The present invention provides a use of compounds from Antrodia camphorata in manufacturing medicaments for treating kidney diseases, wherein the compounds is represented by formula (I):

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a medical use of compounds isolated from Antrodia camphorata, in particular to a use of manufacturing medicaments for treating kidney diseases.
2. The Prior Arts
Antrodia camphorata is also called Chang-Zhi, Niu Chang-Gu, red camphor mushroom and the like, which is a perennial mushroom belonging to the order Aphyllophorales, the family Polyporaceae. The Antrodia camphorata is a unique Formosan fungal growing on the inner wall of the rotten cavity Cinnamomum kanehirai Hay. Cinnamoum kanehirai Hay is rarely distributed and overcut unlawfully, which makes Antrodia camphorata parasitizing inside the tree in the wild become even rare. The price of Antrodia camphorata is very expensive due to the extremely slow growth rate of the fruiting body that only grows between June to October. In traditional Taiwanese medicine, Antrodia camphorata has effects on antidote, antidiarrhea, anti-inflammation, liver diseases treatment, anti-cancer and the like. Antrodia camphorata like general edible-medicinal mushrooms is rich in numerous complicated components, in which the well-known bioactive components are included triterpenoids, polysaccharides (such as β-D-glucan), vitamins (such as vitamin B, nicotinic acid), protein (immunoglobulin), superoxide dismutase (SOD), trace element (such as calcium, phosphorous, germanium), nucleic acid, sterols and stabilizers for blood pressure (such as antodia acid) and the like. These bioactive components are believed to exhibit effects such as: anti-tumor activities, increasing immuno-modulating activities, anti-allergy, anti-bacteria, anti-high blood pressure, decreasing blood sugar, decreasing cholesterol and the like. Wherein particular components which have been discovered in the recent years may have effects on anti-inflammation, especially treating kidney diseases.
General speaking, the common kidney diseases mean the functions of kidney are influenced by attacking the glomerulus. The glomerulus diseases which include numerous symptoms due to various genes and environment conditions, mainly classify into glomerulosclerosis and glomerulonephritis. Glomerulosclerosis is a sclerosis of glomerulus in kidney. Generally, it is an injury of blood capillary, glomerulus in kidney, and kidney functional unit which is used to filter urine from blood. Proteinuria (most amount of protein in urine) is one of the signs of glomerulosclerosis. The kidney injuries can influence the filtering function of kidney and cause proteins to leak from blood into urine. However, glomerulosclerosis is merely one of numerous factors to lead proteinuria. In addition, kidney biopsy may be a necessary indication for determining whether a patient suffers from glomerulosclerosis or another kidney disease. Glomerulosclerosis, especially means focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) and nodular glomerulosclerosis.
Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) is determined by the injured characteristics of focal segmental sclerosis and foot process effacemen. The research in the past twenty years shows that the incidence of an end-stage kidney disease suffered by the patients with FSGS is about 13 to 78 percent. Although the causes and sources of FSGS are not clearly, but mainly due to visceral epithelial cell injuries, which lead to complicated reaction in glomerulus, and then cause glomerulosclerosis.
Nephropatia diabeica or intercapillary glomerulonephritis also called as diabetic nephropathy or Kimmelstiel-Wilson syndrome, is a progressive kidney disease which is caused by angiopathy of capillaries in kidney glomerulus. This disease is characterized by nephrotic syndrome and diffuse glomerulosclerosis or suffering from diabetes mellitus for long time. In addition, a primary treatment in many countries is dialysis.
Up to now, steroids and immunosuppressive medicaments are mainly used to treat primary FSGS, but these developing therapies are still limited for treating the kidney injuries because of various side effects. As a result, the therapies are just based on experience rules rather than pathologic evidences.
Glomerulonephritis is an inflammation in the kidney membranes which have functions for filtrating wastes and unwanted fluids from blood.
The most common glomerulonephritis is IgA nephropathy (IgAN). The cause leading to accelerate the development of glomerulonephritis is not able to predict, prevent and treat clinically. Therefore, it is considered the main factor which could develop chronic kidney failure of kidney diseases. As a result, even the other immune, clinical, pathological factors can cause kidney failure in the patient's kidneys who suffer from IgAN, but abnormal increases of systemic T cell activation, lumphocyte/macrophage/neutrophil are also considered one of main process which cause IgAN to transfer to the chronic kidney failure. Moreover, oxidative stress is also considered a main process which causes IgAN to increase and develop in the patients and the animal model. There has been reported that reactive oxygen species (ROS) can directly lead to disease in most human and experimental kidney diseases.
Although glucocorticoid is widely used to treat the patients suffering from IgAN. However, the effects of glucocorticoid in maintaining the kidney function of IgAN and in lowering the urinary protein are not clear. The side effects of leading to potential uncontrollable inhibited immune response due to use glucocorticoid steroid for long periods of time also make medical problems.
It has been known that extractions from Antrodia camphorata contain various medical effects from recent numerous experiments, wherein the compositions of extractions from the Antrodia camphorata have also been analyzed. However, it is an issue to be solved that whether the extractions from Antrodia camphorata contain any other compounds for efficiently treating kidney diseases.

Abstract: wherein R1 is a hydrogen atom or acetyl group, R2 is

Abstract: wherein the kidney disease is glomerulosclerosis or glomerulonephritis.


A backlight unit for a liquid crystal display device includes a bottom cover having a first plane portion and a first side portion combined by a first coupling system, a reflector over the bottom cover and having a second plane portion and a second side portion corresponding to the first plane portion and the first side portion, respectively, at least one cold cathode fluorescent lamp over the second plane portion, an optical sheet over the at least one cold cathode fluorescent lamp, and a guide panel overlapping a rim portion of the optical sheet, wherein the guide panel and the bottom cover are combined using a second coupling system.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a display device and a method of fabricating a display device, and more particularly, to a backlight unit, a liquid crystal display device using a backlight unit, and a method of fabricating a liquid crystal display device.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
As the information age progresses, flat panel display (FPD) devices having light weight, thin profile, and low power consumption characteristics are being developed and commonly used as a substitute for cathode ray tube (CRT) devices. Generally, display devices may be classified according to their ability for self-emission, and may include emissive display devices and non-emissive display devices. The emissive display devices display images by taking advantage of their ability to self-emit light, and the non-emissive display devices require a light source since they do not emit light by themselves. For example, plasma display panel (PDP) devices, field emission display (FED) devices, and electroluminescent display (ELD) devices are commonly used as emissive display devices. Liquid crystal display (LCD) devices may be categorized as non-emissive display devices commonly used in notebook and desktop computers because of their high resolution, capability of displaying colored images, and high quality image display.
An LCD module of the LCD devices include an LCD panel for displaying images to an exterior and a backlight unit for supplying light to the LCD panel. The LCD panel includes two substrates facing and spaced apart from each other, and a liquid crystal material interposed therebetween. Liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal material have a dielectric constant and refractive index anisotropic characteristics due to their long, thin shape. In addition, two electric field generating electrodes are formed on the two substrates, respectively. Accordingly, an orientation alignment of the liquid crystal molecules can be controlled by supplying a voltage to the two electrodes, wherein transmittance of the LCD panel is changed according to polarization properties of the liquid crystal material. However, since the LCD panel is a non-emissive-type display device, an additional light source is required. Thus, a backlight unit is disposed under the LCD panel, wherein the LCD device displays images using light produced by the backlight unit. In general, backlight units may be classified into two types according to a disposition of the light source, such as side-type and direct-type. As display areas of the LCD devices become increasing larger, direct-type backlight units including a plurality of light source have become commonly used in order to provide high brightness.
FIG. 1 is an assembly view of a liquid crystal display module having a direct type backlight unit according to the related art. In FIG. 1, an LCD module includes an LCD panel 70, a direct-type backlight unit 5, and a plurality of combining elements thereof. The direct-type backlight unit 5 includes a bottom cover 10, a reflector 20, a plurality of cold cathode fluorescent lamps (CCFLs) 30, a pair of side supporters 40, an optical sheet 50, and a guide panel 60. The bottom cover 10 is commonly formed of metal or synthetic resin material and functions as a lower case. The reflector 20 is formed of metal material having one of a white and silver color, and is combined with the bottom cover 10. The plurality of CCFLs 30 are disposed parallel to each other over the reflector 20, wherein the pair of side supporters 40 cross two ends of each of the CCFL 30 to fix the plurality of CCFLs 30. The optical sheet 50 includes a plurality of diffusing sheets 50a, 50b, and 50c that cover the plurality of CCFLs 30 and the pair of side supporters 40. The guide panel 60 covers a rim portion of the optical sheet 50.
The plurality of CCFLs 30 are fixed by combining the pair of side supporters 40 and the bottom cover 10 using a plurality of first bolts 92. Thus, the direct-type backlight unit 5 is formed of a single body and includes the guide panel 60 and the bottom cover 10 combined together using a plurality of second bolts 94. In addition, an LCD panel 70 is disposed above the direct-type backlight unit 5, and a top cover 80 covering rim of the LCD panel 70 is combined with the bottom cover 10 using a plurality of third bolts 96 to complete the LCD module. Accordingly, light emitted from the plurality of CCFLs 30 is reflected by the reflector 20 and enters the optical sheet 50, and is uniformly supplied across an entire surface of the LCD panel 70 to display images having high brightness.
FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view along II—II of FIG. 1 showing the liquid crystal display module according to the related art. In FIG. 2, the guide panel 60 is combined with the bottom cover 10 using the plurality of second bolts 94, and the top cover 80 is combined with the bottom cover 10 using the plurality of third bolts 96. Although not shown, a pair of side supporters crossing two ends of each CCFL 30 is combined with the bottom cover 10 using the plurality of first bolts 92.
According to the related art, the entire LCD module must be disassembled and re-assembled to change or repair the direct-type backlight unit, i.e., the plurality of CCFLs 30. In general, the CCFLs 30 remain ON for an extended period of time and consume relatively large amounts of power. As a result, lifetimes of the CCFLs 30 are shortened and occasionally malfunction. Since the direct-type backlight unit includes the plurality of CCFLs 30, each of the CCFLs 30 may need to be changed or repaired more frequently. Thus, to change or repair any of the CCFLs 30, the entire LCD module must be disassembled and then re-assembled. In FIGS. 1 and 2, the top cover 80 and the LCD panel 70 are disassembled from the direct-type backlight unit 5 by unscrewing the plurality of third bolts 96. Then, the guide panel 60 is disassembled from the optical sheet 50 by unscrewing the plurality of second bolts 94, and then the side supporters 40 are disassembled from the bottom cover 10 by unscrewing the plurality of first bolts 92. Since the disassembled elements must be re-assembled after changing or repairing any of the CCFLs 30, a process of changing or repairing the CCFLs 30 is complicated and time consuming. Furthermore, since the LCD panel 70 is exposed during the process of changing or repairing the CCFLs 30, the LCD panel 70 may become contaminated and degrade image display quality. Accordingly, the direct-type backlight unit 5 must be changed even when a change or repair of one of the CCFLs 30 is necessary. Thus, production costs increase and efficiency of materials decreases.

