A device and method for irradiating human body vessel interior walls. One device includes a beta radiation emitting segmented metal tube disposed at the distal end of an elongate shaft. Another device includes a radioactive elastic sleeve mounted on a shaft. The device can be used to inhibit restenosis following angioplasty in coronary arteries. In use, the device can be advanced distally over the balloon portion of a positioned and deflated angioplasty balloon catheter, whereupon the balloon is inflated, pressing the radiation device into close contact with vessel walls. After a desired exposure period, the balloon is deflated, and the device, biased to contract, contracts with the balloon, allowing for ease of withdrawal from the patient.

Intravascular diseases are commonly treated by relatively non-invasive techniques such as percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) and percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA). These therapeutic techniques are well known in the art and typically involve use of a guide wire and catheter, possibly in combination with other intravascular devices. A typical balloon catheter has an elongate shaft with a balloon attached to its distal end and a manifold attached to the proximal end. In use, the balloon catheter is advanced over the guide wire such that the balloon is positioned adjacent a restriction in a diseased vessel. The balloon is then inflated and the restriction in the vessel is opened.
Vascular restrictions that have been dilated do not always remain open. In approximately 30% of the cases, a restriction reappears over a period of months. The mechanism of restenosis is not understood. The mechanism is believed to be different from the mechanism that caused the original stenosis. It is believed that rapid proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells surrounding the dilated region may be involved. Restenosis may be in part a healing response to the dilation, including the formation of scar tissue.
Intravascular treatments, including delivery of radioactive radiation have been proposed as a means to prevent or reduce the effects of restenosis. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,199,939 to Dake et al. suggests that intravascular delivery of radiation may inhibit restenosis. Dake et al. suggest delivering radiation within the distal portion of a tubular catheter. Fischell, in the publication EPO 0 593 136 A1, suggests placing a thin wire having a radioactive tip near the site of vessel wall trauma for a limited time to prevent restenosis. Problems exist in attempting to provide uniform radiation exposure using a point or line source. Specifically, as the radiation varies inversely with the square of distance from a point source and inversely with distance from a line source laying off center near one vessel wall may significantly overexpose the nearby wall while underexposing the further away wall.
Bradshaw, in PCT publication WO 94/25106, proposes using an inflatable balloon to center the radiation source wire tip. In PCT publication WO 96/14898, Bradshaw et al. propose use of centering balloons which allow blood perfusion around the balloon during treatment. U.S. Pat. No. 5,540,659 to Tierstein suggests use of a helical centering balloon, attached to a catheter at points about the radiation source to allow perfusion through the balloon, between the balloon and radiation ribbon source.
Use of continuous centering balloons having a beta radiation source within significantly attenuates the beta radiation when the balloon is filled with inflation fluid and the balloon may also allow the radiation source to "warp" when placed across curved vessel regions, allowing the balloon to bend but having the central radiation source lying in a straight line between the two ends. Segmented centering balloons may improve the warping problem but may also increase beta attenuation by allowing blood to lie or flow between the beta source and vessel walls. Balloons allowing external perfusion in general have the aforementioned beta attenuation problem. What remains to be provided is an improved apparatus and method for delivering uniform radiation to vessel interiors to inhibit restenosis.

Expandable and retrievable radiation delivery system


A system including a battery system to provide additional power during peak operating conditions is described. The system may avoid or reduce the need for extensive infrastructure associated with a power delivery system capable of providing peak power, but may instead, rely on infrastructure that need only provide power needed on an average basis.

Water and lighting displays are generally peak driven in their usage of energy. The energy required to propel water through jets into displays is typically used, at most during a 16 hour period, out of a 24 hour day when viewers are watching. Even during those 16 hours, however, the fountain shows typically run for 4 or 5 minutes once, twice or perhaps four times per hour. And on a finer scale, even during those fountain shows, the energy usage varies depending upon how many jets or lights are operating at any given moment within the show (perhaps all at a climactic moment, very few at the start and some varying number in between).
The energy usage for the lighting aspect of the display is generally even more peak-affected because of the 16 nominal hours of display operation in any given day, only about 6 of those hours are after dark with the lights operating in conjunction with the water displays.
Building codes associated with water and lighting displays typically require that the electrical services be sized to the maximum connected loads that may draw from them. This is reasonable, because the transformers, power cables, switches, combiners, dividers, breakers and fuses, and other components must be able to support the occasional big moment when everything is turned on, however briefly.
The average electrical draw may be only a small percentage of this momentary surge. In fact, the peak is often twenty five to fifty times greater than the mean usage. However, the construction cost for the infrastructure to supply peak power levels to support the occasional big movement is significant—on a large fountain mounting into the tens of millions of dollars. And, if additional electricity consuming elements are desired to be added later to a fountain, it is often a practical impossibility to add the additionally required infrastructure to a finished installation.
Peak demand charges from utility companies are also typically a very large component of the power usage charge each month, and the peak power draws can adversely affect the billing rates for much of the overall usage.
This issue has been partially addressed in the past with water display systems that replaced electrical pumps (in the devices where this was possible) with compressed air storage tanks that would release the air in a way that propelled water through the associated jets. Jets powered in this way are referred to as SHOOTER® water delivery systems as provided by WET. These systems were comprised of air compressors that were sized to the mean (rather than the peak) load of the combined SHOOTER® systems in the display. By way of example, the mean load for a pulsed water jet is typically less than 20% of the peak load. The air itself, by means of compression, stores the energy that may then be released when the air decompresses. There is a bank of large storage vessels near the compressor station, and then in some cases, smaller individual air tanks by the individual devices in the fountain which together store the energy produced over time by the compressors and release it on demand at the peaks.
However, not all water jets powered by electrical pumps can be replaced by jets powered by compressed air, since the compressed air jets are pulsed and cannot supply a continuous flow of water for displays that so require. Accordingly, there is a need for a system that addresses this problem for electrically powered water display elements and that provides the peak energy for lights and electrically pumped water jets.


In a combination crystallization/xylene isomerization process for producing para-xylene crystals, the recovery section is modified to accommodate crystallizing and separating para-xylene crystals at two different temperatures (a higher temperature followed by a lower temperature). The benefit is a reduction in the overall energy cost of the process.

