A light guide which guides light emitted from an LED includes a light incident end surface for receiving light, a light outputting surface for outputting a guided light, and a lens forming surface that has a plurality of elongated lenses arranged in parallel to each other and formed along the directivity of light incident from the LED, such that a plurality of micro regions are defined over the plurality of elongated lens. In the vicinity of the LED, a distribution of micro regions having an inclination angle between 20° and 50° is at least 10% over all micro regions. A light deflection element disposed adjacent to the light guide light outputting surface includes a light entrance surface having a plurality of lenses formed thereon that are parallel to each other and extend in a direction parallel to the light guide light incident end surface.

In recent years, liquid crystal display devices have been broadly used as monitors of notebook-size portable computers and the like, or display sections of liquid crystal television sets or video integrated liquid crystal television sets, and further in other various fields. Each liquid crystal display device basically comprises: a backlight section; and a liquid crystal display element section. For the backlight section, an edge light system has been frequently used from a viewpoint of reduction in size of the liquid crystal display device. As a backlight, a system has heretofore been broadly used in which at least one end surface of a light guide having a rectangular plate shape is used as a light incident end surface, a linear or rod-shaped primary light source such as a straight tube type fluorescent lamp or the like is disposed along the light incident end surface, light emitted from the primary light source is introduced into the light guide via the light incident end surface of the light guide, and the light is output from a light outputting surface that is one of two main surfaces of the light guide.
This backlight has a problem that a sufficient quantity of light does not reach light guide corner portions in the vicinity of opposite end portions of the linear or rod-shaped primary light source, or regions of the light guide in the vicinity of side end surfaces of the light guide adjacent to the light incident end surface, and luminance easily drops in these portions or regions.
Additionally, in recent years, there has been a demand for miniaturization and reduction of power consumption with respect to a liquid crystal display device having a comparatively small screen dimension, for portable electronic apparatuses such as a cellular phone and a portable game machine, or indicators of various types of electric or electronic apparatuses. Therefore, a light emitting diode (LED) which is a point light source has been used as the primary light source of the backlight in order to reduce power consumption. In the backlight using the LED as the primary light source, a plurality of LEDs are one-dimensionally or linearly arranged along the light incident end surface of the light guide in order to exert a function similar to that of a backlight using a linear primary light source as described, for example, in JP(A)-7-270624. By the use of the primary light source by the one-dimensional arrangement of a plurality of LEDs in this manner, a desired quantity of light, and uniformity of a luminance distribution over the whole screen can be obtained.
However, in the small-sized liquid crystal display device, there has been a further demand for further reduction of the power consumption, and the number of LEDs for use needs to be reduced in order to meet the demand. However, when the number of LEDs is reduced, a distance between light emitting points lengthens, therefore a region of the light guide in the vicinity of the region between the adjacent light emitting points is enlarged, and intensity of light output in a desired direction from the light guide region drops. This brings about disproportionateness (i.e., brightness unevenness) of the luminance distribution of an observation direction in a light emitting surface of the surface light source device.
Moreover, in JP(B)-7-27137, a method has been proposed in which a light guide having a rough light outputting surface is used, a prism sheet having a large number of elongated prisms is disposed on the light outputting surface of the light guide in such a manner as to dispose a prism surface on a light guide side, and a distribution of the output light is narrowed in order to suppress the power consumption of the backlight and not to sacrifice the luminance as much as possible. In this backlight, although a high luminance is obtained with low power consumption, brightness unevenness is easily visually recognized through the prism sheet.
A most important problem in the brightness unevenness is a dark shadow part (dark part) generated in a light guide region corresponding to the outside of opposite-end LEDs 2 in the arrangement of a plurality of LEDs, or between the adjacent LEDs 2 as shown in FIG. 27. An actual generation example is shown in FIG. 28. When an area of this dark part is large, and the part is visually recognized even in an effective light emitting region of the backlight corresponding to a display screen of the liquid crystal display device, quality level of the backlight largely drops. Especially when the number of LEDs for use is decreased in order to reduce the power consumption, or when a distance between the LED and the effective light emitting region is reduced in order to reduce size of the device, the dark part is easily visually recognized in the effective light emitting region. As a cause of the brightness unevenness, the light emitted from individual LEDs arranged adjacent to the light incident end surface of the light guide has directivity, and further the spread of the light which has entered the light guide becomes comparatively narrow by a refraction function at a time when the light enters the light guide. Furthermore, since the only light going substantially perpendicular to a direction of the elongated prism of the prism sheet is observed in a normal direction of the light outputting surface, the spread of the observed light becomes smaller than that of the light actually output from the light guide. Thus, it has been difficult to establish both the reduction of the power consumption and maintenance of the uniformity of the luminance distribution in the conventional backlight using the point light source as the primary light source.
Further as a method of eliminating the dark part in the vicinity of an incidence surface in the backlight using a linear light source such as a cold cathode tube as the primary light source, for example, in JP(A)-9-160035, a method of roughening the light incident end surface of the light guide has been proposed, but the above-described dark part cannot be sufficiently eliminated in the backlight using the point light source like the LED as the primary light source in this method.
On the other hand, in JP(U)-5-6401 or JP(A)-8-179322, the backlight using the linear light source like the cold cathode tube has been proposed in which a large number of elongated prisms extending in parallel to each other in the direction substantially perpendicular to the light incident end surface are formed on the light outputting surface of the light guide or a back surface thereof for a purpose of converging the output light from the light guide in a plane parallel to the light incident surface. In the light guide in which the elongated prisms are formed, the light introduced into the light guide is directed in a direction in which an inclination angle with respect to the direction of the incident light enlarges or is further returned toward the direction of the incident light by reflection by the elongated prisms of the light guide. Therefore, a travel direction of the light which has entered the light guide is converged in a direction in which the elongated prism extends, and it is therefore possible to enhance luminance. In application of the light guide to the backlight using the LED, the light introduced into the light guide spreads with respect to the direction of the incident light by the reflection by the elongated prism of the light guide, the spread light is output in a direction substantially perpendicular to the elongated prism of the prism sheet, and therefore the distribution of the light seen through the prism sheet appears to spread.
However, when the elongated prism having a cross-sectional shape constituted of a linear portion is formed in the light guide, the light is spread with anisotropy in a specific direction, and therefore bright streaked brightness unevenness is generated in oblique directions as shown in FIG. 29. An actual generation example is shown in FIG. 28. As shown in FIG. 30, generation of the brightness unevenness is seen because the luminance increases in a portion in which the lights output from the respective point light sources are superimposed. An actual generation example is shown in FIG. 31.
Furthermore, when the light incident end surface is roughened as described above in order to eliminate a dark region between the primary light sources or in the corner portion, the dark region is reduced. However, as shown in FIG. 32, bright streaked brightness unevenness is further remarkably observed in oblique directions. An actual generation example is shown in FIG. 33.

Surface light source device and light guide used therefor


A scoop is constructed for retrieving a beverage container from an ice chest. The scoop provides a rectangular basket with arcuate cross rib extending between and joining a rim. The basket is sized, shaped, and positioned so as to provide low resistance when drawn through an ice and water mixture within the ice chest and the rim has openings for receiving the necks of bottles such as soft drink or beer bottles.

