Composition containing an aqueous phase, a lipophilic compound and an emulsifying system containing a fatty acid ester of sucrose and a fatty acid ester of polyglycerol, and to its use in the cosmetics field, in particular for cleansing and/or for removing makeup from keratin materials.

To obtain satisfactory working properties and/or good product performance, it is common practice to introduce into aqueous cosmetic compositions water-immiscible ingredients, for instance fragrance, essential oils, lipophilic active agents, sunscreens or fatty substances.
However, due to their lipophilic nature, certain compounds are more or less difficult to dissolve in these formulations, and surface leaching may take place during storage. Such a phenomenon is undesirable from the point of view of stability of the formulation and/or with regard to consumer comfort insofar as it may destabilize the composition and/or affect the aesthetic appearance of the product (cloudy appearance) and/or give rise to unpleasant cosmetic results when applied to the skin and/or the hair; this phenomenon also limits the concentration of active agents in these formulations, which does not make it possible to obtain sufficiently effective products.
In order to dissolve and stabilize these lipophilic compounds, it is known practice to use oxyethylenated surfactants partly derived from petrochemistry (for example oxyethylenated hydrogenated castor oil).
However, consumers are increasingly in search of cosmetic products that are formed, totally or partly, from natural constituents or constituents of natural origin.
The term "natural compound" means a compound that is obtained directly from the earth or the soil, or from plants or animals, via, where appropriate, one or more physical processes, for instance grinding, refining, distillation, purification or filtration.
The term "compound of natural origin" means a natural compound that has undergone one or more additional chemical or industrial treatments, giving rise to modifications that do not affect the essential qualities of this compound and/or a compound predominantly comprising natural constituents that may or may not have undergone transformations as indicated above.
As non-limiting examples of additional chemical or industrial treatments giving rise to modifications that do not affect the essential qualities of a natural compound, mention may be made of those permitted by the control authorities such as Ecocert (Frame of reference for cosmetic, biological and ecological products, January 2003) or defined in manuals recognized in the field, such as the Cosmetics and Toiletries Magazine, 2005, vol. 120, 9:10.
There is thus still a need for a system for dissolving lipophilic compounds that is compatible with the formulation of "natural" or "bio-certified" cosmetic products, which allows these lipophilic compounds to be formulated without any concentration limit, so as to obtain stable, efficient formulations that are pleasant to use and that have an attractive aesthetic appearance, especially a clear, non-cloudy appearance. The inventor has discovered that a surfactant system comprising a combination of a fatty acid ester of sucrose and a fatty acid ester of polyglycerol can achieve the above objectives.

Composition comprising a sucrose ester and a polyglycerol ester


A method for forming within an integrated circuit a patterned conductor layer from a blanket conductor layer through a plasma etch method, where there is simultaneously avoided plasma induced electrical discharge damage to an integrated circuit structure formed beneath the blanket conductor layer. There is first provided a substrate. There is then formed over the substrate an integrated circuit structure. There is then formed over the substrate and the integrated circuit structure a blanket conductor layer. There is then formed upon the blanket conductor layer a patterned photoresist layer, where the patterned photoresist layer simultaneously: (1) leaves unexposed a first portion of the blanket conductor layer sufficiently large, and (2) leaves exposed a second portion of the blanket conductor layer sufficiently small, to limit plasma induced electrical discharge damage to the integrated circuit structure when the blanket conductor layer is patterned to form a patterned conductor layer through a plasma etch method. Finally, there is etched through the plasma etch method while employing the patterned photoresist layer as an etch mask layer the blanket conductor layer to form the patterned conductor layer.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to methods for forming patterned conductor layers within integrated circuits. More particularly, the present invention relates to a masking method employed in forming through a plasma etch method within an integrated circuit a patterned conductor layer from a blanket conductor layer, where the masking method avoids plasma induced electrical discharge damage to integrated circuit structures, such as but not limited to integrated circuit layers and integrated circuit devices, formed beneath the blanket conductor layer.
2. Description of the Related Art
When employing plasma etch methods, such as but not limited to microwave plasma etch methods, reactive ion etch (RIE) plasma etch methods, magnetically enhanced reactive ion etch (MERIE) plasma etch methods and electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) plasma etch methods, for etching a blanket conductor layer to form a patterned conductor layer within an integrated circuit, it is known in the art of integrated circuit fabrication that the blanket conductor layer and any other integrated circuit layers exposed to the plasma etch method will typically become electrically charged incident to exposure of the blanket conductor layer to the plasma employed within the plasma etch method. Blanket conductor layers are typically particularly susceptible to electrical charging within a plasma etch method employed in forming patterned conductor layers from those blanket conductor layers since electrical charge formed upon a blanket conductor layer may be readily concentrated and redistributed over large areas of a blanket conductor layer due to the conductive character of the blanket conductor layer.
While the phenomenon of electrical charge generation within blanket conductor layers incident to patterning those blanket conductor layers to form patterned conductor layers through plasma etch methods is known in the art, the phenomenon of electrical charge generation within blanket conductor layers incident to patterning those blanket conductor layers through plasma etch methods is nonetheless problematic. The phenomenon of electrical charge generation is particularly problematic under circumstances where a patterned conductor layer of narrow linewidth is desired to be formed from a blanket conductor layer. Under such circumstances, the electrical charge generated within the blanket conductor layer becomes exceedingly dense as the blanket conductor layer is patterned to form the narrow linewidth patterned conductor layer. Under circumstances where the narrow linewidth patterned conductor layer so formed adjoins directly or indirectly a dielectric layer or other integrated circuit layer of limited dielectric capacity, an electrical discharge may occur through the dielectric layer or other integrated circuit layer of limited dielectric capacity while patterning the blanket conductor layer to form the narrow linewidth patterned conductor layer. Such an electrical discharge may often damage the dielectric layer, other integrated circuit layer or integrated circuit structures formed beneath the blanket conductor layer.
A particularly common example where damage may occur to an adjoining dielectric layer when patterning a blanket conductor layer to form a patterned conductor layer is encountered when patterning a blanket gate electrode material layer formed upon a blanket gate dielectric layer when forming for use within a field effect transistor (FET) a gate electrode from the blanket gate electrode material layer. A series of schematic cross-sectional diagrams illustrating a proposed mechanism through which such damage may occur is illustrated by reference to FIG. 1 to FIG. 3.
Shown in FIG. 1 is a semiconductor substrate 10 having formed thereupon a blanket gate dielectric layer 12. Formed upon the blanket gate dielectric layer 12 is a partially patterned gate electrode material layer 14 which is being patterned through a plasma etch method employing a plasma 18 and a patterned photoresist layer 16. As is shown in FIG. 1, since the partially patterned gate electrode material layer 14 is formed from a blanket conductor layer, the directions of charge flow and dissipation 20 from the plasma 18 are within the partially patterned gate electrode material layer 14 both towards and away from the patterned photoresist layer 16.
As is shown in FIG. 2, upon further patterning of the partially patterned gate electrode material layer 14 within the plasma 18 there is formed a further partially patterned gate electrode material layer 14'. The further partially patterned gate electrode material layer 14' is of sufficiently limited thickness such that breaks 15 form within the further partially patterned gate electrode material layer 14' forcing plasma induced electrical charge to redistribute within the further partially patterned gate electrode material layer 14' and lead to a direction of charge flow and dissipation 20' from the plasma 18 which is no longer exclusively within the further partially patterned gate electrode material layer 14'. Rather, the direction of charge flow and dissipation 20' from the plasma 18 is sequentially through: (1) the thicker portion of the further partially patterned gate electrode material layer 14' beneath the patterned photoresist layer 16; and (2) the portion of the blanket gate dielectric layer 12 beneath the patterned photoresist layer 16, resulting ultimately in charge flow and dissipation into the semiconductor substrate 10. Under circumstances where substantial quantities of charge flow and are dissipated through the direction of charge flow and dissipation 20' as illustrated in FIG. 2, damage may occur to the portion of the blanket gate dielectric layer 12 formed beneath the patterned photoresist layer 16.
Finally, as is shown in FIG. 3, when the further partially patterned gate electrode material layer 14' has been completely patterned to yield the gate electrode 14a, there is no longer any charge flow and dissipation through the portion of the blanket gate dielectric layer 12 formed beneath the gate electrode 14a and consequently also no additional damage to the portion of the blanket gate dielectric layer 12 formed beneath the gate electrode 14a.
Although FIG. 1 to FIG. 3 illustrate the charges formed incident to patterning the partially patterned gate electrode material layer 14 as positive charges, it is theoretically possible, although in practice typically not preferred, that there may alternatively be formed negative charges within a partially patterned conductor layer, such as the partially patterned gate electrode material layer 14, when the partially patterned conductor layer is patterned to form a patterned conductor layer through a plasma etch method employing a plasma such as the plasma 18. The presence of either positive or negative charges within the partially patterned conductor layer is typically largely determined by the polarity of an electrical bias applied to a semiconductor substrate, such as the semiconductor substrate 10, over which is formed the partially patterned conductor layer, since plasmas employed within plasma etch methods will typically have formed therein substantial quantities of both positive and negative charged species.
Thus, it is towards the goal of limiting within integrated circuits plasma induced electrical discharge damage to integrated circuit structures, such as but not limited to integrated circuit layers and integrated circuit devices, formed beneath blanket conductor layers when those blanket conductor layers are patterned to form patterned conductor layers through plasma etch methods, that the present invention is generally directed.
In that regard, methods through which conductor layers may be modified to provide desired properties within integrated circuits are known in the art of integrated circuit fabrication. For example, Lee in U.S. Pat. No. 5,441,915 discloses a method for fabricating a planarized conductor metallurgy structure for a semiconductor device within an integrated circuit, where the planarized conductor metallurgy structure employs dummy metal lines to fill gaps which would otherwise provide a conductor metallurgy structure which is not readily planarized.
Desirable in the art are methods through which there may be avoided within integrated circuits plasma induced electrical discharge damage to integrated circuit structures, such as but not limited to integrated circuit layers and integrated circuit devices, formed beneath blanket conductor layers when those blanket conductor layers are patterned to form patterned conductor layers through plasma etch methods. Particularly desirable are methods through which there may be avoided plasma induced electrical discharge damage to gate dielectric layers formed beneath blanket gate electrode material layers when those blanket gate electrode material layers are patterned to form gate electrodes through plasma etch methods. It is towards these goals that the present invention is specifically directed.

