A hole in the earth for transferring geothermal energy from the earth around the hole to an energy carrier fluid which is introduced into the hole. The lower ends (7, 8) of at least two substantially vertically extending hole sections (2, 4) which have been used as wells for the recovery of oil or gas, are interconnected via an additional hole section (3).

In U.S. Pat. No. 4,290,266 it is disclosed that a pipe loop can be placed in a blind bore in the earth and that a fluid can be passed down into the earth via a first section of the pipe loop and up from the earth via a second section of the pipe loop. A disadvantage of this prior art technique is that the said pipe loop sections extend very close to each other whereby upwardly flowing warm fluid is cooled by the cold, downwardly flowing fluid, with the result that the total efficiency is low.
Furthermore it is known that there are a number of deep bore holes or wells which have been used or are being used for the recovery of oil or gas together with associated installations above ground. As a consequence of the strain on the environment which these installations often represent, for environmental and other reasons increasing demands have been made for such installations to be removed or dismantled and the wells sealed after the oil or gas extraction has ceased, which is a very expensive process.

Hole in the ground for transfer of geothermal energy to an energy-carrying liquid and a method for production of the hole


An illuminable instrument panel display of an automobile vehicle includes a first plate having a thickness and defining opposed first and second surfaces. Portions of the plate define an outer peripheral edge and an inner peripheral edge that define a central region. Indicia is formed into the plate and adapted to pick up ambient and supplied light. A light source is located within the central region. A support is coupled to the plate so as to support the plate relative to the instrument panel whereby the light source is adapted to illuminate the indicia through the transmission of light through the inner peripheral edge within the thickness of the face plate.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to illuminable displays in automotive vehicles. More specifically, the invention relates to an illuminable display that is edge lit from the center of the display and utilized in an instrument panel of an automotive vehicle.
2. Description of Related Art
Every automotive vehicle includes an instrument panel into which are inset various instruments that either provide information to the occupants of the vehicle or allow the occupants to control the interior environment of vehicle. Instruments of the type that relay information to the occupants include, without limitation, the speedometer, tachometer, fuel gage, engine temperature gage, battery charge gage, drive selection indicator, as well as various service or warning indicators. Examples of environmental controls include the audio and/or navigational system, and the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system.
Traditionally, instruments have been flat displays located within a fixed housing that is inset into the instrument panel. The methods used to light these instruments have kept the display located on a back plane of the instrument. Typically, the lighting of these displays has involved the location of a light source behind the back plane and a translucent portion of the display that allows the light pass therethrough, rendering the markings of the display visible to an occupant of the vehicle. Other lighting methods reflect light or direct light onto the surface of the display that is viewable by the occupant of the vehicle.
Lighting these instruments in an even manner has been a challenge to designers, requiring light compensation passes to be printed on the backside of a graphics appliqué or the engineering of a reflective dish or light pipe. Additionally, these limitations have limited the ability of designers to produce instruments and instrument clusters that are differentiable in the marketplace.
In view of the above it is apparent that there exists a need for a display design that removes the limitations associated with lighting of the display and that frees designers to differentiate instruments and instrument clusters in the marketplace.


In a flexible OLED device production method, after an intermediate region and flexible substrate region of a plastic film of a multilayer stack are divided, the interface between the flexible substrate region and glass base is irradiated with laser light. The multilayer stack is separated into first and second portions while the multilayer stack is kept in contact with the stage. The first portion includes a plurality of OLED devices in contact with the stage. The OLED devices include a plurality of functional layer regions and the flexible substrate region. The second portion includes the glass base and intermediate region. The laser light is formed from a plurality of arranged laser light sources and irradiation intensity for at least part of the interface between the intermediate region and the glass base is lower than the irradiation intensity for the interface between the flexible substrate region and the glass base.

A typical example of the flexible display includes a film which is made of a synthetic resin such as polyimide (hereinafter, referred to as "plastic film"), and elements supported by the plastic film, such as TFTs (Thin Film Transistors) and OLEDs (Organic Light Emitting Diodes). The plastic film functions as a flexible substrate. The flexible display is encapsulated with a gas barrier film (encapsulation film) because an organic semiconductor layer which is a constituent of the OLED is likely to deteriorate due to water vapor.
Production of the above-described flexible display is carried out using a glass base on which a plastic film is formed over the upper surface. The glass base functions as a support (carrier) for keeping the shape of the plastic film flat during the production process. Elements such as TFTs and OLEDs, a gas barrier film, and the other constituents are formed on the plastic film, whereby the structure of a flexible OLED device is realized while it is supported by the glass base. Thereafter, the flexible OLED device is delaminated from the glass base and gains flexibility. The entirety of a portion in which elements such as TFTs and OLEDs are arrayed can be referred to as "functional layer region".
According to the prior art, a sheet-like structure including a plurality of flexible OLED devices is delaminated from a glass base, and thereafter, optical parts and other constituents are mounted to this sheet-like structure. Thereafter, the sheet-like structure is divided into a plurality of flexible devices. This cutting is realized by, for example, laser beam irradiation.
Patent Document No. 1 discloses the method of irradiating the interface between each flexible OLED device and the glass base with laser light (lift-off light) in order to delaminate each flexible OLED device from the glass base (supporting substrate). According to the method disclosed in Patent Document No. 1, after irradiation with the lift-off light, respective flexible OLED devices are divided from one another, and each of the flexible OLED devices is delaminated from the glass base.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Method and apparatus for producing flexible OLED device


A Bayesian two-color image demosaicer and method for processing a digital color image to demosaic the image in such a way as to reduce image artifacts. The method and system are an improvement on and an enhancement to previous demosaicing techniques. A preliminary demosaicing pass is performed on the image to assign each pixel a fully specified RGB triple color value. The final color value of pixel in the processed image is restricted to be a linear combination of two colors. Fully-specified RGB triple color values for each pixel in an image used to find two clusters represented favored two colors. The amount of contribution from these favored two colors on the final color value then is determined. The method and system also can process multiple images to improve the demosaicing results. When using multiple images, sampling can be performed at a finer resolution, known as super resolution.

Digital still cameras continue to increase in popularity and quality as the cost of such cameras continues to decline. Most digital still cameras use a single image sensor to capture color information for each pixel in a color image. The image sensor, which is typically a charge-coupled device (CCD) or a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS), is part of a sensor array that together represent the pixels of a color image.
The image sensor can only generate information about a single color at a given pixel. A color image, however, is represented by combining three separate monochromatic images. In order to display a color image, all of the red, blue and green (RGB) color values are needed at each pixel. In order to obtain the other two missing colors, a technique must be used to estimate or interpolate the missing colors from surrounding pixels in the image. This class of estimation and interpolation techniques is called "demosaicing".
The "demosaicing" term is derived from the fact that a color filter array (CFA) is used in front of the image sensors, with the CFA being arranged in a mosaic pattern. This mosaic pattern has only one color value for each of the pixels in the image. In order to obtain the full-color image, the mosaic pattern must be "demosaiced". Thus, demosaicing is the technique of interpolating back the image captured with a mosaic-pattern CFA, so that a full RGB value can be associated with every pixel.
More specifically, a single-sensor digital camera captures the image using an image sensor array that is preceded in the optical path by a CFA. A highly popular and common mosaic CFA is called the Bayer mosaic pattern. For each 2×2 set of pixels, two diagonally opposed pixels have green filters, and the other two pixels have red and blue filters. Since the color green (G) carries most of the luminance information for humans, its sampling rate is twice that of the color red (R) and the color blue (B).
There are many types of demosaicing techniques currently available, such as bilinear interpolation, median filtering, vector CFA, gradient-based, and statistical modeling. However, each of these current demosaicing techniques produces visual and quantitatively measurable artifacts. These artifacts include aliasing or "zippering" artifacts, where every other pixel along an edge alternates between being considered on or off the edge, and color fringing, where yellows, purples, and cyans appear along or on sharp edges.

Bayesian demosaicing using a two-color image


A device for automated assembling of cone half-bits on a valve of an internal combustion engine has a pushing rod which is introduced inside a plurality of longitudinal petals which are elastically deflectable outwardly in a radial direction, said petals being adapted to be introduced between the two cone half-bits so as to cause them to diverge from each other during the assembling operation.

The present invention relates to a device for automated assembling of cone half-bits of a valve of an internal combustion engine.
According to the conventional art, a valve of an internal combustion engine comprises a mushroom-shaped body including a stem on whose free end a cup element is secured having a conical inner surface, tapering towards the mushroom-shaped head of the valve, and an outer annular flange for abutment of one or more return helical springs for the valve, said cup element being secured on said end of the valve stem with the interposition of an annular body having an outer conical surface, also tapering towards the mushroom-shaped head of the valve, which is formed by two cone half-bits which are freely in contact with each other at a plane containing the axis of said annular body, said cone half-bits defining one or more circumferential inner ribs in their assembled condition, said ribs engaging corresponding circumferential grooves provided on said end of the valve stem.
In his European patent application EP-A-0 708 228, the same Applicant has proposed a method for automated assembling of the cone half-bits on the valve stem, wherein the above mentioned two cone half-bits are mounted by causing them to slide on the valve stem while holding them temporarily in a diverging condition, with their ends of lower diameter spaced apart from each other. In this previous patent application, the Applicant has also proposed a device for carrying out the above mentioned method, comprising means for mounting said cone half-bits by causing them to slide on the valve stem while holding them in a diverging condition, with their ends of lower diameter spaced apart from each other, wherein said means included a tubular body adapted to be displaced along an axis coincident with the axis of the valve stem and for engagement with the annular flange of the cup element, said tubular body being further provided with a plurality of jaws elastically deflectable outwardly in a radial direction and having inclined inner surfaces diverging from each other in the direction of the mushroom-shaped head of the valve and adapted to engage the end surfaces of greater diameter of the two cone half-bits, said inserting device further including a pushing rod, slidably mounted within the tubular body and ending with a tip for co-operating with said jaws for holding the two cone half-bits in the above mentioned diverging position until they reach their assembling position on the stem.