Xylene isomers consist of para-xylene, meta-xylene, ortho-xylene and ethylbenzene. Para-xylene is used in the manufacture of terephthalic acid which in turn is subsequently employed in the manufacture of various synthetic fibers, such as polyester. Meta-xylene is used for the manufacture of insecticides, isophthalic acid or alkyd resins. Ortho-xylene can be used as material for plasticizers.
Xylenes are found in substantial quantities in coke oven light oils and certain virgin and reformed petroleum naphthas. In the past, it has been the practice in the separation of xylene isomers either to use chemical methods or to distill meta-and para-xylene, ethylbenzene and some paraffins from a fraction containing the xylene isomers, ethylbenzene, and paraffins. Typically, para-xylene and ortho-xylene are produced by recovery of these isomers from a mixed C.sub.8 aromatic stream by means of fractionation, adsorption or crystallization. Crystallization is a separation process that takes advantage of the fact that for most xylene mixtures the melting point of para-xylene is higher than the other xylene isomers and crystallizes first. For example, para-xylene crystallizes at 13.3.degree. C., meta-xylene at -47.9.degree. C. and ortho-xylene at -25.2.degree. C.
In a para-xylene crystallizer, the C.sub.8 aromatic mixture is cooled using direct or indirect contacting means to the para-xylene crystallization temperature. The effluent from the crystallizer is a slurry comprising para-xylene crystals and mother liquor. The slurry is sent to a separation vessel, for example, a centrifuge, where the mother liquor is separated from the para-xylene crystals. Since the separation of mother liquor and para-xylene crystals is not 100% effective, the para-xylene crystals are generally remelted and recrystallized to achieve higher purity.
The purity of the melted para-xylene recovered from this slurry depends on the amount and composition of the occluded mother liquor accompanying the crystals. Mother liquor is generally present in two forms: (1) mother liquor occlusions within the crystal matrix; and (2) mother liquor that is adhering to surfaces and between crystals. The amount of mother liquor which is within the crystal matrix is dependent on the purity of the mother liquor and the method used to obtain the crystals. The amount of mother liquor which is adhering to the surface of the crystal is dependent on crystal size and shape, mother liquor viscosity and mother liquor purity. Large crystals have the favorable characteristic of containing large spaces between the crystals so that the mother liquor can drain from the crystals more readily. U.S. Pat. No. 2,913,503 describes a process for increasing the para-xylene crystal size using longer crystallization residence time. Other mechanical solutions can also be used to increase the size of the crystal.
Control of the composition of the adhering mother liquor may be accomplished by washing with a foreign substance, for example, propane at its boiling point (U.S. Pat. No. 2,823,241) or aqueous methanol (U.S. Pat. No. 2,724,007); or by washing with a stream containing a high percentage of para-xylene, for example, mother liquor from the second stage (U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,049,575 and 3,197,525).
In a conventional para-xylene crystallization process, the actual crystallization occurs in two parts or sections. The first section is a recovery section for crystallizing the bulk of the para-xylene. The second section is a purification section for enriching the recovered para-xylene. In the recovery section, the para-xylene crystals are generally formed at about -30.degree. C. to -65.degree. C. and are separated from the recovery section mother liquor using a first centrifuge at -65.degree. C. The recovered para-xylene crystals are then remelted, admixed with the recycled purification section mother liquor and passed to the purification section where high purity para-xylene crystals are formed at about 5.degree. C. to -10.degree. C. The purified para-xylene crystals are then separated from the purification section mother liquor. Mother liquor from the recovery section can be sent to a xylene isomerization zone to convert a significant amount of the non-para-xylene isomers to para-xylene which is then recycled back to the recovery section.
The problem with the conventional two-stage para-xylene crystallization process in the recovery section is very energy intensive because the entire mass C.sub.8 aromatic feed has to be cooled to the ultimate low temperatures required for effective crystallization of the para-xylene crystals, i.e. -65.degree. C.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,177,265 (issued to Lammers) discloses a process wherein in the recovery section the C.sub.8 aromatic is gradually cooled to these low temperatures by staging the recovery section temperatures using two or more crystallizers in series. In the Lammers process, a C.sub.8 aromatic hydrocarbon mixture containing 8-25 volume percent para-xylene is combined with recycled purification section mother liquor and fed to the two-stage recovery section. The recovery section comprises two crystallizers and holding tanks having a single set of recovery section centrifuges positioned downstream of the second recovery section crystallizer. In the first crystallizer the C.sub.8 aromatic mixture is cooled to -34.degree. C. to -56.degree. C., but no separation of crystals and mother liquor occurs. In the second crystallizer, the effluent from the first crystallizer is cooled to about -65.degree. C. to -76.degree. C. The separation of para-xylene crystals from its mother liquor occurs at this lower temperature. The resulting para-xylene crystals are remelted, admixed with purification section effluent, and passed to the purification section.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,866,833 (issued to Spiller) describes a para-xylene crystallization process that uses a single stage recovery section and a two-stage purification section. In the recovery section, a C.sub.8 aromatic mixture containing section. In the recovery section, a C.sub.8 aromatic mixture containing about 19 vol. % is chilled to less than -73.degree. C. to form a resulting mixture that is separated into a first solids cake containing 80 wt. % solids and a recovery section mother liquor. Purification of the first solids cake is effected in a purification section that contains two stages for crystallization and separation. In the first stage of the purification section, the first solids cake is melted, mixed in with recycled first purification stage mother liquor and chilled to about -6.degree. C. to -34.degree. C. to form a second solids cake containing about 90-95 wt. % solids and the first purification stage mother liquor. In the second purification stage, first purification stage mother liquor is chilled to about -1.degree. C. to 3.degree. C. to form a third solids cake and a second purification stage mother liquor. The third solids cake is remelted and fed back into the second stage purification stage feed. The second purification stage mother liquor is fed back to the recovery section.
Although the Lammers process may be successful at producing larger para-xylene crystals in the recovery section by staging the temperatures and increasing the residence time in the recovery section of the process, the energy consumption will be high because the entire mass of the C.sub.8 aromatic feed has to be cooled to the lowest temperature (-65.degree. C. to -75.degree. C.). Similarly, in the Spiller process, the energy consumption will remain high because the entire mass of the C.sub.8 aromatic feed must be cooled to less than -75.degree. C. Further, neither the Lammers nor Spiller process discloses or suggests rejecting the mother liquor to a xylene isomerization unit. Accordingly, a significant portion of the crystallization feed, i.e., the non-para-xylene isomers, is not converted to para-xylene. As a result, the para-xylene yield is substantially less.
There is a need for a crystallization process that: (1) recovers para-xylene crystals using less energy; and (2) increases para-xylene yield from a mixture of C.sub.8 aromatic isomers. The objective of the present invention is to address these needs.

Crystallization process for para-xylene recovery using two-stage recovery section


A substrate storing container includes a container main body, a lid body removably attached to a container main body opening portion and able to close the container main body opening portion, a ventilation passage which enables a substrate storing space and a space outside the container main body to communicate with each other, a gas ejecting nozzle portion having a plurality of opening portions through which a gas flowing into the ventilation passage is supplied into the substrate storing space, and a gas flow rate uniformizing unit which enables the gas to flow out through the plurality of opening portions at a uniform flow rate.

As a substrate storing container for storing a substrate formed of a semiconductor wafer and conveying the substrate in a process in a factory, one has been known conventionally that has a configuration including a container main body and a lid body (for example, see Patent Documents 1 to 4).
One end portion of the container main body has an opening circumferential portion at which a container main body opening portion is formed. The other end portion of the container main body has a tubular wall portion which is closed. A substrate storing space is formed in the container main body. The substrate storing space is formed by being surrounded by the wall portion and can store a plurality of substrates. The lid body can be removably attached to the opening circumferential portion and can close the container main body opening portion. Lateral substrate support portions are provided at the wall portion so as to form a pair in the substrate storing space. When the container main body opening portion is not closed by the lid body, the lateral substrate support portions can support edge portions of a plurality of substrates in a state in which adjacent substrates are arranged in parallel to be spaced apart by a predetermined interval.
A front retainer is provided to a portion which faces the substrate storing space when the container main body opening portion, which is a part of the lid body, is closed. When the container main body opening portion is closed by the lid body, the front retainer can support edge portions of a plurality of substrates. Furthermore, a back side substrate support portion is provided at the wall portion so as to form a pair with the front retainer. The back side substrate support portion can support edge portions of a plurality of substrates. When the container main body opening portion is closed by the lid body, the back side substrate support portion retains a plurality of substrates a state in which adjacent substrates are arranged in parallel to be spaced apart by a predetermined interval, by supporting the plurality of substrates in cooperation with the front retainer.    Patent Document 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application (Translation of PCT Application), Publication No. 2016-538732    Patent Document 2: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, Publication No. 2017-17264    Patent Document 3: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, Publication No. 2015-162531    Patent Document 4: U.S. Pat. No. 8,387,799


A refrigerator controls the temperature of an upper space and a lower space. A heat source supplier provides heat in the upper space. A control unit controls the heat source supplier based on the sensed temperature from a temperature sensor to maintain the temperature of the upper space to be higher than the temperature of the lower space, and control a cooling circuit to maintain the temperature of the lower space to be below the temperature of a maximum ice crystal formation zone of water and the temperature of the upper space to be over the temperature of the maximum ice crystal formation zone of water, thus maintaining a supercooled state of a stored liquid in the container as a preset state during a first time period.