Method for masking conducting layers to abate charge damage during plasma etching

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.


The invention relates to a method for the detection of an analyte in a competitive immunoassay in the presence of an analyte derivative and first and second receptor molecules, and to a kit for carrying out this detection method.

The invention relates to a method for the detection of an analyte in a competitive immunoassay in the presence of an analyte derivative, and to a kit for carrying out this detection method.
Immunological detection methods have gained great importance in in vitro diagnosis. The reason for this is that they are highly specific and extremely sensitive. Moreover, these assays are distinguished by simple handling. The detection methods are based on the immunological interaction between the analyte to be detected and its binding partner or partners.
In the case of sandwich assays, the analyte is bound like a sandwich by two different antibodies. One of the two antibodies carries a label (marker), whereby its concentration can be determined. In the case of small analytes, the sandwich method is excluded, as for steric reasons two different antibodies can not simultaneously bind to the analyte. Here, as a rule, competitive assays are used. In these, the analyte and a synthetic derivative of the analyte compete for the binding sites of the antibody. As a rule, either the analyte derivative (classic competitive method) or the antibody is labeled.
Often, the antibody is bound in the classic competitive method to a solid phase, while in the method using labeled antibody the analyte derivative is immobilized (solid phase antigen techniques, e.g. SPALT=solid phase antigen luminescence technique).
In the competitive assay method the methods using labeled antibodies have gained particular importance in the determination of the freely available portion of an analyte. "Freely available" here means that these analytes are not bound as ligands by their natural receptors, which can occur, for example in the serum. Methods of this type have gained importance, for example, in the determination of free triiodothyronine (FT3) and free thyroxine (FT4). In order to be able to determine the proportion of analyte independently of the concentration of binding proteins occurring in the sample (for example serum proteins), the analyte derivative must change its properties on binding to, solid phases in such a way that it can still interact with the antibody, but not—or only insignificantly—with the binding protein. A method of this type was described as a 1-step assay, for example, in EP-A-0 103 605.
This method using labeled antibodies, in particular, has the advantage of easy tracer preparation, as the labeling of an antibody is not a problem in most cases. It is therefore still to be preferred to the classical competitive method if an analyte tracer is available which shows the abovementioned, desired binding behavior (EP-A-0 026 103).
When carrying out the abovementioned method, the choice of an analyte derivative having suitable affinity for the antibody often causes problems. These result from the fact that the affinity of the. analyte derivative for the antibody for a meaningful assay result must be in a certain ratio to the affinity of the analyte for the antibody (cf. EP-A-0 254 929, EP-A-0 324 540, EP-A-0 303 284). If, for example, the affinity of the analyte derivative for the antibody is too high, the reaction equilibrium in the assay mixture will shift too much in the direction of the antibody-analyte derivative complex, which leads to a reduction in the meaningfulness of the assay. In order to remedy this disadvantage, a preincubation of the analyte with the antibody can be carried out (cf. EP-A-0 182 385). If, on the other hand, the affinity of the analyte derivative is too low, a preincubation of analyte derivative and antibody first can be of use. A disadvantage in both cases, however, is the necessity of having to carry out the assay in two steps. A possibility of circumventing this disadvantage consists in chemically modifying the analyte derivative in order to produce a suitable affinity for the antibody. However, a method of this type is also laborious and, with small analyte derivatives, often associated with difficulties or not possible to carry out at all.

Competitive immunoassay using complexed analyte derivatives


An image processing method and apparatus are provided. The image processing method includes collecting at least two exposure frames with different brightness in a same scene during different exposure time; combining, for each exposure frame, a raw data unit arranged repeatedly in the exposure frame to obtain first brightness data after the combining; acquiring a correction parameter of all exposure frames according to all first brightness data and performing weighting processing on all the exposure frames by using the correction parameter to obtain a high dynamic range (HDR) image of corrected raw data. The foregoing method can resolve a problem in the prior art that colors, brightness, and contrast of an image obtained from Raw data are severely distorted.

Research on a high dynamic range (HDR) imaging based on multi-frame exposure combination has been extremely mature. For example, in a consumer market, an iPhone® is integrated with an HDR photographing function. Android® reference platforms of some chips also have a relatively simple HDR imaging function.
Currently, both surveillance cameras for a professional application and mobile phone cameras in the consumer market use a charge-coupled device (CCD) or complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor to capture an optical signal in a scene and transform the optical signal into raw data of a digital signal (that is, Raw data). After being processed by a series of digital signal processing technologies (e.g., Image Signal Processing (ISP)), the raw signal is transformed into a final video signal that is suitable for human eyes (generally in red green blue (RGB) format or luminance and chrominance (YUV) format).
The Raw data is single-channel data, which is generally formed by multiple adjacent pixels that are arranged repeatedly and are in different colors, and each pixel location has only one value. However, data after color interpolation processing in the ISP increases to three-channel data, that is, each pixel location has three values.
Most HDR processing technologies are applied to three-channel data after the ISP processing, for example, Microsoft® (Special Interest Group on Graphics (SIGGRAPH) 2003 HDR video) proposes a post processing method for correcting multiple exposure frames. First, a camera response curve is calibrated by using the multiple exposure frames; and then an HDR image is combined according to the camera response curve; finally, a dynamic range is compressed by using a tone mapping method to improve local contrast.
Disadvantages of the foregoing method are as follows. Triple amount of raw data needs to be processed, and further, such methods as local tone mapping or contrast enhancement need to be used to improve the local contrast. High complexity is involved. In addition, a gamma correction in the ISP processing greatly affects brightness of an image. Such method depends on the camera response curve and the tone mapping, and if the method is simply applied to the Raw data for direct processing, it may cause that colors and contrast of the image are seriously distorted.

Forming high-dynamic-range (HDR) images using single-channel data


The present invention provides a filter apparatus for use in removing impurities and acids contained in a fluid that includes a particulate filter and an acid-neutralizing filter. Preferably, the particulate filter and the acid-neutralizing filter are positioned within a housing. A conduit having a pressure reduction section is arranged to create a pressure differential across the acid-neutralizing filter such that a portion of the fluid to be filtered by the filter apparatus passes through the acid-neutralizing filter.