Device for automated assembling of cone half-bits of a valve of an internal combustion engine


The present invention concerns a new process for synthesising aminoadamantanes of formula I

An early synthesis of the aforesaid substituted aminoadamantanes, in particular memantine hydrochloride, starting from its precursor 1-bromo-3,5-dimethyladamantane was described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,391,142. This synthesis protocol comprises, in the first step, the reaction between 1-bromo-3,5-dimethyladamantane and large excesses of both acetonitrile and concentrated sulfuric acid, to provide 1-acetamido-3,5-dimethyladamantane by way of the so called Ritter reaction. This reaction, which proceeds via the attack of an acetonitrile on a carbocation that forms in an acid environment followed by formation of an amide, is strongly exothermic, with consequent scale-up problems as the reactors normally used for synthesising pharmaceutical active principles are not designed to dissipate such developed heat. This is because they have in reality to be suitably over-dimensioned in order to be able to handle without serious dangers eventual extreme heat release peaks caused by potential reagent accumulations in the system. In the case of U.S. Pat. No. 3,391,142, also the second synthesis step described therein which leads from the 1-acetamido-3,5-dimethyladamantane to the final product, has shown to be problematic, in that the hydrolysis of 1-acetamido-3,5-dimethyladarnantane is undertaken in the presence of sodium hydroxide in diethylene glycol heated under reflux, i.e. at temperatures exceeding 245° to 250° C. for at least 6 hours, after which the reaction product is poured onto ice. Also these conditions, given the high temperatures needed, not only require special plants, not commonly used in the synthesis of proprietary drugs, but are also very severe—with the consequent danger of impurity formation which then must be removed by often laborious purifications. Specifically referring to U.S. Pat. No. 3,391,142, the free base obtained following the hydrolysis is extracted with benzene, taken up in ether, then added with HCl to provide the addition salt, which is then re-precipitated from a mixture of alcohol and ether.
A more modem synthesis of memantine hydrochloride, this time starting from 1-chloro-3,5-dimethyladamantane, was then described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,122,193. This synthesis protocol involves, in the first step, the reaction between 1-chloro-3,5-dimethyladamantane and urea in a pressure vessel at 220° C. These are also very severe conditions, and, if the reaction is undertaken on an industrial scale, also require special plants and safety arrangements, such as pressure vessels heatable by diathermic oils, normally not used for the synthesis of pharmaceutical active principles. In addition, the conditions described can also lead to in situ degradation of the urea used (whose thermal decomposition under atmospheric conditions takes place already at temperatures greater than 132° C., leading to the formation of biuret, ammonia and hydrocyanic acid), resulting in considerable difficulties in purifying the final product which will have to comply later with the very narrow specifications required for pharmaceutical raw materials.
In addition to the 1-acetamido-3,5-dimethyladamantane known from U.S. Pat. No. 3,391,142, the analogous 1-formamide-3,5-dimethyladamantane could be a hypothetical intermediate on the synthetic route from 1-halogen-3,5-dimethyladamantane to memantine HCl. Indeed, U.S. Pat. No. 5,061,703, in respective examples 6F, 7D, 8E and 9E proposes the synthesis of different N-formyl derivatives of different alkyladamantanes by the reaction between formamide and the respective halogen derivative under formamide reflux conditions. Here also the necessary conditions are very severe and require, for scale-up, considerable plant investment and expedients on an industrial scale. This is because, at atmospheric pressure, formamide boils at 210° C. but according to the data safety sheet its decomposition, to carbon monoxide and ammonia, starts at about 180° C. Indeed, within the sphere of the experiments undertaken by the inventors of the present application, in which 1-halogen-3,5-dimethyladamantane was reacted with formamide under the preferred conditions of U.S. Pat. No. 5,061,703, formation of a dark coloured sublimate was in fact observed on the cooled walls of the reaction container, and the entire reaction mixture appeared, after the prescribed 12 hours under reflux, as a dark pitch which liquefied on heating. And indeed the presence of impurities formed during synthesis of the formamide intermediate continues until the final hydrochloride product is obtained which—if obtained by this path—is less pure.
From the aforegoing, it therefore appears that in the current state of the art there is no synthetic approach free of the aforesaid disadvantages i.e. a synthesis path for aminoadamantanes and their addition salts, in particular memantine HCl, starting from their corresponding halogenated precursors, that can be undertaken on an industrial scale under mild conditions without the need for special equipment—designed either for operating at high temperatures or for dissipating unusual heat development peaks—which provides a final product easily purifiable to purity levels customary for pharmaceutical products and not substantially contaminated with the decomposition products of reagents used upstream. From the above, it also appears that in the current state of the art there is no synthetic approach improved from a safety aspect i.e. that also avoids, in addition to the aforesaid problem of heat development peaks, the development of toxic degradation products such as ammonia, hydrocyanic acid and/or carbon monoxide.
An object of the present invention is therefore the provision of a new synthesis procedure that solves the above mentioned problems.

Process for synthesising aminoadamantanes

Abstract: in which R1 and R2 are identical or different and are H or a straight or branched alkyl group comprising from 1 to 6 carbon atoms, and addition salts thereof with inorganic or organic acids, in particular memantine hydrochloride (1-amino-3,5-dimethyladamantane hydrochloride).

A.M.S.A. Anonima Materie Sintetiche E. Afini S.p.A.


The multi-ported valve assembly includes a valve body having a plurality of individual ports disposed in a common plane and a common port having its axis disposed perpendicularly to the common plane of the individual ports. The valve assembly includes a selector means having a body portion designed to engage the valve body and provide selective communication between one of the individual ports and the common port. The selector means includes a handle to facilitate rotation thereof and selection of a desired fluid flow passageway as well as indicator means to indicate direction of fluid flow. Also provided are sealing means to prevent external leakage during use and suitable connecting or coupling means to provide connection especially in devices and apparatus used in ophthalmic surgical procedures.

In the prior art, numerous multi-ported valves have been proposed to control a plurality of fluid flow streams. U.S. Pat. Nos. 706,928 to Graham and 2,821,998 to Mayhew disclose these types of valves. Each of the patents to Mayhew and Graham disclose a manifold-type valve which provides communication between one inlet and a plurality of outlets. The teachings of these two patents are different from that of the present invention in that neither Mayhew or Graham disclose a valve device which provides connection between a single common port and one of a plurality of additional ports aligned in a different, but common plane.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,410,001 to Goguen discloses an anti-siphon selector valve having both input and output ports lying in the same plane. U.S. Pat. No. 732,010 to Savage discloses another fluid controlling valve which includes a chamber and a disk valve to control fluid flow from an inlet port to one or both outlet ports. The teachings of Goguen and Savage are different from the present invention in that neither patent teaches or fairly suggest all of the features of the present invention including a valve body in combination with a selector means, the selector means providing connection between an inlet and outlet port via a passageway similar in diameter to the inlet and outlet ports.
Multi-ported valves have also been proposed for use in medical or surgical applications. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,618,637 to Santomieri, 4,604,093 to Brown et al., 4,721,133 to Sundblom, 4,758,235 to Tu and Design Patent Number 271,421 to Fetterman disclose these types of valves. The design patent to Fetterman discloses a medical valve wherein the common port is integral with the selector handle. In contrast, the multi-ported valve of the present invention provides a selector handle which is remote from the common port. The patent to Santomieri discloses a valve having a mixing chamber therein to accommodate simultaneous infusion and mixing of a plurality of fluids into a single infusion tube. No such mixing chamber is contemplated by the present invention.
The valve disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 4,758,235 to Tu is designed to provide connection between one of a multiplicity of syringes to a patient. The valve of Tu is different from the proposed multiported valve assembly in that Tu includes female luer fittings to engage syringes, provides different sealing means between the valve body and selector and has the outlet port disposed in a plane parallel to the plane containing the plurality of inlet ports. U.S. Pat. No. 4,721,133 to Sundblom discloses a valve for use in the field of opthalmic surgery which includes a deformable but resilient sealing member which is deformed to prevent fluid transmission through a channel in the valve. U.S. Pat. No. 4,604,093 to Brown et al. discloses a valve similar to that disclosed by Tu which also includes gear means, control means and drive means to provide automatic administering of fluids.
In view of the prior art, a need has developed to provide a less complicated multi-ported valve assembly which is adaptable to different types of medical procedures which may include a single inlet with a plurality of outlets or a single outlet with a plurality of inlets. For example, in ophthalmic surgery, a source of vacuum may be desired to be connected to a plurality of different instruments requiring vacuum or, in the alternative, a plurality of irrigation fluid sources may be required to be connected to a single infusion outlet.
In response to this need, the present invention provides an improved multi-ported valve assembly has been developed which provides a means to connect a single common port with one of a plurality of individual ports or to a shut-off position. The multiported valve assembly includes a selector handle which includes an indicator to indicate direction of flow through the valve. The individual ports are disposed in a plane perpendicular to the outlet or common port to prevent entanglement of tubing connected to the various ports. In addition, the selector is configured opposite the common port to further facilitate ease of selection of a particular flow direction.