1. Field of the Present Disclosure
This disclosure relates generally to scoops and devices for picking up objects and more particularly to such a scoop for obtaining a beverage from an ice chest.
2. Description of Related Art including information disclosed under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98
Racicot, U.S. Pat. No. 5,246,260, discloses a rake-like device for retrieving golf balls that includes an elongated handle and a ball retriever that is made from a plurality of "U"-shaped tine members disposed in transversely spaced apart relation to one another. The open end of each tine faces the user of the device during the retrieving operation. A triangular structure is formed on the bottom part of each tine and serves to trap a retrieved golf ball. The handle is pivotally mounted to the retriever so that the device can be stored in a narrow space when not in use.
Citino, U.S. Pat. No. 5,573,292, discloses a dual-purpose spatula-skimmer kitchen utensil that provides a rigid, planar surface having a thin leading edge for being pushed beneath a food product (e.g., cooking within a shallow frying pan or the like). A depression or concavity in the planar surface has perforations or holes there through which permit liquid to flow but trap small food particles. In a further embodiment, the depression is ramped and has substantially flat upper and lower surfaces. The utensil may be used for skimming and/or straining cooking liquids (e.g., to filter food particles suspended in oil used in frying), and also for flipping or turning food products.
Kellett, U.S. Pat. No. 5,370,434, discloses a retrieval device for retrieving floating objects from the surface of a body of water. The device comprises an extensible boom formed by a semi-rigid, non-resilient, buoyant cable and a grab device attached to one end of the cable. The cable is adapted to be stowed within a portable housing when not in use, and to be extended therefrom for use. The housing is a hollow, doughnut-shaped housing providing a toroidally-shaped interior passage adapted to accommodate the cable and to coil it as it is inserted into the passage.
Vachter, U.S. Pat. No. 5,360,247, discloses a cylindrical receptacle that has an open front end and a closed rear end. A handle leads rigidly from a side wall of the receptacle in a lateral direction at approximately 45.degree. from the longitudinal plane of the receptacle. In one embodiment the receptacle has longitudinal side openings of a length greater than one-half the length of the receptacle and of a dimension to hold scooped articles but to allow foreign material to fall or be shaken out. Another embodiment of the invention has a front fluted edge. In yet another embodiment, the receptacle has a closed side wall and the connection between the handle and the receptacle provides communication between the handle and the receptacle. In this embodiment the handle has a fitting at its free end for a garden hose whereby the receptacle can be cleaned by pressured water flowing through the handle. The connection for the handle projects a short distance into the receptacle and includes a spray head for efficiently directing the pressured water interiorly of the receptacle.
Montez, U.S. Pat. No. 4,828,690, discloses a hand tool having a tapered wedge head, an entrapment mesh supported by a carriage structure and cantilevered from the wedge head, and a handle adjustably coupled to the carriage structure. The tapered wedge head ramps materials, such as sand and soil, into the entrapment mesh. The entrapment mesh is fixed to the carriage structure such that the face and opposed sides of the carriage structure are open. The entrapment mesh is cantilevered from the wedge head to prevent contact of the mesh with the ground.
Matsumoto, U.S. Pat. No. 4,198,720, discloses a dirt remover for a water tank, which can readily remove not only the dirt floating on the water surface and the dirt suspended in the water but also the dirt settling to the tank bottom without inflicting any injury on the bottom surface of the tank, that includes a frame formed of a rear frame member, two lateral frame members extending forward from the opposite ends of the rear frame member, and a frontal frame member set in position straight between the leading ends of the two lateral frame members. A net is hung from the inner sides of the frame loosely enough for the middle portion thereof to sag down, the net forming a scooping portion in conjunction with the frame. A handle has a leading end thereof attached to the rear frame member of the frame, the handle serving for the operation of the scooping portion. A plate-shaped sliding piece made of a material possessing proper degrees of rigidity and elasticity is fastened to the frontal frame member of the frame throughout the entire length thereof in such a way that the leading end of the sliding piece will protrude from the scooping portion.
Edevold. U.S. Pat. No. 6,598,334, discloses an asymmetrical conical strainer-scoop adapted for clearing ice chips, ice chunks, and other debris from a hole cut through ice covering a body of water. The asymmetrical conical strainer-scoop includes a perforated asymmetrical conical device of a unique design, comprised of a flexible and durable material such as UHMW polyethylene in sheet form, which is perforated with a plurality of straining apertures, and which is attached to one end of a handle, by means of conventional fasteners. The handle, has a hole bored to provide means for attachment of a wrist-hanger strap.
Hansen, U.S. Pat. No. 5,199,349, discloses a skimmer/separator ladle that comprises a handle of an elongated configuration and a bowl of a cup-shaped configuration defining an upper rim. The handle and the bowl are connected together and the handle extends upwardly from the bowl at the upper rim of the bowl. In order to render it possible to carry out any skimming/separation operation, the bowl has an outwardly protruding tongue arranged at a first rim section of the bowl, which tongue is located below the upper rim of the bowl, and further one or more through-going holes which are provided in the bowl and arranged at a second rim section of the bowl, which one or more through-going holes are located below the upper rim of the bowl and further located above the tongue.
The related art described above discloses several scoops for retrieving different objects. However, the prior art fails to disclose a scoop that is particularly suitable for picking cold beverages from an ice chest. The present disclosure distinguishes over the prior art providing heretofore unknown advantages as described in the following summary.


A wing includes a wing box including interconnected spars, an interior system installed within the wing box, an opposed pair of skins fastened to and covering the wing box, wherein one of the skins closes out the wing, and a plurality of fastening systems configured to fasten the skins to the spars and provide protection from electromagnetic effects, wherein each one of the fastening systems includes a threaded fastener, a nut plate including a body and a cover, and a nut enclosed within the nut plate between the body and the cover, wherein the nut is restricted from rotation within the nut plate about a nut plate axis and is free to move linearly within the nut plate orthogonal to the nut plate axis.

Composite structures are used in a wide variety of applications, including in the manufacture of airplanes, spacecraft, rotorcraft and other vehicles and structures, due to their high strength-to-weight ratios, corrosion resistance and other favorable properties. In the aerospace industry, composite structures are used in increasing quantities, for example, to form the wings, tail sections, fuselage and other components, due to their better specific strength and stiffness, which translates to weight savings, which translates into fuel savings and lower operating costs.
As an example, composite aircraft wings may utilize upper and lower outer composite wing skin panels, commonly referred to as "skins," that are mechanically attached or bonded to an internal frame. The internal frame may typically include reinforcing structures such as spars, ribs and/or stringers to improve the strength and stability of the skins. The skins may be attached to the spars, and the spars provide structural integrity for the wings. In addition, many aircraft wings may be used as fuel tanks (e.g., a fuel tank is defined inside the wing), which may be contained between front and rear spars.
However, composite structures in aircraft do not readily conduct away the extreme electrical currents and electromagnetic forces generated by lightning strikes. Therefore, aircraft with composite structures, such as composite wings, may be equipped with protection against electromagnetic effects (EME) from lighting strikes. For example, conductive media may be provided on a surface to dissipate lightning current away from underlying metal structures and/or fastener systems. In addition, gaps between fastener parts (e.g., two-piece fasteners) and gaps between fastener parts and structural members may be filled with dielectric sealant that provides EME protection. Even if some current is not diverted, the sealant prevents arcing and sparking across the gaps.
However, current EME protection architectures for composite wings are complex and expensive. As an example, the processes of installing the two-piece fasteners and applying the sealant requires extensive manufacturing labor and is performed in confined spaces. For example, the process of manufacturing the wing typically involves match drilling the spars and the skins, removal of the skins from the spars for surface finishing, and realignment of the skins to the spars to close out the wing. Access to the now closed out wing for installation of the fastener parts, installation of other interior systems and injection of the sealant is gained through access holes formed in the lower outer skin, which is inefficient and potentially dangerous for the laborer. Moreover, the sealant adds weight to the aircraft. While the weight added to a single fastener system might seem insignificant, applying the sealant to tens of thousands of fasteners in a single aircraft can add hundreds of pounds.
Accordingly, those skilled in the art continue with research and development efforts in the field of aircraft wings and, in particular, EME compliant wings.


A developing device capable stable production of halftone image having excellent texture while maintaining suitable image density by utilizing an AC electric field between a developer-carrying member and an image-carrying member and providing a rest period wherein the AC electric field is not active so as to develop electrostatic latent image formed on the image carrying member.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a developing device which develops an electrostatic latent image formed on an image-carrying member such as a photosensitive member or the like in an image forming apparatus such as a copier, printer and the like, and more specifically relates to a developing device of a type which transports developer via a developer-carrying member such as a developing sleeve disposed opposite an image-carrying member to develop said latent image utilizing the action of an alternating current field between a developer-carrying member and an image-carrying member.
2. Description of the Related Art
In conventional image forming apparatus such as copiers and printers, various developing devices are used to develop an electrostatic latent image formed on an image-carrying member such as a photosensitive member and the like.
One example of such a developing device is the device shown in FIG. 6. In this device, a device body 110 provided with a cylindrical developer-carrying member 111 which has an internal magnet roller 111a is disposed opposite a rotatable image-carrying member 101, such that developer 102 accommodated within said body 110 is supplied to the surface of said developer-carrying member 111 via a developer supplying member 112 such as a bucket roller or the like. Developer 102 is maintained on the surface of said developer-carrying member 111 via the magnetic force of magnet roller 111a, and in this state developer 102 is transported in the direction of the image-carrying member (i.e., in the arrow direction in the drawing) via the rotation of said developer-carrying member 111. The developer 102 maintained on the surface of developer-carrying member 111 is regulated at a uniform amount by regulating member 113, and subsequently transported to a developing region at which said developer-carrying member 111 confronts said image-carrying member 101 so as to develop an electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of said image-carrying member 101.
In the aforesaid developing device, in order to efficiently develop the electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of said image-carrying member and prevent disruption of a toner image formed on the surface of said image-carrying member 101 via the action of a magnetic brush formed by said developer 102, a direct current (DC) voltage from DC power source 114 and an alternating current (AC) voltage from AC power source 115 are overlaid and supplied to the developer-carrying member 111 so as to accomplish development via the action of the electric field generated by the overlaid AC field on the DC field in the developing region at which said developer-carrying member 111 confronts said image-carrying member 101.
When developing halftone images via the action of the electric field generated by the overlaid AC field on the DC field in the developing region at which said developer-carrying member 111 confronts said image-carrying member 101, disadvantages arise insofar as there is marked fluctuation in image density in relation to the change in surface potential in the region of surface potential of image-carrying member 101 corresponding to the halftone image, which precludes obtaining excellent halftone images and adversely affects the texture of the produced image.
Therefore, in recent years, it has been proposed to alternately repeat a first cycle (action period) to form an alternating current electric field between a developer-carrying member and an image-carrying member, and a second cycle (rest period) to halt the formation of said alternating current electric field, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,610,531. According to the method disclosed in the aforesaid United States Patent, the final component of the alternating current electric field in the first cycle becomes an electric field component which normally pulls back the developer from the image-carrying member to the developer-carrying member.
When, however, a pair of AC electric fields are used which have inverse field directions such that the final component of an AC field normally becomes a field component which pulls back developer from an image-carrying member to a developer-carrying member as in the method disclosed in the aforesaid United States Patent, the AC field is typically at rest in a state wherein developer is pulled back from the image-carrying member to the developer-carrying member when said AC field enters the second cycle. Therefore, in the second cycle, developer is pulled back to the developer-carrying member, and as a result when the next AC field is used to accomplish development, disadvantages arise insofar as the developer is not adequately supplied from the developer-carrying member to the image-carrying member, thereby reducing the image density of the formed image. Furthermore, the texture of the formed image cannot be sufficiently improved.