In various kinds of apparatuses utilizing fluids (for example lubrication oil), fine particulate impurities may find their way into the fluid. If such impurities are not removed, the apparatus, such as an engine, may be damaged. To avoid such catastrophic failures, various kinds of filtering systems have been proposed. In the most usual filtering systems, a filter is commonly inserted into the main circulation system. Main circulation system filters generally have a low density.
Heavy-duty diesel engine life, or time to rebuild, has historically been linked directly to piston ring, cylinder liner or crankshaft bearing life. Engine design parameters require that these engine components be hydrodynamically lubricated, i.e., operate with a film of lubricant separating these engine components from associated metal surfaces. Consequently, the principle mechanism associated with piston rings, cylinder liners and crankshaft journal bearings wear is not metal-to-metal contact or frictional wear. The primary diesel engine wear mode influencing engine life is corrosive wear caused by sulfur and nitrogen containing acids formed during the diesel fuel combustion process. One estimate is that more than 70 percent of heavy-duty diesel engine wear is caused by combustion acid metal corrosion.
Control of diesel engine corrosive wear has historically been accomplished through inclusion of basic or alkaline chemicals within the engine oil that is utilized to form the hydrodynamic lubricant film. These alkaline components rapidly neutralize or solubilize combustion acids upon contact with the acid molecules. The effectiveness of the corrosive wear control is entirely dependent upon the probability of the acid being neutralized by alkaline oil components prior to contact of the acid with engine metal surfaces resulting in corrosive wear. The amount of engine corrosive wear can typically be monitored through the use of oil analysis where cylinder liner wear is associated with iron parts per million (ppm) level in the engine oil. Piston ring wear is monitored by chromium levels and crankshaft bearing wear is reflected by lead levels in the oil.
The corrosive wear process begins in the diesel engine combustion chamber where the hydrocarbon diesel fuel containing sulfur compounds is combusted in the presence of oxygen and nitrogen. The hydrocarbon fuel is converted to principally carbon dioxide and water, creating extremely high gas pressures, which push down on the top of the piston to produce engine power. Also produced are SOx and NOx compounds, which rapidly react with the water released during fuel combustion yielding primarily sulfuric acid and nitric acid. These acids reach engine metal surfaces by direct contact in the cylinder bore or as blow-by gases as a normal part of engine operation. The hydrodynamic lubricant film present in the piston ring belt zone will also transport acid molecules throughout the engine as the lubricant is constantly circulated.
Combustion acid neutralization is completed using a simple acid-base reaction where metal carbonates carried as alkaline components within the lubricant directly react with sulfuric and nitric acids. The effectiveness of corrosive wear control is totally dependent upon the probability of these metal carbonates coming in contact with the acid molecules before these same molecules contact engine metal surfaces. Another factor influencing the rate and efficiency of acid neutralization is acid solubilization within the lubricant by another oil additive classified as an ashless dispersant. Dispersants are long chain hydrocarbon polymers, which are functionalized by terminating the polymer chain with a functional group generally containing basic nitrogen. Dispersants will rapidly complex with combustion acids dispersing or solubilizing them within the lubricant for transportation to a metal carbonate where the acid is converted to a neutral metallic salt. The combined efficiency of dispersant acid complexing and metallic carbonate acid neutralization controls the rate of engine wear.
Overbased or alkaline metallic detergents have been widely utilized as metallic carbonate carriers in diesel engine oil compositions. Calcium and magnesium sulfonates and phenates account for the majority of the detergents utilized to formulate diesel engine oils. Overbased detergents are produced by incorporating extra calcium or magnesium within a physical structure called a detergent micelle. For example, alkylbenzenesulfonic when reacted with calcium hydroxide and blown with carbon dioxide during the reaction process will produce an overbased calcium sulfonate. The extra metal or calcium present in the detergent micelle structure is calcium carbonate surrounded by oil solubilizing calcium sulfonate detergents. This physical structure circulating within the oil delivers the calcium carbonate to the combustion acid molecules for acid neutralization.
Ideally, there should be no limit to the amount of alkaline detergent incorporated within a diesel engine oil formulation; however, in reality modern diesel engines can only tolerate a limited level of metallic detergents before metallic ash deposits cause piston ring sticking and exhaust valve guttering. These ash deposits are caused by pyrolysis of oil metal organo compounds, principally calcium and magnesium detergents.
Recognizing (1) most diesel engine wear is caused by acid corrosion, (2) the lubricant ash content is limited, and (3) newer diesel engine designs will incorporate exhaust gas recirculation where combustion acids will be concentrated and reintroduced into the engine, a system capable of neutralizing combustion acids without significantly altering diesel engine oil compositions while at the same time filtering solid impurities from the oil circulation system would significantly reduce engine wear including corrosive wear. This is especially true in the later half of an oil drain period when the lubricant's acid-neutralizing capability has been depleted.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Combination particulate and acid-neutralizing filter


A large, warp resistant, reel is formed of a molded plastic cylindrically shaped hub with disk-like flanges co-axially arranged upon and secured to the opposite ends of the hub The flanges are each formed of a framework of numerous, spaced apart, radially extending spokes, and spaced apart concentric hoops. The spokes intersect the hoops and are integrally joined thereto. Thin, rigid co-planar plastic sheets extend across the spaces between, and are integrally joined to, the adjacent portions of the spokes and hoops. The spokes are generally T-shaped in cross-section with the heads of the T-shape being wide and thin and integrally formed on the inner, facing surfaces of the flanges and the legs of the T-shape being narrow and long and integrally formed on the outer surfaces of the flanges.

This invention relates to a large size, molded plastic reel of the type, for example, disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,895,316 issued Jan. 23, 1990 to James S. Salloum and U.S. Pat. No. 5,004,179 issued Apr. 2, 1991 to James S. Salloum.
Large size reels, such as may be used for carrying cables, strips of rubber-like or plastic materials and the like, typically comprise a hub and disk-like flanges secured to the opposite ends of the hub. Typically, such flanges may run on the order of about two feet to six or seven feet in diameter. The sizes of such reels vary considerably; however, they are large enough to carry heavy weights. In addition, such reels may be subjected to substantial impact loads due to movements or impacts occurring in shipping or transporting and using the reels. Further, they are subjected to varying temperatures and ambient weather conditions. Thus, such reels are normally made of strong and heavy materials.
By way of example, variations of large size reels which are heavy-duty for carrying heavy loads are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,702,242 issued Feb. 19, 1992 to Bureau; No. 2,190,013 issued Feb. 13, 1940 to Byers; No. 2,624,526 issued Jan. 6, 1953 to Green; No. 3,704,838 issued Dec. 5, 1972 to Bernier; No. 3,881,668 issued May 6, 1975 to Poteat; No. 4,083,508 issued Apr. 11, 1978 to Pattillo; No. 4,406,422 issued Sep. 27, 1983 to Philips; No. 4,412,661 issued Nov. 1, 1983 to Wise et.al.; British Patent No. 23,773 issued Nov. 6, 1902 to Sutcliffe; and, French Patent No. 808,511 issued Nov. 14, 1936 to Societe des Etablissements Cadoux. The reels disclosed in each of these patents are generally large size and fabricated with a central hub and opposing disk-like flanges. Reels or spools such as those disclosed in the foregoing patents typically are expected to hold considerable weights. The more recent, above-mentioned U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,895,316 and 5,004,179 disclose reels that are sectional in construction and made of molded plastic parts which are assembled together and which can be disassembled when desired. That type of sectional reel can be made in large sizes. Because of the sectional construction, the sizes of, and the expenses involved in fabricating the molds needed for molding the sections may be considerably reduced. More specifically, the reel components, that is the hubs and the flanges, are formed of smaller sections that are interconnected for assembling the reel. The flanges may be molded in varying diameters within a single mold. That is, the mold may be large enough to produce a large size section, which can be assembled with other identical sections, to form a flange, or outer portions of the mold may be blocked off for molding smaller size flange sections. The sections that form the flanges are generally frame-like in construction.
Reels that are of substantial size and molded in the manner disclosed in the forgoing U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,895,316 and 5,004,179, depending upon the plastic materials used and the sizes and the thicknesses of the components, can warp under field conditions involving substantial changes in temperature and other ambient conditions. Also, they can be damaged when impacted with relatively heavy forces. For example, accidentally dropping a reel off the back of a truck or accidentally striking the reel with a moving truck, can damage such reels. An advantage of such reels is that if they are damaged, the damaged sections can be removed and replaced so that the reel can remain operative. But, it would be desired to have such a plastic molded reel which will resist warping and damage caused by severe impacts. Thus, the present invention relates to a large size, sectional reel made of a molded plastic material, which will substantially resist breakage or damage due to impacts and which will resist warping in ambient temperature changes.


A treatment apparatus for a mixing device having a concentric barrel configuration. The treatment apparatus includes a manifold including an input end and an output end. The treatment apparatus also includes a conduit body having a manifold end and a nozzle end. The manifold end is connected to the output end of the manifold, and the conduit body includes at least one nozzle at the nozzle end of the conduit body opposite the manifold. At least one fluid pathway is formed between the input end of the manifold, the conduit body, and the at least one nozzle.

It is known to provide syringes that comprise a mixing device for mixing deliverable substances prior to injection. This allows, for example, a diluent to be added to a dehydrated, lyophilized, desiccated or powdered active substance immediately prior to injection, which is particularly useful for substances that are subject to degradation or loss of activity when stored in a hydrated form.
The majority of mixing devices for syringes utilize sequential chambers, wherein the syringe has one barrel having a first proximal chamber and a second distal chamber separated by, for example, a membrane or elastomeric seal. A number of such sequential-chamber mixing syringes utilize a bypass protrusion at a section of the barrel to enable fluid in the proximal chamber to bypass the dividing membrane and mix with the fluid or powder in the distal chamber.
However, some mixing syringes utilize concentric barrel configurations. The concentric barrel mixing syringes to date, however, require complex assemblies, multiple operation steps by the user, or other particular nuances that make them difficult to manufacture, assemble, or operate. For examples, some existing concentric barrel mixing syringes require concentric inner and outer barrels that are selectively rotatable with respect to each other, and require one or more sealing rings which contain a passage means therein. The barrels must be rotated to align a hole in the inner barrel with the passage means in a sealing ring. The passage means in the sealing ring includes a radially extending opening through the sealing ring and a groove extending longitudinally of the sealing ring from the radially extending opening. This arrangement being such that the groove connects the outer barrel with the radially extending opening and the radially extending opening selectively connects the groove with the hole in the inner barrel. This enables flow of fluid from the outer barrel into to the inner barrel to thereby mix the fluid with a substance in the inner barrel. Such configurations require complex components and cumbersome requirements for the user to operate the device.
Other concentric barrel designs utilize outer and inner telescopic tubular elements seated inside a barrel and coaxial with the longitudinal axis. The outer tubular element and barrel form a chamber which holds a reservoir of liquid. The outer tubular element has a fluid passageway therein that allows the liquid to flow from the chamber into the inner tubular element. The inner tubular element has an end nearby the injection port with a seal thereon that has an orifice therein. This inner tubular element receives the end of the plunger with the resilient seal thereon. Accordingly, such mixing syringe configurations require three tubular elements, with the outer and inner concentric chambers residing inside a third barrel.
There are numerous complexities associated with the use of concentric barrels for mixing syringe configurations. In addition to those described above, mixing syringes utilizing concentric barrels must also address factors such as maintenance of container sterility, interaction of components for sealing, venting requirements, and distribution of internal forces, among others. Some dual chambered syringes have concentric inner and outer barrels that form an annular space to hold a fluid and utilize one or more apertures between the inner and outer barrels to enable flow of a liquid from the annular space into the inner barrel and thereby mix the liquid with a substance in the inner barrel. The liquid is forced from the annular into the inner barrel by depression of a plunger slidably movable in the annular space. First and second sealing bands are slidably received about the inner barrel in the annular space and are mutually spaced therealong. The position of the sealing bands can dictate how sterility of the fluid path is maintained, how internal forces are distributed, and how venting occurs. For example, both of the sealing bands may be initially positioned above the aperture to form a sealed annular volume for the first liquid component. Because of this arrangement, the aperture also must act as a vent to enable any air in the annular space distal to the second sealing band, which space must be sterilized, to be expelled via the aperture upon depression of the plunger. This venting requirement may cause difficulties and require additional equipment and processing steps, such as requiring filling the inner chamber under vacuum to remove all air from the inner chamber and the distal portion of the outer barrel below the second reconstitution seal.
Additionally, barrels, such as a syringes and vials are known to utilize siliconization or lubrication, for example, to improve their functionality. For example, siliconization of syringe barrels is known to improve the glide forces of the plunger as a user depresses it for drug delivery. Concentric barrel designs may similarly utilize siliconization or lubrication, but are not readily capable of being prepared in standard assemblies or by known application methods, especially for the annular space between barrels.