An ultraviolet measuring method using an ultraviolet sensitive element, comprising:                measuring an ultraviolet intensity with the ultraviolet sensitive element at a sun altitude; and        determining an integrated ultraviolet intensity within a specific ultraviolet wavelength range or a response index by converting the measured intensity to the integrated ultraviolet intensity within the specific ultraviolet range or the response index by using a conversion factor corresponding to the sun altitude,wherein the conversion factor is a function of at least sun altitude.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ultraviolet measuring method and an ultraviolet measuring device, which can easily measure ultraviolet rays in living environment and can get information on specific ultraviolet rays such as an amount of ultraviolet rays which have direct influences on human bodies.
2. Description of the Related Art
One of the biggest problems concerning the global environment has been an increase in the amount of ultraviolet radiation on the surface of the earth caused by destruction of ozone layer. Such ultraviolet rays cause health problems such as development of skin cancers, development of light-hypersensitivity, and light aging. Moreover, ultraviolet rays cause aesthetic problems such as pigmented spots and freckles.
Therefore, measurement of ultraviolet rays in our living environment has become more important from the viewpoint of beauty and health care.
However, a dedicated ultraviolet gauging device is required for measurement of an amount of ultraviolet rays. Since it is a bother to carry a dedicated UV (ultraviolet) measuring device, it has been not easy to measure ultraviolet rays.
The ultraviolet rays have various kinds of influences on living bodies. Accordingly, there are various ways of expressing an amount of ultraviolet rays, depending on the purpose for the measurement of ultraviolet rays. For example, an amount of ultraviolet rays may be represented by the total amount of ultraviolet rays (290 to 400 nm), by the amount of ultraviolet rays measured by an ultraviolet sensor having sensitivity only to the UVA range (320 to 400 nm), or by the amount of ultraviolet rays measured by an ultraviolet sensor having sensitivity only to the UVB range (290 to 320 nm).

Method for measuring ultraviolet radiation and ultraviolet measuring device

Abstract: An ultraviolet measuring method, using an ultraviolet sensitive element with spectral sensitivity to a specific wavelength range, comprising:                measuring an ultraviolet intensity with the ultraviolet sensitive element; andcorrecting the measured ultraviolet intensity according to sun altitude information for an arbitrary point in time so as to predict an ultraviolet intensity at the point in time.


An image processing system or electronic device may implement processing circuitry. The processing circuitry may receive an image, such as financial document image. The processing circuitry may determine a character count for the financial document image or particular portions of the financial document image without recognizing any particular character in the financial document image. In that regard, the processing circuitry may determine a top left score for pixels in the financial document, the top left score indicating or representing a likelihood that a particular pixel corresponds to a top left corner of a text character. The processing circuitry may also determine top right score for image pixels. Then, the processing circuitry may identify one or more text chunks using the top left and top rights scores for pixels in the financial document image. The processing circuitry may determine a character count for the identified text chunks.

1. Technical Field
This disclosure relates to determining a character count for an image, such as a financial document image. This disclosure also relates to determining the character count of the image without recognizing the identity of the characters in the image.
2. Description of Related Art
Systems may receive digital images for processing. As one example, an electronic device may capture an image of a financial document, such as a check. The user can submit the image of the check to a financial institution server for processing and deposit of the check. However, the check image may be degraded in multiple ways. The check may be overly cropped by the user such that important fields or portions of the check are cropped out of the check image. The image capture device of the electronic device may capture a blurry image of the check. These degradations may inhibit subsequent processing of the check image.

Character count determination for a digital image


A filter insert (1A) for a fluid filter with an outer square or hollow cylindrical shape has a plurality of continuous zigzag folded walls (5) made of a fluid-permeable material (2) and provided in the plane of at least part of the folded walls with stiffening embossed depressions (3) and/or projections for keeping the walls folded. The depressions and/or projections of adjacent folded walls are interconnected at least in part and supported on each other. Stiff spacers are provided between the depressions or projections in at least part of their length for interconnecting them and supporting them on each other.

The invention relates to a filter insert including a material permeable to fluid and having a number of planar fold walls arranged in a substantially continuous zigzag shape and including depressions and/or elevations stamped into the plane of at least a part of a respective one of the fold walls in order to stiffen the fold walls, the depressions and/or elevations of adjacent fold walls being connected to one another at least partially and being supported on one another.
Filter inserts of the above types are used to remove contamination from a fluid flowing through a filter, particularly air or industrial gasses, but theoretically liquids as well. At present, filter elements consisting of a micro fibre fleece, particularly glass fibres, are predominantly used in air filters.
In order to increase the effective filter area relative to the inflow surface of the air filter which forms a filter element or filter area, the filter medium is folded in a zigzag shape so as to produce a number of folds adjoining one another via fold edges, which are located at an acute angle to the walls of the folds and through which the medium to be purified flows at right angles to the direction of the fold edges.
As a result of the depositing of material, and particularly the settling of larger particles, on the inflow side of the filter, turbulence in the inflowing fluid, slight irregularities in the folds, etc, inhomogeneities may occur in the fluid flow as the fluid flows through the filter, thereby subjecting the fold arrangement to strong mechanical alternating stresses and possibly bringing about deformation of the fold arrangement.
In order to hold the folds at a specified distance from one another and mechanically stabilise the fold arrangement of the filter insert, the folds are therefore provided with projections protruding from the plane of the fold walls, as described for example in U.S. Pat. No. 3,531,920 or, according to another special embodiment, in DE 41 26 126 A1, in such a way that the projections of adjacent fold walls abut on one another and the fold walls support one another. In order that the fold walls are directed at an inclined angle to the incoming fluid, ie. the fold layers are substantially triangular in cross section, the projections must also be approximately triangular or trapezoidal in cross section.
These arrangements have proved suitable for filter inserts with a fold height up to about 100 mm, with relatively tightly packed folds. Beyond this fold height and with larger fold spacings, however, the depth of impression required is so great that, with conventional filter materials, there is the risk of the folds being punched through, thereby unacceptably increasing the number of rejects.
It is also known from DE 40 38 966 to place separate spacers with the same function on the fold walls or to insert said spacers therein. The spacers may be adhesive aggregates, particularly in fibre form, as mentioned as a possibility in the specification referred to above or as illustrated in DE 30 37 019 A1. In addition to acting as spacers, they also have the effect of connecting the fold walls and thus further increasing the rigidity of the filter insert.
The adhesive is applied before the folding of the filter material onto the flat strip, and the fold walls are adhered by the contact of the adhesive threads with one another during the folding operation. This solution is therefore only suitable for very densely packed folds. In addition, the fold layers formed in this way tend to have a meandering configuration in cross section, which does not lead to optimum flow qualities.
DE 39 03 730 A1 describes how an adhesive thread which joins the fold layers together and stabilises them and which may be applied to the edge area after folding, is combined with impressions in the fold walls. This solution results in mechanically very stable filter inserts, but is subject to essentially the same restrictions as the solutions without adhesive in terms of the fold height and fold spacing which can be achieved.
DE 42 06 407 describes how the fold edge area of a previously folded length of filter material is covered with a fine web of adhesive threads in order to join the folds together and stabilise the filter insert. This solution is no longer practical for larger fold spacings since the fine adhesive web cannot produce a sufficiently stable attachment of fold edges which are spread further apart and the filaments of the web "sag" (particularly when applied from below to a folded material located above during the manufacturing process) and do not assume a defined position relative to the fold edges.
From EP 0 377 419 A1 an arrangement is known in which adhesive aggregates of varying sizes (larger at the top and smaller at the bottom) located in the top and bottom areas of a fold wall arrangement which is to be formed are to be used to adhere walls of folds in a manner such as to produce a substantially triangular cross section of fold. However, larger fold spacings and heights cannot be achieved by this method because extremely bulky adhesive aggregates would be required which would greatly reduce the effective filter surface.