Supercooling means the phenomenon that a molten object or a solid is not changed although it is cooled to a temperature below the phase transition temperature in an equilibrium state. A material has a stable state at every temperature. If the temperature is slowly changed, the constituent elements of the material can follow the temperature changes, maintaining the stable state at each temperature. However, if the temperature is suddenly changed, since the constituent elements cannot be changed into the stable state at each temperature, the constituent elements maintain a stable state at an initial temperature, or some of the constituent elements fail to be changed into a state at a final temperature.
For example, when water is slowly cooled, it is not temporarily frozen at a temperature below 0° C. However, when water enters a supercooled state, it has a kind of quasi-stable state. As this unstable equilibrium state is easily broken even by slight stimulation, water tends to move into a more stable state. That is, if a small piece of the material is put into the supercooled liquid, or if the liquid is suddenly shaken, the liquid starts to be frozen at once such that its temperature reaches the freezing point, and maintains a stable equilibrium state at the temperature.
In general, an electrostatic atmosphere is made in a refrigerator, and meat and fish are thawed in the refrigerator at a minus temperature. In addition to the meat and fish, fruit is kept fresh in the refrigerator.
This technology uses a supercooling phenomenon. The supercooling phenomenon indicates the phenomenon that a molten object or a solid is not changed although it is cooled to a temperature below the phase transition temperature in an equilibrium state. In the prior art, an electric field or magnetic field is applied to the stored object to be cooled such that the stored object enters a supercooled state. Accordingly, a complicated apparatus for producing the electric field or magnetic field should be provided to store the stored object in the supercooled state, and the power consumption is increased during the production of the electric field or magnetic field. Additionally, the apparatus for producing the electric field or magnetic field should further include a safety device (e.g., an electric field or magnetic field shielding structure, an interception device, etc.) for protecting the user from high power, when producing or intercepting the electric field or magnetic field.
Japanese Patent Publication No. 2001-4260 describes a supercooling control refrigerator which includes a temperature detection means and a control means controlling the temperature at a given set temperature in an openable/closable insulation unit and which keeps the goods cold at a temperature below the freezing point during the supercooling operation. However, since the refrigerator controls the rotation number of a cool air circulation fan to adjust the temperature in the insulation unit, if the temperature in the unit is reduced to a temperature below the set temperature, there is no means for raising the temperature to the set temperature within a short time. When the temperature in the unit is maintained at a temperature below the set temperature for a predetermined time, the goods intended to be stored in a supercooled state are frozen. In addition, the frozen goods cannot be thawed and stored again in the supercooled state. The refrigerator has low stability in maintaining a non-frozen state.
Korean Registered Patent No. 10-850062 describes a refrigerator having a space for storing food and a storing room for cooling the space, the refrigerator including a cool air flowing space directly cooling the food storing space and an insulation layer insulating the cool air flowing space from the space, and storing the food in a supercooled state. However, if the temperature in the refrigerator is reduced to a temperature below a set temperature, there is no construction for raising the temperature. Therefore, the refrigerator also has low stability in maintaining a non-frozen state.
Japanese Patent Publication No. 2008-267646 describes a refrigerator with a supercooling room which includes a freezing chamber with a temperature control means therein to continuously adjust the temperature between 0° C. and a temperature of a freezing temperature zone by stages, the supercooling room disposed in the freezing chamber and receiving the cool air from the freezing chamber, and a control apparatus controlling the freezing chamber so that the food stored in the supercooling room can be maintained in a supercooled state at a temperature below the freezing point without being frozen. The temperature of the freezing chamber or a switching chamber in which the supercooling room is installed is controlled to adjust the temperature of the supercooling room. The supercooling room is sealed with respect to the freezing chamber or the switching chamber such that a temperature change in the supercooling room is limited. However, when the food is stored in the supercooled state by slowing down the temperature change in the supercooling room by indirect cooling, it takes a long time for the food to reach the supercooled state. Moreover, if the temperature in the refrigerator is reduced to a temperature below a set temperature, there is no construction for raising the temperature. Accordingly, the refrigerator also has low stability in maintaining a non-frozen state.


A vibration actuator includes: a movable element that has a magnet and moves reciprocatingly in a rectilinear manner; first and second coil sections arranged so as to surround the magnet; a housing for accommodating the movable element and the first and second coil sections; and a weight attached to the housing.

Conventionally, for example, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2001-347227 ("the JP '227") is known for the art of this field. The JP '227 discloses a vibrator that is utilized as a calling device, attached to a wireless communication terminal device such as a mobile phone. In such a vibrator, a vibrating element having a permanent magnet is accommodated in the interior of cylindrical body around which a coil is wound. The vibrating element moves reciprocatingly in the direction along the center axis of the cylindrical body and generates a vibration by hitting the striking point members arranged at both ends of the cylindrical body.
However, when the vibration generated with the vibrator of the JP '227 was utilized as a feedback for enhancing the operational feeling of a wireless communication terminal device, there have been instances where the operator had difficulty perceiving the vibration because of the high frequency of the vibration.
An aspect of the present invention is therefore to provide a vibration actuator with the ability to adjust the frequency of a vibration being generated to a frequency that is easily perceived by an operator.


A 4-point occupant restraint belt system for a vehicle seat having a seat bottom and a back rest. A one-piece belt is connected to the vehicle at upper and lower attachment points disposed adjacent a first side of the vehicle seat, and a buckle is disposed adjacent an opposite second side of the vehicle seat. A latch is slidingly mounted on the belt and engagable with the buckle to secure the belt around a seat occupant in a three-point configuration. A lifting arm has a lowered position wherein it is beneath the belt and adjacent the latch when the latch is engaged with the buckle, and the lifting arm is movable to a raised position wherein it raises a portion of the belt to a position adjacent the back rest above the buckle, thereby creating a 4th belt attachment point.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an automotive vehicle occupant restraint belt system, and particularly a four-point occupant restraint belt system to protect a seat occupant during an angled collision.
2. Background Art
Most automotive vehicles are equipped with occupant restraint belt systems for preventing the occupant of a vehicle seat from being thrown out of the vehicle or being thrown around in the vehicle compartment in an uncontrolled manner in case of a collision or the like.
Most safety belt systems used in ordinary passenger cars are of the three-point type, where a single continuous belt is attached to the frame of the vehicle at two different levels on the same side of the seat (usually the outboard side) and has a slidably fitted latch, that is engagable with a buckle provided on the opposite side (usually the inboard side) of the seat to fasten the belt abound the occupant's body. A retractor is usually provided at one of the outboard attachment points for tightening around the occupant's body when the belt is buckled, and pulling the belt in to a retracted position when not in use.
This type of three-point safety belt system has been found to be effective for most types of collisions and it is furthermore easy to buckle and unbuckle, as the user only has to grab the latch, pull it across the chest and lap, and insert it in the buckle, whereby the belt will be arranged low over the lap and diagonally across the chest of the user.
If a vehicle should collide under an impact angle of about 45 between front and side of the vehicle or in roll-over situations, there is however a risk that a belted driver or passenger could slide out of the diagonal portion (also known as the shoulder belt portion) of a conventional three-point safety belt.
By providing a four-point seat belt system, this problem can be eliminated or at least reduced, as the four-point seat belt will hold the occupant better in the seat and also reduces the torque on the torso of the occupant. Most four-point systems are however less user friendly.
WO 2004/009411 A1 discloses a vehicle seat belt system of the four point type, having a first and a second seat belt, with a two part buckle, a first part of which is attached to the first seat belt, whereas the second part thereof is attached to the second seat belt. The first buckle part is held by a receptacle, and when an occupant fastens the seat belt, the second buckle part is seized and connected to the first buckle part, whereby the seat belt will be arranged in a position similar to that of a conventional three-point safety belt. The system also incorporates a first retractor connected to the first seat belt and a second retractor connected to the second seat belt. When the two buckle parts have been interconnected and the receptacle has been operated to release the buckle, the two retractors retract the first and second seat belts such that the buckle is moved to a position wherein the two seat belts will extend cross-wise over the center of the occupant's torso.


A mass-loaded coating includes a predetermined mass of powdered lead which s mixed preferably in a ratio of 3:1 with a liquid polyurethane primer. When painted onto the surface of a disc or plate, the coating mass-loads the disc and lowers the resonant frequency of the disc without significantly increasing the physical dimensions of the disc. Thicker consistency adhesives, such as spreadable paste adhesives or thick putty-like adhesives may be substituted for mass-loading objects having irregular surface textures or complex shapes.

