The present invention is an improved process for the reaction of an alkyl halide with particulate silicon in a fluidized-bed process. The improvement comprises controlling the particle size of the silicon within a range of one micron to 85 microns. Preferred is when the particle size of the silicon has a mass distribution characterized by a 10th percentile of 2.1 to 6 microns, a 50th percentile of 10 to 25 microns, and a 90th percentile of 30 to 60 microns. Most preferred is when the particle size mass distribution of the silicon is characterized by a 10th percentile of 2.5 to 4.5 microns, a 50th percentile of 12 to 25 microns, and a 90th percentile of 35 to 45 microns. The process is run in the presence of a catalyst composition comprising copper and other catalysts.

The present invention is an improved process for the reaction of an alkyl halide with particulate silicon in a fluidized-bed process. The improvement comprises controlling the particle size of the silicon within a range of one micron to 85 microns. Preferred is when the particle size of the silicon has a mass distribution characterized by a 10th percentile of 2.1 to 6 microns, a 50th percentile of 10 to 25 microns and a 90th percentile of 30 to 60 microns. Most preferred is when the particle size mass distribution of the silicon is characterized by a 10th percentile of 2.5 to 4.5, a 50th percentile of 12 to 25 microns, and a 90th percentile of 35 to 45 microns. The process is run in the presence of a catalyst composition comprising copper and other catalysts.
The present invention relates to an improvement of what is commonly referred to as the Direct Process for producing alkylhalosilanes, where the process comprises contacting an alkyl halide with particulate silicon in the presence of a copper catalyst. The process was first described by Rochow in U.S. Pat. No. 2,380,996 and U.S. Pat. No. 2,380,995, issued Aug. 7, 1945.
Since the original description of the Direct Process by Rochow, the process has been refined and modified in numerous ways and is used for producing virtually all commercial alkylhalosilanes in the world today. When one considers that several million pounds of silanes are produced annually and consumed by the silicones commercial effort, it is obvious why even small incremental increases in selectivity and raw material conversion are important to the manufacturer of alkylhalosilanes.
Commercially, the largest volume alkylhalosilane manufactured is dimethyldichlorosilane as this alkylhalosilane constitutes the backbone of most high volume commercial silicone products after it has been hydrolyzed and condensed to form silicone polymers. Therefore, it is to the benefit of the manufacture to run the Direct Process to maximize the conversion of the raw materials to obtain the highest yield of dialkyldihalosilane. Thus one of the objectives of the present invention is to control the Direct Process to maximize the overall yield of dialkyldihalosilane, i.e. to cause the process to be as selective as possible in favor of dialkyldihalosilane. A second objective of the present invention is to maximize the overall yield from the raw materials. The more of the raw materials that are converted to silanes, the more economical is the process. A third objective is to provide a process where less silicon spent bed of reduced activity in the process is produced.
The art has long recognized that in the Direct Process the size of the particulate silicon is important in determining the efficiency of the reaction of alkyl halides with silicon to form alkylhalosilanes. For the purpose of the present invention the efficiency of the reaction of alkyl halides with silicon is tracked by the amount of silicon charge that is converted to dialkyldihalosilane. However, the prior art has generally taught away from the optimal particle size range discovered and now disclosed by the present inventors.
Reed et al., U.S. Pat. No. 2,389,931, issued Nov. 27, 1945, first taught the use of a fluidized-bed of particulate silicon to conduct the Direct Process. Reed et al. taught that the silicon reactant should be in finely-divided or powdered form. By way of example. Reed et al. described the use of a sintered silicon-copper mixture crushed to 60-100 mesh (149 to 250 microns).
Gilliam et al., U.S. Pat. No. 2,466,413, issued Apr. 5, 1949, appear to be the first to report the effect of silicon particle size on performance of the Direct Process. Gilliam et al. reported that an optimal particle size for silicon in the Direct Process was a distribution where 100% of the particles are smaller than 420 microns in diameter, from 90 to 100% of the particles less than 149 microns in diameter and not more than 60% of the particles are less than 44 microns in diameter. Gilliam et al. used a packed-bed reactor to arrive at this optimal particle size distribution.
Dotson, U.S. Pat. No. 3,133,109, issued May 12, 1964, describes a process reported to be an improvement on Reed et al., supra. The improvement of Dotson being (1) adding to the fluidized bed make-up silicon having an average particle size greater than the average particle size of the silicon comprising the fluidized bed and (2) comminuting at least intermittently in a non-oxidizing atmosphere at least a portion of the silicon being adjusted to maintain a substantially constant average particle size for the silicon comprising the fluidized bed. Dotson teaches that for optimal results the silicon in the reactor should have an average particle diameter in the range of from about 20 to 200 microns. Dotson teaches preferably at least 25 percent by weight of the silicon particles have actual diameters in the range of from 20 to 200 microns.
Maas et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,218,387, issued Aug. 19, 1980, describe a vibrating-bed type reactor for conducting the Direct Process on a laboratory scale. The silicon evaluated was reported to have a particle size distribution characterized as follows: <36 .mu.m (31.3%): 36-71 .mu.m: (22.6%): 71-100 .mu.m: (17.8%): 100-160 .mu.m: (18.0%): and >160 .mu.m (10.3%).
Shade, U.S. Pat. No. 4,281,149, issued Jul. 28, 1981, describes a process for extending the activity of a fluidized bed used in the Direct Process. The process described by Shade consists of removing particles selected from particles of silicon and copper of less than 40 microns average diameter size from the reactor and abrading said particles to remove the surface coating of such particles and returning the particles to the reactor. Shade teaches that for optimal results the silicon in the reactor has an average particle diameter in the range of from about 20 to 200 microns. Preferably at least 25 percent by weight of the silicon particles have actual diameters in the range of from 20 to 200 microns.
Shah et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,307,242, issued Dec. 22, 1981, also report a fluidized-bed Direct process where the silicon in the reactor has an average particle diameter in the range of from about 20 to 200 microns. Preferably at least 25 percent by weight of the silicon particles have actual diameters in the range of from 20 to 200 microns.
Ward et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,554,370, issued Nov. 19, 1985, teach the use of fumed silica in a mixture of powdered silicon and cuprous chloride to reduce agglomeration in a fluidized-bed reactor during conduct of the Direct Process. Ward et al. teach that the silicon present in the fluidized bed can have a particle size below 700 microns, with an average particle size of greater than 20 microns and less than 300 microns in size. The mean diameter of the silicon particles is preferably in the range of 100 to 150 microns.
Ward et al., U.S. Pat. No. Re. 33,452, issued Nov. 20, 1990, teach the use of a copper-zinc-tin catalyst in the direct process. Ward et al. teach that significant improvements in reaction rate and product selectivity are achieved when copper is employed at a critical weight percent relative to silicon and critical weight ratios of tin and zinc are employed relative to copper. Ward et al. teach that the process can be conducted in a fluidized-bed using silicon having a particle size below 700 microns, with an average size of greater than 20 microns and less than 300 microns in size. The mean diameter of the silicon particles is preferably in the range of 100 to 150 microns.
In view of the cited art, quite unexpectly the present inventors have found that the optimal silicon particle size for conducting the Direct Process in a fluidized-bed reactor is within a range of about one micron to 85 micron. Preferred is when the particle size of the silicon has a mass distribution characterized by a 10th percentile of 2.1 to 6 microns, a 50th percentile of 10 to 25 microns, and a 90th percentile of 30 to 60 microns. Most preferred is when the particle size mass distribution of the silicon is characterized by a 10th percentile of 2.5 to 4.5, a 50th percentile of 12 to 25 microns, and a 90th percentile of 35 to 45 microns. The inventors have discovered that particles outside of the described ranges degrade the efficiency of the reactor and therefore it is preferable that these sizes of particles not be added to the reactor or if added be controlled within defined mass ranges.

Particle size distribution for fluidized-bed process for making alkylhalosilanes


It is recognized herein that capabilities are lacking related to how different users can be authenticated on top of an existing subscription authentication. In some examples, a user¬ centric authentication layer may be supported on top of an existing subscription authentication, such that different users may use the same user equipment (UE) with customized services, and different users of devices can be identified behind a gateway with a 3GPP subscription (without the devices having a dedicated 3GPP subscription). Further, a user identifier may be linked to a subscription to access 3GPP services via non-3GPP access.

In the 3GPP system, an International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) is a subscription identifier. An IMSI consists of three fields: a Mobile Country Code (MCC), a Mobile Network Code (MNC), and a Mobile Subscription Identification Number (MSIN). In the 3GPP system, an International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) is a device identifier used to identify a given user equipment (UE). In an IEEE 802 system, a Media Access Control (MAC) Address is a device identifier used to identify a network interface controller. With respect to user identifiers, it is recognized herein that capabilities are lacking related to how different users can be authenticated on top of an existing subscription authentication.