Backlight unit, liquid crystal display device using the same, and method of fabricating the same


A compact, high speed switch packaging arrangement or package provides reduced path lengths for electrical paths through the package. In particular, a printed circuit board switch backplane supports a switching subsystem and connects the switching subsystem to pairs of electrical connectors with the pairs of connectors being positioned on opposite edges of the same side of the backplane. A plurality of port boards for processing signals to be switched by the switching subsystem each include pairs of connectors which intermate with the pairs of connectors on the backplane. Port circuitry on the port boards is connected to the port board connectors to minimize trace lengths on the port boards by routing ports to the nearest one of the two connectors. The port boards are mounted to the backplane such that signals from the port boards are routed to the switching subsystem from two opposite sides of the switching subsystem. This routing results in a star or radiating pattern of trace paths on the backplane to reduce trace lengths. Further, since the connectors on the backplane are placed on opposite sides of the switching subsystem, the port boards coupled with the connectors can extend over and above that portion of the backplane which supports the switching subsystem thereby placing the connectors as close as possible to the switching subsystem and, in turn, further reducing trace lengths on the backplane.

The present invention relates in general to digital data switches and, more particularly, to a compact package for digital data switches operating with digital data signals up to and including gigabit and higher speed signals.
Packaging of digital data switches is an ongoing problem due, at least in part, to the electrical characteristics of the packaging materials which are used to mount a switch and associated control elements for the switch and to conduct data signals to and from the switch. For example, a digital data switch, typically one or more integrated circuit chips, is mounted on a printed circuit board (PCB) with electrically conducting traces formed on the switch board to conduct signals to and from the switch on the board. These traces present an impedance to signals which attenuate and can distort the signals. For high speed signals, the impedance and resulting attenuation and distortion can vary widely due to minor variations in the traces making signal retrieval difficult. Signals are also cross coupled among the traces and can be radiated from the traces leading to cross-talk among the signals and electromagnetic radiation or electromagnetic interference (EMI) which can cause operating problems for the switch and also for other nearby equipment.
In addition to the challenges presented by the switch board, signals to be switched are normally processed on secondary boards, for example port boards, which are commonly interconnected to the switch board by intermating electrical connectors. Even the best pairs of electrical connectors present an impedance mismatch when a port board connector is intermated with a switch board connector. As with trace impedances, connector impedance mismatches have significant effect on the attenuation and distortion of signals, particularly high speed signals.
Various approaches have been used in packaging high speed digital data switches. For example, attempts have been made to package the switch, associated switch circuitry and a plurality of port circuits on a common printed circuit board. While eliminating the expense and problems resulting from connectors, unfortunately such packaging results in very large boards with correspondingly long traces. These single board systems are difficult to maintain and are not well adapted to upgrades, particularly for the port circuitry.
In other configurations, port boards have been interconnected to both the front and back sides of a switch board. Unfortunately, such arrangements are more complex and result in larger switch package sizes.
In still other configurations, the port boards are reduced in size. While such reduced size port boards can result in compaction of a switch, for a switch accommodating a large number of ports, the trace lengths on the switch board still present a problem.
Accordingly, there is an ongoing need for improved packaging arrangements for high speed digital data switches operating with signals up to and including gigabit and higher speed signals. Preferably, such arrangements would be easily maintained and upgraded.

High speed switch package provides reduced path lengths for electrical paths through the package


A dental articulator for connecting first and second dental models generally includes upper and lower arms hinging at their rear ends by a hinge. Each arm front end is connected by a coupling to a dental model. Each coupling generally includes a ball, a coupling, a rear socket and a fastener joining the coupling and rear socket such that the socket is movable rotationally, up and down, and side to side on the ball to a selected position. The hinge also provides for movements of the arms mimicking those of a human jaw. The lower arm means for adjusting the height of the hinge. Upper and lower dental models each include a holder of an incisor spacing assembly co-cast into the base. The holders hold an incisor pin for adjusting the vertical spacing between the fronts of the dental models.

Articulators or correlators for use with a dental model to develop dental prostheses or denture elements have been used for a number of years. In crown and bridge laboratories, typically molds (model formers) made of rubber or silicone, are used to make models. A pourable, hardenable stone (plaster) is poured in the mold to form the base. A tooth die, i.e., a model of a patient's upper or lower teeth and gums, is co-cast in the base, i.e., set partially into the base before the base hardens. The base of the dental model is then mounted to an articulator.
With most articulators, the dental model is attached to the articulator by plastering. After the articulation functions are performed, the dental model is knocked from the articulator. The articulator must then be cleaned of plaster before re-use.
A few articulators are marketed that use methods other than plastering for attaching the dental model to the articulator. These typically use screws or clamps to hold the dental models. These plaster-less articulators are expensive and often require considerable time to align the upper and lower dental models.
Therefore, there has been a need for a dental articulator that directly receives a dental model without requiring additional plastering.
It is further desirable that the articulator easily attaches to the dental model at a desirable longitudinal up/down angle, horizontal side-to-side angle, and lateral tilt angle.
It is further desirable that the articulator provide for selective adjustment of the vertical rear spacing of the mounted dental models after alignment.
It is further desirable that the articulator provide for selective adjustment of the vertical front spacing of the mounted dental models after alignment.


A toothbrush including a head region in which is secured bristles on the top side of the head region, along at least a portion of the length of the head region. A neck region is connected to the head region and an elongated gripping region is connected to the neck region. The head and neck regions are both angled backward from the gripping region. An end rest region having a generally flat bottom surface is connected to the gripping region. The gripping region arches frontward of both the neck and end rest regions. The head and other handle regions of the toothbrush are of a material composition at least a portion of which is recycled plastic; preferably, the material composition is at least about 90% recycled plastic. At the time of disposal of the toothbrush of the invention, say, when its bristles are worn out, the entire toothbrush can be preferably recycled instead of included in non-recyclable trash. The toothbrush bristles are configured as a row of columns of spaced-apart tufts of end-rounded bristles. An inner-most column of bristle tufts is of a first height along the entire length of the inner-most column; outer-most bristle tuft columns are each of a second height that is greater than the first height along their entire lengths; and intermediate bristle tuft columns are of intermediate heights that are between the first and second heights along their entire lengths. The inner-most column is of a first length, the outer-most bristle tuft columns are each of a second length that is less than the first length, and the intermediate bristle tuft columns are of intermediate lengths between the first and second lengths.

Manual toothbrushing is the most widely-used oral hygiene practice and is recognized as an effective technique for removal of bacterial plaque. But it is generally agreed that typical toothbrushing techniques and conventional toothbrushes are successful at removing plaque only substantially from portions of the hard oral tissue, i.e., tooth surfaces. Soft oral tissue and the hard oral tissue just adjacent to it are generally not well-addressed by conventional toothbrushes. In particular, the free gingival margin of soft oral tissue, that is, the portion of gingivae that overlap the teeth crowns, and the gingival sulcular region, located between the free gingival margin and the teeth crowns, are not generally well-addressed by conventional toothbrushes. As a result, typical toothbrushing techniques promote removal of plaque from only the teeth surfaces above the gingival margin, while not adequately cleaning the gingivae and sulcular regions. Yet cleaning of the gingivae and sulcular regions is required to control periodontal disease.
A wide range of toothbrush configurations have been proposed for promoting cleaning of both hard and soft oral tissue through toothbrushing. For example, out-of-line toothbrush handle orientations and nonuniform toothbrush bristle configurations have been suggested. Although such configurations in general do typically achieve some gains in promotion of improved toothbrushing over conventional toothbrushes, they generally do not optimally enable proper cleaning of both soft as well as hard oral tissue.