Developing device which accomplishes development using the action of an alternating current field between a developer-carrying member and an image-carrying member


A pharmaceutical composition and method for regenerating cardiomyocytes in treating or repairing heart muscle damages or injuries caused by an ischemic disease. The pharmaceutical composition contains an active ingredient compound with a backbone structure of Formula (I). The active ingredient compound is capable of (a) increasing viability of myogenic precursor cells to enable said precursor cells to survive through an absolute ischemic period; (b) reconstituting a damaged blood supply network in said heart region where said injured muscle is located; and (c) enhancing cardiomyogenic differentiation efficiency of said precursor cells down cardiac linage, said steps being performed simultaneously or in any particular order.

Myocardial infarction (MI), or heart attack, is a disease due to interruption of the blood supply to a part of the heart, causing damage or death of heart muscle cells. It is the leading cause of death for both men and women over the world. Following myocardial infarction, there does not seem to be any natural occurring repairing process capable of generating new cardiomyocytes to replace the lost muscle cells. Instead, scar tissues may replace the necrosed myocardium, causing further deterioration in cardiac function.
Therapeutic replacement of the necrosed heart tissue with newly regenerated functional cardiac myocytes is a treatment ideal that until recently has been unrealistic, because cardiac myocytes were considered to be terminally differentiated, or in other words, the heart is a postmitotic nonregenerating organ. This dogma, however, has recently been challenged by Beltrami et al, and others, who reported that a population of resident myocytes within the myocardia can and do replicate after infarction. In order to promote and improve the repair for infarcted myocardia, transplantation of cardiomyocytes or skeletal myoblasts has been attempted, but has not been very successful in reconstituting functional myocardia and coronary vessels. Transplantation of adult bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) for cardiac repair following myocardial infarction has resulted in some angiogenesis and myogenesis, but the location of the newly regenerated cardiac myocytes appeared mostly along the border zone where the blood supply is relatively less affected1-3.
Because acute myocardial infarction (MI) brings rapid damages or death to myocytes (heart muscle cells), vascular structures and nonvascular components in the supplied region of the ventricle, regeneration of new cardiac myocytes to replace the infarcted myocardia (heart muscular tissues) in the central infarcted zone (the absolute ischemic region) through a sub-population of cardiac myocyte growth4-8 or transplantation of MSCs1-3 alone appears to be impossible without early reestablishment of the blood supply network locally. This probably explains why regeneration of cardiac myocytes following MSCs transplantation alone occurred mostly along the border zone adjacent to the infarct where the blood supply is largely maintained1-11. Therefore, the loss of myocardia, arterioles and capillaries in the central infarct area appeared to be irreversible, eventually leading to scar formation.
A more recent study12 reported that heart transplantation of MSC pre-modified with exogenous Akt in vitro produced a better result. Nonetheless, the regenerated cardiac myocytes could only infiltrate from the border zone into the scarred area, indicating that overexpression of exogenous Akt, although enhancing the survival potential of the transplanted MSCs, itself is insufficient to enable them to survive in central ischemic regions. Furthermore, even in the less-ischemic border zones, it was noted that the MSCs-derived regenerating cardiac myocytes were scattered and seemed to have difficulty to cluster and form regenerating myocardia. This is probably due to poor cardiomyogenic differentiation efficiency of the survived transplanted MSCs. The knowledge that natural cardiomyocyte reproduction, including differentiation of residential progenitor myocytes or stem cells recruited from other sources, such as from endothelial cells or a niche in the bone marrow is insufficient to balance cardiomyocyte death occurred in acute or chronically damaged heart, has damped the enthusiasm of the researchers who thought myocardial regeneration would represent a promising method of treatment against heart diseases.
The prior art seems to teach that there are three major requirements critical for regenerating functional myocytes in the entire areas of infarcted myocardia: 1) increased viability of the transplanted cells so that they may survive through the absolute ischemic period, that is, the period from injection of the donor cells to formation of new vessels; 2) early reconstitution of the damaged blood supply network in the infarcted myocardia to sustain the survival and efficient trafficking of the transplanted cells and maintain oxygenation and nutrient delivery; and 3) enhanced cardiomyogenic differentiation efficiency of the transplanted cells to enable more survived donor cells to differentiate down cardiac linage.
Therefore, to realize the therapeutic ideal of replacing necrosed heart tissues with newly regenerated functional cardiac myocytes, there is a need for new therapeutic approaches, for example, an approach using chemical compounds possessing biological properties that sufficiently satisfy the aforementioned three requirements in order to serve the therapeutic needs for treating myocardial infarction.

Pharmaceutical composition and method for regenerating myofibers in the treatment of muscle injuries


The invention discloses a reflector bowl and an optical system applicable for colorful spotlights. The reflector bowl comprises a reflector bowl body having a big end and a small end, wherein the small end of the reflector bowl body is arranged with a light source opening and the big end of the reflector bowl body is opened and serves as a light outlet, the reflector bowl body has a square shaped cross section, and an inner surface of the reflector bowl body is a smooth mirror surface. The reflector bowl body is configured to have a square shaped cross section and thus the light outlet has a square shape, and lights are reflected by the reflector bowl body and the reflected lights can be superimposed with direct lights of the light source, whereby the reflector bowl of the invention realizes uniform color mixture on the smooth surface.

The reflector bowl is mainly used for concentrating lights of illumination lamps. Light directions may be changed by means of a light-reflecting surface of a reflector bowl, such that lights can be condensed into a light beam in a certain direction. Usually, the light-out surfaces of existing reflector bowls are substantially circular shaped and have high luminous efficiencies. However, such light-out surfaces make non-uniform color mixture and it is impossible to realize seamless joint between reflector bowls.

Reflector bowl and optical system applicable for colorful spotlight

GUANGZHOU YAJIANG PHOTOELECTRIC EQUIPMENT CO., LTD.


A navigation, tracking and guiding system for the positioning of operatory instruments inside the body of a patient. The system includes a control unit, a viewer and detecting means for determining the spatial position of the viewer. The system further includes a sensor associated to an operatory instrument and insertable inside the internal portion of the body of the patient. The control unit is configured to project on the viewer an image of the state of the internal portion.

To date, in the field of surgery and surgical navigation, the use of systems employing radiological images and interfacing them with the ultrasound probe movement is known.
For example, during these types of surgical navigation, systems equipped with computerized tomography (CT) devices are used, which provide radiological images in real time and during the operation (intraoperatory CT scans).
There are also other known systems that can provide the virtual tracking of ablation probes but without giving any information concerning deformation.
On the other hand, the use of operating room eyeglasses provided with a display for viewing images is known. For this purpose, the document EP2737868A1 describes a system that includes a wireless surgical magnifying lens, which allows a user who uses the wireless lens during the execution of a procedure to transmit the information acquired from the wireless lens, and to view patient information on a display. In this way, the transmitted information may be used to assist the procedure in the operating room and improve instructions and to be recorded for later use.
Furthermore, document U.S. Pat. No. 6,847,336 B1 describes a system and a method for the display of data on a translucent screen mounted in the normal field of view of a user. The screen can be mounted on the user's head, or mounted on a mobile structure and positioned in front of the user. A user interface is displayed on the screen, including a movable cursor and a menu of computer control icons. An "eye tracking" system is mounted in the vicinity of the user and is used to control the movement of the cursor.
Additionally, document U.S. Pat. No. 7,501,995B2 describes a system and a method for the presentation of clinical support information which employs eyesight-assisted navigation.
Furthermore, document WO2009083191A1 describes a selective display system which allows to selectively display data and information on a display device mounted on glasses.
On the other hand, the reconstruction of medical images through 3D three-dimensional display is equally known, wherein the three-dimensional tracking of the volume on the patient is provided, as well as, possibly, also the tracking of the needle in the various medical and surgical application fields.
For example, document U.S. Pat. No. 5,526,812A describes a display system which allows to increase and improve the display of body structures during medical procedures.
Other examples of systems and methods of navigation in augmented reality in the medical interventions-related procedures are described in documents U.S. Pat. No. 7,774,044 B2, US 2002/0082498 A1 and US 2013/0267838 A1.
Although all the above-listed systems describe various operator assistance methods during surgery, there are still some limitations in the case of minimally invasive interventions.
In fact, in the case of minimally invasive interventions, the insertion of surgical instruments inside the patient, i.e. probes, able to perform operations without opening the body of a patient, is provided. Such interventions are complicated because of the difficulties in accurately estimating the position of the tissues on which it is necessary to operate and of the instruments to be inserted. For this complexity, errors often occur during surgery completion.
These systems combine the use of ultrasound, characterized by a low spatial resolution, the display of radiological images, characterized by high resolution, through tracking of the ultrasound probe(s) for minimally invasive interventions with electromagnetic sensors or optical systems, without or with low spatial resolution.