Neuromodulation assemblies with lead bodies having curvatures that mimic the curvatures of the splenium, trunk, genu, or rostrum of the corpus callosum. Methods of stimulating the corpus callosum and methods of securing an electrical lead in the brain are also provided.

Electrical stimulation of neural tissue is becoming an increasingly preferred form of therapy for various neurological conditions and disorders. Such therapy provides distinct advantages over surgical lesioning techniques since electrical stimulation is a reversible and adjustable procedure that provides continuous benefits as the patient's disease progresses and the patient's symptoms evolve.
Currently, electrical stimulation of peripheral nerves and the spinal cord is approved for treatment of neuropathic pain. With respect to deep brain targets, electrical stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus and the globus pallidus interna is approved for treatment of Parkinson's disease and electrical stimulation of the ventral intermediate nucleus is approved for treatment of essential tremor.
There remains a need for further forms of neuromodulation and devices to accomplish the same.

Corpus callosum neuromodulation assembly


Melt-adhesive composite fibers; non-woven fabrics from the composite fibers fused at intersectional points of the fibers; and surface materials for medical supplies such as sanitary napkins and paper diapers are disclosed. The composite fibers have a polypropylene as the first component and a polymer mainly composed of a polyethylene as the second component which is continuously present on at least a part of the fiber surface in the lengthwise direction of the fiber; have three-dimensional crimps of 4 to 16/inch; have a filamentary denier of 1.0 to 2.0, and have an apparent cut length of 20 to 40 mm. The composite fibers can be produced by extruding a polypropylene and a polymer mainly comprising a polyethylene through a spinneret for composite spinning to form unstretched composite filaments having such structure as mentioned above, stretching the unstretched composite filaments at a temperature of higher than 90.degree. C., but lower than 130.degree. C. at a stretching ratio of 0.60 to 0.85 time the maximum stretching ratio, cooling the stretched filaments to a temperature lower than a preheating temperature, subjecting the filaments to a crimping treatment, and subjecting the filaments to an annealing at a temperature of higher than 80.degree. C., but lower than 120.degree. C.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to melt-adhesive composite fibers and a process for producing the composite fibers. Further, the present invention relates to a partially fused fabric comprising the composite fibers and having a high strength, high bulk recovery from compression, excellent formation characteristics of few neps (small fiber aggregates), and soft hand feeling. Still further, the present invention relates to a surface material, for medical supplies such sanitary napkins and paper diapers, comprising the partially fused fabric.
2. Description of Related Art
In recent years, the performances required to non-woven fabrics used for surface materials for medical supplies such as sanitary napkins and paper diapers have been advanced and diversified; and specifically such non-woven fabrics have been required that the fabrics maintain a high strength at a basis weight as small as possible, have a high bulk recovery from compression, have limited number of naps (small fiber aggregates) as a formation characteristic of fabric, and have a soft hand feeling.
In order to satisfy these requirements, a process for producing a bulky non-woven fabric has been proposed in Examined Japanese Patent Publication No. 1-37505 wherein melt-adhesive composite fibers are partially fused, in the production of which fibers the Q value of the first component, preheating temperature, stretching ratio, number of crimps, and crimp elasticity are specified.
However, the non-woven fabric is still unsatisfactory as a surface material for medical supplies, and specifically the non-woven fabric obtained in the Publication '505 had the problems that troubles occur at the carding step; many neps are formed to deteriorate the fabric performances; bulk recovery is low; strength is low, and hand feeling is poor. Thus, the development of a non-oven fabric which solves such problems as mentioned above has strongly been desired.

Melt-adhesive composite fibers, process for producing the same, and fused fabric or surface material obtained therefrom


A die according to an embodiment includes a contact pad configured to provide an electrical contact to a circuit element included in the die, a lateral edge closest to the contact pad and a cover layer including a protective structure, the protective structure including at least one elongated structure, wherein the cover layer includes an opening providing access to the contact pad to couple the contact pad electrically to an external contact, wherein the protective structure is arranged between the lateral edge and the contact pad. Using an embodiment may reduce a danger of contamination of a top side of a die during fabrication and packaging a chip.

Electronic and electric devices including integrated circuits (IC), sensors and other more complex devices, but also discrete electronic devices are often today implemented based on thin film and semiconductor or semiconductor-related technologies. The respective structures are typically formed on or integrated into a substrate material such as a semiconductor material. The fabrication is typically performed on a wafer-scale, followed by a dicing of the wafer into individual dies. The dies are then typically packaged to form chips.
In the framework of packaging, the dies are often mounted onto a carrier such as a leadframe. Often, some form of adhesive including solder pastes are used to mount the die onto the carrier.
However, these adhesives often contain some form of flux or other component which tends to creep onto a top surface of the die. This may, however, lead to undesired results and problems during the further manufacturing, the performance of the device or other device-related properties.
Since a size of the die typically directly relates into an efficiency of the fabrication process, a tendency exists to reduce a size of the respective dies. As a consequence, contact pads used, for instance, to enable the respective electronic or electric device to communicate with external elements, tend to be integrated more closely to a lateral edge of the respective die. Therefore, a danger of an unwanted contamination of the contact pads tends to increase.


A method of measuring the size of an area (22) within a body, including bringing at least one position sensor (28) to each of a plurality of points in the area, determining position coordinates of the plurality of points, using the sensor (28) and calculating distances between the plurality of points.