(1) Field of the Invention
The instant invention relates to acoustic damping of rigid plates and more particularly to a mass-loaded coating for reducing the resonant frequency of a ceramic disc in an acoustic transducer.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
Acoustic transducers have heretofore been known in the art. In this connection, an acoustic transducer of the general type contemplated herein is described in detail in the technical memorandum "Modification (XU1643U) of the XU1643 Transducer", Naval Underwater Systems Center, New London Laboratory (1984). The XU1643U transducer includes three ceramic bimorph discs which are assembled in a mounting fixture referred to as a triple lollipop projector. Each of the ceramic bimorphs is individually encapsulated in polyurethane, and each has a slightly different resonant frequency. In order for the projector to function properly, all three ceramic bimorphs must be acoustically matched so that they all have nearly the same resonant frequency. One known method of acoustic matching is mass-loading the bimorphs whose resonant frequency is too high, i.e., the process of adding mass to an object to dampen the resonant frequency thereof. Conventional mass-loading techniques comprise affixing prefabricated damping elements, such as tiles or weights, to an object to add mass to the object, however, the ceramic transducer discs pose a special problem in that the ceramic discs are mounted in very close proximity, and the conventional damping elements do not fit within the predetermined size constraints of the mounting fixture. It has thus been found that these ceramic transducer elements do not readily lend themselves to conventional mass-loading techniques.

Mass loaded coating and method for reducing the resonant frequency of a ceramic disc

The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy


An arrangement providing an internetwork identification in response to a broadcast message from a LAN client wherein the broadcast message comprises the LAN client's LAN address. The exemplary apparatus comprises a receiver for receiving a message from the LAN and a translator coupled to the receiver for providing a translation of the LAN address to an internetwork identification responsive to determining that the received message is a broadcast message request for internetwork identification. The translator comprises a first device for determining that the received message comprises a broadcast message request for an internetwork identification and a second device coupled to the first device and responsive thereto for receiving the LAN address and providing the internetwork identification. The second device may comprise a disk system or other writable, nonvolatile electronic device.

Local area networks (LANs) are becoming increasing sophisticated, with several layers of protocols serving several purposes in routing and administering traffic on the LAN. Increasingly, routers are being used to connect one or more LANs together and to file servers, printers and other centrally located services. A router may change or translate the protocol of one LAN to the protocol of another as part of its function. By using a router, several diverse LANs may be connected to each other and also share common resources. Routers generally require that, in order to transmit a message from one LAN to another or to the common resources, the message must have an inter-network identification (Internet ID) of the sending or receiving node of the LAN.
One of the characteristics of most routers is that they do not translate and distribute broadcast messages from clients on one LAN to other LANs or to common resources. This design evolved because the distribution of broadcast messages caused severe inter-network congestion that results in blocking of other messages. However, this design causes an important group of LAN clients to be cut off from inter-network communications and central services.
Any LAN client that does not have writable, non-volatile memory is cut off from such inter-network communications and services until properly initialized. If a LAN client has a writable, non-volatile store, such Internet ID information can be stored therein, and will be available following any occasion when the LAN client is taken out of service and its other memory contents destroyed. As stated above, in order to establish inter-network communication, a LAN client must have an Internet ID. However, work stations that do not have a disk system and development or test models in systems laboratories frequently do not have writable, non-volatile memory necessary to store the inter-network identification (Internet ID) necessary to communicate through a router. When such a work station or test system is initially connected to the LAN, or connected to the LAN following being taken out of service with contents of memory cleared or otherwise destroyed, it sends a broadcast message to the file server where Internet IDs are stored, requesting its Internet ID. Since the router does not distribute broadcast messages, the Internet ID request is not delivered to the file server. The solution of providing a file server for each LAN is very expensive and further introduces problems of concurrently updating all of the file servers.
Therefore, a problem in the art is that there is no inexpensive apparatus and method to provide an Internet ID to LAN clients that do not have writable, non-volatile memory.

Method and apparatus for providing local area network clients with internetwork identification data


An apparatus for filtering liquids, especially for recovering fibers from white water, includes rotatable filter discs at least partially immersed in the liquid to be filtered, and a shaft wall connected to the discs forming a circular cylindrical filtrate chamber, which extends centrally through the discs. A rigid stationary partition wall extends in the filtrate chamber dividing the latter into at least two axial channels. The partition wall is spaced from the shaft wall and arranged such that all of said axial channels receive various fractions of filtrate, respectively. Filtrate discharge means is provided for discharging said fractions of filtrate respectively from the respective axial channels, such that the pressure prevailing in the filtrate of each channel is at least substantially as high as atmospheric pressure.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for filtering liquids, especially for recovering fibres from so-called white water produced in the paper making industry.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A common type of filtering apparatuses for filtering liquids comprises at least one annular hollow filter disc with side walls covered with filter material adapted to be at least partly immersed in a body of liquid to be filtered and arranged substantially transverse to a horizontal axis extending centrally through the filter disc. There is means for rotating the annular hollow disc about said horizontal axis. Shaft wall means is connected to the filter disc and forms a circular cylindrical chamber, which extends centrally through the hollow filter disc coaxial with said axis and which communicates with the interior of the hollow filter disc. There is means for creating a pressure difference between said body of liquid to be filtered and the interior of the hollow filter disc, such that a filtrate of the liquid is forced through the filter material into the hollow filter disc and passed therefrom into said cylindrical chamber. Filtrate discharge means is provided for discharging said filtrate from the cylindrical chamber, and spray nozzle means is provided for cleaning the filter material.
This type of filtering apparatus is of a simple and inexpensive design. However, a drawback to this apparatus is the poor purity of the filtrate when filtering fibre pulp suspensions, which makes the apparatus unsuitable for fibre recovery. As the filter disc is rotated in a body of white water containing fibres, a relatively large flow of cloudy filtrate is passed through the filter material just after the latter has been cleaned by the spray nozzle means. During the further rotation of the filter material, a mat of fibres is built up on the filter material. This mat of fibres constitutes in itself a tight filter medium, with the result that a relatively small flow of clear filtrate is passed through the part of the filter material which is covered with such a mat of fibres. However, said large flow of cloudy filtrate and said small flow of clear filtrate are mixed in the cylindrical chamber resulting in a poor purity of the filtrate leaving the filtering apparatus.
Another type of filtering apparatus known as "vacuum filtering apparatus" includes filter discs with circumferentially spaced filtrate chambers, which are connected to axial filtrate discharge pipes. During rotation of the filter discs, the filtrate discharge pipes are connected in sequence to two droplegs, with the result that the filtrate is divided into a cloudy filtrate and a clear filtrate. However, if a great number of filter discs is used, such as twenty discs, the rotational speed of the filter discs must be low, in order to prevent too much mixing of the cloudy and clear filtrates. This is so because cloudy filtrate created in the filter discs farthest from the droplegs takes some time to flow through the axial discharge pipes to the droplegs. During this time, the filter discs are rotated a bit further, with the result that the cloudy filtrate from said discs farthest from the droplegs is mixed with clear filtrate from the discs close to the droplegs. Thus, when using such a vacuum filtering apparatus for cleaning white water from fibres, the operational capacity of the apparatus is low because of the necessity to keep an extremely low rotational speed. In addition, a vacuum filtering apparatus is very expensive compared to the type of filtering apparatus which is operated without such droplegs.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,123,363 discloses a vacuum filtering apparatus, in which the above-described axial filtrate discharge pipes are replaced by two axial filtrate discharge channels, which are formed by a stationary partition wall extending axially through a hollow shaft, on which the filter discs are mounted. The two filtrate discharge channels are connected to two droplegs, respectively. There is also a third axial channel, which communicates with the atmosphere via the upper parts of the filter discs, whereby mats of fibres created on the filter material can be removed from said upper parts of the filter discs by means of liquid jets. During rotation of the filter discs, cloudy filtrate is discharged through the first filtrate channel and clear filtrate is discharged through the second filtrate channel, as seen in the rotational direction of the filter discs. In this manner, cloudy and clear filtrate cannot be mixed, independently of the rotational speed of the filter discs.
A problem with this known vacuum filtering apparatus of U.s. Pat. No. 4,123,363 is that communication has to be prevented between said third channel, in which atmospheric pressure prevails, and said two filtrate discharge channels, in which normally negative pressures of about 4 MWG (meter water gauge) prevail, in order to maintain the subpressures in the latter. This requires air-tight seals between the stationary partition wall and the rotating hollow shaft. To obtain acceptable air-tight seals, the clearance between the partition wall and the hollow shaft should not exceed 0.1 mm. However, in practice it would be almost impossible, at least within reasonable costs, to provide such a small clearance along the entire length of the hollow shaft. In ordinary vacuum filter apparatuses, the length of the shaft which carries the filter discs can be up to seven meters. Even if the sealing requirements could be fulfilled, the seals would be worn down in a short time by clumps of small fibres jammed between the partition wall and the hollow shaft.
As to the knowledge of the inventor of the present invention, the apparatus according to U.S. Pat. No. 4,123,363 has not been commercialized, presumably because of the above-related sealing problem.