Navigation, tracking and guiding system for the positioning of operatory instruments within the body of a patient


A device includes an electronic flare having many light emitting diodes (LEDs), an arm connected to the electronic flare, a controller connected to the electronic flare, and a housing connected to the arm. A system includes a first electronic flare device that is disposed in a first portion of a vehicle, a second electronic flare device is disposed in a second portion of the vehicle, a first sensor is connected to the first electronic flare device and a second sensor is connected to the second electronic flare device. The first and second flare devices each have a flare housing including a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs). The first electronic flare device operates to deploy when the first sensor detects a first event, and the second electronic flare device operates to deploy when the second sensor detects a second event.

1. Field
The embodiments relate to safety products, and in particular to an electronic flare system and apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Ignited flares have been used for a long time to warn other drivers of obstacles or to be cautious in approaching. To employ these type of flares, a person must exit their vehicle ignite the flare and then place the flare ahead of their vehicle to warn other drivers. When people do this, they are placing themselves at risk with other motorists. Also, if the driver is in an accident or becomes sick, they cannot exit their vehicle to employ such a flare.
When motorists are involved in accidents where there may be no lighting equipment or in case the motorist's vehicle has left a roadway, it can sometimes take a very long time for this motorist to be found, or even be seen on the road. Even if the vehicle's lights are turned on, the vehicle can be positioned where the lights cannot be seen. Also, the lights on the vehicle may not be operable due to a disconnection of the vehicle's battery.


The present invention relates to a coating device which, in particular, is used to coat a narrow side of a plate-shaped workpiece with a coating material. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a coating method which, in particular, is used to coat a narrow side of a plate-shaped workpiece with a coating material. The coating device comprises a detection device (S1, S2) for detecting a surface property on the surface of the workpiece (W) to be coated and a device for acting on the adhesive to be used based on the detection result of the detection device.

When coating plate-shaped workpieces on their narrow side, it is known in the prior art to use a pre-coated coating material, the adhesive layer thereof is activated shortly before the application of the coating material onto the narrow side of the workpiece. Co-extruded coating materials are also known in this context.
According to a further possibility, a coating material can be provided with an adhesive before the application of the coating material onto the narrow side of the workpiece.
Moreover, devices are also known in which the adhesive is applied to the narrow side of the workpiece and a coating material is subsequently applied to this narrow side wetted with the adhesive.
For example, an adhesive feeding device for applying an adhesive to a workpiece is known from EP 2 428 340 A1. This adhesive feeding device comprises a base as well as a movable upper part having edges for focusing the adhesive arranged above the base. Moreover, an adhesive transfer tool attached to the base is provided, in particular, a glue roller, with the adhesive feeding device feeding the adhesive from the upper part to the adhesive transfer tool during operation. In order to dose the amount of the adhesive, the adhesive feeding device comprises an adjusting mechanism for adjusting the position of the upper part relative to the adhesive transfer tool.
Further, a device for coating workpieces is known from EP 2 251 171 A1 which has a feeding device for feeding a coating material to a surface of a workpiece to be coated, a pressing device for pressing the coating material onto the surface of the workpiece to be coated and a conveyor device for effecting a relative movement between the workpiece and at least the pressing device.
Moreover, DE 20 2009 006 794 U1 is known which relates to a gluing aggregate.
Despite the different devices already known in the prior art with which an adhesive (adhesive substance) can be applied to a narrow side of a plate-shaped workpiece or a pre-coated coating material is used, it is evident that an improved method technique is required in order to provide the adhesive in an optimal manner.
For example, an adhesive layer that is too thick can lead to it smearing when the coating material is applied, or a joint layer that is too thick is formed and which is therefore unacceptable for aesthetic reasons.


A ceramic core that includes, prior to core sintering, erbia filler material alone or admixed with a second ceramic filler material, such as alumina, and a binder to provide a core that is relatively non-reactive with superalloys used in the manufacture of turbine blades, dimensionally stable during directional solidification (DS) for extended times, removable by chemcial leaching techniques, and having enhanced X-ray detectable during post-cast inspection operations. After core sintering, the ceramic core has a microstructure comprising an erbia-alumina garnet phase and an unreacted ceramic filler phase (e.g. alumina).

In casting single crystal and columnar grain turbine blades using directional solidification techniques, ceramic cores are positioned in an investment shell mold to form internal cooling passageways in the cast turbine blade. During service in the gas turbine engine, cooling air is directed through the passageways to maintain blade temperature within an acceptable range.
As described by Frank et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 4,837,187 (Howmet Corporation), ceramic cores heretofore used in the casting of nickel and cobalt base superalloy turbine blades have comprised silica, zirconia, alumina, and yttria selected to be relatively non-reactive with the superalloy being cast so as not to react with reactive alloying components thereof, dimensionally stable during directional solidification (DS) when the superalloy melt is cast at high temperatures into a preheated shell mold and solidified about the core for extended times required for DS of single crystal or columnar grained microstructures, and also to be removable within reasonable times from the cast turbine blade by chemical leaching techniques.
In recent turbine blade designs, the cooling passageways are provided with complex serpentine configurations that in turn require a complex core shape. After the cast component is solidified, the mold and core are removed from the component. Typically, the ceramic core is chemically leached out of the cast component using a hot aqueous caustic solution so as to leave cooling passageways in the component.
After the mold and core are removed from the cast component, the component typically is subjected to a post-cast inspection procedure to determine if any residual ceramic core material remains in the cooling passageways after the core leaching operation. The inspection procedure may include neutron radiographic and/or x-ray radiographic techniques. In the neutron radiographic technique, the component is bathed in a Gd-containing solution to tag any residual ceramic core material that may reside in the cooling passageways. Since Gd is a strong neutron absorber, it will indicate the presence of any residual ceramic core material in the passageways during neutron radiography. If residual ceramic core material is detected, then the component is subjected to additional chemical leaching to remove the material.
An x-ray inspection procedure also can be used following removal of the mold and core as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,242,007 wherein the ceramic core is either doped or tagged with an x-ray detectable agent and subjected to x-ray radiography to detect any residual ceramic core material in the passageways.
An object of the present invention is to provide a ceramic core that exhibits the aforementioned relative non-reactivity with the melt being cast, dimensional stability during solidification, chemical leachablity from the cast component, and enhanced x-ray detectability during post-cast inspection operations.