The present invention relates generally to the field of intrabody position determination, and specifically to intrabody measurements using position determination.
There are many cases in which it is desired to measure organs or spaces within a patient""s body. One such case is in preparation for organ transplantation. In transplantation procedures, in order to speed up the transplantation procedure and minimize the period in which the patient is without the transplanted organ, the new organ is preferably prepared before the transplantation procedure. In order to ensure proper reception of the new organ, it must be as similar as possible to the organ that is removed. In some organs the similarity in size may be approximate, since the surroundings of the organ are elastic. However, in other cases, the new organ must fit precisely in place of the old one.
In other cases, an empty space within a body is to be filled. For example, a patient may be missing a piece of a bone which is to be replaced by an artificial implant. Precise measurement of the space allows preparation of the artificial piece before its implantation, and may enable automatic fabrication of the artificial piece.
Measurements within a patient""s body may be used also for other reasons, such as inspection and diagnosis. For example, in some cases, a tumor may be analyzed according to its size and/or its shape to track the progress of therapy or to plan a surgical operation. In tumor removal surgery, measurement of the tumor before, during, and after the surgery may be performed to verify removal of all or a desired portion of the tumor.
In the art, measuring an organ or a space within a body is usually performed on CT or MRI images, or using ultrasound. U.S. Pat. No.5,370,692 to Fink et al., which is incorporated herein by reference, describes a method of approximately fabricating prosthetic bone implants according to a CT image. However, these measurements are less accurate than direct measurements of the bone dimensions. In addition, some organs have a complicated geometry and therefore are hard to measure even on accurate images. Furthermore, some organs, such as the heart, are in movement and cannot be imaged fast enough to allow production of a clear and still image which can be measured.
There has been a system proposed for producing a prosthetic device, based on an arm which is connected through motion detectors to a model carver. A tip of the arm is moved on an outer surface of an organ, so as to produce a model of the organ. The use of such arms is limited to organs which are easily accessible to the arm, and therefore in most cases this system cannot be used in minimally invasive procedures. In addition, using more than one arm simultaneously is very difficult, since multiple arms interfere with each other.
When aligning bones, regions between bone fractures should be of minimal size, to ensure that the bone properly heals. Ordinarily, one or more X-ray images are taken of the broken bone, and the pieces are aligned accordingly. However, when the fracture is complicated, many images may be necessary, causing the surgeon and patient to be exposed to large amounts of radiation.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,558,091 describes a method of aligning sections of a broken bone, by observing a continually-updated image. The image is initially acquired using X-rays, but is then updated by computer image processing, based on a position determining system which tracks the movements of sensors attached to the bones. However, this method requires producing a separate sub-image for each bone section, and therefore is not suitable for multiple fracture pieces. Also, it would be useful to have a method of accurately realizing the proper alignment of the bones independent of the images.
It is an object of some aspects of the present invention to provide a method for accurate measurement of organs and spaces within a human body.
It is another object of some aspects of the present invention to provide a method of three-dimensional mapping of an organ situated within a human body.
It is a further object of some aspects of the present invention to provide a method for producing a three dimensional model of an organ which is situated within a human body.
Another object of some aspects of the present invention is to provide a method of aligning bone fractures without unduly exposing the patient and staff to large amounts of radiation.
Another object of some aspects of the present invention is to continuously report volumes or other sizes of regions between intrabody organs, such as bone fractures.
In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, one or more miniature position measuring sensors are placed at selected points within a patient""s body. A position determining system, preferably situated outside the patient""s body, determines the coordinates of the sensors. Calculating circuitry associated with the position determining system calculates distances between the points, based on the coordinates. Thus, an organ can be measured by placing the sensors at extreme points of the organ and determining the coordinates of the points.
Preferably, the position determining system determines positions based on transmitting and detecting electromagnetic waves, and the sensors comprise miniature coils, in which currents flow responsive to the electromagnetic waves. Alternatively, the position determining system may operate using infrared or ultrasound waves or any other suitable non-ionizing fields, and the sensors accordingly comprise suitable transponders.
In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, position sensors are mounted onto or embedded within an object, for example, a screw, staple, electrode or shunt, which is implanted in the body. The position sensors may be used both for guiding the object into the body, and later on for measurement of intrabody spaces that the object adjoins.
In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, the sensors are placed at a plurality of points on an outer or inner surface of an organ, while the position determining system continuously determines and records the coordinates of these points, preferably at a high sampling rate. The calculating circuitry calculates the size of the organ according to the recorded coordinates. Preferably, the sensors are mounted on the tip of one or more catheters, so as to allow easy movement of the sensors along the surface of the measured organ.
In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, one or more reference sensors are placed within the patient""s body for use in making an intrabody measurement. These reference sensors are fixed in place by an operator of the catheter, for example, by a surgeon and are substantially not moved thereafter, during the measurement. The reference sensors are preferably fixed to one of the patient""s organs, such as the heart, so that the movements of the reference sensors follow the movements of the patient or of the organ. The coordinates of the reference sensors are determined by the position determining system and are used by the calculating circuitry to transform the (time-varying) coordinates of the recorded points to a stationary coordinate system. Preferably, for each point that is recorded, the position determining system determines simultaneously the coordinates of the measuring position sensor and of at least one of the reference sensors. The calculating circuitry transforms the coordinates of the point to a frame of reference that is fixed to the moving organ.
Preferably, measurement of the organ is performed using a catheter, which may be inserted into the patient for other purposes, as well. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a heart valve is examined using a measuring catheter, before and after a valve replacement procedure. Preferably, the valve is replaced in a minimally-invasive procedure, using, for example, the Port-Access(TM) MVR system, supplied by Heartport Inc. The position information determined during the examination before the replacement procedure is used to provide an accurate measurement of the valve for the purpose of preparing a suitable prosthesis.
In order to perform the measurement, a catheter with one or more position sensors mounted on its tip is inserted into the patient""s heart and brought into proximity with the valve. The catheter preferably also includes a flow or pressure sensor, which is used for determining rates of blood flow through and in the vicinity of the valve, at a plurality of time points. The surgeon may determine accordingly the blood flow pattern in the vicinity of the valve. Preferably, the surgeon also correlates the flow information with the valve state, i.e., when the valve is open and when it is closed. The valve state is determined, for example, by fixing a position sensor to the valve and allowing the sensor to drift freely with the valve, while the position determining system determines the sensor""s position. Preferably, the position sensor is detachable from the catheter, so that the catheter may place the sensor and then move on to other positions in which the flow or pressure is to be measured, simultaneously with determining the state of the valve. The detachable sensor may either be connected through signal wires to the catheter or be a wireless position sensor. The surgeon uses the information thus gathered in deciding whether to replace the valve.
If the valve is to be replaced, it is immediately measured, preferably using the catheter already in the heart, so that a replacement valve of the same size can be prepared. During measurement, the tip of the catheter is systematically brought into contact with a plurality of points on the circumference of the valve, in order to determine a plurality of points forming a map of the valve. The number of points to be determined depends on the desired accuracy of the valve size measurement.
In order to compensate for changes in position of the measuring catheter due to the movements of the heart, a reference catheter, with one or more reference position sensors, is preferably placed at a fixed point on or, preferably, within the heart. For each point touched by the measuring catheter""s tip, the position determining system records the position of the tip, and simultaneously, the position of the reference catheter. The calculating circuitry receives the positions of the determined points and compares the position of the measuring catheter relative to the reference catheter, so as to map the points contacted by the measurement catheter in a frame of reference fixed to the heart. According to these calculations a map of the valve is produced.
Preferably, a parameter characteristic of the tissue adjacent each recorded point is also determined, so as to ascertain whether the point is actually on the valve. This parameter may be, for example, the local electric activity, since the electrical activity of heart muscle tissue is substantially greater than that in the valve.
The accuracy of the map depends on the number of points on the valve which are recorded. If not enough points were recorded in order to produce a map of satisfactory point density, the calculating circuitry preferably prompts the operator to measure additional points. After the circumference of the valve is properly mapped, the calculating circuitry preferably reports the size and volume of the valve.
According to the map and reported size, a new valve, preferably a flexible valve which is inserted using a minimally invasive method, is prepared for implantation. Preferably a catheter with a position sensor is also used during the implantation procedure, to locate points which were mapped earlier. The surgeon can use these points as a reference, to assist him in accurately inserting the new valve into its place. After the implantation, the catheter is preferably used again to check whether the new valve operates properly, in a manner similar to the diagnostic tests performed before the implantation.
In other preferred embodiments of the present invention, position sensors are used in measuring and aligning bone fractures, generally in order to minimize the distance and/or space between pieces of fractured bone that are being fixed. Position sensors are fixed to each of the pieces of the fractured bone, using screws, adhesive or any other suitable connection method.
In order to calibrate the sensors before beginning the fixation, the region of a fracture is imaged using any suitable imaging method known in the art, such as fluoroscopy or MRI. Simultaneously, position coordinates of the sensors are determined and recorded using the position determining system. An image, preferably a three dimensional image, of the fracture pieces is displayed on a screen. The position coordinates of the sensors are registered with specific points in a coordinate frame associated with the image, and the contours of each piece are linked with the respective sensor. Preferably, each point in the image which represents part of a fracture piece is linked with one of the sensors. When the fracture pieces are moved, the display on the screen is updated according to the position coordinates of the sensors, which are updated continuously by the position determining system. Thus an on-line image of the bone fracture is produced, enabling easy alignment of the fracture, without requiring additional imaging.
In one of these preferred embodiments, during calibration, which is preferably performed after the patient""s skin covering the bone is surgically opened, an external probe with a position sensor at its tip is passed over the surface of the fracture pieces. The position determining system determines and records the positions of a plurality of points on the surface of each piece, using the sensor within the tip of the external probe. The points on the surface of each piece are preferably registered relative to the sensor connected to the piece, so as to compensate for movements of the piece during calibration. Thus, for each fracture piece, the calculating circuitry records the coordinates of the sensor connected to the piece and coordinates of the plurality of points received during calibration, so that the position and shape of the entire piece can be determined based on the position and-orientation of the position sensor fixed thereto. During alignment of the bone, the image of the bone is thus precisely updated.
In some of these preferred embodiments, the circuitry produces and updates an estimate of the distance and/or volume between the fracture pieces, based on the position coordinates of the sensors. To calculate the distance from a piece to its neighboring pieces, the calculating circuitry preferably finds for each of the plurality of points on the piece the closest determined point which is not on the same piece. The distance to this closest point is used to estimate the distance and volume between the pieces.
When the volume is smaller than a predefined value, the calculating circuitry preferably signals the surgeon that the pieces are properly aligned. Alternatively, when the volume cannot be reduced to within the predefined value, the calculating circuitry may be used to report the dimensions of the region, so that a prosthetic implant can be fabricated accordingly. After the bone is properly aligned, the sensors may be removed from the bone.
In a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, the calculating circuitry is coupled to modeling apparatus which automatically fabricates the prosthetic bone implant.
In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, sensors are connected to vertebrae of the spine during back surgery. The distances between the sensors are constantly reported to the surgeon, who accordingly aligns the vertebrae.
There is therefore provided in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a method of measuring the size of an area within a body, comprising bringing at least one position sensor to each of a plurality of points in the area, determining position coordinates of the plurality of points, using the sensor, and calculating distances between the plurality of points.
Preferably, bringing the at least one sensor to the plurality of points comprises bringing the distal end of a probe with the at least one sensor mounted thereon into contact with each of the plurality of points.
Preferably, bringing the distal end into contact with each of the plurality of points comprises passing the distal end over a surface adjacent the area.
Preferably, bringing the at least one sensor to each of the plurality of points comprises bringing the at least one sensor to a plurality of points within an organ.
Alternatively or additionally, bringing the at least one sensor to the plurality of points comprises bringing the at least one sensor to a plurality of points on the circumference of an organ.
Alternatively or additionally, bringing the at least one sensor to the plurality of points comprises bringing the at least one sensor to a plurality of points on one or more pieces of a fractured bone.
Preferably, determining the positions of the points comprises transmitting and receiving magnetic fields.
Preferably, the method includes constructing a geometrical map of the plurality of points.
Preferably, the method further includes displaying the map in conjunction with a three dimensional image of a corresponding portion of the body.
Preferably, the method includes calculating a volume associated with the area.
Preferably, the method includes producing a model of the area based on the distances.
Preferably, the method includes identifying a region of the area in which there is less than a predetermined density of determined points, and prompting a user to bring a sensor to the region to determine coordinates of additional points.
In some preferred embodiments of the present invention, the area is in motion, and the method includes associating at least one reference sensor with the area, so that the reference sensor moves with the area determining the position of the reference sensor when the position of a point is determined, and comparing the positions of the plurality of points to the position of the reference sensor, so as to transform the positions to a substantially stationary frame of reference.
Preferably, bringing the position sensor to each of a plurality of points comprises bringing the position sensor to a plurality of points in a patient""s heart.
Preferably, the method includes measuring a physiological parameter at the plurality of points, indicative of whether the point belongs to the area to be measured.
Preferably, measuring the physiological parameter comprises measuring an electrical activation signal at the plurality of points.
There is further provided in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a method of aligning pieces of a fractured bone, comprising uniquely associating an anchor point with each of the pieces, determining for each piece coordinates of a plurality of points, which are descriptive of the shape and position of the piece relative to the anchor point, moving the pieces so as to align the bone based on the shapes and positions of the pieces, repeatedly determining coordinates of the anchor points while moving the pieces, and updating position information regarding the pieces, based on the coordinates of the anchor points, for guidance in moving the pieces.
Preferably, determining the coordinates comprises transmitting and receiving magnetic fields.
Preferably, uniquely associating an anchor point comprises fixing one or more sensors to each of the pieces.
Preferably, updating the position information comprises calculating a distance between two pieces.
Preferably, the method includes notifying a user when the distance between two pieces is smaller than a predetermined distance.
Preferably, updating the position information comprises calculating the volume of an area between two pieces.
Preferably, the method includes notifying a user when the volume is smaller than a predetermined value.
Preferably, the method includes producing an image of the pieces and updating the image based on the updated position information.
Preferably, producing an image of the pieces comprises producing a three-dimensional image of the pieces.
Preferably, the method includes producing a model of a volume between two pieces.
There is further provided in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the ppresent invention, apparatus for intrabody measurement of an area within a body, comprising a probe for insertion into the area, a position sensor mounted on the probe, a position determining system, which determines position coordinates of the sensor at a plurality of points adjacent the area, and calculating circuitry, which calculates distances between the plurality of points.
Preferably, the position determining system determines the coordinates by transmitting and receiving magnetic fields.
Preferably, the apparatus includes a screen for displaying a geometrical map of the plurality of points based on the coordinates.
Preferably, the calculating circuitry calculates a volume of the area.
Preferably, the apparatus includes a modeling machine, coupled to the calculating circuitry, which produces a model of the area responsive thereto.
Preferably, the circuitry calculates a density of the plurality of points and signals a user as to areas in which the density is below a predetermined limit.
Preferably, the area is in motion, and the apparatus comprises a reference catheter, including a reference sensor, wherein the position determining system determines position coordinates of the reference sensor when determining the coordinates of the plurality of points, and the calculating circuitry compares the coordinates of the plurality of points to the coordinates of the reference sensor, so as to transform the coordinates of the points to an inert frame of reference.
Preferably, the probe comprises a flexible catheter for insertion into a patient""s heart.
Preferably, the catheter comprises an electrode for measuring electrical activity at the plurality of points.
There is further provided in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the ppresent invention, apparatus for aligning pieces of a fractured bone, comprising a plurality of bone position sensors, which are connected to corresponding pieces, a position determining system for determining positions of the sensors, a probe, including a probe position sensor, which is passed over a plurality of points on the surface of one or more of the pieces, wherein the position determining system determines coordinates of the plurality of points, representative of the shapes of the pieces, and calculating circuitry, which determines and updates the coordinates of the plurality of points on the pieces, responsive to movements of the bone position sensors.
Preferably, the apparatus includes an imaging device for producing an image of the pieces, wherein the coordinates of the plurality of points are registered with the image.
There is further provided in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the ppresent invention, apparatus for aligning pieces of a fractured bone, comprising a plurality of position sensors, which are fixed to corresponding ones of the pieces, an imaging device, which produces an image of the pieces, a position determining system, which determines position coordinates of the sensors, and calculating circuitry, which associates each piece seen in the image with its respective position sensor and updates the positions of the pieces in the image, responsive to changes in the coordinates of the sensors.
Preferably, the calculating circuitry automatically associates the image of each piece with its respective position sensor according to attributes of the image of the piece.
Preferably, the calculating circuitry associates the image of each piece with its respective position sensor according to information received from a user.
Preferably, the circuitry produces a geometrical map, based on the coordinates, which is displayed along with the images of the fractures.
Preferably, the position determining system determines positions by transmitting and receiving non-ionizing fields.
Preferably, the position determining system determines positions by transmitting and receiving magnetic fields.
Preferably, the calculating circuitry calculates distances between pieces.
Alternatively or additionally, the calculating circuitry calculates-volumes between the pieces.
Preferably, the apparatus includes a modeling machine, coupled to the calculating circuitry, which produces a model of an area between the pieces responsive to the circuitry.
Preferably, the plurality of position sensors are mounted on screws, which are screwed into the pieces.
The present invention will be more fully understood from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments thereof, taken together with the drawings, in which:


