventional image formation apparatus, there has been known a method in which color misregistration detection patterns formed on photosensitive drums are transferred onto a medium conveyance belt, and a print start position of each color is corrected according to a color misregistration amount detected by a unit configured to detect the color misregistration amount among colors in the detection pattern transferred onto the belt. This print start position correction is executed every time the power is turned on, the cover is opened or closed, or a given number of sheets are printed (see, for example, Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2001-134041).

Image formation apparatus and method of controlling image formation apparatus that utilizes misregistration amount detection patterns


A multi-foil ringlet in combination with a cylindrical housing provides advantageous results when employed as a contact of a header of an implantable pulse generator. The multi-foil ringlet provides a superior electrical connection between the header and a lead pin inserted into the header.

I. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to implantable pulse generators and, more particularly, implantable pulse generator headers and the electrical connectors used in the construction of such headers. The present invention also relates to methods for manufacturing electrical connectors for headers for implantable pulse generators.
II. Discussion of Related Art
In medical technology an implanted pulse generator (IPG) may be employed for a variety of purposes. An IPG is a battery powered device designed to deliver electrical stimulation to the body. An IPG is typically an integral component of a surgically implanted system, which includes the IPG, one or more leads and an external programmer. Such systems fall into two broad categories, neuromodulation systems and cardiac rhythm management systems. Neuromodulation systems are used, for example, to provide deep brain stimulation, vagus nerve stimulation, spinal cord stimulation, peripheral nerve stimulation and the like. Such stimulation has proven to be beneficial for the treatment of intractable pain, Parkinson's disease, pelvic disorders and incontinence, sleep apnea, and epilepsy, among other conditions. Cardiac rhythm management systems include heart pacemakers, defibrillators, cardioverters and other forms of devices used to monitor and control heart rhythms.
The IPG is typically implanted within a person's body, usually beneath the clavicle. Leads are then routed through the body between the site to be stimulated and the IPG. The leads are then coupled to the header of the IPG to carry signals between the IPG and the treatment site. The IPG can be calibrated using the external programmer by a physician (such as an electrophysiologist, neurologist or cardiologist) or by a nurse or other trained technician to meet the individual patient's needs. The IPG must be replaced periodically upon battery depletion. Battery depletion can occur within three to five years, though battery life is dependent on individual usage. End of battery life can be reasonably predicted by the use of telemetry between the IPG and the external programming device. This allows the IPG to be replaced prior to battery failure.
As indicated above, one example of an IPG is a heart pacemaker (or artificial heart pacemaker, so as not to be confused with the heart's natural pacemaker), a medical device which uses electrical impulses to regulate the beating of the heart. When the IPG is employed as an artificial heart pacemaker, the IPG is used in combination with a lead comprising a set of electrodes which carry stimulation pulses from the IPG to the heart and electrical signals back from the heart to the IPG which senses and responds to such signals. The primary purpose of a pacemaker is to maintain an adequate heart rate, either because the heart's native pacemaker is not fast enough, or because there is a block in the heart's electrical conduction system. Modern pacemakers are externally programmable and allow the electrophysiologist to select the optimum pacing modes for individual patients. Some IPG devices combine a pacemaker and defibrillator in a single implantable device. Multiple electrodes stimulating differing positions within the heart are often used to improve synchronization of the contractions of the upper and lower and chambers of the heart.
Another type of IPG is an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD), a small battery-powered electrical pulse generator which is implanted in patients who are at risk of sudden death due to ventricular fibrillation or ventricular tachycardia. The device is programmed to detect cardiac arrhythmia and correct it by delivering a jolt of electricity. In current variants, ICD devices have the ability to treat both atrial and ventricular arrhythmias as well as the ability to perform biventricular pacing in patients with congestive heart failure or bradycardia.
The process of implantation of an ICD is similar to implantation of a pacemaker. Like pacemakers, ICD devices are coupled to a set of leads containing electrode(s) and wire(s) which are passed though the vasculature to desired locations in the heart. For example an electrode can be passed through a vein to the right chambers of the heart, and then lodged in the apex of the right ventricle. Providing defibrillation pulses at this location has been found to be advantageous. As is the case with pacemaker leads, the leads are coupled to the header of the ICD and used to carry both stimulation pulses from the ICD to the heart and electrical signals from the heart to the ICD.