A portable basketball goal support system having a base, a ballast tank, and an arm for supporting a basketball goal support pole can be assembled in a compact configuration for shipping or storage and an expanded configuration for use. The support pole is mounted at a rear portion of the base and angled forward in the expanded configuration. In the expanded configuration, the ballast tank extends at least partially behind the support pole, while in the compact configuration, the ballast tank may be nested within portion of the base, thereby occupying less space. The support pole may be formed with a generally "pear"-shaped cross section defined by large and small curved portions connected by relatively straight sections, such that the large curved portion readily adapts to existing mounting hardware. One or more of the base, ballast tank, and support arm may be formed from plastic with a printed graphics sheet integrally molded therewith.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to portable basketball goal support systems and, in particular, to a support system having a base and a separate ballast tank that cooperates with the base to form a compact position for shipping/storage, and an expanded position having an increased support system footprint that places the ballast towards the rear of the system to provide greater support and stability during play, as well as to an improved support pole.
2. Description of Related Art
Various types of basketball goal support assemblies have been proposed and used in the past. Such proposals have recognized that stability, and in some instances portability, are desirable characteristics. However, stability and portability can present conflicting design considerations and make it difficult to provide collapsibility, which is especially desirable for shipping and storage of portable basketball support assemblies. In the past, providing both stability and portability in a particular construction has come at the price of requiring a more complex structural arrangement and a larger base, which meant added complexity in both assembly and use as well as increased costs in storage space and shipping. These problems may be present to some degree in smaller applications like poolside and youth sports products. See, for example: 1) the poolside system disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,759,545 to Grable, wherein a base is adapted to seat on a pool deck and receive a first quantity of water internally and an additional quantity of water or other material externally when additional ballast is needed; and 2) the youth sports products described in parent application Ser. No. 08/337,884, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,632,480, in which a separate ballast tank is mounted on top of a base in a single configuration. However, overcoming the conflicting design considerations of stability and portability is a more difficult task in designing larger units for adults and regulation play, which must be able to withstand heavier loads and more aggressive conditions. Moreover, the recent trend towards using larger and larger backboards in portable systems designed for regulation play has exacerbated these problems.
Conventionally, portable basketball systems of this type have included several main components: a basketball backboard supporting a basketball goal and a net, a pole and extension arm, elevator, or other mechanism for supporting the backboard on the pole; and a base for supporting the pole. Typically, ballast material such as water or sand is provided on top of or inside the base section to weigh down the unit, and provide the requisite stability during use. An example of a support system in which weights are provided on top of a base is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,869,501 to Anastasakis. An example of a portable system having ballast inside a base is described in the assignee's prior U.S. Pat. No. 5,207,407 to Fitzsimmons et al.
In Fitzsimmons et al. '407, a hollow tetrahedral base supports the pole and has an interior space for receiving ballast material. The support pole is secured at an angle at a rear portion of the base, so that the backboard mounted on the pole extends beyond the base and over the playing surface. A roller provided in a recess on a leading edge of the base facilitates moving the unit from one location to another. While the support assembly described in Fitzsimmons et al. '407 worked well and was portable, the size of the tetrahedral base made it inconvenient to store and ship in practice, even though the base consisted of two smaller symmetrical sections.
An improvement over this portable goal assembly is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,415,393 to Fitzsimmons et al., also developed by the assignee of this application. Like the above-described unit, Fitzsimmons et al. '393 utilizes a hollow base that is filled with ballast material and the support pole is mounted on a rear portion of the base at an angle. However, the base of Fitzsimmons et al. '393 is much smaller in height and flatter than the prior tetrahedral base design. Moreover, the base is made from a single body rather than in two sections, and a separate support arm for the pole formed as a planar member is pivotably attached to the front end of the base. The support arm could be collapsed onto and nested on top of the base, as shown in FIGS. 1-2 of the '393 patent, thereby enabling the two-piece support system to occupy a smaller space when disassembled than when assembled, without sacrificing the stability needed for use. Thus, in practice, the unit of Fitzsimmons et al. '393 was easier to ship and store than that in the original Fitzsimmons et al. '407 patent.
A further improved portable goal system is manufactured and sold by the assignee of this application under the CENTER COURT name. The CENTER COURT portable unit is similar to that disclosed in Fitzsimmons et al. '393 in many respects, including the base, which also is substantially flat and hollow, the rearwardly disposed angled pole, and the support pole pivotably attached to the front end of the base. However, the support pole in the CENTER COURT design is not a planar support arm, as in Fitzsimmons et al. '393. Instead, two individual support arms formed as struts are pivotably attached to opposite sides of the front end of the base. The strut members are a less expensive alternative to the planar support arm of the Fitzsimmons et al. '393, and do not result in an appreciable loss of overall stability. Thus, the CENTER COURT unit has the advantage of being lighter in weight and more compact than the portable system of Fitzsimmons et al. '393, without sacrificing stability.
Examples of other conventional, but less desirable, portable basketball systems can be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,259,612 and 5,248,140, both to Matherne et al. These patents disclose portable units also having a hollow base into which ballast material, such as water or sand, is disposed. However, in the two Matheme et al patents, the pole is mounted vertically in the front portion of the base, and the support arms extend at an angle from the pole to the rear of the base. By setting the pole in the front of the center of gravity of the base in these units, it is easier to topple or "pullover" these units than the rear mounted pole units described above when applying downwardly directed force on the rim of the goal, which is a standard way to measure the stability of a portable unit.
In the foregoing and other conventional goal units, achieving the greatest amount of stability, as measured by the amount of "pullover" force, should always be one of the paramount objects of a portable basketball system manufacturer. One approach to achieve this object is simply to use as much ballast as is practical. However, there are drawbacks to this approach, in that the more ballast to be used, the larger the base must be to accommodate the ballast. In the prior designs in which the base is hollowed to receive ballast, an increase in the amount of ballast necessitates an increased interior volume for the base, which can be accomplished by increasing the surface area, i.e. the footprint, of the base or its height. In the prior designs in which ballast sits on top of the base, it is likely necessary to provide a greater surface area for the base or to increase its strength to accommodate increased ballast. Increasing the size and/or strength of the base, in either type of design, disadvantageously increases the shipping costs, and increases the amount of storage space the unit will occupy.
Another limitation on portable basketball systems that is particularly applicable to a larger system is the support pole. Conventionally, portable systems have utilized steel poles having circular cross-sections to support the backboard and goal on the base. These round poles have typically been either 3 inches or 3.5 inches in diameter. In general, these size round poles have limited the amount of loading that can be applied to a portable system. Some known portable systems have used poles having square cross-sections, and at least one has used an oval cross-sectioned support pole. However, these pole shapes are not easily adaptable to existing support structure hardware, including elevators and extension arms.
The foregoing demonstrates that there is a need for a portable basketball support system that provides greater stability and can carry heavier loads than heretofore practical without increasing the shipping/storage footprint of the system, and without sacrificing portability. There are also needs for a large portable unit that is more easily assembled and disassembled than heretofore possible, and for a stronger, more stable support pole that does not use more material than conventional round poles, but still may be used with conventional elevators and extension arms.


A method of prolonging service life of an energy storage device such as a lithium-ion battery includes temporarily operating the battery at an elevated current density. Cycling of lithium-ion batteries at regular current densities results in the generation of lithium-metal dendrites at the surface of the anode, particularly in batteries where the anode is lithium metal. The lithium metal dendrites pose a threat to damage other components of the battery, such as separators, as well as causing an electrical short. Operating the battery in bursts at the elevated current density results in self-heating at the anode surface that merges adjacent lithium-metal dendrites and an overall smoothing of the anode surface. This method is also applicable to other alkali-metal-based batteries and chemistries.

The advent of Li-ion batteries has enabled the development of portable electronics, and the emergence of electric vehicles has led to a paradigm shift in the automotive industry. However, even state-of-the-art Li-ion cells can reach a specific energy of only ˜250 Wh kg−1, which is an order of magnitude lower than the practical value of gasoline. Traditionally, Li-ion batteries are based on the rocking chair concept, where Li ions are shuttled between electrodes that behave as hosts for the ions during charge and discharge. Such a system has proved to be successful but limiting to the energy density.
The demand for higher energy density battery systems has created a renewed interest in the exploration of metallic lithium (Li) as an anode material. This is because the packing density of Li atoms is the highest in its metallic form resulting in an ultra-high theoretical specific capacity of 3,860 mAh g−1 and the lowest electrochemical potential (−3.04 vs. the standard hydrogen electrode) amongst other candidates makes it the ideal choice as an anode in a Li-ion battery. However, the main stumbling block to deployment of Li metal anodes is the nucleation and growth of 'dendritic' projections during the electrochemical plating/stripping process that occurs when the battery is being charged/discharged. These Li dendrites are problematic in many respects. Dendritic growth of Li is considered to be responsible for increase in irreversible capacity loss, reduction of coulombic efficiency (CE) as well as degradation/drying of the electrolyte. In fact, these dendritic projections are also capable of piercing through the battery separator and electrically shorting the battery. This can result in a severe thermal runaway, and the organic electrolyte being highly flammable could catch fire, which represents an unacceptable safety hazard.
Researchers have over the years devised various approaches to control and suppress the growth of Li dendrites, but 100% suppression has proved challenging. This is because kinetically, the nucleation and growth of Li dendrites is highly favorable during electrochemical plating and stripping reactions.

Methods for self-heating induced healing of metal dendrites


A member for semiconductor manufacturing device includes a susceptor which is a ceramic plate formed of AlN and a gas introduction pipe which is joined to the susceptor. An annular pipe joining bank is provided at a position of the susceptor facing a flange of the gas introduction pipe. In addition, a pipe brazed part is formed between the flange and the pipe joining bank. The flange has a width of 3 mm or more and a thickness of from 0.5 to 2 mm. It is preferable that the height of the pipe joining bank be 0.5 mm or more, the edge of the bank facing the outer edge of the flange. be chamfered as designated by C0.3 or more or rounded as designated by R0.3 or more.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a structure for joining a ceramic plate to a metal cylindrical member.
2. Description of the Related Art
An electrostatic chuck is used as a holding member that attracts a wafer and controls the temperature of the wafer during a semiconductor manufacturing process. Known examples of such an electrostatic chuck include an electrostatic chuck in which a metal gas introduction pipe is joined to a discoid ceramic plate having a gas introduction hole so as to supply an He gas or the like from a rear side to a wafer attracting surface of the ceramic plate, thereby improving thermal conductivity (for example, PTL 1).
Meanwhile, as a method of joining a ceramic plate to a metal gas introduction pipe, a brazing method is known. In this method, brazing is performed by filling a brazing filler material in a space between a ceramic plate 110 and a gas introduction pipe 120 and applying the brazing filler material to a region from a side surface of the gas introduction pipe 120 to a rear surface of an electrostatic chuck as illustrated in FIG. 7 (for example, PTL 2). After the brazing has been performed, the brazing filler material becomes a fillet-shaped brazed part 124. In this case, stress is produced between the ceramic plate 110 and the gas introduction pipe 120 due to the difference in thermal expansion between the ceramic plate 110 and the gas introduction pipe 120. In order to reduce the stress as much as possible, the gas introduction pipe 120 is formed of a metal having a thermal expansion coefficient close to that of the ceramic plate 110.

Structure for joining ceramic plate to metal cylindrical member


A laminated body manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing an annular laminated body in which each layer is defined by a plurality of segments is provided with a feeding unit that sequentially feeds a plurality of parts to be processed on a band-like sheet material to a predetermined processing position; a processing unit that separates the segment from each part to be processed by a shearing processing in the processing position; and a laminating unit that receives the segment that is separated and lowered onto the plurality of segments that are lowered and defining one layer in advance and that rotates the received segment by a predetermined angle in a circumferential direction of the segment, each time when the shearing processing is performed, so as to place the sequentially lowered segment in a position to define the laminated body.