Spray configurations for dual chamber mixing devices


In an auto-exchanger disc apparatus, both a disc cartridge for stocking plural discs and a pickup cartridge having a pickup are provided with common recesses, and a cartridge stocking unit is formed with a projection which is engaged with the recesses, whereby the cartridges can be exchanged for each other and mounted on the disc apparatus. Therefore, the extension and maintenance of the cartridges can be facilitated. When a double-side reproducing operation is performed, the pickup cartridge is turned upside down and then mounted on the disc apparatus, whereby the double-side reproduction can be surely performed by the disc inverting mechanism. Further, disc inclining means is provided to prevent a disc being returned from the disc feeder to the disc cartridge from abutting against the disc cartridge. The disc inclining mechanism and the disc inverting means may be integrally constructed by the same member to reduce the cost. Still further, a cleaning member is provided to some or all of the rollers for feeding the disc to perform a disc cleaning operation as well as a disc feeding operation, thereby preventing dust from being attached to the disc.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an auto-changer type disc apparatus for pulling out a desired disc from a disc stocking unit in which plural discs are stocked (accommodated), and for recording/reproducing information signals on/from the disc, and particularly to an improvement in operation performance of the apparatus, stabilization of the take-in/take-out operation of the disc into/from the disc stocking unit, recording/reproducing on/from both sides of a disc, and cleaning the surface of the disc.
2. Description of Related Art
As an example of this type disc apparatus, there is known an apparatus including a disc stocking unit in which plural discs are piled up, a hand unit for pulling out a desired disc from the disc stocking unit, and plural disc reproducers (pickup units) for reproducing the selected disc as disclosed in Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. Hei-5-182343.
Further, as a disc apparatus used for recording/reproducing on/from both sides of a disc (hereinafter referred to as double-side disc apparatus), there is known an apparatus in which drives (pickup units) for recording/reproducing information on/from obverse and back surfaces of a disc respectively are individually and separately provided in the apparatus to thereby omit an inverting mechanism as disclosed in Japanese Laid-open Patent application No. Hei-5-314626.
As described above, the conventional disc apparatus as disclosed in Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. Hei-5-182343 is designed so that plural pickup units are fixedly mounted in the disc apparatus. Accordingly, for example, when a pickup unit is required to be taken out from the apparatus and repaired due to failure of the pickup unit, it is necessary to dismantle the apparatus. Therefore, this type of disc apparatus is inconvenient from the point of view of maintenance to users.
With the double-side disc apparatus as described in Japanese Laid-open Patent application No. Hei-5-314626, for example, in the case where the obverse side of a disc is recorded/reproduced by the pickup unit for the obverse side while the back side of the disc is not recorded/reproduced by the pickup unit for the back side, and a request to record/reproduce the obverse side of another disc is made, this type of disc apparatus cannot satisfy this request.
Furthermore, these disc apparatuses, particularly a disc apparatus having a disc stocking unit for stocking a number of discs, plural pickup units and a disc feeding unit for feeding a disc between the pickup units, have the following disadvantage. If a disc being fed by the disc feeding unit is inclined at a large angle with respect to other discs which are stocked in the disc stocking unit, there frequently occurs a case where the disc being returned from the disc feeding unit to the disc stocking unit abuts against a member constituting the disc stocking unit, and the disc return operation fails. In order to avoid these problems, the operation is required to be stabilized.
In addition, in the conventional disc apparatus as disclosed in Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. Hei-5-314626, the discs are stocked in a case, and thus there is no problem with attachment of dust, mote, etc. onto the discs. However, when a disc is handled, particularly in a case of a disc apparatus which is designed so that a high-density disc DVD (Digital Versatile Disc) is handled without being stocked in a case, a dust protective treatment is preferably conducted on the disc to prevent dust, mote, etc., which are frequently the cause of dropout, from being attached onto the disc.

Disc inclining/disc inverting mechanism in a disc storage/playback apparatus


A flotation system to support rehabilitation of patients in an aquatic environment. The system includes a restriction pad to limit the level of flexing associated with select aquatic exercises and pathologies. In addition, the system includes two symmetrically opposed outriggers connected to the upper float section for increase stability during use along with a strapping system on all sections to decrease movement on the device.. The rehabilitation float system of the present invention permits patient access to aquatic based exercises even when the patient is handicapped or being rehabilitated from a significant and disabling trauma.

Although exercising is universally pursued, it takes on special importance in the field of the handicapped or rehabilitation, i.e., the effort to restore the motor skills to someone that has suffered a debilitating trauma of some sort. The techniques of rehabilitation are fast approaching a well defined science directed to addressing the specific needs of the patient in a manner analogous to the approach taken by a doctor when first prescribing treatment. Many different products have been developed to enable patients with impaired motor skills to focus on specific muscle groups in conditioning exercises.
Swimming has long been a favorite mechanism for rehabilitation mostly due to the low impact nature of the exercise. The muscle activities in swimming put little or no strain on the patients joints or limbs while providing a significant cardio-vascular workout.
There are several drawbacks to swimming as a means for rehab work. For many patients, swimming is difficult or impossible due to fear or no prior experience. Depending on the disability, swimming may involve too much strain or work for severely impaired patients. Also, swimming is unfocused; many rehab programs require a focused set of exercises directed to the deficient muscle groups.
The present invention provides a unique solution to these problems allowing a controlled set of exercise movements in a gravity free environment. Employing the aquatic exercise platform described in the above noted patent applications, the present invention includes several additions specifically contoured to the needs of rehab support. More specifically, the aquatic exercise platform is equipped with outriggers on either side to minimize the potential for platform flipping in the pool. In addition, a separate lumbosacral support pad is attached to the upper hinge section to provide a neutral position of the lumbosacral spine during a workout. Also, this support pad limits the degree of flexing for the hinge to a small and more manageable increment. Other enhancements include vest-like or strap attachments to the separate float sections providing a more secure support platform for the patient and decreasing the amount of controlled movement.

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A valve insertion device for traversing a wire guide through a valve within an intraluminal passage. A wire guide is positioned near the outflow of a valve within an intraluminal passage. Alongside the wire guide, a pressure sensor is positioned to detect the pressure of the fluid in the intraluminal passage. As the valve opens, the fluid pressure at the outflow of the valve increases. This information is sent from the pressure sensor to a control system. From this information, the control system can determine when the valve will open and can actuate an advancement system to move the wire guide to traverse the open valve. After traversing the valve, various catheters and sheaths may be advanced over the wire guide through the valve.

The field of the present invention relates to wire guides, catheters, sheaths and other intraluminal medical devices for use in traversing valves within intraluminal passages.
Wire guides are commonly used to pass through narrow passages in the body so that larger catheters and other devices may be advanced through an intraluminal passage along an already established path. Specifically, during valvuloplasty, stenting or left ventricle intervention, a wire guide with a small cross-section is initially advanced through the aortic valve so that larger devices may pass through the valve with less difficulty. However, frequently the leaflets of the aortic valve are stenotic and calcified, making it difficult for surgeons to pass even a wire guide through the valve. Furthermore, the artery leading up to the valve is curved, making it difficult to align a wire guide with the opening of the valve in the center of the artery. If the surgeon misses the opening of the valve, then the guide wire may advance into the coronary sinuses, and may cause damage if too much force is applied. Additionally, fluoroscopy must be used during procedures to assist the surgeon in advancing the wire guide. However, if the wire guide is repeatedly unable to traverse the valve, the patient will be exposed to excessive radiation from a longer procedure.