Filter insert and process for producing it


An electronics package for use with a proximity probe is disclosed that is capable of being calibrated to work with any proximity probe and cable and that is capable of being programmed in the field. The electronic package establishes and measures a plurality of gaps between the proximity probe and a target. An amplifier is operatively coupled to the proximity probe and produces an output which is digitized, linearized and stored. A linear piecewise approximation technique is used to approximate the voltage at the output of the amplifier for gaps that were not measured.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a driver/transmitter for a proximity probe. More particularly, the present invention relates to such a driver which is field programmable.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Rotating machinery such as motors, generators, and turbines find widespread application in areas such as manufacturing, power generation, materials processing, as well as many others. Over time, such machinery is subject to wear and potential failure. Given the high operating revolutions per minute and high power dissipation of many industrial applications of such machinery, failure during operation may have severe consequences in terms of damage to the failed equipment itself as well as neighboring equipment and areas of the installation. In addition, preventive machinery shut downs for maintenance and repair can be very costly in terms of facility downtime and direct expense in labor and replacement parts. Accordingly, it has become important in this area to provide monitoring equipment associated with such rotating machinery to provide indications of its condition.
Some condition monitoring systems utilize eddy current proximity probes. Eddy current probes are well known for their ability to detect the position or condition of varying types of conductive materials. These probes are useful in a variety of related applications including position measurement, such as axial and radial runout or displacement of a rotating assembly. As illustrated in FIG. 1, a proximity probe system has been used to detect the lateral position 15 of a rotating shaft 10 in relation to its journal bearing 11 by mounting one or more probes 12 within the bearing in close proximity to the shaft. The probe is coupled by cable 13 to electronics unit 14.
Eddy current probes comprise an inductor, or coil, situated at the probe tip which is driven with a radio frequency (RF) signal which in turn creates a varying electromagnetic field in any adjacent conductive target material. This electromagnetic field produces eddy currents in the material that induce a counter-electromotive force (emf) in the eddy probe inductor, thereby altering the effective impedance of the inductor. The impedance of the probe therefore provides an indication of the distance between the target and the probe.
Conventionally, the RF oscillator which drives the eddy current probe circuit is an analog transistor-based oscillator such as the Colpitts oscillator. A Colpitts oscillator utilizes a transistor in conjunction with an LC tank circuit wherein the eddy current probe coil functions as the inductive element of the tank circuit A portion of the current flowing in the tank circuit is fed back to the base of the oscillator transistor. The distance between the conductive target area and the probe is often referred to as the "gap," and varying the gap varies the impedance of the detector coil and thereby varies the output frequency and voltage of the oscillator.
In order to function properly, the electronics unit 14 must be calibrated with the characteristics of the probe 12 and cable 13. Since there are several proximity probes manufacturers, and since the characteristics of the various probes and cables vary from manufacture to manufacturer, the utilization of one manufacturer's probe and cable with another manufacture's electronics package is not feasible because inaccurate data will be obtained. Further, even a given manufacturer may provide several different packages where each such package comprises a probe, cable and electronics unit. The proximity probe and cable from one such package cannot be utilized with the electronics unit from another package without obtaining inaccurate data. Nonetheless, probes, cables and electronics unit are routinely misapplied in the field.
Moreover, even a probe, cable and electronics package that has been factory calibrated to work with one type of target material may not produce accurate results in the field for the same type target material. This is due to differences in material characteristics between the target material in the factory and the target material in the field.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,854,553 discloses a so-called phase lock system, which should work in the application of FIG. 1, but only if the system has a narrow hold-in frequency range. Narrow hold-in frequency range means that system could be adjusted at the factory to work with particular cable length, material and probe type. But a system with narrow hold-in frequency range would not work with different cables, probes and materials. A system as in U.S. Pat. No. 5,854,553 with wide hold-in frequency range could not be applied because theoretically and practically it has the self-oscillation of the output signal and has no chance to be used for the application.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,664,782 (and others which this author has) is based on the premise of storing all possible material characteristics in a memory and using probe impedance measurements and a mathematical algorithm to automatically adjust the system to the correct gap measurements. This system could work with materials whose characteristics are downloaded in advance in a memory. Also, the system may work only with the cables and probe types provided by the company which manufactures the whole system and could not be field-calibrated with different probe or cable type made by other manufacturers. Additionally, as mentioned above, the characteristics of real materials in the field might be different from factory targets and this difference creates additional errors in a field for the above system.
Those skilled in the art would find it advantageous to have an electronics package that is capable of being calibrated to work with any proximity probe and cable and that is capable of being programmed in the field. These novel and useful results have been achieved by the driver/transmitter of the present invention.

Field programmable driver/transmitter for a proximity probe


A method and system are provided for monitoring a document assembly system. Assembly is initiated of a set of documents according to multiple document types. At least one of the document types is selected. After initiating assembly of the set of documents, assembly is initiated of at least one supplemental document according to at least one selected document type.

A document assembly system assembles documents such as books, magazines and newspapers. In the course of assembling a set of documents on the document assembly system, it is useful to monitor proper assembly and quality of the documents being assembled.
A typical non-demographic controlled system assembles a set of substantially identical documents. Such a system is monitored by sampling one or more documents from the assembled set of substantially identical documents, usually at fixed intervals of time. Since all assembled documents are substantially identical, such a technique normally monitors a non-demographic controlled system in a sufficient manner.
By comparison, a demographic controlled system assemblies different types of custom documents in specified combinations, quantities, and sequences. Accordingly such a system is not necessarily monitored in a sufficient manner by previous techniques that merely sample one or more documents from the assembled set of different custom documents. Such previous techniques fail to ensure that a particular type of document in a set of custom documents is sampled at a sufficient frequency. Moreover, such sampling is undesirable because it disrupts proper assembly and mailing of a set of custom documents according to the specified combinations quantities, and sequences.
Thus, a need has arisen for a method and system for monitoring a document assembly system, in which a demographic controlled system is monitored in a sufficient manner. Also, a need has arisen for a method and system for monitoring a document assembly system, in which a particular type of document in a set of custom documents is sampled at a sufficient frequency. Further, a need has arisen for a method and system for monitoring a document assembly system, in which a particular type of document in a set of custom documents is sampled without disrupting proper assembly and mailing of the set.

System and method for monitoring a document assembly system

International Business Machines Corporation


Techniques for creating a complex order and routing the complex order to one or more exchanges to achieve optimal pricing without exposing the customer to the conventional legging risks associated with the trading of complex orders are provided. The trading system of the present disclosure provides this mechanism by routing the order to obtain the best possible price (see FIG. 4) and by accepting the risk of a partially executed order where one leg is executed and the other is not (see FIG. 5).

A complex order (or a combination order) is a trade combining two or more instruments, such as a derivative or an underlying asset (e.g. stock) that are to be traded at the same time, in the same related quantity and at a price set as a certain ratio or a spread between such instruments—hence a combination order. The purpose of such trade is to pursue a certain specific strategy, such as risk mitigation, or a specific speculative trading strategy, and, therefore, such combination trade is valuable only in as much as it is executed at the same time and with a predetermined relationship between its component parts. A partially executed combination trade where one leg of a transaction is executed and the other one is not, will not serve the intended purpose, and, in fact can dramatically increase the risk of trader's overall trading strategy. An example of a complex order is the buying of one option and the selling of another option at the same time with respect to the same underlying instrument, such as IBM stock. Each component of a complex order is referred to as a "leg." For convenience, a complex order may be quoted in the marketplace as a difference between the leg prices (the "spread").
An exchange, such as International Securities Exchange (ISE) can execute a complex options trade natively (i.e., within the same exchange by executing both legs of the combination transaction simultaneously) (see FIG. 1). A drawback of this approach, however, is that the customer may receive sub-optimal pricing for the trade, or may not be able to execute one of the legs of the transaction if for some reason the trade becomes unmarketable. In such a situation, different trading venues can be used, with each of the legs executing separately (see FIG. 2). The U.S. has a multi-listed, distributed trading environment in which several exchanges may trade the same underlying instruments (e.g. IBM stock and derivative instruments with respect thereto) (see FIG. 3). In this trading environment, a trader who wants to achieve the best possible price may want to buy one option from a first exchange and sell the other option on another exchange, thus not trade on a native exchange but rather trade inter-market. Of course, although it offers arbitrage opportunities and a higher liquidity of a better price, the inter-market strategy is more risky because the likelihood that both legs of the transaction may not become executed simultaneously increases.
Conventionally, a multiple exchange type of trade can only be accomplished via separate trades at the various exchanges with respect to separate legs of the same combination transaction. One drawback of executing separate trades in order to implement a complex order is that the trader accepts a "legging risk." More specifically, the trader accepts the risk that the market conditions may change before each and every leg of the complex order can be filled. For example, if only the first leg of a two-leg complex order can be filled (e.g., a call option), then the trader must accept the completion of the first leg without the accompanying second leg (e.g., the put option that was designed to limit trader's potential market risk) (see FIG. 2).
What is needed are techniques for creating a complex order and routing the complex order to one or more exchanges to achieve optimal pricing without exposing the customer to the conventional legging risks associated with the trading of complex orders. The trading system of the present disclosure provides this mechanism by smart routing the order to obtain the best possible price (see FIG. 4) and by accepting the ultimate risk of partially executed order where one leg is executed and the other is not (see FIG. 5).

Inter-market smart-routing for combination spread order trading


The lashing hook includes a hook portion hooked to a fixing member of a lashing target, and a body portion. The body portion includes a connecting portion for connecting a belt for transmitting tension. The hook portion includes a base portion, a curved portion, and a tip portion. The curved portion has an opening between the base portion and the tip portion while having a space for accommodating the fixing member inside the opening. When the direction in which the body portion and the vicinity of the base portion have their thickness is the Z direction, the curved portion has a bend in the Z direction so as not to overlap the Z directional position of the tip portion and the Z directional position of the base portion.

When cargo such as automobiles is transported on a ship, it is necessary to fix the cargo on the deck in order to prevent positional deviation during a voyage. Recent automobiles are equipped with a fixing member such as an eye-bolt in order to facilitate fixing thereof. The eye-bolt includes an annular loop portion for latching a hook, and a bolt portion to be fixed with an automobile or the like.
Patent Document 1 discloses a lashing device for fixing a lashing target such as an automobile on a ship or the like. The lashing device includes a lashing hook for latching onto a fixing member such as an eye-bolt. One end of a rope or a belt is fixed to the lashing hook. The other end of the belt is connected to a fixing hook via a tension generating mechanism. The fixing hook is fastened to an immovable member provided on a deck of a ship or the like.
The tension generating mechanism incorporates an operating lever utilizing the principle of leverage. The operating lever is reversed from the released position to the fixed position with the fulcrum as a center, thereby tensioning the belt connecting the lashing hook and the fixing hook. Therefore, according to the lashing device described in Patent Document 1, tension of the belt can be applied to the lashing target when the operation lever of the tension generating mechanism is reversed after the lashing hook is latched to the lashing target and the fixing hook is latched to the immovable member. By applying the same tension to a plurality of points, for example, four corners of an automobile, the position of the lashing target can be fixed.