There is known a motor core which is manufactured as a laminated body by laminating several tens to several hundreds of a ring-shaped thin plate member obtained by pressing an electromagnetic steel sheet. The thickness of the thin plate member is about 0.15 to 0.5 mm. It is considered that the thinner the thickness is, the better the energy efficiency is. Further, it is also known that the ring-shaped thin plate member is configured by a plurality of arc-shaped thin plate members, in order to effectively use the material of the motor core.
For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an apparatus for manufacturing a laminated iron core by configuring one ring-shaped thin plate member with a plurality of fan-shaped segments, laminating a plurality of the thin plate members and coupling the thin plate members to each other. A central angle of the fan-shaped segment is 360°/n and one ring-shaped thin plate member is configured by "n" segments. The ring-shaped thin plate members of each layer adjacent to each other are laminated in an offset manner so that each arc-shaped segment configuring each thin plate member is stacked to be shifted from each other like a brick-laying.
In this apparatus, the segment is punched into a master die by a press machine. When "n" described above is 3, the punched segment is rotated by 120° in a circumferential direction by rotation of the master die. And then, the next segment is punched out. The punched segment is coupled to another segment adjacent thereto. In this way, one ring-shaped thin plate member is configured by three segments. Then, the master die is rotated by 60° and then a ring-shaped thin plate member of the next layer is laminated on the thin plate member in a similar manner.
According to this, the punching of the segment and the laminating of the thin plate member are carried out by a mechanism for rotating the master die. Accordingly, it is possible to configure the manufacturing apparatus of the laminated iron core in a compact manner.
However, according to Patent Document 1, the master die is caused to rotate each time when the segment is punched out. Accordingly, there is a problem that it takes some time to perform rotating and positioning of the master die and thus it is difficult to improve the production rate.
Moreover, according to Patent Document 1, the segment is cut off from the thin plate material and put into the master die by a cutting in a final process and the master die is caused to rotate by a predetermined angle each time when the cutting is performed. Accordingly, it is required to simultaneously control the feeding pitch of the thin plate material and the positioning of rotation position of the master die with high precision. For this reason, the positioning control of the thin plate material and the master die becomes complicated and thus apparatus cost is increased.
Further, Patent Document 2 has suggested a laminated body manufacturing apparatus for a rotor core, in which the laminating time of the segments becomes shorter and the segments are laminated with high precision. According to the laminated body manufacturing apparatus for the rotor core, it is possible to more rapidly and effectively laminate the segments with high precision when forming the rotor core by laminating a plurality of segments in a ring-shaped arrangement.
In this laminated body manufacturing apparatus, scrap members are generated when cutting and extracting a plurality of segments. The laminated body manufacturing apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 2 is configured so that the generated scrap members in a state of being connected are discharged to the outside of the laminated body manufacturing apparatus and then cut off to a predetermined size.
However, in the case of a stator core using a sheet material whose plate thickness is thin, there is a problem that the scrap members are easily flexed while the scrap members cut off from the plate by a press device are discharged to the outside of the laminated body manufacturing apparatus and thus it is difficult to discharge the scrap members from the laminating body manufacturing apparatus.


A method and apparatus for image compression suitable for personal computer applications, which compresses and stores data in two steps. An image is captured in real-time and compressed using an efficient method and stored to a hard-disk. At some later time, the data is further compressed in non-real-time using a computationally more intense algorithm that results in a higher compression ratio. The two-step approach allows the storage reduction benefits of a highly sophisticated compression algorithm to be achieved without requiring the computational resources to perform this algorithm in real-time. A compression algorithm suitable for performing the first compression step on a host processor in a personal computer is also described. The first compression step accepts 4:2:2 YCrCb data from the video digitizer. The two chrominance components are averaged and a pseudo-random number is added to all components. The resulting values are quantized and packed into a single 32-bit word representing a 2.times.2 array of pixels. The seed value for the pseudo-random number is remembered so that the pseudo-random noise can be removed before performing the second compression step.

Color images are generally represented in a computer environment with an independent color value for each pixel. Each color value must consist of three components in order to represent the full range of colors. Since the display monitors that are used with computers utilize RGB (red, green, and blue) as the three color components, computer images are generally represented using this color format.
Images stored in this format generally require a large data set, but also contain a lot of redundancy because of the high pixel-to-pixel correlation of typical images. If the images are part of a moving sequence of images, as in video, the storage requirements are multiplied by the number of frames. Further, the bandwidth requirements to display a video sequence are much higher than can typically be provided in a low cost computer system. It is often desirable to utilize data compression to reduce data storage and bandwidth requirements. Compression algorithms can take advantage of redundancy in the image and the peculiarities of the human vision system.
Several image compression algorithms have been developed which are reasonably effective at reducing the data storage and bandwidth requirements. The compression ratio that can be achieved is a function of the computational resources that can be applied. And since the utility of image compression is determined by the compression ratio that can be achieved, specialized VLSI compression processors are generally required to provide adequate computational resources to make image compression worthwhile. It is also necessary to provide adequate compression to reduce the bandwidth requirements of the video so that it can be stored on the available mass storage device.
The requirement for specialized VLSI has limited the market potential for digital video applications, since conventional PCs generally do not have these capabilities. To expand the market potential, a video compression method which can be implemented by conventional PCs is necessary.
Many of the applications which require video use short video clips--on the order of 10 to 15 seconds. Many personal computers will have adequate free disk space to store this much video, even with only limited compression. However, since multiple video clips are generally required for an application, a high degree of compression is ultimately required for the application to be cost effective.
Thus, an object of the invention is a method for image compression that can be executed on a conventional PC without specialized VLSI to support compression.
Another object of the invention is a compression method which will result in adequate compression to reduce the bandwidth requirements of real-time video to a level that can be supported by conventional mass storage devices as might be found in personal computers.

Method for image compression on a personal computer


The invention relates to an electrochemical sensor for the determination of a concentration of at least one analyte in a medium, in particular a body tissue and/or a body fluid, to an apparatus that includes the electrochemical sensor, and to a use of the electrochemical sensor, and finally to a method for producing it. The electrochemical sensor has an isolation element and at least two electrodes. The at least two electrodes comprise at least one working electrode and at least one further electrode, in particular at least one counter electrode and/or at least one reference electrode. The at least two electrodes run parallel to one another and form an electrochemical measuring cell of the electrochemical sensor.