N-acylated p-amino-phenols can be prepared by catalytical hydrogenation of the underlying aromatic nitro compounds in a reaction medium of aqueous sulfuric acid in the sense of a Bamberger type reaction at elevated temperature, optionally in the presence of a water-miscible organic solvent, and subsequent reaction of this reaction mixture with an acid chloride, optionally in the presence of an acid binder and optionally in the presence of a diluent.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a process for the preparation of N-acylated p-amino phenols by catalytic hydrogenation or aromatic nitro compound having a free p position in accordance with a Bamberger reaction and subsequent acylation of the resulting amino group.
N-acylated p-amino-phenols are known as pest control agents, in particular as fungicides (EP 339 418).
2. Description of the Related Art
The preparation of N-acylated p-amino-phenols is conventionally carried out by acylation of the corresponding free p-amino-phenols in the presence of diluents and with the aid of basic auxiliaries (EP 339 418). The p-amino-phenols required are compounds known in principle and are generally prepared by nitration of p-unsubstituted hyroxyaromatic compounds and subsequent reduction of the nitro group or by reduction of p-unsubstituted nitro-aromatic compounds in accordance with a Bamberger reaction (Houben-Weyl, 4th edition, Volume VI/1c; (1976), pp. 85-117). In both cases it is conventional and necessary to isolated the free p-amino-phenols required as intermediates for the preparation of the desired N-acylated p-amino-phenols and to react them further in purified form. This procedure is complex, uneconomic and associated with losses in yield and high production of wastes, in particular effluents. Moreover, the nitration of phenols gives cause for concern with respect to reaction and safety aspects.

Process for the preparation of N-acylated p-amino-phenols


A dual drive bicycle includes an arm powered drive assembly including a drive mechanism mountable on one of the bicycle wheels or on the foot powered crank mechanism. The drive assembly includes a sprocket and a ratchet assembly for pivotal engagement with the sprocket wheel, a drive line coupled to the ratchet assembly for driving the ratchet assembly and the drive sprocket, and a free wheeling mechanism for coupling the ratchet assembly and the drive sprocket wheel. Movement of the handlebar moves the drive line which engages the ratchet assembly for driving the drive mechanism.

This invention relates generally to bicycles, and more particularly the invention relates to a bicycle having arm assisted drive.
A number of designs have been proposed for arm assisted drive of the conventional foot pedal powered bicycle. Many patents have issued which describe hand cranks used to provide power to the front wheel via a continuous chain drive. Problems attendant with all of these arrangements include difficulty in steering and the added weight of the crank mechanism.
Other patents describe arm assisted drives not requiring a continuous chain. U.S. Pat. No. 4,733,880 describes the use of hand pedals which are mechanically coupled to the foot pedal by tension lines through pulleys. An unconventional dual handlebar is required which complicates steering. Further, the reciprocating movement of the handlebars is continuous when the foot pedals are in use.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,685,692 uses rotary hand cranks in addition to a conventional handlebar for steering. The hand cranks rotate a flexible shaft which is coupled to the shaft of a foot powered sprocket wheel to thereby provide a supplemental drive to the sprocket wheel. Again, there is no on-demand use of the hand crank since the crank is always turning when the foot pedals are turning.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,726,600 discloses a linkage mechanism whereby vertically reciprocating movement of the handlebars is coupled to the foot pedals. Again, the handlebars are always moving when the foot pedals are rotating.
The present invention provides an arm assisted bicycle drive which overcomes disadvantages of the prior art.


An inkjet recording apparatus provides an improved printing speed and improved convenience of use. A recording head discharges droplets of a recording liquid onto a paper so as to form an image on the paper. A belt conveyance mechanism has a belt onto which the paper is electrostatically attached. The paper attached onto the belt is conveyed in a direction perpendicular to a carding direction of the paper.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to image forming apparatuses and, more particularly, to an image forming apparatus that is capable of forming an image by a recording liquid while conveying a paper in a transverse direction.
2. Description of the Related Art
Inkjet recording apparatuses are known as image forming apparatuses incorporated in a printer, a facsimile machine, a copy machine and a combination machine of a printer, a facsimile machine and a copy machine that perform image formation (recording, printing and copying may be used as equivalent words) by causing droplets of a recording liquid (hereinafter, may be referred to as ink droplets) to adhere onto a paper, while conveying the paper, using a recording head (image forming means) constituted by a liquid droplet discharge head which discharges droplets of a recording liquid.
As the liquid droplet discharge head, there are used a piezoelectric type using an electromechanical transducer such as a piezoelectric element, a thermal type which generated bubbles by film boiling of ink using an electrothermal transducer such as a heating resistor provided in a discharge chamber, and an electrostatic type which discharges ink droplets by deforming by an electrostatic force a diaphragm forming a wall of a discharge chamber.
In the meantime, since ink is caused to adhere onto a paper according to an inkjet recording method, there occurs a phenomenon that the paper extends due to a water component contained in ink when image is formed on the paper. This phenomenon is referred to as cockling. When the cockling occurs, the paper is waved, which results in changes in a position of the paper surface and a nozzle plane of the head location to location. If a degree of cockling increases, in a worst case, the paper is brought into contact with the nozzle plane of the head, which causes contamination of the nozzle plane of the head and contamination of the paper itself. Additionally, landing positions of the ink droplets may be offset due to influence of the cockling.
By the way, in a conventional inkjet recording apparatus, for example, as shown in FIG. 1, a convey roller 601 and a press roller 602 are located on an upstream side and a paper eject roller 604 and a spur 603 are located on a downstream side with a printing area by an inkjet head 600 located therebetween, and a second paper eject roller 606 and a second spur 605 are located on a downstream side of the paper eject roller 604 and the spur 603, and, further, a guide member 507 is located in the printing area so as to guide the paper so as to perform conveyance by two sets of the roller pair.
In this case, since there is a demand for increasing the image forming area, in order to acquire a large printing area, there exist an inkjet recording apparatus that performs printing in a state where an accuracy of feed of a paper cannot be guaranteed, that is, in a state where a paper is engaged with only one pair of rollers. However, in the state where a paper is engaged with only one pair of rollers, if a paper lift occurs, an accuracy of feed cannot guaranteed since there is no measures to solve the paper lift or a force to convey the paper cannot be acquired, and, thus, there is a problem in that an image quality deteriorates.
Additionally, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 2897960 and Japanese Laid-Open Patent Applications No. 7-53081 and No. 2003-103857, there is suggested an inkjet recording apparatus having an endless charge belt that is capable of maintaining excellent flatness by preventing a paper from being lifted from the charge belt by conveying the paper by rotating the charge belt in a state where the paper is electrostatically attracted to the charge belt of which surface is electrically charged.
Additionally, although it is an image forming apparatus using an electrophotography, as disclosed in Japanese Laid Open Patent Application No. 10-10878, there are known a corona discharge type, an endless belt type and a separation claw type as a separation system for separating a transfer material electrostatically attached to a conveyor.
Further, as disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 10-138587, it is known that a paper after image formation is pressed by a spur when it is ejected in an inkjet recording apparatus.
By the way, generally, there is a carding mesh in a paper, and the carding direction coincides with a longitudinal direction of the paper. If a such a paper having a carding mesh is conveyed in a direction in which the carding direction is perpendicular to a conveying direction, the nozzle plane and the paper may contact with each other since the paper bends largely in a direction along the conveying direction due to cockling caused by adhesion of liquid droplets as mentioned above, which results in a problem peculiar to an inkjet recording apparatus that an image failure occurs.
That is, in a case where a longitudinal mesh direction conveyance is performed in which the carding direction of the paper 500B coincides with the conveying direction as shown in FIG. 2A, if cockling occurs in the paper, the paper merely waves in a direction (main-scanning direction) perpendicular to the conveying direction as shown in FIG. 2B. Thus, an amount of waving as a whole is relatively small, and, thereby, the paper 500B is prevented from being brought into contact with a nozzle plane of a head 600.
On the other hand, in a case where a transverse mesh direction conveyance is performed in which the carding direction of the paper 500A is perpendicular to the conveying direction as shown in FIG. 3A, the paper 500A is lifted in a curled shape due to cockling as shown in FIG. 15B or FIG. 1, and, thus, there is an extremely high possibility that the paper is brought into contact with the nozzle plane of the head 600.
Therefore, in the conventional inkjet recording apparatus, only the setting of papers causing the longitudinal mesh direction conveyance is permitted, and the setting causing the transverse mesh direction conveyance is prohibited so that the transverse mesh direction conveyance is not performed. For example, papers of A4 size are used, only the setting causing the longitudinal direction of A4 size to be a conveying direction is permitted, and the setting causing the transverse direction of A4 size to be the conveying direction is prohibited. The above-mentioned problem does not occur in an electrophotography image forming apparatus using no recording liquid.
However, it has been demanded for an inkjet recording apparatus to be capable of handling large size papers, and is required for the inkjet recording apparatus to use not only A4 size papers as in conventional apparatus but also A3 size papers. In such a case, since the shorter side width of A3 size is equal to the longer side width of A4 size, it is convenient for a user if the A4 size papers can be set in either the longitudinal mesh direction conveyance or the transverse mesh direction conveyance.
Moreover, in the case of an inkjet recording apparatus, a printing speed can be increased as a number of times of feed in a sub-scanning direction is decreased, that is, an area, which is printed by a single sub-scanning, is increased. Thus, if A4 size papers are used, the printing speed for the transverse mesh direction conveyance can be higher than that for the longitudinal mesh direction conveyance.
However, in the conventional inkjet recording apparatus, there is a problem that papers are not permitted to be conveyed in the transverse mesh direction due to the problem of cockling peculiar to the inkjet recording as mentioned above.