Recycled and recyclable toothbrush having bristle and handle configurations for improved oral hygiene


A method for producing a wound dressing wherein a curable silicone mixture is extruded onto a generally planar molding surface. The silicone mixture defines a first surface adjacent the planar surface and a second surface opposite the first surface. The molding surface is heated at a curing temperature sufficient to cause the silicone mixture to cross-link. The silicone mixture is uniformly spread over the molding surface such that the silicone mixture has a generally uniform thickness and the second surface is substantially planar. The second surface of the silicone mixture is laminated to an absorbent material after the silicone mixture has started to cross-link and transform to a gel due to exposure to the heated molding surface.

Historically, many diverse materials of various origins have been used to treat wounds by absorbing wound fluids and tissue, generally referred to as "exudate," from a wound site with some type of absorbent material. In recent years, use of polymeric-based wound care products have become increasingly popular to control wound site environmental factors such as water vapor, oxygen permeability, bacterial impermeability, and absorption of exudate. Such wound care products are tailored to meet specific requirements including conformability to a body portion, selective adherence to a wound bed, and adhesiveness to the skin surrounding the wound site.
Recently, occlusive or moisture-retentive dressings have gained increasing acceptance in treating wounds, in particular pressure sores and ulcers. A wide variety of types of structures are known in the art for use in or as wound dressings, and generally comprise components for receiving, absorbing and retaining exudate. Typically, these dressings include polymeric foams, polymeric films, particulate and fibrous polymers, hydrogels and hydrocolloids. Dressings with at least one of these components promote wound healing by providing a moist environment, while removing excess exudate and toxic components, and further serve as a barrier to protect the wound from secondary bacterial infection. While these known dressings can effectively manage a wound, many have been found to possess certain limitations or disadvantages.
Many of the known dressings have an absorbent layer that comprises hydrophilic polymeric foam. Unfortunately, many hydrophilic polymeric foam dressings possess the disadvantage of being limited in the amount of exudate that may be absorbed. The limit in exudate absorption of the foam is often directly related to its overall geometrical size prior to absorbing a fluid. Typically, hydrophilic foams may expand only to 10-20% of their original size. Another disadvantage to hydrophilic foam dressings is that a certain amount of exudate can be "squeezed" out of the foam due to poor liquid retention. The ability of exudates to be squeezed from the foam, and thus dressing itself, poses a risk of infection and may interfere with the healing of the wound.
Yet another disadvantage with known foam dressings is that absorption of exudate by an absorptive layer, such as foam, in contact with the wound causes the central portion of the applied dressing to swell and push up against the wound. Continued swelling can induce separation of the skin adherent layer from the skin outside the wound area, especially at the border of the wound dressing whereat a "curling" effect may occur. This excessive swelling of the dressing may further lead to leakage of the exudate from the periphery of the dressing, thereby providing a tract for the invasion of pathogenic microorganisms and promoting maceration of the wound site.
In many known dressings, a backing layer is provided that comprises a liquid impervious film that is attached to an absorbent layer to prevent exudate from seeping from the dressing. A difficulty arises during fluid uptake in that as the absorbent layer expands, the backing layer must accommodate the expansion of the absorbent layer without causing curling of the dressing.
One solution has been proposed to include a backing layer that is formed of a thin elastic sheet which is yieldable as the absorbent layer swells. It has been found, however, that a liquid impervious plastic film cannot be made to sufficiently stretch in keeping with the expansion of the absorbent layer, and as a result, the film counteracting with the swelling absorbent layer may produce the aforesaid curling at the border of the dressing.
Another solution has been proposed in which a backing layer is attached to the absorbent foam layer and includes a plurality of wrinkles that substantially flatten as the foam layer swells. While the backing layer may accommodate the expansion of the foam layer, the fluid uptake of this dressing is limited by the expandability of the foam layer itself. Accordingly, due to the limited absorptive capacity of the foam layer, the dressing must be frequently replaced.
Ideally, a dressing must have adhesive properties that enable the dressing to attach to the wound site while being non-toxic to skin and eliciting no allergenic response. Moreover, a dressing should possess the ability to prevent bacteria from entering the wound from the ambient environment while providing a suitable moisture transmission rate.
Many known dressings possess the disadvantage of relying solely on a pressure sensitive adhesive layer to secure the dressing to skin. An example of an adhesive is an acrylate glue. While indeed an acrylate glue securely maintains a dressing over a wound, the glue has a tendency to strip the central portion of the dressing from the wound and thus may damage healing tissue.
Wound dressings have been commercially available that include an absorbent foam layer with a skin adherent layer comprising a coating of silicone gel over a surface of the foam layer. According to one solution described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,051,747, the silicone gel coats portions of the walls of the cells of the foam layer to form a plurality of randomly formed apertures. These apertures are created by capillary action when a curable silicone liquid mixture is applied in an uncured state directly to a surface of the foam layer.
It is important to this solution that the silicone mixture be applied to the foam in a liquid state in order for the silicone mixture to be sucked via capillary action into the end portions of the cells near or at the coated surface of the foam layer. Only if the silicone mixture is liquid will the capillary forces of the foam be sufficient to form apertures since overall the capillary forces produced by the foam layer are small. Moreover, the silicone mixture begins to form a gel only after it has started to cure, or more appropriately, cross-link.
This process of coating a foam layer with a liquid silicone mixture and the curing of the same has many inherent drawbacks. One drawback is that some foam cells may not produce sufficient capillary forces to form apertures through the silicone mixture. Thus, some cells may have corresponding apertures in the silicone gel coating while other cells may lack such apertures. Another drawback is that the apertures of the silicone gel coating are randomly formed which may lead to localized areas that inhibit the uptake of the exudate into the foam. This process does not allow the formation of a predetermined pattern of apertures which are uniformly spaced and sized. Thus, there is an overall lack of control of the size, location and density of the apertures.
Another shortcoming to this process and particular dressing is that the surface roughness of the silicone gel coating is largely dependent upon the surface of the foam to be coated. In the event it is desired to obtain a smooth silicone gel layer to be worn against the skin, this approach fails to yield such a smooth silicone layer.
For the foregoing reasons, there is a demand for an improved wound dressing which prevents wound trauma upon repeated dressing changes, improves the durability and lifetime of the dressing, anatomically conforms to a wound, possesses improved fluid uptake, retention and removal properties, and can be securely maintained on a patient's body. It is thus desired to produce a dressing having an adhesive layer that does not possess the drawbacks of known adhesive layers, and instead, gently adheres and detaches from a wound site while providing superior fluid uptake.

Wound dressing and method for manufacturing the same


A device for dispensing liquids from under the rim of a toilet by way of the toilet flush water is disclosed. The device includes a first arcuate bottle containing a first liquid and a second arcuate bottle containing a second liquid. The dispensing device has an arcuate base for holding the bottles. A wicking device supported by the base conveys liquid from the bottles to dispensing positions contacted with flush water. A hook is provided for suspending the base from a toilet rim. The majority of the upper surfaces of the bottles are not visible from above the rim of the toilet bowl when the dispensing device is installed on the rim, and the wicking device does not extend outward beyond an edge of the base. The bottles are at least partially spaced apart to define a flush water flow path between the bottles and through openings in the base.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to liquid dispensers, and in particular to devices for dispensing cleaning and freshening liquids from under the rim of a toilet bowl.
2. Description of the Related Art
Toilet bowls require care to prevent the buildup of unsightly deposits, to reduce odors and to prevent bacteria growth. Traditionally, toilet bowls have been cleaned, deodorized and disinfected by manual scrubbing with a liquid or powdered cleaning and sanitizing agent. This task has required manual labor to keep the toilet bowl clean.
In order to eliminate the manual scrubbing, various automatic cleaning toilet bowl cleaning products have been proposed. One type of product comprises a solid block or solid particles of a cleansing and freshening substance that is suspended from the rim of a toilet bowl in a container that is placed in the path of the flushing water. U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,214,798 and 3,529,309 and U.S. patent application Publication Ser. No. U.S. 2002/0083514 show examples of this type of toilet bowl cleaning system. Typically, a portion of the solid block is dissolved in the flush water with each flush, and the flush water having dissolved product is dispensed into the toilet bowl for cleaning the bowl. These solid block toilet cleaning systems have certain disadvantages such as a short lifetime and a decline in the amount of cleaning and deodorizing agents released into the toilet bowl as the solid block deteriorates.
Other automatic toilet bowl cleaning systems use a liquid cleaning agent that is dispensed into a toilet bowl. For example, European Patent Application Nos. EP 0538957 and EP 0785315, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,178,564, 6,230,334, 6,389,610, 6,412,120, 6,434,758, and 6,519,783, PCT International Publication Nos. WO 99/66139 and WO 99/66140, and U.S. patent application Publication Ser. No. 2002/0116751 all disclose cleansing and/or freshening units capable of being suspended from the rim of a toilet bowl for the purpose of introducing liquid active substances from a bottle into the flushing water with each flush. Typically, the liquid active substances may include one of more of the following: surfactants (such as a mixture of an anionic surfactant and a nonionic surfactant), solvents, sequesterants, pH controllers, thickeners, preservatives, fragrances, and dyes.
While these under the toilet rim liquid dispensing toilet bowl cleaning systems provide an improved alternative to the solid block toilet cleaning systems described above, it may be difficult to incorporate certain toilet bowl cleaning actives, such as bleaches and various hypochlorites, into the liquid active substance. In this regard, bleaches and hypochlorites may affect properties of the components of the liquid active substance. For example, bleaches and hypochlorites will typically fade the color of a dye and destroy a fragrance upon extended contact. Also, certain incompatible cleaning actives may not be stable when mixed and through the resulting chemical interaction, the efficacy of the individual cleaning actives may be decreased. For instance, the efficacy of certain surfactants may be decreased by bleaches and hypochlorites. These limitations in liquid dispensing cleaning systems have prevented the optimization of toilet bowl cleaning active substances in one liquid formulation. In particular, the inability to incorporate bleaches and hypochlorites into a liquid active substance is especially detrimental as bleaches and hypochlorites are particularly effective in destroying bacteria and preventing biofilm formation.
The problems associated with incompatible cleaning actives can be addressed through the use of an automatic under the toilet rim cleaning system having separate compartments for two liquids or for a liquid and a solid. For example, U.S. patent application Publication Ser. No. 2002/0148036A1 (also WO 02/064898A1) discloses a liquid dispensing unit for a toilet bowl that includes a first container containing a first, liquid formulation, a second container containing a second formulation, which may be a solid tablet or a liquid. The liquid from container flows onto a delivery surface from where it is washed into the toilet bowl by the flush water. Some flush water also washes over the second formulation to take components into solution and deliver them into the toilet bowl through an aperture. The constituents of the two formulations are thus kept separate until they enter the toilet bowl. WO 02/40792A1 describes an under the toilet rim dispenser having a reservoir with two liquid compartments and a third compartment for a solid cleansing block. Outlets from the two liquid compartments deliver the liquids to a porous mass where flush water mixes with the liquids and enters the toilet bowl. Flush water also enters the third compartment and dissolves a portion of the solid block before entering the toilet bowl. WO 02/40791A1 and WO 02/40787A1 also describe under the toilet rim dispensers having a reservoir with two liquid compartments.
While these two cleaner automatic under the toilet rim cleaning devices may address the problems associated with incompatible cleaning actives, these devices can be quite bulky and as a result, these devices spoil the look of the toilet. What is needed therefore is an improved toilet rim mounted device for dispensing two separate liquids wherein the device is more completely hidden from view when the device is installed on a toilet rim.