A method and apparatus are disclosed for collecting urine samples. The method and apparatus comprise a reservoir and funnel. The bottom portion of the funnel is attached to the top portion of the reservoir. The funnel has ridges lying along the long axis of the funnel. The funnel has an expanded and unexpanded position. When unexpanded the funnel folds inward along the ridge about the lip of the reservoir, towards the bottom of the reservoir. When expanded, the funnel folds upwardly and unfolds outwardly.

1. Technical Field
The invention relates to funnels, and more particularly to collapsible urine sample collection methods and devices.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The collection of urine specimens for urinalysis requires a patient, or other subject, to urinate into a reservoir-like container while standing or sitting. The container is either disposable or reusable and may or may not have an associated lid. This procedure can prove awkward, messy, and unsanitary. Improper sterilization of a reusable container by a laboratory can result in the transmission of infectious or virulent particles onto a user""s skin and genitalia.
Attempts to improve the efficiency and sanitation of this procedure have fallen generally into two categories; the development of various funnel-shaped devices and the development of funnel or tube-shaped devices associated with a container. Examples of funnel-shaped devices are disclosed in Packer, Urine conducting apparatus, U.S. Pat. No. 3,964,111, (Jun. 22, 1976), and in U.S. Pat. Nos. Des. 158,693; Des. 178,749; Des. 195,930; Des. 208,609; and Des. 249,997.
Examples of funnel-shaped devices in conjunction with urine specimen containers are disclosed in Gibson, Urine Collection Shield, U.S. Pat. No. 3,171,136, Jun. 6, 1960; Friedman et al, Female Urinal, U.S. Pat. No. 3,473,172, (Aug. 5, 1965); Van Duyne, Urine Collection Device, U.S. Pat. No. 3,625,654, (May 22, 1970); Leiser, Portable Urinal, U.S. Pat. No., 3,703,731, (Nov. 28, 1972); and in U.S. Pat. Nos. Des. 138,651; Des. 212,792; and Des. 227,413.
FIGS. 1A and 1B are perspective views of an example of a conventional collapsible funnel. A collapsible funnel is disclosed in Klebold, Combination collapsible funnel and canister therefor, U.S. Pat. No. 4,557,378, (Dec. 10, 1985).
FIG. 1A illustrates the funnel 10 in its collapsed form. The funnel 10 is comprised of a plurality of nested rings terminating in an outer ring 12. As can be seen in FIG. 1B, when the inner ring 14 is pulled away from the outer ring 12, a series of telescoping segments 16 extend to form the extended funnel 10. The inner ring 14 is inserted within the opening in a reservoir to be filled, and the fluid is poured into the opening 18 in the funnel 10.
Nguyen, Retractable funnel, U.S. Pat. No. 6,152,198, (Nov. 28, 2000) discloses a retractable funnel that comprises a base which is insertable within an existing reservoir, and that has a plurality of fins extending outwardly from the base. The fins are configured so that they collapse to form a tube, such that the funnel can be slid into the reservoir. Each of the tips of the fins includes lip segments provided to form a continuous lip ring when the fins are collapsed into the tube. The preferred lip ring prevents the funnel from falling into the reservoir, while still permitting the lid of the reservoir to be attached over the funnel. The funnel""s base further includes a ridge running around its periphery to restrain the funnel from being inadvertently removed from the reservoir when extending the funnel for use.
One problem with prior art funnels is that they take an appreciable amount of time to implement, they are difficult to use, and often collapse on accident. This can result in a user depositing their specimen onto the floor rather than into the reservoir. What is needed is a retractable funnel that can be implemented quickly and one that will easily stay in place once implemented. What is needed is a funnel and reservoir system that allows for the easy insertion of a pipet.
A method and apparatus is disclosed for collecting urine samples. The method and apparatus comprises a reservoir and funnel. The bottom portion of the funnel is attached to the top portion of the reservoir. The funnel has ridges lying along its long axis. The funnel has an expanded and unexpanded position. When unexpanded the funnel folds inward along the ridges and rotates inward about the lip of the reservoir, towards the bottom of the reservoir. When expanded, the funnel rotates upward and unfolds outward.
The mouth of the funnel has a circular or contoured shape. The contoured shape is saddle shaped so that the funnel mouth follows the natural contours of the perineum allowing the funnel to be placed closely to the subject""s body.