Systems, methods, and structures that provide distributed acoustic sensing using chirped optical pulses of selectable duration and bandwidth, at a frame rate limited by a round-trip propagation time of a fiber under test. Instead of processing a transmitted chirped pulse as a single sequence—our systems, methods, and structures employ a parallel fragmented multiband architecture, where each tributary correlates the received signal with a truncated chirped pulse to obtain the Rayleigh impulse response over its frequency band. By reducing the duration of the chirp processed by each tributary, spatial leakage is reduced at all the tributaries, thus even after combining all the interferometric products from all tributaries using a rotated vector sum, the resultant signal is much less impacted by spatial leakage than by using a conventional TGD-OFDR method.

As is known in the art, time-gated digital optical frequency-domain reflectometry (TGD-OFDR) is a coding technique that can be used to increase signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) in distributed acoustic sensing systems and methods by signal correlation. Given the importance of DAS systems and methods in a great number of important contemporary industrial and societal applications, improvements to such systems and methods would represent a welcome addition to the art.

Distributed acoustic sensing using multi-band time-gated digital orthogonal frequency domain reflectometry


A recording time acquiring device is provided to acquire the recording time of the video signal recorded on the digital videotape on the basis of signals outputted from the digital video camera when the digital videotape is fast-forwarded from a leading position to an ending position of recording in the digital video camera. In an automated correction mode, a bit rate computing device records the video signal for recording on the optical disk on the basis of the recording time acquired by the recording time acquiring device.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a DVD recorder and a video signal recording apparatus for recording an encoded signal after a digital video signal outputted from a digital video camera for reproducing a digital videotape has been extended.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a digital video cassette tape, where a tape capable of recording a video signal for 80 minutes (hereinafter referred to as a 80-minutes tape) is employed, if a long mode is adopted, the video signal for 120 minutes can be recorded. For this reason, where the video signal recorded in the long mode on the 80-minutes tape is reproduced and a DVD-standard video signal converted from the video signal thus reproduced is recorded on an optical disk, for the purpose of minimizing deterioration of the video signal, the bit rate of the video signal when it is recorded on the optical disk was set at 5 Mbps which is the bit rate corresponding to the video signal for 120 minutes (referred to as a first related art).
The following technique has been also proposed (referred to as a second related art). In this technique, the recordable remaining capacity of a disk is computed and displayed. Thus, a user knows the recordable capacity from the remaining capacity displayed, and within a range of the remaining capacity, enters the recording capacity of information to be recorded and the recording time of the information. By carrying out the operation of R1=w/t—on the recording capacity w and recording time w thus inputted, the average transfer rate R1 is computed (for example, see JP-A-6-76474 (Paragraphs 0022-0024)).
Further, the following technique has been also proposed (referred to as a third related art). In this technique, the maximum recordable capacity D of an optical disk is read and a user's desired recording time T is entered. By carrying out the operation of R2=D/T, the transfer rate R2 is computed. The video signal and audio signal are recorded at the transfer rate thus computed (see JP-A-143999 (Paragraphs 0019-0024)).
Further, the following technique has been also proposed (referred to as a fourth related art). In this technique, the recording time t which is a recording time of all the programs set with an automated picture quality of recording-preserved programs is acquired. Assuming that the recordable remaining capacity is w, by carrying out the operation R3=(w−b)/t (b denotes a preliminary capacity), the average recording rate R3 during recording is computed (see JP-A-176096 (Paragraphs 0644-0646).


A folding step (10) for a recreational vehicle (12 having an existing step (14)) at a side door (16). The folding step (10) comprises a tread (18) and a structure (20) for attaching the tread (18) to the existing step (14) with the tread (18) in front, between the existing step (14) and the ground (22). The transition from the ground (22) to the interior of the recreational vehicle (12) through the side door (16) is easier to negotiate by a person stepping up.

1. Field of the Invention
The instant invention relates generally to recreational vehicles and more specifically it relates to a folding step for a recreational vehicle.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Numerous recreational vehicles have been provided in prior art that are adapted to combine transportation and temporary living quarters for travel, recreation and camping. They are either motorized motor homes and van conversions or towable units, such as folding camping trailers, truck campers, travel trailers and park trailers. While these units may be suitable for the particular purpose to which they address, they would not be as suitable for the purposes of the present invention as heretofore described.


A method of processing an image includes receiving a digital version of the image, processing the digital version of the image through at least two binarization processes to thereby create a first binarization and a second binarization, and processing the first binarization through a first optical character recognition process to thereby create a first OCR output file. Processing the first binarization through a first optical character recognition process includes compiling first metrics associated with the first OCR output file. The method also includes processing the second binarization through the first optical character recognition process to thereby create a second OCR output file. Processing the second binarization through the first optical character recognition process includes compiling second metrics associated with the second OCR output file. The method also includes using the metrics, at least in part, to select a final OCR output file from among the OCR output files.

Optical Character Recognition (OCR) engines are widely available. OCR engines differ in their approach to the problem of recognizing characters. Some entities who process documents using OCR have taken the approach of running multiple OCR engines on a single digital image and then using a technique such as voting to determine which text to actually output from the various engines. The idea behind this approach is to use the best of each OCR engine to obtain the over-all highest-quality text output. Nevertheless, this approach is not optimal and improvements are desired.

Multiple image input for optical character recognition processing systems and methods


The present invention provides access control methods, apparatus and systems that employ an access control rule and that does not distinguish between data and the access control rule, so that the same flexible access control that is available for the data can also be provided for the access control rule. In an example embodiment, an access control system comprises: an access controller for, in accordance with the access request, employing an access control rule defining an access right for the object to determine whether or not access to the object should be permitted; and an object storage unit for storing a set of access control rules as objects equivalent to common data objects, wherein, upon the receipt of a request to access an access control rule, the access controller determines whether or not access to the access control rule should be permitted.

From the viewpoint of computer security, generally, access control of resources that serve as information sources has long been exercised (such as data file or directory). For this access control, the access control rule applied is used to limit the users who are permitted to access predetermined computer resources and to specify which contents users can access (the type of executable process). Based on this rule, an access request submitted by a user is evaluated and a determination is made as to whether access should be granted or refused.
A specific example of access control is provided by UNIX, one of the OSs (Operating Systems). In UNIX, access control is implemented by using file system permissions settings and user IDs. Aside from a permission mode entry, a file system permissions setting has three subject parts: owner, owner's group, and all others. These subject parts are further broken down into permissions types used to permit or inhibit the reading of a file (read), the writing of a file (write), and the execution of a file (execute).
Only a root user who owns all of these rights can exercise them without any limitations. In addition, normally only the root user, the super user who possesses all the rights, can access all data and is not limited to only that data which is provided for a user ID. This is determined by the access control rule that is the most significant and fixed. The root user can not assign only a part of his or her rights to another user. Thus, when a strong right that is owned by the root user is to be provided for another user, all the root rights must be allocated.
As another example of access control, application software can control access to an object managed by the software. For example, Notes, by Lotus, is well known as application software that can flexibly control access for multiple classes of objects, such as a database, a view, a form, a document.
The right to change the access control rule employed by Notes is permanently provided only for the role of database manager. That is, a user need only be permitted to assume the role of database manager, so that essentially, everybody can change the access control rule. However, this application software can not provide access control whereby the alteration right is provided only for certain parts of the object classes, but is not provided for others.
As in the above described example, a conventional access control system only provides, for a user, either all access rights afforded by an access control rule, or absolutely no access rights.
Conventionally, BJS is known as a technique concerning a language used to write the access control rule. According to BJS, a rule for controlling access to an access control rule can be managed based on an administration right. There are two types of administration rights: "administer" and "adm-access". The administer can prepare all the access control rules, including the administration right, and the adm-access can prepare access control rules including rights ("select" and "create") other than the administer rights and the adm-access right. For example, assume that the following access control rule exists for Alice who has the adm-access right.                <Alice, select, adm-access, strong, table1, Trent>
This access control rule means that Alice can generate or delete an arbitrary access control rule so far as the "select" operation of "table1" is concerned. For example,                <Employee, select, +, table1, Alice, strong>can be prepared, which is a rule indicating that Employee holds a right concerning the "select" operation for "table1", and that the creator of this right is Alice.
As another example, assume that the following access control rule exists for Bob who holds the "administer" right.                <Bob, select, administer, strong, table1, Trent>
This access control rule means that Bob can assign the right for preparation of the access control rule to another person, so far as the "select" operation of "table1" is concerned. For example,                <Carol, select, adm-access, strong, table1, Bob>can be prepared, which is a rule indicating that, so far as the "select" operation for "table1" is concerned, Carol has the right to prepare an access control rule for this "select" operation, and that the creator of this rule is Bob.
By using BJS, a rule for controlling access to an access control rule can be written in the above described manner. It should be noted that different formats are employed for writing an access control rule and the administration right, which is a rule for controlling access to an access control rule.

International Business Machines Corporation


A power generation system includes a plurality of photovoltaic cell panels for outputting DC power, a plurality of inverters for converting DC power into AC power, and a high-order device for communicating with the plurality of inverters. The high-order device is configured to acquire a predetermined power factor, and transmit a command value to each of the plurality of inverters so that the power factor corresponding to the predetermined power factor is achieved by a total output of the plurality of inverters. The high-order device is configured so as to determine a specific inverter that has room to increase the amount of reactive power output from among the plurality of inverters, to transmit a reactive power increasing command value for increasing reactive power to the specific inverter.