Toilet rim mounted device for dispensing two liquids


Criteria for identifying potential B cell superantigens are disclosed, together with a method for determining whether these candidate antigens have B cell superantigenic activity. Methods for constructing and using a vaccine including B cell superantigens are also disclosed. Identification is based on characterizing the structure of Ig binding sites which interact with the candidate antigen assessment of Ig V region diversity on binding of candidate and conventional antigens, confirmation of sAg activity in interactions between candidate antigens and whole cells, confirmation of whether the candidate antigen induces B cell mitogenesis, determination of the earliest point in B cell development where cellular co-factors are required for sAg activity and, for reference, determination of V region usage in responder populations. Once a B cell superantigen is characterized, it is purified and conjugated by chemical means to a polysaccharide or glycoprotein component from a microbial capsule, cell wall, envelope or other component preferably using components which stimulate production of antibodies with the same V region restriction as antibodies whose production is stimulated by the B cell superantigen.

1. Field of Invention
The field of this invention relates to antigenic stimulation of specific immune responses. Specifically, the invention relates to identification of B cell superantigens and their use as adjuvants and/or carrier proteins to enhance a specific immune response to bacterial or viral pathogens having polysaccharide or glycoprotein components in their cell walls, cell membranes, capsules or envelopes. More particularly, it relates to a method of enhancing the immune response by administration of said polysaccharide or glycoprotein with a B cell superantigen either concomitantly or in a chemically conjugated form.
2. History of the Prior Art
For a complete understanding of the invention, a brief summary of the role of clonal development of B cells in immune responses is helpful.
In the germ-line cells, there are three sets of germ-line genes involved in immunoglobulin coding: one set codes for the heavy chains, and the other two code for two types of light chain designated by the Greek letters kappa (.kappa.) and lambda (.lambda.), which differ significantly in the amino acid sequence of their constant domains. Immunoglobulins are composed of heavy and light chain heterodimers, which contribute to the conventional antigen binding site in the Fab portion. B cells themselves are lymphocytes which have immunoglobins on their cell surface which serve as receptors for antigens. Binding of antigen, in most instances together with additional signals from T cells, causes the original B cell to proliferate, forming clones. The expanded clonal population differentiates into memory cells and plasma cells, the latter of which synthesize and secrete antibodies which generally will have identical binding sites for the antigen which triggered the B cell activation. Polyclonal activation occurs when certain antigens (known to include mitogens and the Epstein-Barr virus) stimulate clonal expansion regardless of the antigen specificity of the B cells involved.
The human antibody repertoire is responsible for the acquisition of a dynamic and responsive immune defense system, but dysregulation within the B cell compartment can result in a wide spectrum of clinical conditions, including inappropriate B cell clonal expansions (e.g., B cell neoplasms), inadequate immune defense from infection, or autoimmune disease. During fetal development, antibody specificities are acquired slowly in a developmentally ordered fashion.
Referring for purposes of illustration to humans, the V, J, and D genes code in human cells for the variable regions of the antibody molecule and the C genes code for the constant regions. Each of the three germ-line sets contain from two to at least 300 alternative V genes, together with a small number of alternative J genes; the heavy-chain set also has alternative D genes. Any of these genes can contribute in the variable regions of antibody molecules. Each set has from one to five alternative C genes coding for different constant regions.
As a germ-line cell differentiates into a mature but "naive" B cell (i.e. one that is reactive to but has not yet encountered its matching antigen), somatic recombination of the germ-line genes takes place. In each cell, one of the V genes from each of the three germ-line sets is "selected" by an unknovin molecular process, together with one of the adjacent J genes (and in heavy chains, also with one of the D genes). These selected genes are brought together in the genome when the intervening DNA is excised. The basis of diversity in the antigen-recognition structure of an antibody molecule rests initially on this recombination event, since different genes are recombined in different B cells.
Although the first source of variation in the structure of the antibody molecule is brought about by somatic recombination of alternative V, D and J genes, further diversity in the amino acid sequence of the variable domains results from variable recombinations; i.e., slight variations in the exact location of the "cutting points" as first the germ-line DNA and later the mRNA transcripts are cut and spliced. Both these sources of variation occur before contact with antigen.
More variation arises after contact with antigen. Single base changes ("somatic mutation") occur in the DNA of activated B cells, mainly during the process of memory-cell formation.
A consequence of somatic mutation is that some of the binding sites produced by the mutated DNA have a better affinity for the antigen, and some have a worse affinity. Somatic mutations occur mainly during clonal expansion and memory-B cell formation, so the memory B cells from a single clone end up with receptors (i.e. surface immunoglobulin) for the same antigen, but with a range of antigen affinities (see, re development of the human antibody repertoire generally, Davey, Immunology: A Foundation Text (1990) Chapter 4, sections 4.3-4.3.2).
The process of repertoire selection may be the result of long-term exposure to many exogenous and endogenous contentional ligands, but a dramatic skewing of the immune repertoire can also be induced by a single limited exposure to certain unconventional antigens. These antigens, of bacterial or viral origin, were first distinguished based on an ability to interact with a large proportion of T lymphocytes. In contrast to conventional antigens, which generally stimulate less than 0.01% of T cells, these superantigens can stimulate 5-25% of all T cells. In explanation, many superarntgens are recognized by most (or all) T cells that use a particular V.beta. family. Based on available data, superantigen reactivity is little affected by differences in V.beta. junctional sequences, or by the alpha chains that are co-expressed. Moreover, recent studies indicate that an alternative site, remote from conventional antigen binding sites, allows for superantigen recognition by a large proportion of the T cell pool, usually those having particular V.beta. elements.
Superantigens have been proposed to contribute to the shaping of the mature T cell repertoire by clonal selection and/or deletion. Individual inbred strains of mice have been shown to carry different murine Mammary Tumor Virus encoded endogenous superantigens, and each exhibits a distortion of the distribution of T cell receptor V.beta. expression. This is usually due to deletion of T cells with certain V.beta. families, although there may also be more subtle effects on positive selection. Similar acute fluctuations may also occur in patients with toxic shock syndrome and Kawasaki's disease, presumably due to a T cell superantigen. Several recent papers have also suggested that superantigen exposure of predisposed individuals may, at times, result in immunosuppression, the production of autoantibodies, the development of autoimmune disease, or the abolition of an autoimmune process (see also, re characteristics of T cell superantigens, Fraser, et al. (1992) J. Exp. Med 175:1131-1134, and Taub, (1992) Cell Immunol. 140:267-281).
With this background, interest in the possibility that B cell superantigens (hereafter sAg) may exist can be understood. Several candidate sAg's are suggested by recent reports. For example, human IgM, IgA and IgGF(ab').sub.2 that bind to bacterial membrane protein staphylococcal protein A (SpA) have been shown to include a family of V.sub.H genes which encode polypeptides belonging to the V.sub.H 3 protein subgroup (the largest human family) (Sasso, et al., J. Immunol. (1991) 147:1877-1883 and Sasso, et al., J. Immunol. (1989) 142:2778-2783). As described further herein, SpA binds to the Fab region of a large proportion of V.sub.H 3 restricted immunoglobins at an alternative binding site different from its known, F.sub.C .gamma. binding sites and in greater proportion than conventional antibody binding. Further, the Fab sites which bind SpA are found on antibodies with diverse specificities.
Protein F.sub.V, a sialoprotein released into the digestive tract during viral infection, has also been reported to interact with the Fab fragment of immunoglobins at an unconventional binding site believed to be in the V.sub.H domain (Bouvet, Scand. J. Immunol. (1991) 33:381-386). Further, based on reported binding by human Ig via the Fab region (in a setting in which prior immunization to create antibodies to conventional components is not required), known protein components of other microorganisms may also serve as B cell sAg.
The present invention includes a means of characterizing and identifying B cell sAg and using them to enhance production of V.sub.H, particularly V.sub.H 3, restricted antibodies. In particular, the sAg will be identified, purified and administered concomitantly with a polysaccharide or glycoprotein component from a bacterial or viral cell wall or capsule or, preferably, as a carrier for a conjugate vaccine to the bacteria or virus. B cell superantigens with specificity for other Variable (V) region gene families may also exist, and be useful in certain vaccines.
In the past, there has been no rationale for selection of carriers for conjugate vaccines except the experience with these proteins as immunogens themselves. In each case, diphtheria toxoid, tetanus toxoid and OMB (outer membrane protein of N. meningitides) the carriers were selected and/or used clinically to elicit immunity to the pathogen. As a result they were shown to be immunogenic and safe for human use. Prototype conjugate vaccines were then made and tested in animal models, usually rabbit or mice. The only possible exception is the present OMB conjugate, which uses a liposome delivery system (Donnely et al., J. lmmunol (1990) 145: 3071-3079).