ICDs constantly monitor the rate and rhythm of the heart and can deliver therapies, by way of an electrical shock, when the electrical manifestations of the heart activity exceed one or more preset thresholds. More modern devices can distinguish between ventricular fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia (VT) and may try to pace the heart faster than its intrinsic rate in the case of VT, to try to break the tachycardia before it progresses to ventricular fibrillation. This is known as fast-pacing, overdrive pacing or anti-tachycardia pacing (ATP). ATP is only effective if the underlying rhythm is ventricular tachycardia, and is never effective if the rhythm is ventricular fibrillation.
Other IPG devices serve as neurostimulators and are used to treat pain, incontinence, and other neurologic and muscular conditions. Such IPG devices have a header used to couple the IPG to leads containing a plurality of wires and electrodes which deliver stimulating pulses from the IPG to nerves and muscles to provide beneficial therapies. The electrodes and wires of the leads may also be used to carry electrical signals back to the IPG.
The various types of IPG devices referenced above typically have a header to which the leads are attached. The header typically includes one or more bores each configured to receive a terminal pin of a lead. The terminal pin will typically contain a plurality of electrodes spaced along its length. Likewise, the bore will typically have a matching set of electrical contacts along its length which are spaced to form electrical connections with the electrodes of the lead pin. The electrical connections should be isolated from each other to prevent a short or unintended propagation of signals along a particular channel. The number and spacing or the electrodes and contacts may vary, but standards have emerged related to such numbers and such spacing for various types of stimulation systems.
Various types of electrical contacts have been employed in the headers of IPG devices. Prior art header designs often employed thin wire connections, female leaf springs, canted coil springs or "slide by" wire connectors. Many of these provided adequate electrical connection, but were fragile in design. Such connectors were easily damaged during pin insertion or incapable of producing mechanical forces sufficient to hold the pin in the desired orientation.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,934,367 granted to Daglow et al on Jun. 19, 1990 discloses the use of elastomeric rings either made of a conductive polymer or a non-conductive polymer impregnated with a conductive material. This and other patents also disclose the use of springs. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,895,276 granted to Kast et al on May 17, 2005 discloses a contact comprising a cylindrical housing comprising a wall having an inner surface defining a bore, a channel between the inner surface of the wall and the bore and a continuous spring fitted within the channel. U.S. Pat. No. 7,003,351 granted to Tvaska et al on Feb. 21, 2006 and U.S. Pat. No. 7,587,244 granted to Olbertz on Sep. 8, 2009 each show a connector with a similar ring having a plurality of spring contact members attached thereto. Further, U.S. Pat. No. 8,666,494 granted to Schramm et al discloses a spring contact ring comprising a housing including a recess channel and a spring comprising a base and a plurality of spring fingers.
Designing a connector for use in the header of an IPG device presents a variety of challenges which arise from the difficulty in maintaining the desired balance between mechanical and electrical properties. Examples of such challenges include: (1) limiting the mechanical insertion force required to insert the lead pin because excessive pressure exerted on the inner seal and electrical components of the bore can result in damage to the header; (2) excessive electrical engagement between the contacts of the header and the lead pin can result in shorts or faults which can draw off potential battery power; (3) insufficient mechanical retention forces can result in an electrode of the bore losing position or falling out of place; and (4) maintaining proper manufacturing tolerances. The tolerances of the electrode lead wires present further challenges with respect to the header's ability to achieve the desired electrical and mechanical responses. Thus, there continues to exist a real and substantial need to provide efficient and cost effective manufacturing methods and electrical contact designs for headers which meet these challenges.

Electrical connector ring for implantable medical device


An input digital information signal is prediction-encoded and thereby difference signals are generated. The difference signals are block segmented. A maximum value and a minimum value of each block are detected. Whether or not the range of levels of the maximum value MAX and the minimum value MIN crosses 0, a mode determining circuit 5 determines a quantizing mode and generates a mode signal MODE that represents the determined quantizing mode. When the range of the levels crosses 0, a first quantizing mode is selected. Otherwise, a second quantizing mode is selected. In the first quantizing mode, the quantizing circuit 6 performs the normal quantizing process. In the second quantizing mode, the quantizing circuit 6 performs a code conversion in such a manner that the number of bits of quantized output data is smaller than that of the normal quantizing process.