A power tong positioner has one or more eddy current probes mounted in association with a power tong/backup unit. An electric current runs through the probe, and with the probe positioned close to a tubular connection, movement of the probe along the length of the connection, with the electric field encompassing surface features on the tubular, will cause a change in the electrical impedance (conductivity) which enable identification of the connection seam or other defined attributes (the “target” attributes). The power tong/backup unit can be positioned accordingly. A portfolio of profiles of non-connection seam surface features of different tubular connections may be generated, stored in a database, and accessed by the system, which enables identifying the connection seam/face with greater accuracy. Other attributes of the invention include storing profile information on RFID tags, and storing and accessing tubular information from a cloud server or other form of remote database.

This invention relates to apparatus, and method(s) of use of same, in connection with the positioning of a power tong unit about a threaded tubular connection.
As is known in the art, tubular strings comprised of "joints" of tubulars, for example drill pipe, are often joined by threaded connections. Such tubulars are frequently, but not exclusively, used in connection with the drilling and servicing of oil and gas wells. By way of example, much of the following description will be in the context of drill pipe, used in the drilling and servicing of oil and gas wells, which has threaded "tool joints" connecting the joints (sections) of drill pipe. A typical tool joint comprises an upset or larger diameter section at either end of the main body or "tube" of the joint of drill pipe. The female connection is frequently referred to as the "box," and the male as the "pin."
When the drill pipe is being run into a wellbore, or pulled from a wellbore, a power tong and backup unit is positioned around the threaded connection to screw together ("make up") or unscrew ("break out") the connection. The backup grips the box or lower tool joint, while the power tong grips and rotates the pin or upper tool joint.
Therefore, the vertical positioning of the power tong/backup unit is critical. While some leeway is available, it is readily understood that the unit must be positioned with reasonable accuracy with the power tong unit on one side of the "connection seam," that is, where the faces of the pin and box tool joints meet; and the backup on the other side of the connection seam.
While the power tong/backup unit can be positioned by a human operator, for safety reasons and the ability to work in conjunction with automated systems it is preferred that some sort of remote positioning system be employed. One such system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,965,230, owned by the Applicant of the present application. That system employs "eddy current" technology to sense the location of the connection seam via a magnetic eddy current. The connection seam is detected as an anomaly in the pipe surface; the system detects the vertical position of the connection seam, and positions the power tong/backup unit accordingly. Various anomalies in the pipe surface (other than the connection seam; for example, corrosion, tong marks, hard banding, etc.), and other factors, can affect the accuracy of the system.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


The present invention relates to methods for the use of the Arabidopsis “BREVIPEDICELLUS” (BP) gene for alteration of plant architecture, in particular alteration of the morphology of the inflorescence of a flowering plant. The methods of the present invention provide a means to alter the development of the peduncle, notably the inflorescence branches, and the pedicels that subtend the individual flowers as well as aspects of flower structure such as the style, and subsequent seed pods, of a flowering plant. The invention also relates to methods to identify and isolate polynucleotides encoding genes with BP-related functions from other plant species and methods for utilizing said polynucleotides to alter the inflorescence of said plant species. Furthermore, the invention encompasses transgenic plants generated by the methods disclosed, and nucleotide sequences for use in generating the transgenic plants.