Lashing hook, lashing device, and lashing method


A retrofit arrangement for attacking an electrical lead to a terminal has a body consisting of a conductive central portion and a non-conductive portion substantially surrounding the central portion.

The present invention relates to a connector body for a retrofit arrangement to attach leads to compressor motor terminals as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,048,233 and 6,565,393, the disclosures of which are incorporated by reference herein.
An object of the present invention is to provide a connector body which, overall, provides a non-conducting body while also having the advantage of a larger electrical contact area.
One advantage of the present invention is that it avoids the need for extensive cleaning up of the compressor posts that can become seriously pitted with significant carbon residue. The present invention avoids this cleaning step by providing an effectively greater conducting contact surface area by virtue of the fact that now all contacting surfaces are conducting. Thereby, the current per surface area is reduced and avoids the need for substantial amounts of contact surface cleaning.
Still another advantage of the present invention is that the conducting central section has a transient thermal capacity to minimize thermal temperature swings because there is still some electrical resistance between the compressor post and the retrofit arrangement even with an effectively doubled contact surface area which reduces resistance by about one-half.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Connector body for a lead attachment retrofit arrangement


A defibrillator/monitor (10) employing a message processing routine (60) that controls the way in which information from a plurality of sensing circuits (28) is communicated to an attending physician by output devices (30). In that regard, each of the various conditions monitored by the sensing circuits has a priority associated therewith. Each condition may be associated with one or more of five different types of messages: an initial display message, steady state display message, initial sound message, steady state sound message, and display icon message. The different messages, like the different conditions, may also be prioritized. The particular message or messages produced by the output devices in response to a particular set of conditions is then dependent upon the relative prioritization of the conditions and messages as evaluated by a microcomputer (18) in accordance with the routine.

A variety of instruments have been developed for use in the monitoring and treatment of medical conditions. Many such instruments provide a physician with information regarding a patient's condition, as well as information concerning the nature and effectiveness of any treatment provided. Often, the accuracy and availability of this information is dependent upon the operability of the instrument itself.
As might be expected, however, it may be difficult for the physician to continuously monitor all of the information available from the instrument, let alone evaluate the operability of the instrument. This problem is compounded when a number of instruments are being used simultaneously in the treatment of the patient. The problem may become particularly acute in an emergency situation, when the physician's attention is primarily focused upon the patient.
To ensure that important information is promptly called to the physician's attention, conventional medical instruments often produce messages associated with various patient, treatment, or instrument events. These messages may be in a variety of different forms. For example, in addition to a visible display, an audible message or alarm will often be employed to communicate the desired information in the event the instrument is outside the physician's field of view.
One type of medical instrument that conventionally provides a user with some form of messages is the defibrillator/monitor. A monitor portion of the instrument typically monitors the electrical activity of the patient's heart via two or more electrodes attached to the patient. A defibrillator portion of the instrument is used to, for example, apply a relatively large pulse of electrical energy to the patient via a pair of electrodes, to terminate fibrillation of the heart. The instrument may also include a pacing section that applies smaller periodic pulses of current to the patient's heart to cause the heart to beat at some desired rate.
Reviewing the message capabilities of certain prior art defibrillator/monitors, a number of different defibrillator/monitors are manufactured by Physio-Control, assignee of the present application. One such instrument is the LIFEPAK 8 defibrillator/monitor. The LIFEPAK 8 instrument is constructed to provide the attending physician with a variety of different messages.
Some of these messages are produced to apprise the physician of the patient's condition. For example, information from the monitor portion of the instrument is used to generate messages indicating that the patient's heart rate has crossed preset thresholds. Other messages provide the physician with information regarding the treatment being administered to the patient. For example, the defibrillator portion of the instrument initiates messages identifying the amount of energy discharged to the patient by the defibrillator. Still other messages contain information about the operability of the instrument. For example, information from sensing circuits included in the instrument is used to generate messages reflecting the condition of the instrument's batteries and the general service condition of the device.
The messages produced by the LIFEPAK 8 defibrillator/monitor include some visible and some audible messages. The visible messages may be as simple as lit indication lights. Each of the different visible messages is generally produced by a separate display element or separate segment of a display. With such dedicated displays used, however, the complexity of the instrument's face panel increases with the number of different messages to be produced.
The audible messages produced by the LIFEPAK 8 defibrillator/monitor are simple tones. Although audible messages may be especially suitable for conveying information to a physician in an emergency setting, the use of audible messages is relatively limited in the LIFEPAK 8 product.
Another prior art defibrillator/monitor of interest is the LIFEPAK 200 instrument manufactured by Physio-Control. The LIFEPAK 200 defibrillator/monitor includes a liquid crystal display (LCD), which generates a variety of different visible messages. In that regard, operator messages prompt an operator regarding the proper use and operation of the instrument. The LCD also allows six different instrument condition messages to be displayed.
The instrument condition messages include a "service" message, indicating that a self-diagnostic program run by the instrument has detected some fault in instrument readiness. A "low battery" message indicates that battery voltage, as monitored by a simple comparator, has dropped below some preset threshold. A "no tape" message indicates that a sensor included in the instrument's cassette recorder has not detected the presence of a cassette tape. A "tape" message further indicates that another sensor has determined that a cassette loaded into the recorder is either jammed or at the end of the tape.
Several messages produced by the LIFEPAK 200 are a function of the impedance of the interface formed between the patient and a pair of electrodes coupled to the instrument, as measured by an impedance measurement circuit. In that regard, a "connect electrodes" message indicates that the impedance has exceeded a preset threshold, suggesting that the electrodes are not adequately attached to the patient. Similarly, a "motion detected" message indicates that variations in the impedance of the patient/electrode interface have been detected, reflecting some patient/electrode disturbance.
Along with the various visible messages described above, the LIFEPAK 200 instrument also produces coded audible tones to prompt the operator and alert the operator to the presence of the warning messages described above. Each of the visible and audible messages is produced as soon as the associated instrument condition is detected. The messages have fixed durations and are immediately replaced by any messages associated with subsequently detected conditions.
As will be appreciated, although the message scheme used by the LIFEPAK 200 generally works well, it may have certain limitations when a number of message conditions occur simultaneously or over a short interval of time. Because the scheme treats all messages the same, a message associated with a relatively important condition may be replaced almost immediately with a message of lesser importance, depending upon the time at which the various conditions are detected. Similarly, while the LIFEPAK 200 message scheme provides the user with a message when the associated condition is first detected, it does not remind the user of the continued presence of the condition.
In view of the preceding observations, it would be desirable to produce a medical instrument that is able to provide an operator with a wide variety of messages without requiring an unduly complex display arrangement. It would also be desirable to ensure that relatively important messages are recognized as such and called to the operator's attention promptly and in several different formats. Finally, it would be desirable to ensure that some indication of an ongoing condition can be provided to the operator, particularly when the condition is of relative importance.

System for producing prioritized alarm messages in a medical instrument


A management server for managing inventory of articles and a terminal device for inquiring the condition of inventory are provided. The management server is provided with an inventory database and a database control portion for controlling input and output of data to and from the inventory database. The inventory database stores, as management information, information identifying articles and salespersons responsible for the articles as well as, for articles specified to be included in open inventory, information indicating that persons other than the salespersons responsible for the articles are permitted to sell the particular article. Furthermore, the management server accepts access by particular users from the terminal device to the management information on the articles included in ordinary inventory and also accepts access by users other than the particular users from the terminal device to the management information on the articles included in open inventory.

In a distribution process for articles, there are wholesalers and sellers operating between shipment of articles and delivery of the articles to consumers, and each of the wholesalers and sellers has inventory. When stock of inventory is held for a long time, it causes not only a delay in earning a profit but also increases inventory unit cost due to additional expenses such as warehouse storage charges, and as a result, profit may be reduced even if articles in stock are sold, and furthermore, even a loss may be caused. Accordingly, in order to realize efficient distribution of articles, it is desirable to prevent having stock at more than a necessary level, and therefore it is important to perform appropriate inventory management. Today, there are widespread inventory management systems using a computer, which contribute to improvement in the working efficiency for inventory management (for example, see the abstract of Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. 5-120313).
At wholesalers and sellers, inventory management is generally performed by each department or each salesperson. Therefore, even articles stocked for a long time are generally handled (sold, disposed of or continuously managed as inventory) by the responsible department or salesperson.

Inventory management method and program product

International Business Machines Corporation


Methods of using ozone have been developed which sterilize instruments and medical wastes, oxidize organics found in wastewater, clean laundry, break down contaminants in soil into a form more readily digested by microbes, kill microorganisms present in food products, and destroy toxins present in food products. The preferred methods for killing microorganisms and destroying toxins use pressurized, humidified, and concentrated ozone produced by an electrochemical cell.