1. Field the Invention
The present invention relates to an information signal encoding apparatus for decreasing the amount of generated data of digital information signals such as a digital audio signal and a digital picture signal, an encoding method thereof, and a decoding method thereof.
2. Description of Related Art
A variety of prediction encoding methods for decreasing the amount of transmission information such as a digital audio signal and a digital picture signal are known. As an example, in the one-dimensional DPCM method, the difference between an input sample value and a predicted value is formed in the temporal direction. In the two-dimensional DPCM method, the difference between an input sample value and a predicted value is formed in the spatial direction. Since the digital information signal has correlation in the temporal direction and the spatial direction, the levels of difference signals are lower than the sample values. Thus, since the difference signals are requantized with a smaller number of quantizing bits than the original number of quantizing bits, the amount of information can be compressed.
As an example of the quantizing apparatus using the difference signals, a nonlinear type quantizing apparatus is known. In the nonlinear type quantizing apparatus, the quantizing step width is finely divided at nearly 0 of the levels of the difference signals, whereas the quantizing step width is coarsely divided in proportion to the levels of the difference signals. In the conventional quantizing apparatus (including the nonlinear type quantizing apparatus) quantizes all levels of the difference signals. For example, when one sample (one pixel) of a digital picture signal is quantized with eight bits, the difference signals have values in the range from (-255 to +255). In other words, the conventional quantizing apparatus performs the quantizing process for all the range.
Since the conventional quantizing apparatus performs the quantizing process for all the range of the difference signals, when the number of quantizing bits is decreased, the quantizing accuracy is deteriorated. In contrast, when the number of quantizing bits is increased, the amount of information generated is proportionally increased. Thus, when data is decoded, the quality of the resultant audio signal and picture signal is not satisfactorily high.

Information signal encoding apparatus, encoding method thereof, information signal decoding method, and information signal record medium thereof


A pear-shaped light-emitting diode (LED) light bulb housing is provided with a plurality of light-dispersing thickness variations in the bulb envelope. Dimples, bumps, or v-shaped grooves are provided in a middle portion of the bulb envelope in order to uniformly disperse light from LEDs as the light passes through the bulb envelope.

Light-emitting diode (LED) light bulbs are becoming increasingly popular as an alternative to traditional incandescent light bulbs. However, LED light bulbs have disadvantages versus incandescent bulbs because of the high directionality of LEDs. Whereas incandescent light bulbs direct light uniformly around the entire bulb, LEDs within LED light bulbs create "hot spots" where the light intensity is very high relative to the average light intensity of the light bulb. This feature is undesirable for a general-purpose consumer light bulb.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

LED bulb optical system with uniform light distribution


An aeroplane includes an external skin and an internal bulkhead delimiting a cabin, and an escape opening passing through the external skin and the internal bulkhead. The escape opening is closed off by an external escape hatch disposed flush with the external skin. The aeroplane also includes an internal escape hatch that closes off the escape opening disposed flush with the internal bulkhead, and pressure regulating means capable of automatically triggering an opening of the internal escape hatch or a part of the internal escape hatch when a pressure differential on both sides of the internal escape hatch exceeds a determined value.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, an aeroplane comprises a skin 10 that forms the fuselage, a passenger cabin (not shown) delimited by an internal bulkhead, and a pilot cabin 12 delimited by an internal bulkhead 14. Various components are disposed between the skin 10 and the internal bulkhead 14, for example insulation blankets 16.
In order to evacuate the passengers and/or the pilots, the aeroplane comprises an opening 18 for bringing the inside of the cabin 12 into communication with the outside 20 of the aeroplane, and at least one escape hatch 22 for closing off or freeing the opening 18. According to an example that is visible in FIG. 1, this escape hatch 22 is positioned in the upper part of the fuselage, vertically above the pilot cabin 12. This escape hatch 22 comprises a wall having an external surface 24 flush with the external surface of the skin 10 of the fuselage. This escape hatch 22 comprises locking/unlocking means 25 that are controlled by an internal opening controller that is actuable from inside the fuselage, and by an external opening controller 28 that is actuable from outside the fuselage. Inside the fuselage, at the opening 18, it is necessary to provide a lining element 30 in the opening 18 against the escape hatch in order to ensure the continuity of the internal bulkhead 14 of the cabin 12.
In parallel, the pilot and passenger cabins are separated by a separating bulkhead which comprises a door for connecting the two cabins.
In the case of sudden depressurization or overpressure in one or other of the cabins, it is necessary to re-establish the balance of the pressures on both sides of the separating bulkhead in order to avoid damaging said bulkhead or its door. To this end, the separating bulkhead and/or its door comprise at least one pressure regulation system making it possible to balance the pressures on both sides of the separating bulkhead in case of overpressure or depressurization in one or other of the cabins. Such a system occupies a significant area of the walls of the cabin. In some aeroplanes, an insufficient portion of the walls of the cabin is available to allow for the installation of pressure regulation systems. These regulation systems are then inadequate in the case of very abrupt depressurization, which can lead to a risk of damage to the separating bulkhead or its door.