An interphase coating is formed by chemical vapor infiltration (CVI) on the fibers constituting a fiber preform, the interphase coating comprising at least an inner layer in contact with the fibers for embrittlement relief to the composite material, and an outer layer for bonding with the ceramic matrix. The fiber preform is then kept in its shape by the fibers provided with the interphase coating and is consolidated by being impregnated with a liquid composition containing a ceramic precursor, and by transforming the precursor into a ceramic matrix consolidation phase. The consolidated preform is then densified by an additional ceramic matrix phase. No support tooling is needed for forming the interphase coating by CVI or for densification after consolidation using the liquid technique.

The invention relates to fabricating parts out of ceramic matrix composite material (CMC material).
CMC materials are generally used for parts that need to present good mechanical behavior up to high temperatures, typically 1200° C. and even above, in an oxidizing environment.
Applications for CMC materials are to be found in the aviation and space fields, for example for structural parts that are exposed to a stream of hot gas in an aero-engine.
CMC materials are formed on a fiber reinforcing substrate that is densified with a ceramic matrix. The substrate may be made of carbon fibers or of ceramic fibers, such as refractory oxide or nitride or carbide fibers (typically silicon carbide SiC).
A method of making CMC material is described in document U.S. Pat. No. 4,752,503. In that known method, an interphase coating is formed on the fibers so as to optimize bonding between the fibers and the matrix, i.e. so as to have bonding that is strong enough to transfer to the fiber reinforcement the mechanical stresses to which the material is subjected, but bonding that is not too strong so as to avoid making the material fragile, strong bonding encouraging cracks to propagate from the ceramic matrix and through the fibers, thereby degrading the fiber reinforcement. The interphase is typically pyrolytic carbon (PyC) or boron nitride (BN). The interphase can thus be formed by a succession of individual layers of PyC (or BN) and of SiC, thus contributing to deflecting cracks, as described in an article by R. Naslain et al., published in the Journal of Solid State Chemistry, Academic Press USA, Vol. 117, No. 2 (2004-2), pp. 449-456.
A method commonly used for densifying the fiber reinforcement substrate of a CMC material is chemical vapor infiltration (CVI). A reaction gas is introduced into an oven in which the temperature and pressure conditions are suitable for encouraging the gas to diffuse into the pores of the fiber reinforcement and to from the matrix by depositing on the reinforcing fibers a material that is produced by decomposing one of the constituents of the reaction gas or by a reaction taking place between a plurality of constituents thereof.
Another known process for densifying a porous substrate by a ceramic matrix is densification by a liquid technique. The substrate is impregnated by a composition in the liquid state that contains a precursor for the ceramic material of the matrix, e.g. a precursor in the form of a resin. The precursor is transformed by heat treatment to produce the ceramic material of the matrix. Such a liquid process implemented on a fiber texture having fibers coated in a boron nitride interphase is described in a document EP 0 549 224.
The fiber reinforcement substrate is made in the form of a preform of shape that corresponds to the shape of the part that is to be made. The fiber preform is obtained from fiber texture(s) such as in particular unidirectional textures, yarns, tows, woven fabric, or two-dimensional textures, one dimensional or multi-directional sheets or felts by methods such as winding, two- or three-dimensional weaving, braiding, draping (superposing plies of two-dimensional textures on a former), superposing plies of two-dimensional texture and bonding them together by needling, stitching, etc.
In order to conserve the shape desired for the fiber preform during densification, in particular when the part to be made is complex in shape, it is necessary to have recourse to support tooling. Such tooling occupies a large amount of space and represents a large amount of thermal inertia in a CVI oven. Thus, the densification of a preform with a ceramic matrix as obtained by CVI is performed in two steps. A consolidation first step is performed during which a ceramic matrix consolidating phase is deposited so as to bond together the fibers of the preform sufficiently strongly to enable the preform to conserve its shape without the help of tooling. After consolidation, the preform is withdrawn from the tooling and densification is continued during a second step.
Nevertheless, the CVI process is slow and consolidating preforms by such a process occupies a considerable length of time, with support tooling present in the oven, thereby leading to the above-mentioned drawbacks (occupying space and constituting thermal inertia). Furthermore, after consolidation, the preforms need to be cooled down, extracted from the oven so as to withdraw the support tooling, and then reinserted into the oven, and raised again to the desired temperature in order to continue densification, thus implying a large amount of manipulation.
Proposals have been made in an article by A. Ortona et al., published in Fusion Engineering and Design, Elsevier Science Publishers, Amsterdam, Netherlands, Vol. 51-52 (2000), pp. 159-163, to make a composite material part of the SiC—SiC type (fiber reinforcement and matrix both made of SiC) by a method comprising:                using a CVI process to form a carbon interphase on the SiC fibers of a fiber preform held in tooling;        then using a CVI process to form a first consolidating matrix phase of SiC within the fiber preform while still supported in tooling; and        using a liquid process (polymer infiltration and pyrolysis) to form an SiC matrix phase finishing off the densification of the preform.
Document US 2003/0162647 discloses a method comprising forming a fiber preform out of SiC fibers and performing heat treatment. After a carbon interphase has been formed by CVI, a first matrix phase is made out of SiC by CVI, followed by a second matrix phase made out of SiC by a liquid technique, with a final deposit of SiC by CVI so as to close the cracks in the second matrix phase and form an SiC coating.
A similar method with a carbon interphase being formed by CVI, an SiC first matrix phase by CVI, an SiC second matrix phase by a liquid technique, and an SiC deposit by CVI for sealing the composite material is described in EP 1 277 716.
The above-mentioned documents have recourse to a CVI process for forming an SiC first matrix phase after an interphase coating has been formed on the fibers, with the above-mentioned drawbacks of CVI processes.

Method for making a part of composite material with ceramic matrix and resulting part


An expand tape used for dicing a semiconductor wafer includes an expandable film, and a preform layer which is provided on the expandable film and is used at die-bonding chips of the diced semiconductor wafer to a frame.

The present invention relates to expand tapes for use at dicing of semiconductor wafers.
A semiconductor device is generally manufactured through a cutting process of cutting a semiconductor crystal into semiconductor wafers, a dicing process of dicing the semiconductor wafer into semiconductor chips, a die-bonding process of die-bonding the semiconductor chip to a package and so on.
When the semiconductor wafer is diced, an expand tape has conventionally been used. The expand tape is made of synthetic resin film which is expandable. At the dicing process, a wafer 14 is stuck onto a surface 11a of the expand tape as shown in FIG. 3(a). Under this state, the wafer 14 is diced (see FIG. 3(b)). When the expand tape 1 is expanded, the wafer 14 is separated into chips 15, 15, . . . , 15 (see FIG. 3(c)). These chips 15 are then die-bonded onto lead frames, etc., using a preform material (e.g., a silver or solder paste) in the subsequent die-bonding process.
A dicing process using the aforesaid conventional expand tape is separated from a die-bonding process. Thus, semiconductor device manufacturing processes involve a greater number of steps and require more hands. Further, there is another problem that the handling of the preform material in addition to the expand tape is required.


Aspects of the technology provide a case for a mobile device, wherein the case includes a body, and a base configured to be mechanically coupled to the body. In certain aspects, the base includes a reader configured for reading financial information from a payment card for facilitating a financial transaction between a buyer and a merchant, a card slot disposed within the base, the card slot configured to receive the payment card, and wherein the card reader comprises a tip-ring-ring-sleeve (TRRS) connector having a protruding portion and a modified base portion, and wherein the modified base portion provides not more than two electrical connections between the TRRS connector and the reader.

1. Technical Field
The subject application relates to a case for a mobile point of sale (POS) terminal and in particular, to a case for a mobile device that includes an embedded card reader for reading a financial payment card.
2. Introduction
The increasing prevalence of mobile computing devices, such as smart phones and tablet computers, has spurred an increase in popularity for protective carrying cases. While some cases provide various types of mechanical functionality, such as protective or carrying features, conventional cases rarely provide hardware enhancements or offer expanded communication functionality.

Terminal case with integrated reader and shortened base


A treatment apparatus of the present invention includes a hermetic door 115b and a retort 115c as an interface for taking out a gaseous emission containing vaporized substances from an object to be treated which is being heated in a reduced pressure state in a second hermetic chamber 103 while maintaining conditions in the second hermetic chamber. When the retort 115c is inserted into a first opening 103b of the second hermetic chamber, the hermetic door 115b in an open state is shielded from the second hermetic chamber 103, whereby condensation of the gaseous emission at the hermetic door is prevented. Accordingly, condensates can be taken out while conditions such as temperature and pressure in the hermetic chamber are maintained without the treatment apparatus being stopped. The productivity of treatment is greatly improved by continuous operation of such a treatment apparatus.