Conventionally, as disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-207862, a power generation system including a plurality of photovoltaic power generating devices is known. The conventional power generation system includes an output suppression management device that individually suppresses an output of each of the plurality of photovoltaic power generating devices.
In order to suppress surplus power, an output of the photovoltaic power generation may be suppressed. In the art according to this publication, it is important to suppress the output of each photovoltaic power generating device not uniformly but individually. In the conventional power generation system described above, an output limit value is set to a plurality of inverters included in each photovoltaic power generating device, thereby individually adjusting an amount of power generated.

TOSHIBA MITSUBISHI-ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL SYSTEMS CORPORATION


An endpiece (E) is composed by disposing a pair of elastic inner and outer wiring or plating parts in juxtaposition. An outer part external member (1) is adopted to keep a shape and structure of the endpiece (E) intact and reinforced. The inner part is a buffer piece (2) doubled back into a hairpin shape and has at least a first bending portion (21) of convex shape and a second bending portion (22) of concave shape. When a temple (T) is unfolded to excess, the first and second bending portions (21) and (22) flexibly bend towards a direction to which those portions expand so as to counterbalance stress to which the external member (1) is subjected.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an improvement on a pair of spectacles, in more details, pertaining to a shock-absorbing mechanism for spectacles intended to protect a wearer's head or face from being inadvertently subjected to an external force, which mechanism permits such force to be equally conveyed to the respective inner and outer elastic parts arranged in juxtaposition comprising an endpiece, for instance, whereby stress concentrated on one of those parts of the endpiece is dispersed to the other thereof so that such force to which the spectacles as a whole are subjected can be efficiently absorbed, with the result that higher safety on the part of the wearers is secured.
2. Prior Art
Conventionally, by way of one example, such an endpiece as having an elastic recovery function is disclosed in the Japanese Patent Laid-open Application No. 2000-321539 especially at pages 3 to 4 and in reference to FIGS. 2 through 5 thereof, in order to absorb an external force to which a wearer is inadvertently subjected or to make it comfortable to wear with his/her head snugly supported by such elastic function during use of the spectacles.
However, such coil spring arrangement as adopted for the endpiece of the above prior disclosure is inconvenient to use and unsatisfactory with the users in that hairs are clipped in interstices between the respective windings of such coil.
Thus, in the case where an endpiece is formed of inner and outer elastic parts disposed in juxtaposition in an attempt to complexly form such endpiece, only one of those parts is vulnerable to larger compression force or tensile force upon such endpiece being subjected to certain external force, which causes imbalance in stress applied between those parts, so that repetitive application of such imbalanced stress to one of those parts is likely to arise durability problems at large due to difference in a degree of fatigue between those parts.

Shock-absorbing mechanism for spectacles


Herein disclosed is a method for depositing a high Tc superconducting thin film. The superconducting thin film is deposited on one surface of a substrate. The substrate is exposed to an electromagnetic wave to heat the substrate during the process for depositing the superconducting thin film. Before the processes for depositing the superconducting thin film and exposing the substrate to the electromagnetic wave, a dummy film is formed on the other surface of the substrate. The dummy film has absorbency of the electromagnetic wave which is higher than that of the substrate. The dummy film together with the substrate is exposed to the electromagnetic wave while the superconducting thin film is deposited on the one surface of the substrate. The superconducting thin film thus deposited has superconductivity and high quality crystal structure.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to superconducting thin film deposition method and apparatus and, more particularly, to method and apparatus for depositing a superconducting thin film on a substrate heated by radiation.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, high temperature superconductors (hereinlater referred to as "HTS" for brevity) including a Y-Ba-Cu-O (hereinafter referred to as "YBCO" for brevity) system superconductor are tried to be used for microwave circuit elements or transmission lines. Since the HTS has an extremely low electric resistance at a superconductive state, the microwave circuit elements or transmission lines adopting the HTS are remarkably advantageous over those adopting normal metal conductors in reducing transmission loss of signals and in enhancing the frequency response characteristics of the microwave circuits.
As well know, a thin film is deposited through a sputtering method, a vapor deposition method, a molecular beam epitaxy method, a chemical vapor deposition method and the like. A superconducting thin film including the HTS thin film is generally deposited on a dielectric substrate such as a MgO or LaAlO.sub.3 substrate through some one of the aforesaid methods. The substrate on which the superconducting thin film is to be deposited is required to be heated by a heat source during the process for depositing the superconducting thin film. The heat source is preferably spaced apart from the substrate because of the fact that the heat source causes undesired impurities to diffuse into the substrate and accordingly contaminates the substrate with the undesired impurities under the condition that the heat source is held in direct contact with the substrate during the process for depositing the superconducting thin film. The diffusion of the undesired impurities into the substrate makes poor the superconductivity of the deposited superconducting thin film. For this reason, the heat source may be designed to heat the substrate by radiation and concretely may comprise, for example, an infrared ray source which radiates the infrared rays considered to be an electromagnetic wave.
A drawback is, however, encountered in prior-art superconducting thin film deposition method above described nature in that the heat source is unable to increase the temperature of the substrate at a sufficiently high level if the substrate is a dielectric substrate such as a MgO or LaAlO.sub.3 substrate through which the infrared rays penetrates relatively readily. When the temperature of the substrate is not increased to and not held at the sufficiently high level during the process for depositing the superconducting thin film, the deposited superconducting thin film is liable to be of poor crystalline quality and have a high surface resistance.

High temperature superconducting thin film deposition method

Advanced Mobile Telecommunication Technology Inc.


An electronic component monitoring device and method for correctly recognizing electronic components with bumps. A reflection-recognizing light emitter for emitting light toward an array of bumps on an electronic component, a transmission-recognizing light emitter for emitting light toward a background board, and a bump-recognizing light emitter for emitting light at an acute angle toward the array face of the electronic component are provided, and switchable light emitter(s) is/are switched on and off in accordance with a bump recognition method, transmission recognition method, and reflection recognition method.

An improved technology for electronic component monitoring devices that rely on characteristics of electronic components with bumps has already been proposed in Japanese Laid-open patent H8-153997.
Such an electronic component monitoring device is explained with reference to FIGS. 6, 7A, and 7B.
In FIG. 6, an electronic component with bumps 1 has a molded main body 2, and a substrate 3 provided underneath the main body 2. A plurality of bumps 4 are formed in a matrix pattern on the bottom face of the substrate 3 as terminals of the electronic component with bumps 1. The bumps 4 have a semi-spherical shape and mirror-like and curved surface. Bumps 4 are preferably comprised of solder, gold or any other conductive or semicondutive material suitable as terminals.
The electronic component with bumps 1 is held by a nozzle 5 disposed at the lower part of a transfer head 6 by suction force. A background board 7 is attached to the transfer head 6 behind the electronic component with bumps 1.
A light source unit 8 having a concave area 9 on its upper part is provided below the electronic component with bumps 1. A lens-barrel 10 which runs through the center of the light source unit is provided at the lower part of the concave area 9. A camera 11 attached to the lens-barrel 10 monitors the bottom face of the electronic component with bumps 1 through the lens-barrel 10 and concave area 9.
Numerous LEDs 12, which emit light toward the bottom face (bumps 4) of the electronic component with bumps 1, are disposed on angled planes of the concave area 9. An optical fiber 14 connected to a halogen light source 13 is provided at both sides of the light source unit 8 to light-up the background board 7 from the direction of arrow marks N1 and N2 shown in FIG. 6.
As shown in FIG. 7A, bump 4 is secured on a land 15 formed on the bottom face of the substrate 3. However, in some instances a bump 4 is missing and the land 15 is exposed at the bottom face of the substrate 3, as shown by A in FIG. 7A. Such an electronic component with bumps 1 is defective, and may need to be rejected from the line.
With the electronic component monitoring device of the prior art as configured above, the land 15, which is made of a metal foil such as copper and has an even metal surface, brightly shines as a result of the emitted light.
FIG. 7B shows an image monitored by the electronic component monitoring device of the prior art as shown in FIG. 6. In FIG. 7B, shaded portions indicate bright areas, and other portions indicate dark areas. A point P1 indicates a corner 3a of the substrate 3, and images S1 and S2 are the part A in FIG. 7A.
It is apparent that there is no difference between the image S2, which corresponds to the land 15 only, and the image S1, which corresponds to a land 15 and bump 4 combination.
An image processing unit of the prior art thus erroneously judges this part which, in fact, should be designated "defective." Accordingly, the electronic component monitoring device of the prior art has low reliability in recognizing the electronic component with bumps 1. As a result, an electronic component may be mounted on a substrate at an erroneous bump position due to erroneous recognition of a wiring pattern near the land 15.

Electric component monitoring device and electronic component monitoring method

Matsushita Electronic Industrial Co., Ltd.


A surgical boom having a surgical head with an electrical connection, a plurality of inlet ports, a compressed gas outlet, and a water outlet, one of the inlet ports having a cover, a hollow surgical arm mounted to a ceiling in a room and having a plurality of joints, a shaft passing through said ceiling, and a shaft collar attached to the ceiling, an outlet port, a filter media arranged between said outlet port and one of the inlet ports, the filter media comprising an ULPA media and an adsorbant layer, a control panel, a suction unit configured and arranged in a position below the ceiling to cause a fluid to be drawn from the inlet port through the filter media and out through said outlet port while minimizing noise in the proximity of the inlet port, wherein the fluid drawn from said inlet port comprises an exhaust path through the hollow arm.