This invention relates generally to improvements in the production of ozone (O.sub.3). More particularly, the invention relates to the electrolytic production of ozone utilizing a proton exchange membrane to separate the anode and depolarized cathode.
Ozone has long been recognized as a useful chemical commodity valued particularly for its outstanding oxidative activity,. Because of this activity it finds wide application in disinfection processes. In fact, it kills bacteria more rapidly than chlorine, it decomposes organic molecules, and removes coloration in aqueous systems. Ozonation removes cyanides, phenols, iron, maganese, and detergents. It controls slime formation in aqueous systems, yet maintains a high oxygen content in the system. Unlike chlorination, which may leave undesirable chlorinated organic residues in organic containing systems, ozonation leaves fewer potentially harmful residues. There is evidence that ozone will destroy viruses. It is used for sterilization in the brewing industry and for odor control in sewage treatment and manufacturing. And ozone is employed as a raw material in the manufacture of certain organic compounds, e.g., oleic acid and peroxyacetic acid.
Thus, ozone has widespread application in many diverse activities, and its use would undoubtedly expand if its cost of production could be reduced. In addition, since ozone is explosive when concentrated as either a gas or liquid, or when dissolved into solvents or absorbed into gels, its transportation is potentially hazardous. Therefore, it is generally manufactured on the site where it is used. However, the cost of generating equipment, and poor energy efficiency of production has deterred its use in many applications and in many locations.
On a commercial basis, ozone is currently produced by the silent electric discharge process, otherwise known as corona discharge, wherein air or oxygen is passed through an intense, high frequency alternating current electric field. The corona discharge process forms ozone through the following reaction: EQU 3/2O.sub.2 =O.sub.3 ; .DELTA.H.degree..sub.298 =34.1 kcal
Yields in the corona discharge process generally are in the vicinity of 2% ozone, i.e., the exit gas may be about 2% O.sub.3 by weight. Such O.sub.3 concentrations, while quite poor, in an absolute sense, are still sufficiently high to furnish usable quantities of O.sub.3 for the indicated commercial purposes. Another disadvantage of the corona process is the production of harmful NO.sub.x, otherwise known as nitrogen oxides. Other than the aforementioned electric discharge process, there is no other commercially exploited process for producing large quantities of O.sub.3.
However, O.sub.3 may also be produced by the electrolytic process, wherein an electric current (normally D.C.) is impressed across electrodes immersed in an electrolyte, i.e., electrically conducting, fluid. The electrolyte includes water, which, in the process, dissociates into its respective elemental species, O.sub.2 and H.sub.2. Under the proper conditions, the oxygen is also evolved as the O.sub.3 species. The evolution of O.sub.3 may be represented as: EQU 3H.sub.2 O=O.sub.3 +3H.sub.2 ; .DELTA.H.degree..sub.298 =207.5 kcal
It will be noted that the .DELTA.H.degree. in the electrolytic process is many times greater than that for the electric discharge process. Thus, the electrolytic process appears to be at about a six-fold disadvantage.
More specifically, to compete on an energy cost basis with the electric discharge method, an electrolytic process must yield at least a six-fold increase in ozone. Heretofore, the necessary high yields have not been realized in any foreseeably practical electrolytic system.
The evolution of O.sub.3 by electrolysis of various electrolytes has been known for well over 100 years. High yields up to 35% current efficiency have been noted in the literature. Current efficiency is a measure of ozone production relative to oxygen production for given inputs of electrical current, i.e., 35% current efficiency means that under the conditions stated, the O.sub.2 /O.sub.3 gases evolved at the anode are comprised of 35% O.sub.3 by volume. However, such yields could only be achieved utilizing very low electrolyte temperatures, e.g., in the range from about -30.degree. C. to about -65.degree. C. Maintaining the necessary low temperatures, obviously requires costly refrigeration equipment as well as the attendant additional energy cost of operation.
Ozone, O.sub.3, is present in large quantities in the upper atmosphere in the earth to protect the earth from the suns harmful ultraviolet rays. In addition, ozone has been used in various chemical processes, is known to be a strong oxidant, having an oxidation potential of 2.07 volts. This potential makes it the fourth strongest oxidizing chemical known.
Because ozone has such a strong oxidation potential, it has a very short half-life. For example, ozone which has been solubilized in waste water may decompose in a matter of 20 minutes. Ozone can decompose into secondary oxidants such as highly reactive hydroxyl (OH.sup.*) and peroxyl (HO.sub.2.sup.*) radicals. These radicals are among the most reactive oxidizing species known. They undergo fast, non selective, free radical reactions with dissolved compounds. Hydroxyl radicals have an oxidation potential of 2.8 volts (V), which is higher than most chemical oxidizing species including O.sub.3. Most of the OH.sup.* radicals are produced in chain reactions where OH itself or HO.sub.2.sup.* act as initiators.
Hydroxyl radicals act on organic contaminants either by hydrogen abstraction or by hydrogen addition to a double bond, the resulting radicals disproportionate or combine with each other forming many types of intermediates which react further to produce peroxides, aldehydes and hydrogen peroxide.
Electrochemical cells in which a chemical reaction is forced by added electrical energy are called electrolytic cells. Central to the operation of any cell is the occurrence of oxidation and reduction reactions which produce or consume electrons. These reactions take place at electrode/solution interfaces, where the electrodes must be good electronic conductors. In operation, a cell is connected to an external load or to an external voltage source, and electric charge is transferred by electrons between the anode and the cathode through the external circuit. To complete the electric circuit through the cell, an additional mechanism must exist for internal charge transfer. This is provided by one or more electrolytes, which support charge transfer by ionic conduction. Electrolytes must be poor electronic conductors to prevent internal short circuiting of the cell.
The simplest electrochemical cell consists of at least two electrodes and one or more electrolytes. The electrode at which the electron producing oxidation reaction occurs is the anode. The electrode at which an electron consuming reduction reaction occurs is called the cathode. The direction of the electron flow in the external circuit is always from anode to cathode.
A typical electrochemical cell will have a positively charged anode and a negatively charged cathode. The anode and cathode are typically submerged in a liquid electrolytic solution which may be comprised of water and certain salts, acids or base materials. Generally speaking, gaseous oxygen is released at the anode surface while gaseous hydrogen is released at the cathode surface. A catalyst such as lead dioxide may be used to coat the anode to get greater ozone production. The anode substrate may be another material such as titanium, graphite, or the like.
The cathode and anode are positioned within the electrolytic cell with electrical leads leading to the exterior. The cell is also provided with appropriate plumbing and external structures to permit circulation of the electrolyte to a separate heat exchanger. Suitable inlet and outlet passages are also provided in the cell head space to permit the withdrawal of the gases evolved from the cathode (if gases are to be evolved) and from the anode. The two gas removal systems are typically maintained separate in order to isolate the cathode gases from the anode gases. Nitrogen and/or air may be pumped through the gas handling system in order to entrain the evolved cathode and anode gases and carry them from the cell to the exterior where they may be utilized in the desired application. Alternately, if a flow-through air or oxygen cathode is employed, its excess gases may be used for this purpose.
In order to maintain or cool the cell electrodes, heat exchange passages may be provided within the electrode structures. These coolant passages are connected to external sources of coolant liquid which can be circulated through the electrodes during the electrolysis process in order to maintain or reduce their temperatures.