Plant architecture plays a very important role in overall crop performance. The characteristics of the inflorescence, flower, silique/fruit, and stem internodes have broad agronomic implications in the overall productivity of any crop plant. Compact architecture can contribute to productivity. For example, flowering stalks or inflorescences that are compact in nature and do not shade lower photosynthetic tissue can allow for greater productivity. Similarly, a flowering stalk or inflorescence that is spread out may allow for more photosynthesis to take place during seed development within the flowering stalk. Thus, different inflorescence architectures may be desired for different crops.
Since most crop varieties have been derived directly or indirectly through breeding from wild species, productivity of crops may be affected by characteristics that are evolutionarily beneficial to wild species but impair performance in an agricultural setting. For example, well spread-out flowers and siliques with long pedicels on the inflorescence (along with genes controlling seed dispersal mechanisms such as shattering) may be evolutionarily beneficial to wild species, while in a crop setting this confers significant disadvantages in terms of overall productivity as measured by harvested seed.
An example of this is canola species, in which the shoot architecture, especially involving inflorescence and siliques, is not ideal for optimal productivity and recovery of seed. Though there have been concerted efforts to produce crop plants with ideal architecture, it has not been achieved in many crop species.
It widely known that the growth and developmental programs of a plant species control pedicel development and determine its length, attachment angle of the flowers and seed pods, and contribute significantly towards the overall architecture of the flower and/or inflorescence. Despite significant advances in the understanding of flower development, very little is known about the genetic and molecular control of pedicel development.
Plant architecture or morphology is a major determining factor in plant productivity under agricultural settings. Plant varieties that have well-defined morphology of a uniform nature and pattern are preferred since they are amenable to mechanical cultivation. In particular, plant species that produce seed are selected for the uniformity of the placement of seed forming structures (typically seed pods or cobs) to allow efficient mechanical harvesting of seed. Plant varieties are also selected on the basis of other seed forming characteristics, such as strong pods to ensure no seed is lost or dispersed prior to harvesting, or compact nature of the raceme of the plant that contains the seedpods. Not all plants have these ideal characteristics. Thus, there is a strong interest in modifying the placement of seed pods and overall physical characteristics, of many seed plants to produce plants with desirable plant architecture and overall morphology. Compact plants, with clustered seed pods can provide many benefits for mechanical production of the crop, as well as lead to increased productivity. Accordingly, control of plant form and plant architecture is a desirable goal for the industry.
The building blocks of the plant architecture (body plan) are composed of reiterative units referred to as phytomers and these are elaborated during different phases of development (Sussex, I. M. & Kerk, N. M. (2001) Curr. Opin. Plant Biol. 4, 33-37). In Arabidopsis thaliana, three types of phytomers have been described (Schultz, E. A. & Hauglm, G. W. (1991) Plant Cell 3, 771-781.). The variations in the number of units and their size among these three main types of phytomers in different plant species contribute to the tremendous architectural diversity observed in flowering plants (Steeves, T. A. & Sussex, I. M. (1989) Patterns in plant development (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge). The activity of the shoot apical meristem (SAM), together with additional meristems, regulates the growth and development of all three types of phytomers (Medford, J. I., Behringer, F. J., Callos, J. D. & Feldmann, K. A. (1992) Plant Cell 4, 631-643 & Simon, R. (2001) Semin. Cell Dev. Biol. 12, 357-362). The SAM contains three major domains defined by cytoplasmic densities and cell division rates: the central zone (CZ), which is responsible for maintaining the pluripotent stem cells; the peripheral zone (PZ), which is involved in the production of lateral organs; and the rib zone (RZ), from which the bulk of the stem is derived (Bowman, J. L. & Eshed, Y. (2000) Trends Plant Sci. 5, 110-115). Recent studies in Arabidopsis have shown that several genes, including SHOOTMERISTEMLESS (STM), WUSCHEL and CLAVATA-family receptor kinases and their putative ligands define key functions in the SAM (Brand, U., Hobe, M. & Simon, R. (2001) BioEssays 23, 134-141., Long, J. A., Moan, E. I., Medford, J. I. & Barton, M. K. (1996) Nature 379,66-69, Mayer, K. F., Schoof, H., Haecker, A., Lenhard, A., Jurgens, G. & Laux, T. (1998) Cell 95, 805-815, & Clark, S. E. (2001) Nat. Mol. Cell Biol. 2, 276-284.)
In Arabidopsis the inflorescence constitutes the major part of the shoot and thus contributes significantly to the overall shoot architecture. Several genes have been identified in Arabidopsis that play key roles in defining the architecture of the shoot/inflorescence. For example, dwarf plants with uniform effects on all phytomers have been associated with altered levels of or defects in the signaling pathways of certain plant hormones (gibberellins or brassinosteriods—Hedden, N. P. & Kamiya, Y. (1997) Annu. Rev. Plant Physiol. Plant Mol. Biol. 48, 431-460, & Richards, D. E., King, K. E., Ait-ali, T. & Harberd, N. P. (2001) Annu. Rev. Plant Physiol. Plant Mol. Biol. 52, 67-88, and references therein). The supershoot (Tantikanjana, T., Yong, J. W., Letham, D. S., Griffith, M., Hussain, M., Ljung, K., Sandberg, G. & Sundaresan, V. (2001) Genes Dev 15, 1577-1588) and altered meristem program (Chaudhury, A. M., Letham, S., Craig, S. & Dennis; E. S. (1993) Plant J. 4, 907-916) mutants display abnormally high levels of cytokinins and produce extensive branching and altered shoot and inflorescence architecture. Auxin polar transport mutants, such as pinformed (Okada, K., Ueda, J., Komaki, M. K., Bell, C. J. & Shimura, Y. (1991) Plant Cell 3, 677-684) and pinoid (Bennett, S. R. M., Alvarez, J., Bossinger, G. & Smyth, D. R. (1995) Plant J. 8, 505-520), form inflorescences that are reduced to pin-like structures that do not produce any lateral organs or meristems. A compact inflorescence is caused by the erecta mutation, which involves a putative receptor kinase (Torii, K. U., Mitsukawa, N., Oosumi, T., Matsuura, Y., Yokoyama, R., Whittier, R. F. & Komeda, Y. (1996) Plant Cell 8, 735-746).
An even stronger effect on inflorescence architecture is conferred in a Landsberg erecta (Ler) background by the brevipedicellus (BP) mutation, which is defined by a recessive mutant with compact intemodes and short, downward-pointing pedicels (Koornneef, M., Eden, J. v., Hanhart, C. J., Stam, P., Braaksma, F. J. & Feenstra, W. J. (1983) J. Hered. 74, 265-272). Thus, mutants that exhibit altered architecture provide an indication that architecture can be altered, but there is no indication as to the molecular nature of the gene or the mechanisms by which these changes are manifested.
The role of homeobox genes in defining body plan and their evolutionary relationships in animals is well documented (Gehring, W. J., Affolter, M. & Burglin, T. (1994) Annu. Rev. Biochem. 63, 487-526, Kappen, C. (2000) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 97, 4481-4486.) More recently, several plant knotted-like homeobox (KNOX) genes have been identified, which form two classes based upon sequence similarities and expression domains (Bharathan, G., Janssen, B., Kellogg, E. & Sinha, N. (1999) Mol. Biol. Evol. 16, 553-563, Reiser, L., Sanchez, B. P. & Hake, S. (2000) Plant Mol. Biol. 42, 151-166, Serikawa, K. A., Martinez-Laborda, A. & Zambryski, P. (1996) Plant Mol. Biol. 32, 673-693.)
In Arabidopsis, there are four different class I KNOX genes, STM, KNAT1, KNAT2, and KNAT6 (Long, ibid., Lincoln, C., Long, J., Yamaguchi, J., Serikawa, K. & Hake, S. (1994) Plant Cell 6, 1859-1876 & Semiarti, E., Ueno, Y., Tsukaya, H., Iwakawa, H., Machida, C. & Machida, Y. (2001) Development 128, 1771-1783.) STMis expressed in the SAM, whereas KNAT1 and KNAT2 expression observed in the PZ of the SAM. KNAT1 is also expressed in the cortical cell layers of the peduncle and pedicel. STM, KNAT1 and KNAT2 expression is excluded from the leaf primordia and developing leaves by ASYMMETRICLEAVES 1 and 2 genes (Ori, N., Eshed, Y., Chuck, G., Bowman, J. L. & Hake, S. (2000) Development 127, 5523-5532, & Byrne, M., Barley, R., Curtis, M., Arroyo, J., Dunham, M., Hudson, A. & Martienssen, R. (2000) Nature 408, 967-971). Ectopic expression of KNAT1 and KNAT2 in leaves induces altered symmetry and cell fate, and ectopic meristem/shoot formation from the adaxial surface (Chuck, G., Lincoln, C. & Hake, S. (1996) Plant Cell 8, 1277-1289). To date, loss-of-function mutations in class I KNOX genes are known only for STM and these suggest a critical role in SAM maintenance and function. Significantly, however, no such mutations have previously been described for KNAT1, hampering study of the role of this homeobox gene in plant development.
The future prospects of engineering optimal plant architectures in plant species will depend on the availability of critical morphology controlling genes and knowledge of their functional regulatory properties. For example in canola, the occurrence of an inflorescence and silique with long pedicels may offer some unique challenges and opportunities to develop an ideal architecture for improving productivity.
In summary, there remains a continuing need to develop novel and efficient techniques for modifying the morphology and architecture of plants, such as for example Brassica and other plant types, to improve photosynthetic efficiency, overall yield, and harvestability. This need extends to both crops and to horticulturally grown species to improve aesthetic appeal.

Methods for modification of plant inflorescence architecture


Systems and methods perform a first monitoring of a printing engine to produce first data; match a disturbance model that empirically describes types of color variation in a print process to the first data; generate a minimum variance control system based on the identified parameters of the disturbance model. The systems/methods infer a benchmark performance level the minimum variance control system achieves using the disturbance model; adjust operating parameters of a controller of the printing engine to match parameters of the minimum variance control system; perform a second monitoring of the printing engine to produce second data; determine a difference value between the benchmark performance level and the second data. If the difference value is above a first value and below a second value, the process is repeated. If the difference value is above the first value and the second value, an indication that the printing engine needs servicing is provided.

Systems and methods herein generally relate to printer control systems and more particularly to methods and systems that provide an automated disturbance characterization routine that, once complete, automatically designs an optimal controller and projects the best achievable performance based on minimizing the variance of the printer's output color.
In the field, it is often the case that a closed loop control system within a print engine performs at some level that is not well known. The performance of the system is dependent on the characteristics of the disturbances acting on the engine as well as changes in the engine's characteristics, and so can be highly variable. In some cases, the control system may make the performance worse than would be the case if it was open loop, and customers and service technicians are often unaware of such a situation.

Adaptive miniumum variance control system with embedded diagnostic feature


A self-locking pin having a shaft, a headed end, and plunger biased in a bore in the pin. The portion of the detent or plunger that extends outwardly from the bore may be wedge-shaped, or possess other geometrical shapes, while the portion of the plunger disposed inside the bore is of a cylindrical shape or other geometrical shapes. The plunger comprises a plunger section and a biasing section in a unitary one-piece construction. At least one transition ledge is defined on the plunger. The shaft is staked at points along the perimeter of the bore so that the inwardly extending surface created by the staking abuts the transition ledge and prevents the plunger from rotating or being removed from the bore.