Method for stimulating production of variable region gene family restricted antibodies through B-cell superantigen vaccination

The Regents of the University of California


A system and method of monitoring received instrument landing system (ILS) signals onboard an aircraft includes performing a pre-approach sampling of the received ILS signals to thereby generate pre-approach phase ILS data. A statistical approach course of the aircraft is determined based at least in part on the pre-approach phase ILS data. A determination is made as to when the aircraft is below a predetermined activation altitude and, when it is, approach sampling of the received ILS signals is performed to generate approach phase ILS data. The approach phase ILS data is compared to the statistical approach course to determine a course deviation. An alert signal is selectively generated when the course deviation exceeds a predetermined magnitude.

The approach to landing and touch down on the runway of an aircraft is one of the most challenging tasks a pilot undertakes during normal aircraft operations. To perform the landing properly, the aircraft approaches the runway within an envelope of attitude, course, speed, and rate of descent limits. The course limits include, for example, both lateral limits and glide slope limits. An approach outside of this envelope can result in an undesirable positioning of the aircraft with respect to the runway, resulting in a possible discontinuance of the landing attempt.
In some instances visibility may be poor during approach and landing operations, resulting in what is known as instrument flight conditions. During instrument flight conditions, pilots rely on instruments, rather than visual references, to navigate the aircraft. Even during good weather conditions, pilots typically rely on instruments to some extent during the approach. Many airports and aircraft include runway assistance landing systems, such as an Instrument Landing System (ILS), to help guide aircraft during approach and landing operations. The ILS allows a lateral deviation indicator to indicate aircraft lateral deviation from the approach course, and a glide slope indicator to indicate vertical deviation from the glide slope.
A conventional ILS includes a localizer subsystem and a glide slope subsystem. The localizer subsystem includes a localizer antenna array that radiates an RF carrier signal that is amplitude modulated with equal amplitudes of 90 Hz and 150 Hz tones. A localizer receiver onboard an aircraft demodulates these signals and drives the lateral deviation indicator. The glide slope subsystem includes a glide slope antenna array that radiates an RF carrier signal that is also amplitude modulated with equal amplitudes of 90 Hz and 150 Hz tones. A glide slope receiver on-board the aircraft demodulates these signals and drives the glide slope indicator.
Though rare, there have been instances where an aircraft is taking off from the same runway that an aircraft is about to land, and temporarily interferes with the ILS signals. This temporary interference can cause the ILS signals to be imbalanced. If the imbalance is of a sufficient duration, it can cause the aircraft flight control/autopilot system to undergo and unneeded and undesirable maneuver. In one particular documented case, the undesirable maneuver caused the aircraft to land on the left main landing gear only. The different forces caused the aircraft to temporarily slide off the runway. This incident, and future incidents, may be avoided if the crew is provided with an on-board ILS signal monitoring function that will alert the crew that an automatically determined maneuver is not compatible with the actual intended course direction. Presently, no such function is provided.
Hence, there is a need for a system and method that will alert the crew that an automatically determined maneuver, based on received ILS signals, is not compatible with the actual intended course direction. The present invention addresses at least this need.

Independent instrument landing system monitor


A welding camera (1) is constructed with: a lens (11) for focusing incident light; an optical filter (12) that comprises a neutral density filter for reducing the amount of the incident light, an ultraviolet cut filter for cutting ultraviolet rays, and a green band-pass filter for transmitting green light; a CMOS imaging unit (13) that has a wide dynamic range function, and detects the light which has passed the optical filter (12); a video signal processing unit (14) that has an automatic gain control function and a digital signal processor, and outputs an image signal, which covers a range of a low-intensity dark part to high-intensity arc light, to a display unit on the basis of an electric signal that is input from the CMOS imaging unit (13).

Conventionally, as a monitoring apparatus using an imaging device for capturing an image of a welding portion, an apparatus has been publicly known in which the dynamic range of the imaging device is increased to allow the imaging device to accurately capture an image of a wide luminance range from a high-luminance portion near molten metal to a portion on the periphery of the welding portion when capturing an image of the welding portion and its periphery in arc welding, thereby displaying a high-definition image in which the molten metal and its periphery having a high luminance and a dark portion having a low luminance are both clearly shown (see, for example, Patent Document 1).


A method of manufacturing a flexible display apparatus, the method includes bonding a substrate onto a porous carrier substrate; forming a light-emitting display unit on the substrate; forming an encapsulating layer on the light-emitting display unit; and removing the porous carrier substrate.

1. Field
Embodiments relate to a method of manufacturing a flexible display apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, with the development of display technology, flexible display apparatuses that may be folded or rolled are under research and being developed.
Organic light-emitting display panels provide high-quality features such as wide viewing angles, high contrast ratio, quick response time, low power consumption, and the like. Therefore, organic light-emitting display panels may be applied to personal portable devices such as MP3 players or cellular phones, televisions, and more. Also, since organic light-emitting display panels are self-emissive and do not require a separate light source, thicknesses and weights of organic light-emitting display panels may be reduced.
Organic light-emitting display panels may be embodied as flexible display panels using a plastic substrate. In general, flexible organic light-emitting display panels may be formed by forming an organic light-emitting device, and the like on a carrier substrate formed of a material such as glass, and then removing the carrier substrate from a plastic substrate.

Method of manufacturing flexible display apparatus


A wall is provided comprising an inner wall component, an outer wall component, and a plurality of the moisture control strips described above, disposed between the inner wall component and the outer wall component. The projections on the first wall component contacting face engage one of the inner wall component and the outer wall component. The second wall component contacting face engages the other of the inner wall component and the outer wall component. The moisture control strips are horizontally spaced from each other within the wall.

Structural walls for buildings such as residential, commercial, or industrial buildings, are often constructed in layers. Typically, a wall sits on a foundation, and includes a backup wall having a floor plate and a ceiling plate and a set of vertical studs. Usually, sheathing (which may be plywood, oriented strand board, or the like) is disposed on the outside face (i.e. the face that faces towards the outside of the building) of the backup wall. The sheathing is covered by a moisture barrier membrane. A metal flashing is disposed at the bottom of the wall, above the foundation and between the sheathing and the membrane.
On the outside of the membrane, a layer of thermal insulation is typically installed. In some cases, moisture control panels, such as that described in published Canadian Patent Application 2,249,509 and owned by the applicant herein, are disposed outside of the insulation. Fasteners are installed through the moisture control panel, the insulation, the membrane, the sheathing and into the vertical stud to hold the moisture control panel and insulation in place within the wall. A wire mesh supporting a layer of stucco is disposed on the outside of the moisture control panel, with the mesh also being held in place by the fastener.