In order to drive the electrolysis reaction, it is necessary to apply electric power to the cell electrodes. The electrodes are connected through the electrical leads to an external source of electric power with the polarity being selected to induce the electrolyte anion flow to the anode and the cation flow to the cathode. The power requirements are not appreciably different for those cells utilizing platinum anodes from those cells utilizing lead dioxide anodes. Electrical potentials on the order of from 2-3 volts D.C. are quite sufficient for the various cell configurations. The current requirements are most easily measured in terms of current density and may vary from a low of perhaps a tenth of an ampere per square centimeter (0.1 A/cm.sup.2) up to current densities slightly beyond one ampere per square centimeter (>1.0 A/cm.sup.2). The power requirements are not necessarily dependent upon the electrolyte concentrations, nor in particular upon the anode materials. Thus, current densities of from about 0.1 A/cm.sup.2 to about 1.5 A/cm.sup.2 will produce maximum ozone current efficiencies at any electrolyte concentration with either beta lead dioxide anodes or platinum anodes.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,316,782 (Foller) teaches that ozone yields as high as 52% could be obtained where the electrolyte is water and either the acid or salt form of highly electronegative anions, such as hexafluoro-anions are used. Here, the term "fluoro-anions" is used to describe that family of anionic (negatively charged) species in which multiple fluorine ligands complex a central atom. Electrolysis was carried out in a range between room temperature and the freezing point of water. The preferred anode materials for use in the electrolytic cells are either platinum or lead dioxide, especially lead dioxide in the beta crystalline form. Platinum, carbon, or nickel and its alloys may be used as hydrogen-evolving cathodes. Alternatively, an air or oxygen depolarized cathode may be employed which would greatly reduce the cell voltage and enhance the overall energy efficiency of the process.
Such electrolytic solutions can be highly corrosive to the cell materials if they are not selected properly, and especially hard on the electrodes where electrochemical discharge takes place. In addition, the liberated O.sub.3, being a powerful oxidizing agent, also strongly acts upon electrode materials which are susceptible to oxidizing action. The electrical properties of the electrode material are also important to the successful and effective operation of the ozone generating electrolytic cell. The electrodes must exhibit sufficient electrical conductivity to enable the utilization of current densities required by the ozone generating process without an unacceptable anode potential and must also be adaptable to whatever cooling procedures are required to maintain cell temperatures during operation.
Foller also disclosed that using an air or oxygen depolarized cathode provided several advantages. (1) The cell voltage would be substantially reduced since replacing hydrogen evolution with the reduction of oxygen theoretically saves 1.23 volts. (In actual practice a 0.8 volt swing is likely to be achieved.) (2) A separator between anode and cathode is no longer required, as no hydrogen is evolved to depolarize the anode. Further, savings in cell voltage are obtained by reducing IR losses. (3) The overall cell process becomes oxygen in and ozone out and the need for periodic additions of water is reduced. (4) The same air or oxygen fed to the air cathode could also serve to dilute and carry off the ozone that is anodically evolved by flowing through the cathode.
Air cathode technology has found recent favor in its application to fuel cells, metal-air batteries, and the chlor-alkali industry. The electrodes are generally composed of Teflon-bonded carbon containing small amounts of catalytic materials.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,375,395 (Foller) teaches that anodes made of glassy carbon are suitable for use in the preparation of ozone in an electrolytic cell utilizing an aqueous solution of the highly electronegative fluoro-anions.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,541,989 (Foller) teaches that a liquid electrolyte containing acids of fluoro-anions, such as HBF.sub.4 and HPF6, used in combination with a cool electrolyte solution can increase the efficiency and the ozone to oxygen yield. However, the use of a liquid electrolyte causes some problems. First, the electrodes in such electrolytic cell must be separated by a given distance to provide definition. This translates into power loss in the production of heat. Secondly, the presence of liquid electrolytes requires a sophisticated system of seals to prevent leaking of the electrolyte.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,836,929 (Laumann et al.) teaches the use of a solid electrolyte such as that made by duPont and sold under the brand "NAFION". This solid electrolyte was placed between a lead dioxide anode and a platinum black cathode. The current efficiency was increased by oxygenating a water stream fed to the anode and the cathode. In this manner, oxygen could be reduced to water at room temperature releasing an increased yield of ozone.
In his paper entitled "Synthesis of Hydrogen Peroxide in a Proton Exchange Membrane Electrochemical Reactor" (April 1993), Fenton disclosed that paired synthesis of ozone (O.sub.3) and hydrogen peroxide (H.sub.2 O.sub.2) could be carried out in the same reactor. The electrochemical reactor used a membrane and electrode assembly (M&E) comprised of a "NAFION" 117 membrane between the platinum black/polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) anode and graphite/PTFE cathode.
This M&E assembly was sandwiched between a carbon fiber paper (Toray Industries) on the cathode side and a platinum mesh (52 mesh, Fisher Scientific) on the anode side which were used as current collectors. This arrangement was alleged to produce some hydrogen peroxide.
Increasing the percentage of PTFE in the electrode increases the hydrophobicity of the electrode assembly and thus allows more of the gaseous reactant to reach the electrode surface by repelling the products formed. The graphite M&E with 20% PTFE produced slightly higher hydrogen peroxide than a similar M&E with 10% PTFE. This could be due to the mass transport limitation of oxygen to the membrane and electrode assembly within the less hydrophobic 10% M&E. It is preferred that the PEM reactor operate at potentials greater than 3.0 volts where the anodic evolution of ozone is favored.
Membranes containing perfluorinated sulphonic acids are typically prepared before use in an electrochemical cell by first soaking the membrane in hot water for about 30 minutes and then soaking it in 10% HCl to ensure that the entire membrane is in the H.sup.+ form. The membrane has to be kept moist at all times as it acts as a conductor only when it is wet. It is preferred that the proton exchange membrane be pretreated with an aqueous solution of sulphuric acid followed by rinsing the proton exchange membrane with pure water, rinsing the proton exchange membrane with an aqueous solution of hydrogen peroxide, and rinsing the proton exchange membrane with a final rinse of pure water. The final rinse should be made at a temperature between 50.degree. C. and 150.degree. C. and under pressure.
In their paper entitled "Paired Synthesis of Ozone and Hydrogen Peroxide in an Electrochemical Reactor," Pallav Tatapudi and James Fenton explain that the benefits of paired synthesis in electrolyte free water include: (1) lower energy consumption costs, as two oxidizing agents can be obtained for the price of one; (2) the elimination of the need for transportation and storage of oxidants by generating them electrochemically within water on demand at an amount proportional to the waste concentration; and (3) higher aqueous phase ozone concentrations.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,416,747 (Menth et al.) discloses an individual electrolysis cell bounded by bipolar plates and having a solid electrolyte made of perfluorinated sulphonic acids ("NAFION" by duPont) with a surface coating centrally located between current-collectors and adjoining open metallic structures. A plurality of individual cells may be integrated together between end plates so that the cells are electrically connected in series, hydrodynamically connected in parallel, and combined to form a block.
The current collectors disclosed in Menth may be close-meshed expanded metal covered by an open structure having a low resistance to the flow of a liquid in the direction parallel to the planar structure. The current collectors are preferably made from titanium. The ends of the cell are formed, in each case, by a bipolar plate, which alternately acts as a cathode and as an anode.
The bipolar plate is preferably made from stainless (Cr/Ni) steel. The space or chamber between the bipolar plates and the solid electrolyte is completely filled with water in which air or oxygen is suspended and/or dissolved.
The Menth assembly of the electrolysis cells basically corresponds to the filter-press type, with the liquid passing parallel to the principal planes of the cells instead of perpendicularly. The individual cells are held together between two end plates having electrical terminals thereon.
The method and apparatus disclosed in Menth, however, can support only limited current density associated with reduction-oxidation since oxygen has only limited solubility in water. Further, since the cathode chamber is filled with liquid water, the cathode electrode structure will become flooded with water. Higher current densities are desirable to cause an increase in the ozone production efficiency.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,836,849 (Laumann et al.) teaches a process for breaking down organic substances and/or microbes in pretreated feed water for high-purity recirculation systems using ozone which is generated in the anode chamber of an electrochemical cell and treated with ultraviolet rays and/or with hydrogen generated in the cathode chamber of the same cell or supplied from outside.
In light of the foregoing discussion, there exists a need for an economical method of producing ozone which will minimize voltage allowed for higher current density and produce a high concentration of ozone.