Aeroplane equipped with an internal escape hatch incorporating a pressure regulating system


A process for manufacturing organic fibers containing an inorganic component comprising the steps of: (1) preparing an inorganic spinnable sol solution; (2) mixing the inorganic spinnable sol solution, a solvent capable of dissolving the inorganic spinnable sol solution, and an organic polymer capable of being dissolved in the solvent to prepare a spinning solution; and (3) spinning the spinning solution to form the organic fibers containing an inorganic component composed of an inorganic gel and the organic polymer, is disclosed. The inorganic spinnable sol solution preferably has a weight average molecular weight of 10,000 or more, and the inorganic spinnable sol solution is preferably prepared from a material containing a metal alkoxide having an organic substituent. According to the process of the present invention, organic fibers containing an inorganic component having an improved mechanical strength can be produced by mixing an inorganic component into an organic component, and a nonwoven fabric containing the fibers can be provided.

Fibers having a small fiber diameter can impart various excellent properties, such as a separating property, a liquid-holding capacity, a wiping property, an opacifying property, an insulating property, or flexibility, to a nonwoven fabric, and therefore, it is preferable that a nonwoven fabric is composed of fibers having a small diameter. As a process for manufacturing such fibers having a small fiber diameter, electrospinning is known. In this process, a spinning solution is extruded from a nozzle, and at the same time, an electrical field is applied to the extruded spinning solution to thereby draw the spinning solution, and fibers having a small fiber diameter are spun. When a spinning solution containing an organic polymer is used in electrospinning, fibers made of the organic polymer can be produced.
Such an organic fiber having a small fiber diameter has a low mechanical strength due to its small fiber diameter, and therefore, a nonwoven fabric composed of the organic fibers is hard to handle. The present inventors attempted to improve the mechanical strength of the organic fiber by adding an inorganic component to the organic fiber, together with the addition of a function imparted by the inorganic component.
As a technique to add a function, but not to enhance a mechanical strength, for example, patent literature 1 discloses "a nanofiber having a hetero-phase structure obtained by electrospinning, wherein the hetero-phase structure contains a first phase which extends along with the central axis of a fiber, and a second phase which is arranged at the outside of the first phase, with respect to a cross section vertical to the longitudinal direction of the first phase, and covers the first phase; the first phase is a region made of a first material containing an inorganic material; and the second phase is made of a second material different from the first material". Patent literature 1 also discloses that the nanofibers can be obtained by electrospinning, i.e., by supplying two different types of fluids to a spinneret, and applying a DC voltage between the spinneret and a target. The present inventors carried out the process under conditions that the content of the inorganic material accounted for 10% or less (which is considered to be preferable to enhancing a fiber strength) with respect to the whole mass of the nanofibers, but nanofibers having the two-layered hetero-phase structure could not be obtained, and therefore, the mechanical strength of a nonwoven fabric could not be enhanced.
Neither to enhance a mechanical strength nor to add a function, patent literature 2 discloses "a method for obtaining a fiber structure by extruding a solution prepared by dissolving a fiber-forming solute such as an organic macromolecule or a ceramic precursor compound in a solvent to an electrostatic field generated between electrodes, spinning the solution toward the electrodes, and accumulating formed fibrous substances on a support for capture". Patent literature 2 also discloses in Examples that "ion-exchanged water was added to a solution previously prepared by adding acetic acid to titanium n-butoxide to generate a gel, polyethylene glycol was added to the gel to prepare a spinning solution, and the spinning solution was used to carry out spinning". According to the Examples, fibers comprising an organic component and an inorganic component could be produced, but the inorganic component existed in the fiber as inorganic particles, because the organic component was mixed with the generated gel, and therefore, the mechanical strength of the organic fiber could not be enhanced, and as a result, the mechanical strength of a nonwoven fabric could not be enhanced.