A hydrogen combustion system comprising: an external cylinder 1 constituting the exterior of a double tube construction; an internal cylinder 2 formed by a porous metal plate constituting the interior of said double tube construction; hydrogen combustion catalyst 4 supported with precious metals on spherical ceramic support surface, formed in pellet state, being packed in said internal cylinder 2; an insert pipe 3 formed by porous metal plate inserted in the center of said internal cylinder 2; pre-heating heaters 5 installed between said insert pipe 3 and said internal cylinder 2 to preheat said hydrogen combustion catalyst 4 to ambient atmosphere of over catalytic reaction temperatures; a hydrogen introducing port 8 connecting to said insert pipe 3; an air introducing port 9 provided at the bottom of said external cylinder 1 in the area between said external cylinder 1 and said internal cylinder 2, wherein air for hydrogen combustion is introduced by the drift effect resulting from the differential pressure generated between the packed layer of hydrogen combustion catalyst and the outside, by thermal convection, achieving safe combustion treatment of hydrogen in simple construction, small size and high treatment efficiency.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a hydrogen combustion system which treats hydrogen by combustion with hydrogen combustion catalyst. More specifically, it relates to a hydrogen combustion system suitable for reacting excess hydrogen gases safely, including, though having no restriction as to kinds of feed hydrogen gases to be combusted, extra hydrogen gas generated during an operation of fuel cells, ambient atmosphere hydrogen gas at a film forming step in semi-conductor processes, electrolytically by-produced hydrogen gas from a water electrolysis system, by-product hydrogen gas from chemical reaction processes, to be discharged as water vapor from the processes.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, hydrogen gases by-produced in various processes, which intrinsically involve high possibilities of explosion and leakage hazard are discharged into ambient atmosphere via exclusively provided vent pipes or via common pipes after being diluted with air by units like a blower to a point below the combustible ranges.
However, these methods require additional installation and capital investment covering hydrogen gas vent piping, equipment and machinery like a blower, and introduction of discharge systems for securing safety. For a large-scale plant, installing these equipment and systems may be inevitable, but for a small-scale process, any safe and simple treatment method of hydrogen gas has been looked for.
In order to solve these problems, various kinds of hydrogen combustion systems have been proposed. As one of these conventional equipments, for instance, such a system has been known, as shown in FIG. 7, as hydrogen gas is blown to the air supplied by a blower 10 to generate gas mixture; then the gas mixture is passed through the treatment layer 11 loaded with catalyst-supported substance in pellet, granule, honeycomb, etc., during which hydrogen gas is combusted. (JP 3-38523 A-Utility Model)
As another hydrogen combustion treatment system by a conventional method, the system has been known, as shown in FIG. 8, comprising a catalyst supported, a membrane-state element of micro porosity with nearly uniform opening 12, a hydrogen chamber 13 and a duct part 14 formed on the both sides, and a hydrogen distribution nozzle 15 in the hydrogen chamber 13, wherein the membrane element 12 has a conformation of a fine mesh (approx 10-100 μm) stainless-steel filter with catalyst of platinum, etc. on the surface. In this system, hydrogen gas is introduced to a nozzle 15; while to the duct part 14, air is forcibly flown by a fan 16. Hydrogen gas is supplied to a hydrogen chamber 13 by a nozzle 15 dispersively, diffused at micro-uniform velocity on the membrane element 12, allowed to be in contact with catalyst at passing, mixed with air flowing in a duct part 14, and thus combustively treated. (JP 2000-291917 A)
However, in the system of JP 3-38523 A-Utility Model, hydrogen gas and air are mixed first and then the mixed gas with diluted hydrogen is supplied to the treatment layer 11 at a substantially increased flow rate for hydrogen; because of this feeding mode, a large resistance occurs when the mixed gas passes through the catalyst layer. As a result, a high pressure turbo-type blower is required and the volume of catalyst must be increased, which leads to a problem of high cost from enlarged equipment.
On the other hand, the system of JP 2000-291917 A employs, as hydrogen combustion catalyst, a membrane-state catalyst, not in pellet state, but of a fine mesh (approx 10-100 μm) stainless-steel filter with platinum catalyst, etc. on the surface. This system provides insufficient air convection within the hydrogen combustion system and the temperature in the hydrogen combustion system does not rise to a level necessary for hydrogen combustion. Accordingly, in order to achieve an efficient hydrogen combustion reaction, it is necessary to feed air for hydrogen combustion forcibly using a fan 16 to a duct part 14 of the hydrogen combustion system, which requires large electric power and equipment.


A one piece surgical repair device consists essentially of a polymeric wire. The polymeric wire is comprised of an oriented, semicrystalline polymer. The surgical repair device can be a staple and is capable of permanent flexural deformation at ambient temperature.

This invention relates to surgical staples formed from an extruded "polymeric wire." . The term "wire," as used in describing this invention, includes both polymeric and metallic monofilaments. It has been found that wire (or monofilament fiber) extruded from polymer that is normally rigid at in vivo conditions can be used to form a surgical staple. The formation of a staple using the polymeric wire is accomplished using standard methods employed in the manufacture of metallic staples used in the surgical staple industry. Normally rigid polymers, when oriented by extrusion into polymeric wire according to this invention, have enhanced ductility in flexure. The terms "ductile" and "ductility" as used in describing this invention denote the property of permanent deformability, or plasticity, which may result from processes such as crazing or yielding. Specifically, ductile polymeric wires, when bent, will retain a large portion of the bend angle permanently (note that it is not required that the polymeric wires of this invention be ductile in tension along the fiber axis, only in bending or flexure) and the application of work is required to unbend the bent wire. This property can be used to form surgical staples simply by bending the polymeric wire as is done for metallic staples. This type of staple has great advantages over the types of staples in use today.
The current commercially available plastic staples are two-piece, injection molded devices. These staples are relatively large due to the need for the incorporation of an interlocking mechanism for joining the two staple pieces. The staples of the present invention have no requirement for an interlocking mechanism because the final form of the staple is accomplished simply by bending the polymeric wire, exactly as is done for metallic wires. The polymeric wire, not being as stiff as metal, requires a somewhat larger diameter to provide adequate holding power, but the final size is much more acceptable to the surgeon than the currently available plastic surgical staples.
The polymeric wire also has advantages over metallic wire. Metallic staples are known to be highly radiopaque, causing difficulties in reading X-ray images (both conventional and CT (Computed Tomography) scanning images) as well as MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) images due to what is known as the "starburst effect," a result of the high contrast of the metal to the tissue. These small areas of high contrast can cause difficulties in interpreting these images for subtle diagnostic purposes. Most polymers are known to be much more radio-transparent than metals. The reduced contrast between polymeric staples and tissue using these radio-imaging techniques eliminates the starburst effect. An additional advantage of polymeric staples over metal is that the polymeric staples can be formed from bioabsorbable polymers; thus, eliminating the risk of long term foreign body reactions of the tissue or staple migration that may be encountered with metal staples.
The patent and medical literature dealing with metallic staples and their uses in surgery is quite extensive. A review of surgical procedures involving internal staples and stapling devices can be found in "Stapling in Surgery", F. M. Steichen and M. M. Ravitch, Year Book Medical Publishers, Inc., Chicago, 1984, which is incorporated herein by reference. Because of the obvious differences between metallic and polymeric staples, a detailed review of metallic staples is not necessary to illustrate the uniqueness of the present invention.
With regard to polymeric staples, a number of patents and journal articles have appeared which describe the advantages of polymeric materials for staple applications. The majority of these publications describe a preference for absorbable polymers. The following U.S. patents are background to the present invention described in this application: U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,994,073, 4,976,909, 4,889,119, 4,844,854, 4,839,130, 4,805,617, 4,744,365, 4,741,337, 4,719,917, 4,671,280, 4,646,741, 4,612,923, 4,610,250, 4,602,634, 4,589,416, 4,573,469, 4,532,926, 4,523,591, 4,513,746, 4,428,376, 4,402,445, 4,317,451, 4,272,002, 4,060,089, 4,006,747. All of these patents are incorporated herein by reference.
Almost all of the above patents describe various polymeric materials for use in two-part, molded (not extruded) snap-together staples of various designs. These staples are not made from extruded, oriented polymeric wire and are not bent to form the final, implanted, staple shape. Two patents, U.S. Pat. No. 4,976,909 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,671,280, describe a two-piece staple where one of the components is formed from an extruded, "oriented crystalline polymeric material". The final, implanted, staple form is achieved by mating the extruded portion with a molded portion, not by bending the oriented component. Two of the above cited patents, U.S. Pat. No. 4,428,376 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,317,451, describe one-piece staples made of absorbable or non-absorbable polymers. These patents describe a mechanical looking-hinge mechanism to hold the staple legs in their final configuration. Application of the devices described in these patents to tissue is accomplished by bending at the hinge point until the locking mechanism engages. The devices described are not formed from extruded polymeric wire and are not formed or applied by bending an extruded polymeric wire. Another patent, U.S. Pat. No. 4,994,075, describes a one-piece molded device that uses two barbed prongs to hold the tissue. This device is not formed from extruded polymeric wire and it is not formed or applied to tissue by bending.
The disclosure in the patent application, U.S. Ser. No. 07/548,802 filed on Jul. 6, 1990, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,080,665 by P. K. Jarrett, D. J. Casey and S. L. Peake, entitled "Deformable, Absorbable Surgical Device" and assigned to American Cyanamid Co., Stamford, Conn. 06904-0060 is incorporated herein by reference. This patent application describes, e.g., in claims 1 and 10, a clip or staple manufactured from a copolymer or blend.


A power-charging system for a transporter cart is disclosed. The system includes a power-supplying electrode disposed along and at a predetermined section of a travelling passage along which the transporter cart automatically runs by power from a battery mounted thereon and a power-receiving electrode attached to the transporter cart and a slide-contactable with the power-supplying electrode during the automatic run of the cart.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a power-charging system for a transporter cart, and more particularly to a power-charging system of this type for charging an electric-powered transporter cart which mounts a battery for automatically propelling the transporter cart along a predetermined travelling route.
2. Description of the Related Art
In this type of power-charging system, a power-charging operation to the transporter cart is generally done at a power-charging station specially provided for the system, since the power-charge requires a long period of time. According to another conventional method, an exhausted battery is dismounted from the transporter cart for replacement with a newly charged battery.
In the former case, the transporter cart remains out of service for e.g. transporting job while the cart stays at the power-charging station. In the latter case, the replacement of the batteries is time-consuming and troublesome. In either case, the entire transport system suffers inefficiency.
For improvement of the system efficiency, it is essential to maximize the interval between power-charging operations by minimizing power consumption of the battery. Conventionally, this is done by specially designing the transporter cart for improvement of power consumption economy or by effecting an auxiliary power-charging operation to the transporter cart in the middle of its transporting job.
The power-charging operation at the station is generally done while the transporter cart is stopped for mounting or dismounting load to or from the cart. In other words, the time period available for power-charging operation is limited by the time period required of the load mounting/dismounting work. Thus, the system suffers significant inefficiency if the cart is stopped at the station only for power charge after the job is done.
The present invention attends to these inconveniences of the convention. The primary object of the present invention is to provide an improved power-charging system for a transporter cart, which system can efficiently charge the cart without sacrificing efficiency of the entire transport system while minimizing power consumption of this transporter cart.