An enormous amount of wastes which modern society holds continue increasing day by day, and the establishment of effective treatment technology is an urgent necessity.
Various useful substances are contained in wastes, but they are not separated from the wastes because of difficulty in separation and the like, and most of wastes are disposed of just as they are by reclamation or combustion. The useful substances in the wastes are required to be separated and recovered, and recycled as much as possible since there exist an energy problem and a problem of exhausting resources.
Meanwhile, noxious substances are also contained in the wastes. These noxious substances is not only a cause of environmental disruption but also one of the main causes of difficulty in recycling wastes. Therefore, if the noxious substances in the wastes can be removed effectively, wastes can be recycled positively as a treasury of resources, and influence on the environment and creatures can be held to a minimum.
As described above, the technology for treating wastes effectively needs to be established by all means to solve serious problems surrounding modern society such as environmental pollution, disappearance of resources, and shortage of energy source.
The types of wastes are, however, complicated and various in recent years, and there are many complex wastes in which a plurality of different materials are integrated, and moreover there are wastes containing noxious substances. To recycle such complex wastes as resources, it is required to selectively separate and recover useful substances and noxious substances from the wastes in which a plurality of different materials are integrated, but such treatment technology has not established yet.
From a different point of view, wastes become a treasury of resources if noxious substances can be separated therefrom. The so-called wastes are called so by relative value judgment. If recycling technology can be established and the cost necessary for recycling can be reduced, they are no longer wastes but become resources.
The present invention is made to solve the aforesaid problems. Namely, an object of the present invention is to provide a treatment apparatus and a treatment method capable of effectively and economically treating an object having metals and organic substances as its components.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a treatment apparatus and a treatment method capable of suppressing the production of dioxins, and particularly a treatment apparatus and a treatment method capable of suppressing the production of organic halides containing dioxins in thermal decomposition treatment of waste automobiles and the like, and treatment of refuse and wastes from factories and general households. Still another object of the present invention is to provide a treatment method and a treatment apparatus capable of lowering the concentration of residual dioxins in a thermally decomposed residue, burned residue, residual liquid, soil, sludge, and the like which contain noxious organic halides such as dioxins. Yet another object of the present invention is to produce clean soil from soil containing organic halides such as dioxins. Another object of the present invention is to provide a treatment method and a treatment apparatus capable of cleaning soil and burned fly ashes contaminated by noxious substances such as organic halides such as dioxins, PCB, and coplanar PCB, and heavy metals.

Treating apparatus, treating method and method of treating soil


A plug device is disclosed for snugly sealing material within a container. The plug device has a flexible, foldable, deformable plug body sized to be positioned within the container. The plug device also has a plug handle section with handles for facilitating insertion and removal of the plug body and for deforming the plug body out of an unfolded state. A first handle is attached to the plug body at both its beginning and end and along a radial axis of the plug body. A second handle, offset from the first handle, is also attached to the plug body at both its beginning and end and along the radial axis. The handles may be manipulated to deform the plug body out of an unfolded state. The manipulation, which may be twisting, squeezing, or using a tool, facilitates insertion of the plug body into the container and removal from the container.

This invention relates to methods and devices which facilitate short to long term storage, using the original container or another container, of a material, such as a liquid. The material may include but not be limited to any type of interior or exterior latex or oil based paint, stain or other interior or exterior surface coatings. Note: "paint" is a general term used in this document to refer to all of the types of surface coatings referenced above.
The price of premium paint cost in excess of $50 per gallon. Having a convenient and cost effective way to preserve paint freshness for short or long periods of time protects this investment. Storing partially filled containers of paint for medium to long periods of time causes evaporation, and as a result, a paint skin forms on the surface. The evaporation problem is greatly accelerated in warm outdoor conditions, where paint is often stored in a secondary container for short periods of time on a project basis. Evaporation results in paint becoming thick and chemically compromised. The paint may be too thick to reconstitute and must be discarded, resulting in a waste of money and further stress on landfills or other methods of waste disposal. For oil based coverings, the air in the container may cause the paint to become oxidized, resulting in a thick skin of the coating to form on the surface. This may also result in the paint becoming chemically compromised and thickened. In addition, the skin that forms on the surface of the paint and on the interior wall of the paint can may fragment and contaminate the remaining paint, forcing the remaining paint to be discarded.
Various devices have been proposed in the art such as transferring unused paint to a separate storage container or removing the metal lid and replacing it with a flexible lid with a spout and seal. In addition, other devices have been proposed in which the air has been vacuumed out of a storage container. However, vacuums may accelerate evaporation, and so may not be suitable for use in storing paint, where evaporation may degrade the quality of the remaining paint.
It is assumed that these devices are useful for their intended purpose, however, these devices do not offer a paint for short to long periods of time, whether or not they use the original product packaging, and in the case of the flexible or vacuumed lid, does not address the evaporation and oxidation issues from the air volume within the partially empty container.
One convenient and relatively inexpensive way to preserve materials in their container is described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,662,342, which has a plug device for a container with a plug handle and a flexible plug body with an exterior edge that conforms to the contours of the interior wall of the container. The plug body is inserted into the container and is positioned to the surface of the material within the chamber using the plug handle. The plug body exerts resistance pressure against the interior wall of the container. The resistance pressure releasably seals the material in the chamber. In certain embodiments, while the plug body is inserted into the container, the resistance pressure squeezes the material from at least a portion of the interior wall of the container down to a pool of the material in the chamber of the container.
In U.S. Pat. No. 8,662,342, disclosed and incorporated herein by reference above, the flexible plug body has a plurality of seals that conform to contours of an interior wall of the container and that simultaneously fit within the container and exert resistance pressure against the interior wall of the container when the plug device is inserted into the container. The plurality of seals has a primary seal and a lower seal that is located below the primary seal along the radial axis of the flexible plug body. The primary seal has a flexible tubular structure with an outwardly facing curved surface, and the lower seal covers a top surface of the material within the container when the plug device is inserted into the container. The lower seal operating in conjunction with the primary seal to improve the releasable sealing by extending outwardly from a center portion of the flexible plug body further than the primary seal when the plug device is not inserted into the container. The lower seal has a flexible outer edge extending outwardly from a center portion of the flexible plug body further than the primary seal when the plug device is not inserted into the container, and curls upwardly toward and against the primary seal and the interior wall of the container when the plug device is inserted into the container. The plug body also has a plug handle section extending to a free end and arranged to facilitate inserting the flexible plug body into the container to the top surface of the material within the container.
It is desirable to provide the plug device with a simple, easy to use plug handle section, which may be used to stabilize a plug body of the plug device and to improve inserting the flexible plug body into and removing it from a container.

Methods and devices for improved materials storage


An apparatus for illuminated retraction of a surgical cavity includes a surgical retractor having a generally tubular body forming a cannula insertable into a surgical cavity. The cannula has an inner surface defining a passage from a first end to a second end and an outer surface for abutting the margins of the surgical cavity. A light conduit includes a light emitting end for positioning adjacent to the passage to direct light into the passage.

In general, surgical retractors are used to push, pull, hold and/or fold skin, flesh and/or other tissue away from a site where a surgical operation or other intervention is being performed. Retractors expand the cavity or working area around the site, providing more room in which to maneuver operating and diagnostic tools. Retractors have also been used to facilitate separation of various tissues from architectures proximal to the surgical site, thereby improving access to and visibility of the site. Retractors in the form of cannulae are often used to maintain access to surgical sites in arthroscopic, laparoscopic, gynecological, and neurological procedures.
Historically, surgical retractors have been comprised of two main parts: a body or handle portion and an insertion portion or insert. The body is typically held by an operator when manipulating the retractor or coupled to a support frame that may include weights or mechanisms designed to facilitate desired movements and hold the retractor in place. The insert is suitably configured to move or grasp the desired tissues. For example, by putting a hook-shaped insert into a surgical cavity and then rotating it, surrounding tissues may be snared and then pulled away from the working environment. In the case of a cannula, the cannula typically forms a tube that is inserted into an incision. The edges of the incision abut the cannula and are retracted such that a passage to the surgical site is maintained through the center of the cannula. Not surprisingly, a single size and shape for retractors has not been practical. Indeed, a wide variety of geometries has been developed for different surgical wherein the retractor holds the body tissue out of the way while the lighting system concurrently illuminates the body cavity. However, relying on directed lighting external to a surgical cavity can be problematic due to difficulties in projecting the light in the required direction and shadows that may be cast onto the operating field. Moreover, separate retracting and lighting systems may be frustrating for an operator who is forced to manipulate both systems simultaneously, and various problems may arise as separate lighting and retracting tools get in the way of each other and cross paths with other equipment in the operating room.
Some retractor designs have sought to integrate retracting and lighting functions into a single device. However, the various complex ways of housing light sources and delivering light to the inserts in many of these illuminated or lit retractors have produced limited retractor geometries, bulky and/or heavy handles and inserts, and/or maintenance issues. Furthermore, some illuminated retractors have tended to emit narrow spot beams of light directed to rather small locations of the operating site while others have tended to emit more diffuse lighting, but often with low intensity.
Consequently, the competing needs for variety in size and geometry, directed lighting and diffuse lighting, and simplicity have tended to limit the effectiveness of historical illuminated retractors.