The determination of the blood glucose concentration, and the corresponding medication is an essential item of the daily routine of diabetics. In this case, the blood glucose concentration needs to be determined quickly and easily several times a day, typically 2 to 7 times, in order to be able to take appropriate medical measures when relevant. In many instances, a modification is performed in this process by means of automatic systems, in particular with the aid of insulin pumps.
In order not to restrict the daily routine of the diabetic more than is absolutely necessary, use is frequently made of appropriately mobile units that should be easy to transport and to handle so that the blood glucose concentration can be measured without any problem, for example at the workplace or during free time.
There are currently available various mobile units that function in part according to different measuring methods and with the use of different diagnostic methods. A first measuring method is based, for example, on an electrochemical measuring method in which a blood sample that is taken from the body tissue of the patient by perforating a skin layer by means of a lancet is applied to an electrode coated with enzymes and mediators. Corresponding test strips for such electrochemical measuring methods are described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,286,362, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Other known measuring methods use optical measuring methods that are based, for example, on the fact that the substance (analyte) to be detected can react with specific detection reagents, a change in color of the reaction mixture occurring in the process. Systems for detecting such color reactions and thus for detecting the corresponding analytes are known, for example from CA 2,050,677, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein, by reference in its entirety.
The detection methods described are overwhelmingly based on the fact that a patient firstly takes an appropriate sample of the body fluid to be examined, this possibly being both a blood sample and a urine sample, this then being examined appropriately by means of the test apparatus. This method includes various disadvantages, however. Thus, this method is firstly extremely complicated and presupposes a number of handling steps. Thus, for example, a lancet needs to be provided and loaded, subsequently a skin layer must be perforated by means of this lancet, and then a blood drop thus produced must be applied to a test strip, and this test strip needs to be evaluated subsequently by means of an appropriate unit. For many patients, in particular older people and children, these handling steps can frequently be carried out only with difficulty, since the patients have restricted motor ability and limited eyesight, for example. Furthermore, these method steps can be carried out discretely only in a few instances so that, for example, protection of the privacy of the patient during a measurement at the workplace is only insufficiently preserved. Again, faulty operation in the course of the measuring method can easily lead to wrong measured values accompanied, in part, by fatal consequences of a false medication built on wrong measurement results.
For this reason, there are known from the prior art systems that generate continuously measured data and that can be used as an alternative or in addition to the above-described systems or methods, for example in order to reduce the number of individual measuring operations. Thus, for example, systems are commercially available that comprise a membrane tube in the subcutaneous tissue through which a transport liquid is pumped. Via the membrane, glucose diffuses into the transport liquid, which is then in turn conveyed to an electrochemical measuring cell. The glucose concentration is then measured in the electrochemical measuring cell. However, there is the disadvantage with such an arrangement for continuously producing measured values that it requires the patient to always carry along a supply of transport liquid and an appropriate waste container for holding contaminated transport liquid.
Further sensor types, known from the prior art, for continuously producing measured values are configured to be implanted in a body tissue; for example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,892,085 B2, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Generally, such continuous monitoring set ups comprise an encapsulated glucose sensor system that comprises a glucose sensor and a protective capsule. In this case, three electrodes, a working electrode, a counter electrode and a reference electrode are provided that are applied to one side of a substrate. To improve implantability, this electrode arrangement can be integrated in a hollow needle that is used as an insertion aid to puncture body tissue. After the insertion, the hollow needles are withdrawn from the tissue again and only the sensors remain in the body tissue. Other exemplary systems are described, e.g., in U.S. Pat. No. 5,591,139, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
A main advantage of the continuously measuring systems is that it is also possible to detect relatively short periodic fluctuations in the glucose concentration (time profiles) in conjunction with the intake of food and physical exercise. This is of great significance for "setting" of a diabetic.
The implantable sensors known from the prior art are, however, extremely complicated with regard to their design and production. If it is presupposed that these sensors are disposable sensors that can be used only for a short time (typically approximately one week), it then becomes clear that the methods used in the case of the sensors known from the prior art do not meet the requirements placed on disposable articles. Thus, for example, a complicated micro-structuring method, in particular a lithographic method, is required to produce the sensor known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,591,139. However, such methods cannot be combined with the production of cost-effective disposable articles. Again, complicated structuring methods are required to produce the sensor known from U.S. Pat. No. 6,892,085 B2, since the electrode pads must be structured carefully. In view of the small size of these electrodes, lithographic methods are likewise required therefor, and this in turn drives up the costs for producing such sensors.
Again, lithographic methods, in particular the etching of metal layers associated with these methods, are not always as reliable as is required for producing medical products. In particular, it can occur from time to time that individual electrodes are still interconnected by "bridges" or webs such that the functionality of the sensors can be slightly impaired or even completely negated, because of production problems. A further disadvantage of the sensors known from the prior art, such as are apparent from U.S. Pat. No. 6,892,085 B2 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,591,139, for example, consists in the use of a hollow needle or in the use of a capillary.
Instead of the previously described implantable sensors, in the case of which micro-structuring methods are used to structure the electrode pads, for example a lithographic method, implantable sensors, for example those known from WO 90/10861, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, can be formed in a wire-shaped fashion. That is, individual wires can be embedded in an isolating mass. The active measuring surfaces are respectively the end faces of the wires inside a plane that is exposed by a separating operation or the like. Such sensor systems are capable of multiple use, and can be used in an appropriate measuring instrument. The sample is applied inside the measuring instrument to the previously exposed end faces of the wires (in vitro measurement). Another example of systems employing wire-shaped sensors is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,805,624, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
The above-discussed solutions in accordance with the prior art make contact with a body tissue only in a very restricted area. The electrode arrangement, usually comprising a working electrode, a counter electrode and a reference electrode, is very restricted locally, that is to say is capable of recording informative results only in a very small area of the body tissue. The functioning of the sensors known from the prior art, which can also be implanted, can be disturbed by local tissue inhomogeneities such as, for example, wound effects or fat deposits. Furthermore, sensor membrane characteristics can have a negative effect on the measured values. The electrode pads from other known systems have electrodes which lie next to one another in one plane and in the case of which the required miniaturizability is substantially restricted as a function of the selected micro-structuring methods. The disadvantage of the sensors known from the prior art, which can also be implanted, is to be seen in that it is impossible to make use of cost-effective production methods that are required for large batch production and could be used in the course of mass production.

Methods of producing an electrochemical sensor for determining an analyte concentration


Novel salicylic anilides are chemical uncouplers useful e.g. for the treatment of obesity.

Obesity is a well-known risk factor for the development of many very common diseases such as atherosclerosis, hypertension, type 2 diabetes (non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM)), dyslipidemia, coronary heart disease, and osteoarthritis and various malignancies. It also causes considerable problems through reduced motility and decreased quality of life. The incidence of obese people and thereby also these diseases is increasing throughout the entire industrialised world.
The term obesity implies an excess of adipose tissue. In this context obesity is best viewed as any degree of excess adiposity that imparts a health risk. The cut off between normal and obese individuals can only be approximated, but the health risk imparted by the obesity is probably a continuum with increasing adiposity. In the context of the present invention, individuals with a body mass index (BMI=body weight in kilograms divided by the square of the height in meters) above 25 are to be regarded as obese
Even mild obesity increases the risk for premature death and conditions such as diabetes, dyslipidemia, hypertension, atherosclerosis, gallbladder disease and certain types of cancer. In the industrialised western world the prevalence of obesity has increased significantly in the past few decades. Because of the high prevalence of obesity and its health consequences, its prevention and treatment should be a high public health priority.
Except for exercise, diet and food restriction, which is not feasible for a vast number of patients, no convincing treatment for reducing body weight effectively and acceptably currently exist. However, not only in view of the considerable problems directly related to obesity as described above, but also due to the important effect of obesity as a risk factor in serious and even mortal and common diseases, it is important to find pharmaceutical compounds which are useful in prevention and/or treatment of obesity.
When energy intake exceeds expenditure, the excess calories are stored predominately in adipose tissue, and if this net positive balance is prolonged, obesity results, i.e. there are two components to weight balance, and an abnormality on either side (intake or expenditure) can lead to obesity. This process may be counteracted by increasing the energy expenditure (for instance via exercise) or decreasing the energy intake (for instance by dieting). Pharmacological treatment available up to date only consists of Sibutramine (acting via serotonergic mechanisms, Abbott) and Orlistat (reducing fat uptake from the gut, Roche Pharm) neither reducing body weight effectively nor acceptably. There is therefore a need for pharmaceutical compounds which may be useful in prevention and/or treatment of obesity, for instance by increasing the energy expenditure or decreasing the energy intake.
One way of increasing energy expenditure is by increasing the metabolic rate. Oxidative phosphorylation in mitochondria, the energy from glucose metabolism and free fatty acids oxidation is used to drive the phosphorylation of ADP to ATP. When NADH and FADH2 formed in the TCA cycle are oxidised back to NAD+ and FAD respectively, protons are pumped out of the mitochondrial matrix. The resulting pH gradient (matrix pH˜8 and outside pH˜7) and potential (˜−170 mV, inside negative) across the inner mitochondrial membrane constitute the electrochemical proton gradient. As the effect of a one-unit pH difference corresponds to a potential of 61.5 mV, the electrochemical proton gradient exerts a proton-motive force of roughly −230 mV, which is the driving force for the mitochondrial ATP synthesis.
When the ATP consumption thus increases, the cells respond by increasing the ATP synthesis and consequently the inward flux of protons through the ATP synthase, the enzyme responsible for ATP synthesis and thereby the metabolic rate is increased. Chemical uncouplers are compounds, which can transport protons across membranes, and when protons are transported across the inner mitochondrial membrane, the ATP synthase is bypassed. At the (alkaline) matrix side the proton is released and the deprotonated uncoupler returns to the inter-membrane space where it picks up another proton. The cycling of the uncoupler (or ATP synthesis) and the resulting proton transport leads to an increased outward pumping of protons through an increased oxidation of NADH and FADH2 by the respiration chain. The NADH concentration in the matrix will consequently drop. Since NADH feed-back inhibits three steps in the TCA cycle (NADH is the main regulator of the TCA cycle), the flux through the TCA cycle will increase. Hence, the metabolic rate will increase.
Compounds, such as chemical uncouplers, which act by increasing the metabolic rate may thus be useful for treating obesity, but also for treating other conditions such as atherosclerosis, hypertension, diabetes, especially type 2 diabetes (NIDDM (non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus)), dyslipidemia, coronary heart disease, gallbladder disease, osteoarthritis and various types of cancer such as endometrial, breast, prostate and colon cancers and the risk for premature death as well as other conditions, such as diseases and disorders, which conditions are improved by a reduced mitochondrial potential.
Furthermore, chemical uncouplers may reduce reactive oxygen species (ROS) that are assumed (De Grey et al, Eur J. Biochem 269, 1995 ff (2002)) to be involved in the aging process, in damage of heart tissue as well as neuronal tissue. It is therefore also possible that conditions affected by ROS may be reversed or halted by intervention by chemical uncouplers. Examples of such conditions include diabetic microvascular diseases in the retina, renal glomerulus and peripheral nerves cell.
The best known chemical uncoupler is 2,4-dinitrophenol (DNP), which has been shown to increase energy expenditure in humans as well as animals. The side effects at higher doses include increased perspiration, vasodilatation, skin rashes, cataracts, neuritis and death! Two fatalities amongst the first 100.000 persons treated with DNP, and the fact that the lowest dose, which could be lethal, was only twice the average dose giving a desired 50% increase in basal metabolic rate giving a very narrow safety window combined with other factors led to the removal of DNP from the market. Since then nobody have attempted to develop or market uncouplers for the treatment of obesity.
DNP is the best known chemical uncoupler; but many other compounds are known to induce uncoupling. DNP derivatives such as 4,6-dinitro-o-cresol (Victoria Yellow) and 2,4-dinitro-1-naphtol (Martius Yellow) as well as structurally unrelated compounds such as 2,6-dit-butyl-4-(2′,2′-dicyanovinyl)phenol) (SF6847) (also known as 2-(3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxy-benzylidene)-malononitrile), carbonylcyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone (CCCP) and carbonylcyanide ptrifluoromethoxy-phenylhydrazone (FCCP) (Miyoshi H et al. Quantitative relationship between protenophoric and uncoupling activities of analogs of SF6847 (2,6-di-t-butyl-4-(2′,2′-dicyanovinyl)phenol), Biochimica et Biophysica Acta 891, 293-299 (1987)) are uncouplers.
Another class of chemical uncouplers is the salicylanilides of which S-13 is the most potent compound discovered so far (Terada H et al. Structural Requirements of Salicylanilides for Uncoupling Activity in Mitochondria Quantitative Analysis of Structure—Uncoupling Relationships, Biochimica et Biophysica Acta 936, 504-512 (1988)).
WO00/06143 to Texas Pharmaceuticals Inc. relates to a method for inducing intracellular hyperthermia comprising a step of administering a mitochondrial uncoupling agent, such as 2,4-dinitrophenol.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,673,691 to Bachynsky relates to the use of 2,4-dinitrophenol for treating obesity.
Various salisylic anilide derivatives have been disclosed in the literature. As an example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,025,647 discloses compounds of the formula
wherein R1 may be hydrogen, X is secondary or tertiary alkyl, R2 alkanoyl, phenylsulfinyl, phenylsulfonyl, etc, and Y is hydrogen or methyl. The compounds have anthelmintic activity, especially against liver fluke.
EP 322823 discloses electrophotographic photoreceptors with the following formula
wherein A is a group of atoms necessary to condense the benzene ring with another ring.
WO 01/44172 discloses compounds of the formula
wherein all X's may be carbon, R1 may be hydroxyl, R2-R5 may be optionally substituted aryl heteroaryl, alkylaryl, alkyl, ester, amide, etc. The compounds are inhibitors of serine proteases, urokinase, Factor Xa, Factor VIIa and have utility as anticancer agents and as anticoagulants. R7 is amidine or guadinyl for all compounds specifically disclosed in this application.
WO 01/96944 discloses compounds of the formula
wherein R represent 0-4 substituents selected from alkyl, aryl, aralkyl, etc. The compounds are useful as components in colour photothermographic films. None of the specifically disclosed compounds have a branched alkyl or phenyl as substituent in the left-most phenyl ring.
WO 01/82924 discloses compounds of the formula
wherein R1-3 represents hydrogen, alkyl, halo, alkoxy, etc. The compounds are phosphate transport inhibitors.