The invention relates to fasteners, namely threadless fasteners and more particularly to a threadless fastener for retaining two or more structures through apertures formed in each structure.
Detent pins are well known in industry. Many of these pins fall into the category of safety bolts. Safety bolts have a threaded end to which a nut can be attached to as well as a detent mechanism along the length of the bolt. The main fastening mechanism in safety bolts is threading the nut on the end of the bolt. These products are often used in the aircraft industry so an extra safety factor is present in case vibrations cause the nut to loosen or someone forgets to tighten the nut. The detent mechanism is this extra safety factor. However, these dual fasteners make safety bolts more difficult and thus more expensive to manufacture. Additionally there are some applications where such a bolt cannot be used because it is either impractical or impossible to access the threaded end of the bolt after it is inserted through an aperture. Also, screwing the nut on the end of the bolt causes an increase in assembly time.
Cotter pins are also well known in industry. A bolt with a cotter way is inserted through an aperture. A cotter pin is then inserted through the cotter way so the bolt cannot be removed from the aperture. It is thus obvious that access to the backside of the workpiece is necessary for a cotter pin to be utilized. Here again, insertion of the cotter pin in the cotter way is an extra step that will take more time during assembly.
There has been a need in the market for a self-locking pin which is simple to manufacture and can be installed with little effort and in applications where there is no access to the opposing side of the workpiece and thus a nut cannot be applied to the threaded end of a pin. Such self-locking pins have comprised a three piece design consisting of a pin having a bore. A separate spring and plunger are in contact with one another within the bore, where compression and extension of the spring moves the plunger.
There is a need in the market to minimize both cost and the number of component parts of a self-locking pin. Therefore, there is a need in the market for a self-locking pin comprising of two pieces, a pin and a plunger unit housed within a bore of the pin. In particular a two piece construction in which the plunger unit extends orthogonal to a longitudinal axis of the pin.


An apparatus and method for limiting access to a septum in a body implanted device. The apparatus includes a screen member which covers the septum. The screen member has a plurality of openings which are sized such that needles larger than a predetermined size will not pass through the openings. Needles of a size less than the predetermined size of the openings will pass through and be provided access to the septum.

Implantable devices such as drug pumps are in frequent use for delivering drugs or other liquid medications over long periods of time to selected locations in the human body. These devices commonly include a drug reservoir, catheter means connected to the reservoir to transport the drug and a pumping mechanism to propel the drug in some metered or constant flow dosage to the desired location. Over time, the drug in the reservoir becomes depleted and it is necessary to refill the device with a new supply of drug. In order to avoid the need for surgery in order to access and refill the device, it is desirable to have the ability to refill the drug reservoir percutaneously. This is commonly done by providing the drug pump with a resilient resealable reservoir fill port septum which is accessible by injecting a hypodermic needle through the skin and into the septum thereby providing access to refill the reservoir.
In such devices a catheter access port septum may be provided in addition to the reservoir fill port septum. The catheter access port septum is also accessible percutaneously by hypodermic needle. This septum provides direct access to the catheter bypassing the pump and allows a bolus of drug or fluid medication to be administered directly into the body at the site of the catheter.
Although providing a catheter access port septum is both desirable and advantageous a problem can develop if the person refilling the reservoir incorrectly injects the drug into the catheter access port septum instead of the reservoir fill port septum. This results in the drug being administered directly to the body. This may potentially cause an overdose of drug or other serious problems since the drug is meant to be administered by the pump over a period of time.
In the field of implantable drug pumps various devices have been used to enable the reservoir fill port septum to be correctly located. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,286,584 to Sampson et al., an apparatus is disclosed which, when manipulated over the body at the site of the implanted device, produces an energy pattern which designates the location of the septum. In the SynchroMed(.TM.) Infusion System marketed by Medtronic, Inc., the assignee of the present invention, a template is used which is placed over the site of the implanted device to located the septum.
Although these devices are useful in locating the reservoir fill port they do not prevent the occurrence of human error which could result in the drug being injected into the wrong septum. None of the current devices are equipped with any safety feature which would prevent the inadvertent delivery of drug meant for the reservoir into the catheter access port septum. Present devices rely primarily on the physical separation of the septums in order to prevent possible misdelivery of drug.
Therefore, even though there are devices, as mentioned above, which will accurately locate the reservoir fill port if used correctly, the possibility of human error still exists. This error can result in the inadvertent injection of the drug meant for the reservoir directly into the catheter access port septum and into the body. Thus, a need exists for a device or method which would eliminate or at least reduce the possibility of inadvertent injections of drug directly into the catheter access port.

Apparatus and method for limiting access to septum


An electrode assembly (10) for use in confined plasma assisted chemical etching includes an electrode (16) having a D.C. voltage source (46) connected thereto in addition to a source (60) of R. F. voltage such that ions formed during during plasma etching process are slowed or repelled from the electrode (16) as well as from a surrounding plasma confining member (18).

The present invention generally relates to an electrode assembly useful in confined plasma assisted chemical etching and, in particular, relates to one such electrode assembly having means for providing a D.C. bias voltage to the electrode.
As used herein the phrase "confined plasma" is taken to means a plasma discharge that is laterally bounded such that the spatial footprint of the plasma can be controlled.
A general theory of the physical factors involved in the plasma assisted chemical etching process is provided in the article entitled A Theory of Plasma-Assisted Chemical Vapor Transport Processes; by C. B. Zarowin in the Journal of Applied Physics, 57(3), Feb. 1, 1985. Therein a set of mathematical equations are developed that describe the factors involved in the flow of the plasma. Among other factors discussed therein is the effect of the external application of, or self-induced, dc bias are discussed as having effects similar to that of temperature differences in that both superpose algebraically in the transport rate.
Recently, the use of plasma assisted chemical etching has been applied to both the thinning and flattening of semiconductor wafers. In such applications a confined plasma is established between a relatively small area electrode, or puck, and a larger electrode. The semiconductor wafer is disposed between the puck and the larger electrode and is the thinned or flattened by creating relative motion between the semiconductor wafer and the puck in accordance with a predetermined dwell time map. In order to achieve a highly accurate process, the plasma discharge is confined so that the operating plasma etching footprint is smaller than the smallest surface variation to be etched.
As well known in the semiconductor wafer processing art, it is extremely important at each step of the semiconductor wafer processing to avoid the contamination of the semiconductor wafer surface. A typical semiconductor industry surface cleanliness specification is less than 2 particles greater than 0.1 micrometer in diameter over the entire surface of a wafer. Hence, considerable time and expense are used to ensure that the surface of the semiconductor wafer is as free of particulates as possible.
Presently, electrode assemblies include an electrode formed from a porous electrically conductive material and disposed at one end of an electrode holder. An electrically insulating chimney is disposed such that the electrode extends partially through a clearance opening in the chimney. The porous conductive material allows the flow of an etchant gas through the electrode to sustain the plasma. The surrounding chimney helps to ensure the desired lateral confinement of the plasma discharge. In operation, it has been found that both the puck electrode and the chimney are subject to a relatively high rate of erosion. The erosion is primarily caused by high energy ions impinging upon the electrode and chimney. Further, because the opening in the chimney is a clearance opening, there is a gap between the electrode and the walls of the chimney opening. This gap can result in the sputtering of the electrode thereby creating a source of contamination.
Further, the erosion of the puck electrode and the surrounding chimney not only greatly reduces the operating life of those components but also serves as a source of contamination of the semiconductor wafer surface.
Hence, it is highly desirable to provide an electrode assembly that has a comparatively longer life and which reduces the in-process contamination of the semiconductor wafer surface.

Electrode assembly useful in confined plasma assisted chemical etching


A valve and method for preventing backflow of bacteria and other unhealthy substances in a medical suctioning apparatus. The valve defines a chamber and has an outlet and an opposed inlet. The valve provides a tortuous path that effectively limits backflow of bacteria and other unhealthy substances. The valve further includes a diffuser proximate the outlet to direct backflowing fluids to travel the full length of the tortuous path. The valve is used between a medical suctioning unit and a patient-contacting part such as an ejector, evacuator, or yankauer.