A method and system for bulk erasing in a holographic storage system is disclosed. The method may involve illuminating the entire volume storage region of a photorefractive crystal with a laser to achieve bulk erasure, or may involve selective erasure of a portion of a single written page. For bulk erasure of the entire photorefractive crystal the use of a separate laser or an incoherent light source is used.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to holography. In particular, the present invention is directed to a method and apparatus for bulk erasure in a holographic storage system.
2. Description of the Related Technology
Holographic techniques for storing images are well known. Such techniques are commonly used to store images in a variety of different applications. Holographic memory is a prospective technology for massive data storage, with the unique advantages of high storage density, fast read/write rate, non-volatility, and no moving parts. Ideally, holographic memory technology may be capable of storing hundreds of billions of bytes of data, transferring them at a rate of a billion or more of bits per second and selecting a randomly chosen data element in 100 microseconds or less.
To date, no state-of-the-art electronic memory technology offers all of the advantages that may be obtained with holographic memory. Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM) or Static Random Access Memory (SRAM) are both volatile and require constant refreshing. Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory (EEPROM) is nonvolatile and has read/write functionality, but it has less storage capacity and a very slow rewrite speed. FLASH memory is nonvolatile and has read/write capability but it too has less storage capacity.
Many devices (e.g., compact discs and digital video discs) use light to store and read data. However, prior art optical storage methods have limited transfer rates and capabilities. To overcome the disadvantages of the prior art, holographic memory may be used. Holographic memory stores information beneath the surface of the recording medium and uses the volume of the recording medium for storage. To date, holographic memory systems have been limited with respect to speed due to the need for re-encoding data and/or reading the data from the storage medium.
Holographic data storage is interesting from a business as well as scientific perspective. At least two companies today claim storage media capable of write once, read many (WORM) for storage markets such as video archival and medical applications. One company, Aprilis, Inc. (a division of STX Group), is producing 120 mm discs for which 400 GB storage capacity and 125 MB/s data transfer rate is claimed to be possible when used in a properly designed disc drive system. A second company, In-Phase Technologies (now controlled by Signal Lake), claims 300 GB and 20 MB/s in the near term with the hope to reach terabyte densities in the future.
While these companies are able to produce storage devices that can store much data, they are not able to achieve the data storage and access speeds needed for a commercially viable product.
Current holographic storage devices are typically record only and have no bulk erase capabilities. Therefore, current art electronic storage devices are slow to erase to a clean state, which, may be needed to meet requirements of some customers.
One way to bulk erase a holographic storage device is to temperature bulk erase. This is accomplished by removing the crystal from MUHCS storage device and placing the crystal in a dielectric holder. It is then inserted into a convection oven and the temperature is set to 200° C. for two hours. While this method may achieve erasure of the photorefractive crystal, it is not a timely or procedurally simple.
Therefore, there is a need in the field to provide bulk erasure in a holographic storage system that is not as time intensive as previous methods and/or procedurally complicated.

Method and apparatus for bulk erasure in a holographic storage system


The invention comprises an improvement in the process wherein a polysilicon layer, which is formed over a step on an integrated circuit structure and masked with a photoresist, is anisotropically etched to remove the exposed portions of the polysilicon layer leaving sidewall residues of a polymerized silicon/oxide-containing material adjacent the polysilicon lines. The improvement comprises treating the integrated circuit substrate with an aqueous ammonium-containing base/peroxide solution to remove the residues of polymerized silicon/oxide-containing material, without undercutting the remaining polysilicon.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an improved process for removing residues remaining after etching a polysilicon layer on an integrated circuit structure. More particularly, the improvement comprises treating an integrated circuit structure, after a polysilicon etch, with an aqueous ammonium-containing base/peroxide solution to selectively remove residues remaining after the anisotropic etching of the polysilicon layer.
2. Description of the Related Art
During the construction of an integrated circuit structure, a polysilicon layer may be formed which covers a raised portion or step on the integrated circuit structure. Such a step might, for example, comprise an oxide portion such as an isolation oxide or an oxide-covered polysilicon line, e.g., a poly 1 layer. Subsequent masking and anisotropic etching of this polysilicon layer, for example, to form another polysilicon line, can result in undesirable residues being left behind on the sidewalls of the polysilicon lines on the integrated circuit structure after the anisotropic etching step.
FIG. 1 shows such a polysilicon layer formed on an integrated circuit substrate, while FIGS. 2 and 3 show the structure of FIG. 1 respectively after first and second stages of an anisotropic etch of the polysilicon layer. In FIG. 1, polysilicon layer 20 is formed over silicon substrate 2 on which was previously formed a gate oxide layer 4 and raised steps 10 comprising polysilicon lines 12 covered by a oxide portion 14. A photoresist mask has been applied and patterned leaving photoresist portion 32 over a portion of polysilicon layer 20 where a line is to be formed from polysilicon layer 20. It will also be noted that a native oxide layer 16, of usually less than about 30 Angstroms thickness, is present over polysilicon layer 20.
Conventionally, polysilicon layer 20 is anisotropically etched (to avoid undercutting of the polysilicon beneath mask 32) by, for example, an RIE etch, using Cl.sub.2, HCl, and HBr gases to remove the exposed portions of polysilicon layer 20 down to the level of oxide portion 14 and gate oxide 4, as shown in FIG. 2, while observing the emission from the plasma with optical emission spectroscopy to monitor increases in the intensity of the Cl.sub.2 line indicative that the Cl.sub.2 is not being used to etch polysilicon. This first portion of the RIE etch process leaves polysilicon shoulders 22 and oxide portions 18, representing the inverted corners of oxide layer 16 over polysilicon layer 20 where polysilicon layer 20 begins to cross over each step 10, remaining on the sides of step 10 due to the greater thickness of polysilicon layer 20 at these points as shown in FIG. 2.
The structure is then subjected to a further RIE etch or overetch to remove the remaining portions of polysilicon layer 20 on the sides of step 10, as shown in FIG. 3, by changing the chemistry of the RIE etch to provide a higher concentration of O.sub.2 or HBr gas and a lower concentration of Cl.sub.2 gas, as well as a reduction in power density from, e.g., about 250-350 watts down to about 50-120 watts for a 4" wafer, to make the etch more selective in the etching of polysilicon, which will reduce or eliminate inadvertent etching of gate oxide layer 4.
However, as can be seen in FIG. 3, completion of the RIE etch leaves polymeric silicon and oxide-containing materials comprising sidewalls 26 on the sides of polysilicon line 28 and photoresist 32.
Conventionally, in the prior art, such residues of polymeric silicon/oxide-containing materials forming sidewalls 26 were removed by dipping the integrated circuit structure in HF. However, the HF will also etch the gate oxide and, therefore, unless the wet etch conditions are very carefully controlled, the gate oxide will also be removed, exposing the underlying silicon substrate.
It would, therefore, be desirable to provide an improved process for the selective removal of residues, and in particular, sidewalls residues left on raised polysilicon lines, after an anisotropic etching step, with minimum damage to oxide portions in or on the integrated circuit structure such as gate oxide over the silicon substrate, including elimination of undercutting of the remaining polysilicon portions.

Process for removal of residues remaining after etching polysilicon layer in formation of integrated circuit structure


A pressure reducing valve comprises a valve support member provided with a water passage, a valve seat fitting on the portion of the valve support member primary side relative to the secondary side end of the water passage, a cup-shaped valve body fitting on the secondary side end of the valve support member to slide and capable of abutting the valve seat at the open end, while enclosing the secondary side end of the water passage at the cylindrical portion, a seal member for sealing the sliding contact part between the valve support member and the valve body, and a resilient member disposed in the valve body to force the valve body away from the valve seat.