Power-charging system for transporter cart


A two-piece injection molding nozzle seal. The inner piece through which the melt duct extends is formed of a highly thermally conductive material to enhance heat transfer during the thermodynamic cycle. The surrounding outer retaining piece which extends from the heated nozzle into contact with the cooled mold to provide the necessary seal is formed of a substantially less conductive material to avoid undue heat loss.

This invention relates generally to injection molding and more particularly to a two-piece nozzle seal which is seated in the front end of a nozzle to bridge the insulative air space between the heated nozzle and the cooled mold.
One piece nozzle seals and gate inserts having various configurations to be seated in the front end of a heated nozzle are well known. The applicants' U.S. Pat. No. 4,043,740 which issued Aug. 23, 1977 shows a nozzle seal which fits into a matching seat in the front end of the nozzle and has a portion which tapers inwardly around the gate. U.S. Pat. No. 4,981,431 to Schmidt which issued Jan. 1, 1991 discloses a nozzle seal having an outer sealing flange which is screwed into place in a seat in the front end of the heated nozzle. The applicants' U.S. Pat. No. 4,875,848 which issued Oct. 24, 1989 describes a gate insert which is also screwed into place, but has an integral electrical heating element U.S. Pat. No. 5,028,227 to Gellert et al. which issued Jul. 2, 1991 relates to a gate insert having a circumferential removal flange to allow it to be pried out of place in the seat in the front end of the nozzle. While these previous nozzle seals are satisfactory for many applications, when molding materials having a narrow temperature window such as Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) it is very desirable to provide faster heat transfer along the nozzle seal without excessive heat loss to the surrounding cooled mold.


In a transmission for a working vehicle, a working unit includes a hydraulic power unit and a valve unit enclosed in a first bulging portion of a transmission case closer to an upper side or on a top surface thereof and connected with each other along a vehicle lengthwise direction. The first bulging portion is closer to a first lateral side along the vehicle width direction of the transmission case, while a hydraulic pump is located closer to a second lateral side. Hydraulic fluid is drawn from the transmission case, around a lower side of the hydraulic pump, through a suction port thereof, and discharged to a suction port of the valve unit. The hydraulic power unit includes a cylinder tube and piston, extending in the lengthwise direction, and a support shaft, extending along the width direction, which is supported by the transmission case and connected to a lift arm.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a power transmission arrangement in a working vehicle with a working unit such as a cultivating unit and mower unit attached thereto, and a transmission for the working vehicle.
2. Related Art
In a vehicle equipped with a working unit such as a bucket, cultivating unit and mower unit on the front side, rear side and/or below the lengthwise center of a chassis, driving power from a driving power source must be divided into a running power transmission path and a driving power transmission path for working unit so as to be transmitted to driving wheels and the working unit. This poses a problem of increasing a size of the transmission in the vehicle.
For example, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. Hei-01-17883 and Utility Model Application Publication No. Hei-01-37298 disclose arrangements, which are applicable to the vehicle of the above type, for downsizing the size of the transmission.
The transmission disclosed in each of the above-cited publications has an input shaft for the working unit (PTO input shaft) and a running power input shaft, which are respectively aligned in vertical and parallel relationship with each other, and a transmission case in which the power transmission path for working unit and the running power transmission path are arranged respectively closer to upper and lower sides thereof with occupation of spaces as much compact as possible in an attempt to reduce the size of the transmission.
Meanwhile, for the vehicle equipped with a working unit as mentioned above, a hydraulic power unit for operating the working unit must be provided in some cases, in addition to a power-take-off arrangement for taking off driving power for the working unit. As such a hydraulic power unit, it can be cited a hydraulic lift unit for lifting a cultivating unit mounted on the rear side of the chassis.
As described above, in each of the above-cited publications, although the downsizing of the transmission may be achieved by arranging the running power transmission path and the power transmission path for working unit within the transmission case respectively closer to the upper and lower sides thereof with occupation of spaces as much compact as possible, such downsizing was not considered for the transmission of the vehicle provided with the aforesaid hydraulic power unit.
Specifically, in a vehicle disclosed in each of the cited publications, a hydraulic power unit for reciprocating a cultivating unit or any other working unit is disposed on a top surface of the transmission, while a hydraulic pump for feeding pressurized fluid to the hydraulic power unit is supported on a rear wall of the transmission case.
More specifically, in the transmission described in each publication, a clutch shaft and an intermediate shaft, which constitute a part of the power transmission path for working unit (PTO system), extend below and on the opposite lateral sides of a PTO input shaft, so that an upper space of the transmission case is occupied by this PTO power transmission path. Accordingly, in this conventional transmission, it is not possible to secure within the transmission case closer to the upper side a space for accommodating the hydraulic pump for feeding pressurized fluid to the hydraulic power unit, a driving power transmission mechanism for the hydraulic pump, etc. For these reasons, the conventional transmission has the hydraulic pump supported on the rear wall of the transmission case and a rear end of the PTO input shaft extending through the rear wall of the transmission case, through which the hydraulic pump is driven.
Thus, for the vehicle equipped with the hydraulic pump, the hydraulic pump of the conventional transmission extending rearwards through the transmission case poses a difficulty in shortening the length of the transmission with the hydraulic pump.
Also, according to the above arrangement, working fluid reserved in the transmission case for the hydraulic power unit is once transmitted around the rear side of the transmission case and then to the upper side of the transmission case. Accordingly, a hydraulic fluid circulation path to the hydraulic power unit must be elongated, which necessitates application of an excessive load to the hydraulic pump.
As another disadvantage involved in the vehicle described in each cited publication, since the hydraulic power unit is disposed on the top surface of the transmission case, a higher position must be prepared for mounting of the hydraulic power unit. This arrangement poses a problem of increasing an vehicle height. Since a driving seat is above the hydraulic power unit in a general arrangement, this invites a difficulty for a driver to get on and off the seat.
As described above, the power transmission path for working unit of the conventional transmission is entirely located in the upper space of the transmission case. On the other hand, a mid-PTO shaft for driving a mid-mount more or the like is located in the lower space of the transmission case. Accordingly, a power transmission mechanism between the PTO input shaft and the mid-PTO shaft in the conventional transmission must be formed throughout the entire region of the transmission case along the vertical direction. This poses a problem of necessitating a complicated structure for the transmission mechanism.
The present invention was conceived in light of those conventional techniques. It is an object of the present invention to provide a transmission with the power transmission path for working unit and the running power transmission path, which is capable of achieving downsizing of the transmission case, as well as effectively securing a space for accommodating parts for the hydraulic lift unit or the like within the transmission case.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a power transmission arrangement in a vehicle provided with a working unit operable by a hydraulic power unit, which is capable of shortening a hydraulic fluid distribution path to the hydraulic power unit.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a power transmission arrangement in a vehicle provided with a working unit operable by a hydraulic power unit, which is capable of stably supporting a cylinder tube of the hydraulic power unit at a lower position.


Code coupling metrics are extracted from compiled code rather than from source code or software specifications. Examples of compiled code include binary machine code and machine-independent intermediate code that is convertible into binary machine code by a just-in-time compiler. The compiled code may be compiled from source code written in an object-oriented programming language, or from source code written in a procedural programming language, or from any combination thereof. A coupling metrics system includes a reader to access compiled code and its symbol table information, and a coupling metrics extraction component to calculate coupling metrics from the compiled code and its symbol table information. The coupling metrics system may be part of an integrated development environment (IDE) system.

Coupling in software indicates the degree of interconnection between software components such as routines, classes and modules. Tighter coupling may increase the chance that a fault in one of the components will cause a failure in other components, may increase the chance that changes in one component will cause problems in other components, and may increase programmer time in understanding the details of other components.
Metrics to measure coupling in software have been suggested. Some coupling metrics have been informal and subjective, while others have been precisely defined. Coupling has been identified and measured by analyzing the software specifications or the source code. Code implementation may deviate significantly from the software specifications, therefore coupling metrics derived from the specifications may inaccurately represent the coupling of the code as actually implemented. Deriving coupling metrics from source code must be done in a manner that is very specific to the language of the source code.