Electrochemical production of ozone and hydrogen peroxide


The invention relates to a liquid formulation comprising a growth hormone or a substance, which stimulates release or potentiates the activity of endogenous hGH; a polyethylene-polypropylene glycol; a citrate/phosphate buffer, an alkali metal salt and an alkaline earth metal salt or a pseudo alkaline earth metal salt, and to a process of preparation thereof.

Human growth hormone (hGH), also known as somatropin (INN) or somatotropin, is a protein hormone produced and secreted by the somatotropic cells of the anterior pituitary. Human growth hormone plays a key role in somatic growth in childhood and in metabolism in adulthood through its effects on the metabolism of proteins, carbohydrates and lipids.
Human growth hormone is a single polypeptide chain of 191 amino acids (Bewly et al, 1972) having two disulfide bonds, one between Cys-53 and Cys-165, forming a large loop in the molecule, and the other between Cys-182 and Cys-189, forming a small loop near the C-terminus. The DNA sequence that confirmed the amino acid sequence was reported by Martial et al (1979). Purified hGH is a white amorphous powder in its lyophilized form. It is readily soluble (concentrations>10 mg/L) in aqueous buffers at pH in a range of 6.5 to 8.5.
In solution, hGH exists predominantly as a monomer, with a small fraction as dimers and higher molecular weight oligomers. Under certain conditions, hGH can be induced to form larger amounts of dimers, trimers and higher oligomers.
Several derivatives of hGH are known, including naturally-occurring derivatives, variants and metabolic products, degradation products primarily of biosynthetic hGH and engineered derivatives of hGH produced by genetic methods. One example of a naturally-occurring derivative of hGH is GH-V, a variant of growth hormone found in the placenta. Other members of the gene locus are described in Chen et al (1989).
Methionyl hGH was the first form of hGH to be produced through recombinant DNA technology. This compound is actually a derivative of hGH having one additional methionine residue at its N-terminus (Goeddel et al, 1979).
A naturally-occurring variant of hGH called 20-K-hGH has been reported to occur in the pituitary as well as in the bloodstream (Lewis et al, 1978; Lewis et al, 1980). This compound, which lacks the 15 amino acid residues from Glu-32 to Gln-46, arises from an alternative splicing of the messenger ribonucleic acid (DeNoto et al, 1981). This compound shares many, but not all of the biological properties of hGH.
20-K-hGH is made in the pituitary and secreted into the blood. It makes up about 5% of growth hormone output of adults, and about 20% of growth hormone output of children. It has the same growth promoting activity as 22 kD growth hormone, and has been reported to have equal to or greater the amount of lipolytic activity as the 22 kD form. It binds to growth hormone receptors with equal affinity as the 22 kD growth hormone, and has one tenth the lactogenic (prolactin-like) bioactivity as the 22 kD hormone. Unlike 22 kD, the 20-k-hGH has weak anti-insulin activity.
A number of derivatives of hGH arise from proteolytic modifications of the molecule. The primary pathway for the metabolism of hGH involves proteolysis. The region of hGH around residues 130-150 is extremely susceptible to proteolysis, and several derivatives of hGH having nicks or deletions in this region have been described (Thorlacius-Ussing, 1987). This region is in the large loop of hGH, and cleavage of a peptide bond there results in the generation of two chains that are connected through the disulfide bond at Cys-53 and Cys-165. Many of these two-chain forms are reported to have increased biological activity (Singh et al, 1974). Many derivatives of human growth hormone have been generated artificially through the use of enzymes. The enzymes trypsin and subtilisin, as well as others, have been used to modify hGH at various points throughout the molecule (Lewis et al, 1977; Graff et al, 1982). One such derivative, called two-chain anabolic protein (2-CAP), was formed through the controlled proteolysis of hGH using trypsin (Becker et al, 1989). 2-CAP was found to have biological properties very distinct from those of the intact hGH molecule, in that the growth-promoting activity of hGH was largely retained and most of the effects on carbohydrate metabolism were abolished.
Asparagine and glutamine residues in proteins are susceptible to deamidation reactions under appropriate conditions. Pituitary hGH has been shown to undergo this type of reaction, resulting in conversion of Asn-152 to aspartic acid and also, to a lesser extent, conversion of Gln-137 to glutamic acid (Lewis et al, 1981). Deamidated hGH has been shown to have an altered susceptibility to proteolysis with the enzyme subtilisin, suggesting that deamidation may have physiological significance in directing proteolytic cleavage of hGH. Biosynthetic hGH is known to degrade under certain storage conditions, resulting in deamidation at a different asparagine (Asn-149). This is the primary site of deamidation, but deamidation at Asn-152 is also seen (Becker et al, 1988). Deamidation at Gln-137 has not been reported in biosynthetic hGH.
Methionine residues in proteins are susceptible to oxidation, primarily to the sulfoxide. Both pituitary-derived and biosynthetic hGH undergo sulfoxidations at Met-14 and Met-125 (Becker et al, 1988). Oxidation at Met-170 has also been reported in pituitary but not biosynthetic hGH. Both desamide hGH and Met-14 sulfoxide hGH have been found to exhibit full biological activity (Becker et al, 1988).
Truncated forms of hGH have been produced, either through the actions of enzymes or by genetic methods. 2-CAP, generated by the controlled actions of trypsin, has the first eight residues at the N-terminus of hGH removed. Other truncated versions of hGH have been produced by modifying the gene prior to expression in a suitable host. The first 13 residues have been removed to yield a derivative having distinctive biological properties (Gertler et al, 1986) in which the polypeptide chain is not cleaved.
Although human growth hormone was originally obtained from pituitary glands of cadavers, these preparations were not electrophoretically homogeneous, and antibodies appeared in the serum of patients treated with preparations of the order of 50% purity, the immunogenicity being attributed to inactive components. Recombinant DNA technology permitted production of an unlimited supply of hGH in a number of different systems. Purification of hGH from the culture medium is facilitated by the presence of only low amounts of contaminating proteins. In fact, it has been shown that hGH can be purified on a laboratory scale by a single purification step on a reversed-phase HPLC column (Hsiung et al (1989).
Recombinant human growth hormone, rhGH, is produced by Serono International S.A. as SEROSTIM®, which product has been given accelerated FDA approval for treating weight loss and wasting in AIDS patients. SAIZEN® is recombinant human growth hormone indicated for GH deficiency in children, for Turner syndrome in girls, as well as chronic renal failure in children. PROTROPIN®, produced by Genentech, Inc. (South San Francisco, Calif.), differs slightly in structure from natural sequence hGH, having an additional methionine residue at the N-terminus. Recombinant hGH is generally marketed as vials containing hGH plus additional excipients, e.g., glycine and mannitol, in a lyophilized form. A companion diluent vial is provided, allowing the patient to reconstitute the product to the desired concentration prior to administration of the dose. Recombinant hGH can also be marketed in other well-known manners, such as pre-filled syringes.
In order for hGH to be available commercially as a therapeutic, stable formulations must be prepared. Such formulations must be capable of maintaining activity for appropriate storage times and be acceptable for administration by patients.
Human GH has been formulated in a variety of ways. By way of example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,096,885 discloses a stable pharmaceutically acceptable formulation of hGH comprising, in addition to the hGH, glycine, mannitol, a buffer and optionally a non-ionic surfactant, the molar ratio of hGH:glycine being 1:50.
WO 93/19776 discloses injectable formulations of GH comprising citrate as buffer substance and optionally growth factors such as insulin-like growth factors or epidermal growth factor, amino acids such as glycine or alanine, mannitol or other sugar alcohols, glycerol and/or a preservative such as benzyl alcohol.
WO 94/101398 discloses a GH formulation containing hGH, a buffer, a non-ionic surfactant and, optionally, mannitol, a neutral salt and/or a preservative.
EP-0131864 describes an aqueous solution of proteins with molecular weight above 8500 daltons, which have been protected from adsorption at interfaces, against denaturing and against precipitation of the protein by addition of a linear polyoxyalkylene chain-containing surface-active substance as a stabilising agent.
EP-0211601 discloses a growth promoting formulation comprising an aqueous mixture of growth promoting hormone and a block copolymer containing polyoxyethylene-polyoxypropylene units and having an average molecular weight of about 1,100 to about 40,000 which maintains the fluidity of the growth promoting hormone and its biological activity upon administration.
WO 97/29767 discloses a liquid formulation comprising a growth hormone, trisodium citrate dihydrate, sodium chloride, sodium hydroxide, benzyl alcohol, Pluronic F-68, said formulation having a pH of 5.6.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,567,677 discloses liquid formulations comprising human growth hormone, sodium citrate, sodium phosphate, glycine, mannitol, optionally benzyl alcohol.
Pharmaceutical preparations of hGH tend to be unstable, particularly in solution. Chemically degraded species such as deamidated or sulfoxylated forms of hGH occur, and dimeric or higher molecular weight aggregated species may result from physical instability (Becker et al (1988); Becker et al., 1987; Pearlman and Nguyen (1989)).
As a consequence of the instability of hGH in solution, pharmaceutical formulations of hGH are generally in lyophilised form, which must then be reconstituted prior to use. Reconstitution is usually carried out by the addition of a pharmaceutically acceptable diluent such as sterile water for injection, sterile physiological saline or an appropriate sterile physiologically acceptable diluent.
Reconstituted solutions of hGH are preferably stored at 4° C. to minimise chemical and physical degradation reactions, however some degradation will occur during such storage which can be for a period of up to 14 days.
A pharmaceutical formulation of hGH provided in a liquid form, particularly one that maintains stability of hGH without formation of precipitation or aggregation or any other particulate matter over a prolonged period of time, would be particularly advantageous.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide liquid formulations of growth hormone that do not result in the formation of undesirable particulate matter and that has a prolonged storage time.

Liquid growth hormone formulation and method of use


The present invention relates to a method of navigation around documents represented by identifiers displayed on a viewing screen. Navigation commands control the position of a cursor also displayed on the screen, independently of the position of the identifiers. The identifiers automatically scroll over the screen as a function of the position of the cursor on the screen thus defining the direction of scrolling. When the cursor is positioned on an identifier, the latter is highlighted and the user can enter a command to activate the document, for example to reproduce it. Advantageously, the identifiers scroll over concentric carrousels, each carrousel containing identifiers of documents having common properties. The invention also relates to a viewing appliance able to execute a navigation software module.

Nowadays, numerous users have at home an appliance for reproducing audio or audiovisual documents. These documents are generally stored in digital form, either in the appliance itself, for example in the hard disk, or within the local network of the residence, or else in a database accessible via a public network such as the Internet. These documents can be videos, audio documents or else still images. To access these documents, the user has available an interface ensuring display and navigation around this whole set of documents. The documents appear on a screen via an identifier, thereby allowing the user to peruse the whole set of accessible documents. The identifiers appear in lists incorporated into menus. This identifier can be the title, or an image, or any other displayable element representative of the document. In the case of an image, this can be an extract of the video, a photo of the artiste for an audio document, a part of a photo, etc. The so-called "graphical" identifier is generally associated with the document by the producer of the said document, it can also be defined and associated by the user himself.
The user interface must make it possible to present the identifiers so that the user navigates between them and can easily find the one that he is searching for and select it. This navigation can also allow the user to browse around and finally create an interest in a document. When the user has found a document, he selects it and performs an action on the latter: obtain information, read the document (watch in the case of a film, listen in the case of music, . . . ), destroy it, purchase it or rent it, etc.
A simple example of a system comprising a database containing documents and a reproduction appliance furnished with a user interface consists of a PVR ("Personal Video Recorder"). A PVR is an appliance furnished with a hard disk, a display means, and a remote control. These appliances can use inter alia remote controls called "Gyration", their feature is to be furnished with gyroscopes so as to transform motion in space into a signal. By moving his remote control to the left, to the right, up or down, the user moves a cursor on the screen, as would a computer mouse by moving over the mat. The Gyration remote control also has conventional keys, in particular for executing actions on the identifier highlighted. The user interface allows the access to audio libraries, photo or even mixed libraries, with different equipment possibly being closer to an individual computer.
The document EP 1 107 097—HITACHI describes a method for displaying and navigating around a collection of icons representing information elements. An icon is highlighted graphically, the graphical highlight moves from icon to icon with the aid of a rotary key placed on the remote control. The rotary key also makes it possible to rotate the whole set of displayed icons. This document does not teach a single means making it possible at one and the same time to indicate to the user which icon is highlighted and the direction of rotation of the carrousel.
The document WO01/69367—VIZIBLE.com describes a U.I. in the form of a sphere, the sphere is festooned with boxes showing in each box elements such as Web sites. The environment is that of a personal computer and the user has available a mouse making it possible to move a cursor making it possible to designate a displayed object. This document does not teach another usage of the cursor.
The present invention presents a new way to navigate through a set of documents, so as to appear at one and the same time attractive and recreational.

Method of selection of a button in a graphical bar, and receiver implementing the method