As shown in FIG. 1, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No.302123/1995 discloses a pressure reducing valve α comprising a cylindrical casing 1, a valve support member 2 provided with a plate portion 2a, an annular portion 2b and a water passage 2c and fitting in an end of the casing 1, a valve seat 3 fitting on the valve support member 2, a cylindrical valve body 4 provided with an external flange 4b at its one end 4a, the external flange 4b fitting in the other end of the casing 1 to slide and the other end 4c being inserted in the annular portion 2b to slide, and a spring 6 disposed in a chamber 5 defined by the casing 1, the annular portion 2b, the external flange 4b and a cylindrical portion of the valve body 4 to force the external flange 4b away from the valve seat 3, wherein the pressure reducing valve is fitted in a city water pipe with the plate portion 2a directed toward the upstream side (hereinafter called the primary side). In the pressure reducing valve α, city water flows from the primary side to the downstream side (hereinafter called the secondary side) through the water passage 2c and an internal space of the valve body 4. When the water pressure in the secondary side city water pipe (hereinafter called the secondary pressure) increases due to the increase of the water pressure in the primary side city water pipe (hereinafter called the primary pressure), the valve body 4 moves to a position where the force applied to the external flange 4b by the secondary pressure balances with the force applied to the external flange 4b by the spring 6, the other end 4c of the valve body 4 approaches the valve seat 3, and the sectional area of the water passage 2c decreases. As a result, the secondary pressure is reduced to approach a predetermined level. When the primary pressure further increases, the other end 4c of the valve body 4 abuts the valve seat 3 to close the water passage 2c, thereby shutting off the water flow from the primary side to the secondary side. Thus, the secondary pressure is kept at the predetermined level.
As shown in FIG. 2, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 320723/2000 discloses a pressure reducing valve β comprising a cylindrical casing 7, a valve support member 8 provided with a plate portion 8a, an annular portion 8b and a water passage 8c and fitting in an end of the casing 7, a valve seat 9 fitting in the valve support member 8, a cylindrical valve body 10 slightly spaced annularly from the other end of the casing 7 to slide at an external flange 10b provided at its portion near the one end 10a, and inserted in the annular portion 8b to slide at the other end 10c, and a spring 12 disposed in a chamber 11 defined by the casing 7, the annular portion 8b, the external flange 10b and a cylindrical portion of the valve body 10 to force the external flange 10b away from the valve seat 9, wherein the pressure reducing valve is fitted in a city water pipe with the plate portion 8a directed toward the primary side. In the pressure reducing valve β, city water flows from the primary side to secondary side through the water passage 8c and an internal space of the valve body 10. When the secondary pressure increases due to the increase of the primary pressure, the valve body 10 moves to a position where the force applied to the external flange 10b by the secondary pressure balances with the force applied to the external flange 10b by the spring 12, the other end 10c of the valve body 10 approaches the valve seat 9, and the sectional area of the water passage 8c decreases. As a result, the secondary pressure is reduced to approach a predetermined level. When the primary pressure further increases, the other end 10c of the valve body 10 abuts the valve seat 9 to close the water passage 8c, thereby shutting off the water flow from the primary side to the secondary side. Thus, the secondary pressure is kept at the predetermined level. The secondary pressure is applied to the external flange 10b through the narrow annular space between the one end 10a of the valve body 10 and the casing 7. Therefore, even if the secondary pressure increases quickly due to the closure of a closing valve disposed secondary side, the force applied to the external flange 10b by the secondary pressure does not increase quickly because of the pressure loss caused by the narrow annular space, and the water passage 8c is not closed quickly. Therefore, no water hammer is caused at the primary side due to the closure of a closing valve disposed at the secondary side.


A fan includes a hub, several fan blades, and a motor that is operable to drive the hub. A motor controller is in communication with the motor, and is configured to select the rate of rotation at which the motor drives the hub. The fan is installed in a place having a floor and a ceiling. An upper temperature sensor is positioned near the ceiling. A lower temperature sensor is positioned near the floor. The temperature sensors communicate with the motor controller, which includes a processor configured to compare substantially contemporaneous temperature readings from the upper and lower temperature sensors. The motor controller is thus configured to automatically control the fan motor to minimize the differences between substantially contemporaneous temperature readings from the upper and lower temperature sensors. The fan system may thus substantially destratify air in an environment, to provide a substantially uniform temperature distribution within the environment.

A variety of fan systems have been made and used over the years in a variety of contexts. For instance, various ceiling fans are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,284,960, entitled "Fan Blades," issued Oct. 23, 2007, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein; U.S. Pat. No. 6,244,821, entitled "Low Speed Cooling Fan," issued Jun. 12, 2001, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein; U.S. Pat. No. 6,939,108, entitled "Cooling Fan with Reinforced Blade," issued Sep. 6, 2005, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein; U.S. Pub. No. 2008/0008596, entitled "Fan Blades," published Jan. 10, 2008, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein; and U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/034,254, entitled "Ceiling Fan System with Brushless Motor," filed Mar. 6, 2008, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein. Alternatively, any other suitable fans may be used in conjunction with embodiments described herein.
The outer tip of a fan blade or airfoil may be finished by the addition of an aerodynamic tip or winglet. Merely exemplary winglets are described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,252,478, entitled "Fan Blade Modifications," issued Aug. 7, 2007, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein; U.S. Pub. No. 2008/0014090, entitled "Cuffed Fan Blade Modifications," published Jan. 17, 2008, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein; and U.S. Pub. No. 2008/0213097, entitled "Angled Airfoil Extension for Fan Blade," published Sep. 4, 2008, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein. Other suitable structures that may be associated with an outer tip of an airfoil or fan blade will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art in view of the teachings herein. Alternatively, the outer tip of an airfoil or fan blade may be simply closed, or may lack any similar structure at all.
The interface of a fan blade and a fan hub may also be provided in a variety of ways. For instance, an interface component is described in U.S. Non-Provisional patent application Ser. No. 12/233,783, entitled "Aerodynamic Interface Component for Fan Blade," filed Sep. 19, 2008, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein. Alternatively, the interface of a fan blade and a fan hub may include any other component or components, or may lack any similar structure at all.
Fans may also include a variety of mounting structures. For instance, a fan mounting structure is disclosed in U.S. Non-Provisional patent application Ser. No. 12/203,960, entitled "Ceiling Fan with Angled Mounting," filed Sep. 4, 2008, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein. In addition, a fan may include sensors or other features that are used to control, at least in part, operation of a fan system. For instance, such fan systems are disclosed in U.S. Non-Provisional patent application Ser. No. 12/249,086, entitled "Ceiling Fan with Concentric Stationary Tube and Power-Down Features," filed Oct. 10, 2008, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein; and U.S. Non-Provisional patent application Ser. No. 12/336,090, entitled "Automatic Control System and Method to Minimize Oscillation in Ceiling Fans," filed Dec. 16, 2008, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein. Alternatively, any other suitable mounting structures and/or fan systems may be used in conjunction with embodiments described herein.
The effectiveness of very large, High Volume/Low Speed ("HVLS") ceiling fans as a component of a climate control system in buildings may be readily observed, such as in warm weather when the fans are either used alone or in conjunction with air conditioning, and in winter when they are used in conjunction with a heating system. In the absence of such fans in some settings, natural convection may cause the air to stratify, with the warmest layers at the top adjacent to the roof and the coolest layers at the floor. This may be a particularly undesirable condition in winter, when occupants at floor level may desire heat, and high temperatures just below the roof may increase the rate of thermal loss through the roof and decrease energy efficiency.
A primary function of an HVLS fan in such an environment, particularly in winter months when the HVLS fan is used in conjunction with a heating system, may be to maintain a substantially uniform air temperature throughout the enclosed space by blending the heated air from the upper part of the space with the cooler air closer to the floor. A comfortable and energy-efficient condition may be maintained when the speed of the fan is controlled so that there is just enough air movement to maintain uniform air temperature without excessive speed that might create undesirable drafts. In practice, this condition may be only approximated in many situations. For instance, the speed of the fan may be controlled either manually (e.g., by a control operated by a person at floor level, etc.), or automatically (e.g., by coupling the fan to the controls of the heating system, etc.). In manual operation, the fan may be controlled on the basis of the operator's subjective sense of comfort; and in heating-coupled automatic operation, it may be responsive to room temperature. However, such bases of control may not necessarily provide a substantially uniform temperature throughout the space.
While a variety of systems and techniques have been made and used to control fans and fan systems, it is believed that no one prior to the inventor has made or used the invention recited in the appended claims.
Reference will now be made in detail to various embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. To the extent that specific dimensions are shown in the accompanying drawings, such dimensions should be regarded as merely illustrative and not limiting in any way. Accordingly, it will be appreciated that such dimensions may be varied in any suitable way.

Automatic control system for ceiling fan based on temperature differentials


The invention relates to MEMS resonators. In one embodiment, an integrated resonator and sensor device includes a micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) resonator, and an anchor portion coupled to the MEMS resonator and configured to allow resonance of the MEMS resonator in a first plane of motion and movement of the MEMS resonator in a second plane of motion. In other embodiments, additional apparatuses, devices, systems and methods are disclosed.

Reference frequency generation and acceleration sensing are typically implemented by two separate discrete components in devices which require both. A quartz crystal resonator is most often used to generate the reference frequency, while acceleration sensing is often measured by using electrostatic, piezoelectric or piezoresistive principles. Many applications also use shock sensing, which provides for the detection of rapid acceleration changes and can be described as a wide-band acceleration sensor.
Using separate components for frequency generation and sensing, however, takes up more space and also can require more power. These are significant disadvantages, particularly in applications in which a small size as well as low power consumption are desired or required, such as in wheel-mounted tire pressure monitoring systems (TPMS).