Process for manufacturing organic fibers containing inorganic component and nonwoven fabric containing the same


A system and method thereof for experiment management. A storage device stores an experiment plan record, a merge constraint and an integration rule. A processing unit configured to acquire a first experiment plan from the experiment plan record, and a second experiment plan. The processing unit generates an integrated experiment plan by merging the first experiment plan and the second experiment plan according to the merge constraint and the integration rule, and stores the integrated experiment plan to the storage device.

The present invention relates to semiconductor manufacturing technology, and more particularly, to a method and system of experiment management employed in a semiconductor manufacturing environment.
A conventional semiconductor factory typically includes the requisite fabrication tools to process semiconductor wafers for a particular purpose, such as photolithography, chemical-mechanical polishing, or chemical vapor deposition. During manufacture, the semiconductor wafer passes through a series of process steps, which are performed by various fabrication tools. For example, in the production of an integrated semiconductor product, the semiconductor wafer passes through up to 600 process steps.
In order to develop a new generation technology such as 90 nm or 65 nm semiconductor product, numerous experiment plans may be designed and performed. For example, a new material may be applied in a specific layer in a semiconductor product, a recipe may be tuned in active layer or metal layer etching, or an active layer electrical test may be performed. The object of experiment plans is typically to increase device performance or yield, or identify causal events for failed wafers. These experiment plans, however, consume numerous resources such as sample wafers, tool capacities, or others, resulting in increased development costs. In some situations, two or more experiment plans can be integrated into a single experiment to reduce development costs. Conventionally, experiment plans are merged manually, requiring an operator to examine hundreds of experiment records merging some into a single experiment under relevant circumstances. The labor-intensive nature of experiment plan merging using conventional means severely hinders efficiency. Additionally, it is difficult to merge experiments in real-time by relying on manual effort alone to satisfy a rapid response requirement. Therefore, a need exists for a system and method of experiment management that provides an effective merging mechanism for various experiment plans, thereby reducing development costs.

Experiment management system and method thereof in semiconductor manufacturing environment

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd


The present invention relates, in part, to bispecific chimeric proteins that find use in various immunotherapies based on various properties, including, for example, a dual immune cell recruitment and immune signal delivery function.

Cancer is a global health challenge that causes nearly 7 million deaths each year worldwide and which has, to date, proven largely untreatable despite major advances in medicine. Frustratingly, cancers appear to develop strategies to evade immune detection and destruction thereby sidestepping the body's main protection against disease.
Many recent immunotherapies have been developed to re-direct the body's immune system towards cancers. Immunotherapy provides the advantage of cell specificity that other treatment modalities, such as chemotherapy and radiation, lack. As such, methods for enhancing the efficacy of immune based therapies can be clinically beneficial. For example, costimulatory and coinhibitory molecules play a central role in the regulation of T cell immune responses. However, despite impressive patient responses to agents targeting these costimulatory and coinhibitory molecules, including, for example, clinical trials that led to the approval of YERVOY, KEYTRUDA, and OPDIVO, checkpoint inhibition therapy still fails in the overwhelming majority of patients.
Further, most cancer treatments, including immunotherapies, require complex regimens of various agents—each typically bringing a complex pattern of side effects that narrows a patient's therapeutic window for treatment and makes the patient more susceptible to other diseases.
Therefore, there remains a need for improved immunotherapeutic agents, including those that can effectively modulate the immune system in a multifunctional manner.

Bispecific signaling agents and uses thereof