A method of fabricating an organic light emitting diode display device, which include forming a thin film transistor in a display region of a substrate, forming a metal pattern on the substrate in the display region, forming a first electrode on the substrate connected to the thin film transistor, forming a bank on the substrate to expose a portion of the first electrode and a portion of the metal pattern, forming a hole common layer, an organic light emitting layer, and an electron common layer sequentially over the entire surface of the substrate provided with the first electrode, the bank and the metal pattern, forming a photoresist pattern covering the electrode common layer and removing the hole common layer, the organic light emitting layer and the electron common layer using the photoresist pattern as a mask, removing the photoresist pattern, and forming a second electrode on the electron common layer connected to the metal pattern.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a method of fabricating an organic light emitting diode display device, and more particularly, to a method of fabricating an organic light emitting diode display device capable of simplifying a manufacturing process. Furthermore, it relates to a diode display device.
2. Background Art
For an image display device which embodies a variety of information on a screen as a core technology in advanced information and communication, there is continuous progress in development of slim, lightweight, and portable devices with improved performance. Hereupon, organic light emitting diode display devices that display an image by adjusting an amount of light emitted from an organic light emitting layer are recently receiving attention as flat panel display devices having reduced weight and volume, which are drawbacks of cathode ray tubes (CRTs).
An organic light emitting diode display device applies an electric field to an anode and a cathode formed at both ends of an organic light emitting layer so as to inject and transfer electrons and holes into the organic light emitting layer, thereby utilizing an electroluminescence phenomenon in which light energy is released through recombination of the electrons and holes. The electrons and holes, which are paired with each other in the organic light emitting layer, emit light when falling from an excited state to a ground state.
Organic light emitting diode display devices have a slim design and operate at a lower driving voltage, e.g., at about 10 V or less, than plasma display panels (PDPs) or inorganic electroluminescent (EL) displays, thereby consuming less power. Much attention has been paid to organic light emitting diode display devices due to excellent characteristics thereof in terms of weight and color.
Hereinafter, a conventional organic light emitting diode display device will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a conventional organic light emitting diode display device.
Referring to FIG. 1, a conventional organic light emitting diode display device includes a substrate 10 in which a display region and a non-display region are defined and a plurality of organic light emitting cells formed in the display region of the substrate 10. Each of the organic light emitting cells includes an anode 20 connected to a transistor (not shown) formed on the substrate 10, a hole common layer 30a, an organic light emitting layer 40, an electron common layer 30b, and a cathode 60.
When the organic light emitting cell applies a voltage to the anode 10 and the cathode 60 via a pad region (not shown) formed in the non-display region of the substrate 10, holes from the anode 20 and electrons from the cathode 60 are injected into the organic light emitting layer 40. Then, the holes and electrons injected into the organic light emitting layer 40 recombine to create excitons that emit light when falling from an excited state to a ground state.
Meanwhile, as organic light emitting diode display devices are increased in display area, resistance of the cathode 60 increases. In particular, since the cathode 60 is formed of a transparent metal in a top emission type organic light emitting diode display device in which light emitted from the organic light emitting layer is transmitted through the substrate 100, resistance of the cathode 60 further increases. Thus, in a conventional organic light emitting diode display device, resistance of the cathode 60 may be reduced by forming a metal pattern 20a using a low resistance metal and connecting the metal pattern 20 with the cathode 60.
However, the metal pattern 20a formed in the same layer as the anode 10, the organic light emitting layer 40, the hole common layer 30a, and the electron common layer 30b should be formed using a shadow mask such that the organic light emitting layer 40, the hole common layer 30a, and the electron common layer 30b are only formed on a portion of the anode 20 exposed by a bank 50 formed to define the luminescent region of a sub pixel. Thus, a complex process and a high cost are required to fabricate conventional organic light emitting diode display devices.

Organic light emitting diode display device and method of fabricating the same


An optical frequency filter comprises a support layer having reflective elements formed thereon, the reflective elements defining at least one periodic grid of substantially parallel slits, the period P, the height, and the width of the slits being selected in such a manner that the reflective elements form a wavelength-selective structure for a wavelength lying in a determined range of wavelengths. The support layer material has a refractive index nh and includes inclusions of a material of refractive index nb, where nb is strictly less than nh. The inclusions are flush with the surface of the support layer opposite from its surface on which the reflective elements are formed, and present height hbwherein 0.5hh≦hb≦1hh, hh being the support layer height, and width lbwhere 0.05P≦lb≦0.75P. Each inclusion is situated at least in part between two reflective elements.

Optical filters are already known that comprise a support layer having metal reflective elements formed thereon to define a grating of slits smaller than the wavelength that is to be filtered. The amplitude of transmission is adjusted both by the width and by the thickness of the slits, with the thickness being selected to be of the same order as but less than half the wavelength under consideration.
That type of filter is described in particular in the articles by J. A. Porto et al. "Transmission resonances on metallic gratings with very narrow slits", Physical Review Letters, 83, p. 2845, 1999, and by G. Vincent et al. "Large-area dielectric and metallic freestanding gratings for mid-infrared optical filtering application", Journal of Vacuum Science Technology, B 26, p. 852, 2008.
Thus, those types of filter require thick reflective elements that are sometimes suspended directly above air, so that the refractive index of the support is as close as possible to that of the incident medium (air/vacuum).
Under such conditions, such an optical filter is technologically difficult to make.
Furthermore, the spectral range over which good rejection is ensured around the main transmission peak is very limited.
Another optical filter is known that comprises reflective elements forming a conventional grating of slits, a halfwave plate supporting the grating and a medium in contact with the halfwave plate and presenting relative thereto a refractive index contrast that is as great as possible.
Such an optical filter is described in particular in Document FR 2 959 021.
With such a filter, the halfwave plate forms a waveguide under the grating of slits, the grating also being capable of exciting plasmon surface modes. The combination of the grating, of the plate, and of the large refractive index contrast makes it possible to form an electromagnetic resonator that effectively traps light in the plate before it escapes via the medium in contact with the plate.
Furthermore, that optical filter is simpler to fabricate than the suspended optical filter.
Nevertheless that filter presents certain drawbacks.
In particular, although its dimensions can be selected so as to optimize transmission at a given wavelength, the transmission spectrum of the filter presents significant peaks away from that wavelength.
This leads to poor rejection outside a rather narrow wavelength window.
That puts limitations on the use of the optical filter.
Thus, when the filter is used for hyperspectral imaging, the spectral range of interest is limited. Interference can occur between pixels of different colors, thereby complicating the color reconstruction of the image.
Also, when used in a gas sensor, it is important to distinguish spectrally between weak signals that are specific to different species. Unfortunately, the limitations of the optical filter lead to a degraded signal-to-noise ratio for detection.

Optical frequency filter and a detector including such a filter

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