Automatically extracting coupling metrics from compiled code


A surface acoustic wave filter is free from any loss arising from the impedance mismatching by finding out optimum values achieving a widened band and lowered loss for the electrode width of the interdigital transducer and reflector electrodes. The surface acoustic wave filter includes interdigital transducers and reflectors arranged on both sides of the transducer. The piezoelectric substrate has a ratio h/xcex of an electrode thickness h to a surface acoustic wave wavelength xcex lying within the range of 0.05xe2x89xa6h/xcex0.15 and has an electrode width ratio wr/pr of a reflector electrode width wr to an electrode pitch pr lying within the range of 0.5xe2x89xa6wr/prxe2x89xa60.6 and has an electrode width ratio wi/pi of an interdigital transducer interdigital electrode width wi to a pitch pi lying within the range of 0.6xe2x89xa6wi/pixe2x89xa60.9.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a surface acoustic wave filter and, more particularly, to a surface acoustic wave filter having a widened band and a lowered insertion loss, advantageous to application to a high-frequency circuit of a radio apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Arts
The high-frequency circuit of the radio apparatus typically uses a filter. Wide-band filter characteristics are required for an SAW (surface acoustic wave) device which is an indispensable key device for the filter.
A surface acoustic wave filter formed of such an SAW (surface acoustic wave) device includes a piezoelectric substrate on which are formed interdigital transducers (IDTS) having interdigital electrodes and reflectors having grating electrodes. It is commonly known that the widened band of the surface acoustic wave filter is achieved by increasing the thickness of the electrodes. However,increased electrode thickness may impair the insertion loss which is a key characteristic of the filter.
In this manner, the electrode thickness has hitherto been increased to achieve the widened band in spite of possible deterioration of the insertion loss and further of the passband arising from impedance mismatching.
It was therefore an essential problem to realize the wide band and low insertion loss of the surface acoustic wave filter.
In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is attained on the assumption that use is made of an electrode thickness capable of widening the band and that use is made of optimum cutting orientation for the piezoelectric substrate.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a surface acoustic wave filter free from any loss arising from the impedance mismatching by finding out optimum values achieving a widened band and lowered loss for the electrode width of the interdigital transducer electrodes and reflector electrodes.
According to an aspect of the present invention, to achieve the above object there is provided a surface acoustic wave filter having interdigital electrodes formed on a piezoelectric substrate, the surface acoustic wave filter including an interdigital transducer having interdigital electrodes and reflectors arranged on both sides of the transducer, wherein a ratio h/xcex of thickness h of the interto a surface acoustic wave wavelength xcex lying within the range of 0.05xe2x89xa6h/xcexxe2x89xa60.15, and where in the piezoelectric substrate has an electrode width ratio wr/pr of a reflector electrode width wr to a reflector electrode pitch pr lying within the range of 0.5xe2x89xa6wr/prxe2x89xa60.6, and wherein the piezoelectric substrate has an electrode width ratio wi/pi of an electrode width wi of the interdigital transducer to an electrode pitch pi of the interdigital transducer lying within the range of 0.6xe2x89xa6wi/pixe2x89xa60.9.
Preferably, to achieve the above object, when the ratio wi/pi of the electrode width wi to the pitch pi of the interdigital electrodes of the transducer lies within the range of 0.62xe2x89xa6wi/pixe2x89xa60.9, the relationship between the electrode width wi of the interdigital electrodes and the electrode width wr of the reflectors is given as wi greater than wr and the relationship between the electrode pitch pi of the interdigital electrodes and the electrode pitch pr of the reflectors is given as pi less than pr.
Preferably,to attain the above object, when the distance between centers of adjoining electrode fingers of the interdigital electrodes and of the reflector electrodes is given as (xc2xd+HD1)xc3x97xcexi where xcexi is a wavelength in the interdigital electrodes, the coefficient HD1 is defined in the range of 0 greater than HD1xe2x89xa7xe2x88x920.04.
Preferably, to attain the above object, the piezoelectric substrate is formed by a rotational Y-plate of LiTaO3 obtained by rotating Y-axis through 40xc2x0 to 44xc2x0 around X-axis in the direction of Z-axis, and the interdigital electrodes of the transducer and electrodes of reflectors are formed of an electrode material made mainly of Al.

Surface acoustic wave filter with optimized width and pitch of interdigital electrodes and reflector electrodes


Viscous liquid rubber compositions are applied to articles by brushing, rolling, pouring, or dipping to repair leaks or to modify the appearance and/or physical properties of the article, such as water-permeability, thermal insulation, shock resistance, vibration resistance, electrical insulation, and the like.

Aerosol-propelled rubber compositions, such as FLEX SEAL® sold by Swift Response LLC, have been used by consumers for waterproofing and repairing household articles. It would be desirable to develop alternative techniques for repairing or modifying household articles, sporting equipment, motor vehicles, appliances, portions of homes and associated structures, and the like, to improve the appearance and/or performance of the article while deferring the expense of replacing the article. It would be particularly desirable to develop techniques which are safe and easy-to-use for consumers.

Method of applying and using viscous liquid rubber composition


A work station for use by a trader of securities on an established market. The work station is integrated into a network of competing market makers for a plurality of securities for trading. A centralized database provides a feed of data on current market events for the securities, including price and transaction data. The work station is specifically programmed to receive the feed of data from the database and convert this datastream into a form conducive to enhanced trading. Seven separate applications permit the trader to track the market, select securities, bid and ask pricing, market direction and market depth. Traders equipped with the workstation are capable of entering transactions with more complete and copious knowledge about the extant market.

The trading of financial instruments such as stocks and bonds has largely become a computer supported operation. Almost all significant trading of securities is accomplished by computer pursuant to the established protocols of the major exchanges. For example, on the New York Stock Exchange, orders for specific securities are entered at a terminal operated by a licensed agent with a "seat" on the exchange. This order is processed through a stock "specialist", a firm that is obligated to manage transactions for a given security. The specialist clears the trade at a price reflecting the current supply-demand environment for that security. Upon confirmation of the trade, the parties up-date their respective positions via computer controlled memory. For the most part, the above transaction is accomplished through computer terminals linked together by communication busses or telephone lines.
A different arrangement is provided for certain over the counter trading associations of which NASDAQ (National Association of Securities Dealers) is probably the most prominent. These exchanges avoid the use of specialists in specific stocks and membership does not invoke a seat on an exchange. To the contrary, NASDAQ is established as a computer integrated market of select securities, wherein members trade as agents for their customers and make markets in specific securities themselves. To operate effectively in this environment, the members must have a sophisticated communication system that permits entry and up-dating of current stock positions supporting the desired transactions. This involves the creation and operation of a central on-line database for the securities to be transacted.
Members enter into the NASDAQ database via a remote terminal and input their requests. For example, if a dealer represents a prospective buyer of stock in Apple Computer, this dealer inputs a request for e.g., 100 shares of Apple stock at a "bid" price of $44.00. This information is recorded into the database and becomes available to other participants including those making a market in Apple stock at a certain "ask" price. If an agreed price is received, a deal is confirmed and the respective positions of the parties up-dated.
These operations are heavily dependent on appropriately programmed computer systems. For example, see U.S. Pat. No. 4,674,044 to Kalmus, et al., titled "Automated Securities Trading System". The teachings of this patent are incorporated herein as if restated in full. This system provides automated securities trading at established parameters for the buyer and seller. In addition to supporting such transactions, dealers also participate in making markets in individual securities, i.e., the dealer is also the principal and sells the securities out of dealer inventory.
The above operations are performed in real time with the participation of hundreds of competing buyers and sellers forming a highly competitive environment. A central element to success in such a market is the rapid access to vital information on current market conditions in terms of market depth and recent swings and the ability to enter quickly to establish or withdraw a price. For example, a trend away from a given security is first indicated by a drop of market makers on the inside market. Participants with an early indication of the souring market are in the best position to profit therefrom (or reduce their exposure).
In the past, the traders were largely dependent on information supplied directly from the database of transactions in a form selected primarily for ease in communication. Although the on-line data was rich with salient market information, the form of this data simply was not optimized to permit rapid extraction and review to support trading; to the contrary, this feed data was mostly devoid of trend information in the market and the traders had to mostly rely on intuition and luck in predicting market shifts. The recognition of this inhibition formed the impetus to the present invention.

Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated


An apparatus for telemetering a downhole parameter from a well. The apparatus comprises a housing having a bore. The apparatus further comprises an annular main valve with an enlarged end positioned within the bore, with the main valve having a center of axis. A restrictor is concentrically disposed within the bore, the restrictor configured to define an annular passage with the main valve. The apparatus also includes: a pressure device for supplying hydraulic pressure to the main valve; a control valve, operatively associated with the restrictor member, for controlling pressure to the main valve; and a solenoid control valve assembly for activating the control valve. In one preferred embodiment, the solenoid control valve assembly comprises a controller for emitting an electrical signal, a coil that receives the electrical signal and generates a magnetic field, a solenoid static pole receptive to the generated magnetic field, and a solenoid moving pole responsive to the magnetic field so that the solenoid moving pole moves in a direction towards the solenoid static pole. A method for communicating a downhole parameter is also disclosed.

This invention relates to a measurement while drilling tool. More specifically, but without limitation, this invention relates to an apparatus and method for telemetering a down hole parameter from a well.
Operators drill wells many thousands of feet in the search for hydrocarbons. The wells are expensive and take a significant amount of time to plan. Operators find it important to obtain data about the various subterranean reservoirs once the actual drilling begins. Thus, measurement while drilling (MWD) tools have been developed that gather information about the subterranean reservoirs and telemetry the data to the surface. Engineers and geologist can then use this data in an effort to understand the formations and make plans on completion, sidetracking, abandoning, further drilling etc.
MWD tools are expensive tools due to their complexity. The tools are designed for a lifetime of 5-7 years, and the tools are routinely made of expensive materials and electronics which require a lot of maintenance by highly trained personnel. Typically, service companies have geographically positioned regional maintenance facilities that perform these tasks. As the use of MWD and LWD tools expanded, several problems have become evident. One problem is that maintenance requires very high levels of training. Mean time between failures (MTBF) has become the standard measurement for evaluating the reliability of the MWD technology, and a central question is when will the tool fail. Another problem is that the maintenance facilities require large spaces and expensive testing equipment. It is not uncommon for a MWD tool to spend as much time traveling to and from these maintenance facilities as it does at the wellsite. In one study, it was found that a MWD tool string spends less than 90 days a year in a well, and the maintenance and logistics cost of a MWD tool can amount to 50% of the annual expense of the system.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to reduce the maintenance and repair time of MWD tools. It is also an object of the present invention to reduce the maintenance and repair cost. It is also an object to manufacture a tool that is less expensive to build, less complex and have higher reliability. These objects, and many others, will be met by the following disclosure.

Measurement while drilling tool and method