The present invention relates generally to filters and more specifically to low noise filter systems integrated in a medical boom. U.S. Pat. No. 6,045,596 is directed to a filter system self contained within a treatment room and having a portion of which incorporated into a surgical arm, the aggregate disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. U.S. Pat. No. 7,597,731 is directed to an operating room smoke evacuator which is mounted to a medical boom, the aggregate disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/431,492, filed Jan. 11, 2011 and U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/579,937, filed Dec. 23, 2011 are directed to a automatically activate remote control system that can be used with a filter system, each of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.


A device for measuring force by resistive detection includes a double Wheatstone bridge having at least eight resistive gauges arranged on a membrane where each of the Wheastone bridges are respectively arranged on disjointed portions of the membrane, and two resistive gauges of at least one Wheatstone bridge are reside on a non-deformable area of the membrane.

Generally speaking, the present invention concerns the field of sensors of all types of force (force, pressure, moment or angular or linear acceleration) using resistive gauges disposed in two Wheatstone bridges oriented in two different directions.
This type of force sensor can be integrated into any system in which it is required to measure a force (pneumatic, joystick for video games, etc.) or an acceleration (air bag triggering in an automobile, pacemaker, etc.).
A prior art force sensor is described in particular in the document U.S. Pat. No. 4,745,812.
That sensor produced by microtechnology techniques includes piezoresistive detection elements disposed in a double Wheatstone bridge in a plane of a deformable support. These gauges are arranged in two perpendicular directions to detect the components in space of the force applied to the deformable support.
The imbalance of a first Wheatstone bridge, obtained by interconnecting four gauges aligned in a first direction, is proportional to the component of the force in that first direction. The imbalance of a second Wheatstone bridge, obtained by interconnecting four gauges aligned in a second direction, is proportional to the component of the force in that second direction. The common mode of the two bridges is proportional to the component of the applied force in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the deformable support.
During the production of the structure of such a sensor by microtechnology means, the interconnection of the Wheatstone bridges necessitates producing insulated crossovers of the conductive tracks. In practice, these insulative crossovers are obtained by stacking two metallic levels. Such stacking represents a fabrication overcost and risks of failure of the sensor with reduced efficiency.

Device for measuring force by resistive detection with double Wheatstone bridge


In a wireless IC tag, metallic antennas are deposited as thin films on the front and back surfaces of a spacer, made of a heat-resistant glass epoxy material having a desired dielectric constant, to form a first antenna and a second antenna. An IC chip is mounted in the center of the first antenna. The second antenna functions as an auxiliary antenna for resonating to a desired frequency of a transmission radio wave of the first antenna to strengthen the intensity of the radio wave. Accordingly, even when the IC tag is mounted to a cable or the like, the tag can be mounted in the interior of the enclosure of the cable and thus the radio wave intensity of the first antenna can be prevented from being weakened by a metallic member in the cable.

The present invention relates to wireless IC tags suitable for mounting on a member having a large dielectric constant, and methods and apparatuses for manufacturing the wireless IC tags. In particular, the present invention relates to a wireless IC tag suitable for mounting on a power cable, a communication cable or the like, and a method and apparatus for manufacturing the wireless IC tag.
For the purpose of article management, theft or fraud prevention; a wireless tag for obtaining information on an article in a non-contact manner has been developed and put to practical use. For example, JP-A-11-339142 discloses a tag which has a resonance circuit including a conductor functioning as an antenna and an insulating substrate sheet as a spacer, in place of a prior art wireless tag used for the purpose of theft prevention. A radio wave having a predetermined frequency is transmitted to the aforementioned wireless tag (referred to as "tag for preventing theft" in the JP-A-11-339142), and a tag for receiving and detecting the radio wave is used to monitor the article having the tag attached thereto for theft prevention. The wireless tag has a feature of high sensitivity. In other words, the wireless tag can be detected over a long distance.
Also disclosed in JP-A-2003-203527 is a technique for reading cable information including the manufacturer name, manufactured date, specifications, length, etc. of a cable such as a power cable or a communication cable, on the surface or in the outer layer of which a wireless IC tag is mounted. According to this technique, since the wireless IC tag is mounted at intervals of a predetermined length on the cable, cable information can be read not only at the terminal of the buried cable but also at any given position thereon.

Wireless IC tag, and method and apparatus for manufacturing the same


A vibrating gyrosensor includes a support substrate on which a wiring pattern having lands is formed. A vibrating element is mounted on a surface of the support substrate. The vibrating element includes a base part having a mounting surface on which a number of terminals connectable to the lands is formed. A vibrator part integrally projects from a side of the base part and has a substrate-facing surface coplanar with the mounting surface of the base part. The vibrator part has a first electrode layer, a piezoelectric layer, and a second electrode layer which are laminated on the substrate-facing surface. The vibrator part vibrates when an AC signal is applied between the first and second electrode layers. The central electric field strength of the AC signal is set at a position shifting to the positive direction from the center of a hysteresis loop of the piezoelectric layer.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an angular velocity sensor used, for example, for detecting motion blurring of a video camera, detecting a motion in a virtual reality device, detecting a direction in a car navigation system, and the like. Specifically, the invention relates to a vibrating gyrosensor including a vibrating element having a cantilever vibrator.
2. Description of the Related Art
As consumer angular velocity sensors, so-called vibrating gyrosensors are widely used, in each which a cantilever vibrator is vibrated at a predetermined resonance frequency, and Coriolis' force produced by the influence of an angular velocity is detected by a piezoelectric element to detect the angular velocity.
Vibrating gyrosensors have the advantages of a simple mechanism, a short starting time, and a low manufacturing cost. For example, vibrating gyrosensors are mounted on electronic devices, such as a video camera, a virtual reality device, and a car navigation system and used as sensors for detecting motion burring, a motion, and a direction, respectively.
A usual vibrating gyrosensor includes a vibrating element which is manufactured by machine-cutting an appropriate piezoelectric material to form a predetermined shape. A vibrating gyrosensor preferably has a smaller size and higher performance with reduction in size and weight and increases in functionality and performance of a main body device on which the vibrating gyrosensor is mounted. However, it has been difficult to manufacture a small vibrating element with high precision due to the limit of machining precision.
Therefore, there has recently been proposed a vibrating gyrosensor including a cantilever vibrating element formed by laminating a pair of electrode layers with a piezoelectric thin film layer provided therebetween on a silicon substrate using a thin film technique for semiconductor processes (refer to, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 7-113643). Such a vibrating gyrosensor may be reduced in size and thickness and thus complexed or increased in functionality by combination with a sensor for other purposes.

Vibrating gyrosensor driven with offset potential


A system and method for designing photonic band gap structures. The system and method provide a user with the capability to produce a model of a two-dimensional array of conductors corresponding to a unit cell. The model involves a linear equation. Boundary conditions representative of conditions at the boundary of the unit cell are applied to a solution of the Helmholtz equation defined for the unit cell. The linear equation can be approximated by a Hermitian matrix. An eigenvalue of the Helmholtz equation is calculated. One computation approach involves calculating finite differences. The model can include a symmetry element, such as a center of inversion, a rotation axis, and a mirror plane. A graphical user interface is provided for the user's convenience. A display is provided to display to a user the calculated eigenvalue, corresponding to a photonic energy level in the Brilloin zone of the unit cell.

Since the pioneering work of Yablonovitch in the late 1980s, photonic band gap (PBG) structures have emerged as a growth area for research and development. The existence of local and global photonic band gaps in periodic dielectric and/or metallic structures has enabled physicists and engineers to find novel areas of applications. Previously proposed or demonstrated applications of dielectric PBG structures range from the controlling of spontaneous emission in optical devices, to the applications of photonic crystals in semiconductor lasers and photovoltaic cells, to the omniguide formed with alternating dielectric layers. While initial studies of PBG structures were primarily focused on dielectric PBG structures, metallic PBG structures, as well as dielectric-metallic hybrids, have received considerable attention recently, because of their applications in rf accelerators and high-power microwave vacuum electron devices, and in the transmission and filtering of microwaves. In particular, single-mode PBG rf accelerating cells have been demonstrated by creating a single defect in PBG lattices, and a PBG resonator gyrotron has been demonstrated experimentally with high mode selectivity.
There are two important aspects that need to be studied in order to facilitate the design of metallic PBG devices. One involves the wave propagation in the bulk of the metallic PBG structure, and the other concerns the wave interaction with the interface between the metallic PBG structure and vacuum, e.g., mode confinement in a metallic PBG cavity. For analyses of metallic PBG cavities formed by single or multiple defects in the PBG structure, finite-element codes such as SUPERFISH and HFSS are ideally suited. The SUPERFISH eigenmode solver was written at the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), and is available at no cost from the web site http://laacg1.lanl.gov/laacg/services/psugall.html. Ansoft High Frequency Structure Simulator (HFSS) is a commercially-available 3D electromagnetic code. For studies of wave propagation in the bulk of metallic PBG structures, on the other hand, the generalized Rayleigh expansion method, plane-wave expansion method, and finite-difference time-domain scheme have been used.
One of the most important and computationally challenging problems is the calculation of the global photonic band gaps in metallic lattices. While a number of papers have dealt with the global photonic band gaps in dielectric lattices, results for a metallic lattice have only been obtained for TM modes in the lowest gap of a square lattice.