The present invention relates to a valve and method for preventing the backflow of body fluids and bacteria through medical suctioning equipment.
Medical centers, hospitals, dental practices, and other medical operations commonly use suctioning equipment to remove body fluids, such as saliva or blood, during medical procedures. These body fluids can carry or become contaminated with bacteria and other unhealthy substances. Consequently, it is important to prevent the body fluids, bacteria, and other unhealthy substances from backflowing or moving in a reverse direction into any patient. This can be problematic since substances such as bacteria will travel along surfaces without the assistance of a fluid carrier. For example, even if the part of the medical suctioning apparatus that contacts a patient is replaced with each new patient, bacteria can travel in a reverse direction through the new part and thus still cause a problem. Therefore, particularly in view of public concern over communicable diseases and diseases that can be transmitted by body fluids, it is important that maximum protection against undesired backflow and/or movement of bacteria be provided.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,083,706 to Wiley discloses a sterile trap accessory inserted between a suctioning conduit and an aspirator. The trap accessory includes a filter for catching debris and a tubular section that protrudes into the trap toward the filter. The filter effectively captures debris for later viewing by a medical worker or doctor; however in doing so large amounts of debris are held in the trap accessory, thus potentially increasing the risk of bacteria movement in a reverse direction. Further, the surfaces between the filter and the inlet to the trap accessory permit backflow of bacteria.

Medical suctioning bacteria valve and related method


Lens systems for use in fingerprint detection systems employing frustrated total internal reflection are provided. The systems include an aperture stop and three lens units. The first lens unit has a positive power, is located on the object side of the aperture stop, and forms a telecentric pupil for the lens system. The second lens unit has a positive power, is located on the image side of the first lens unit, and forms a real image of the object. In certain embodiments, the third lens unit is located between the first and second lens units and has substantially afocal cylindrical power. In other embodiments, the third lens unit serves to correct the field curvature of the image contributed by the first and second lens units.

A description of some of the problems involved in fingerprint detection using frustrated total internal reflection can be found in Stoltzmann et al., "Versatile anamorphic electronic fingerprinting: design and manufacturing considerations," SPIE, Vol. 2537, pages 105-116, August 1995. These authors conclude that the optical system used to form the image of the fingerprint ridges should include prisms for correcting optical distortion. In practice, an optical system employing prisms is expensive to manufacture compared to an optical system employing only lens elements, both because prisms themselves are expensive and because collimating optics are required to avoid introducing aberrations.
Significantly with regard to the present invention, Stoltzmann et al. specifically teach away from the use of an optical system employing only lens elements to produce an image of fingerprint ridges. In particular, they state that a system employing cylindrical lenses cannot successfully correct for high levels of horizontal/vertical compression.
As an alternative to distortion correcting prisms, Bahuguna et al., "Prism fingerprint sensor that uses a holographic optical element," Applied Optics, Vol. 35, pages 5242-5245, September 1996, describe using a holographic optical element to achieve total internal reflection without tilting the object (fingerprint ridges), thus allowing a rectilinear image of the object to be produced using only lens elements. The use of a holographic optical element, of course, increases the cost and complexity of the optical system.
Hebert, Robert T., "Off-axis optical elements in integrated, injection-molded assemblies," SPIE, Vol. 2600, pages 129-134, December 1995, describes another approach to the fingerprint detection problem, namely, the use of off-axis optics to avoid tilting the object. This approach requires the use of complex optical surfaces which are difficult to manufacture economically.


A delay lock loop circuit for delaying a reference clock to lock a delayed clock. The delay lock loop circuit includes a clock divider for dividing a frequency of the reference clock by N to generate a frequency-divided clock, a programmable delay circuit electrically coupled to the clock divider for delaying the frequency-divided clock to generate the delayed clock, a 180° phase detector electrically coupled to the programmable delay circuit and the reference clock for detecting a phase change of the delayed clock, and a delay lock loop controller electrically coupled to the programmable delay circuit and the 180° phase detector for programming the programmable delay circuit to lock the delayed clock according to the phase change.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a delay lock loop (DLL) circuit and related method, and more particularly, to a jitter-resistive digital DLL circuit and related method for delaying a reference clock to lock a delayed clock through detecting one phase change.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Delay lock loop (DLL) circuitry is commonly utilized in computer processing environments for generating a required clock. While the clock rate of computers continually is increasing, low-skew clock distributions are becoming more important to achieve design speed objectives. Related art computer systems include processors that exchange data with a variety of memory devices and input/output peripheral devices. An exemplary memory device is a synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM) employing a pipelined data to be transferred to the processor at a data transfer rate which is comparable to the processor's operating frequency. In a DDR memory application, data are outputted from a DDR SDRAM to a memory controller at both rising and falling edges of a clock cycle. However, the DLL implemented in the memory controller is designed to generate a delayed clock according to a memory clock for delaying the timing of latching the data which is inputted to the memory controller. That is, the DLL provides an amount of delay that appropriately shifts the original rising and falling edges of the memory clock. As a result, the memory controller is capable of storing correct data into the latched device.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a digital DLL 10 according to the related art. The DLL 10 includes a delay line 12 having a plurality of serially connected delay cells 13, a 360° phase detector 14, and a DLL controller 16. Each of the delay cell 13 is used to provide an amount of delay dt. Therefore, if the number of delay cells 13 in the delay line 12 is K, the total amount of the delay time on the input clock CLKi is equal to K*dt. A delayed clock CLKd and the input clock CLKi are delivered to the 360° phase detector 14. The related art 360° phase detector 14 outputs a notification signal Sc to the DLL controller 16 when detecting a 180° phase difference (i.e. the phase change) between the delayed clock CLKd and the input clock CLKi twice. That is, the notification signal Sc informs the DLL controller 16 of the situation that the delayed clock CLKd is 360° lagging behind the input clock CLKi. Therefore the DLL controller 16 continuously programs the amount of delay dt of each delay cell 13 to increase the total amount of delay on the input clock CLKi until the notification signal Sc is generated from the 360° phase detector 14. The operation of the DLL 10 is further detailed as follows.
FIG. 2 is a simplified timing diagram illustrating the operation of the DLL 10 shown in FIG. 1. As mentioned above, the delay line 12 provides the input clock CLKi with a programmable amount of delay, and then outputs the delayed clock CLKd. At t1, the rising edge of the input clock CLKi is inputted into the delay line 12. With a proper control commanded by the DLL controller 16, the delay line 12 provides an amount of delay dT1 to the input clock CLKi. Therefore, the rising edge of the delayed clock CLKd is outputted from the delay line 12 at t2. Because the notification signal Sc is not generated from the 360° phase detector 14 yet, the DLL controller 16 controls the delay line 12 to gradually increase the amount of delay imposed upon the input clock CLKi. As shown in FIG. 2, an amount of delay dT2 (dT2>dT1) between t3 and t4, an amount of delay dT3 (dT3>dT2) between t5 and t6, and an amount of delay dT4 (dT4>dT3) between t7 and t8 are generated, respectively. Please note that if the 360° phase detector 14 is triggered by rising edges of the input clock CLKi, the logic values detected by the 360° phase detector 14 at t1, t3, t5, t7, and t9 are "0", "0", "0", "0", and "1". Therefore the 360° phase detector 14 judges that one 180° phase difference between the delayed clock CLKd and the input clock CLKi occurs at t9.
Because the notification signal Sc is not generated from the 360° phase detector 14 yet, the DLL controller 16, as mentioned above, keeps commanding the delay line 12 to gradually increase the amount of delay imposed upon the input clock CLKi. As shown in FIG. 2, an amount of delay dT5 (dT5>dT4) between t9 and t10, an amount of delay dT6 (dT6>dT5) between t11, and t12, an amount of delay dT7 (dT7>dT6) between t13 and t14 are generated, and an amount of delay dT8 (dT8>dT7) between t15 and t16 are generated, respectively. As one can see, the logic values detected by the 360° phase detector 14 at t11, t13, t15, and t16 are "1", "1", "1", and "0". Therefore the 360° phase detector 14 judges that another 180° phase difference between the delayed clock CLKd and the input clock CLKi occurs at t16. Because detecting the 180° phase difference between the delayed clock CLKd and the input clock CLKi twice, the 360° phase detector 14 triggers the notification signal Sc to inform the DLL controller 16. Assume that the number of delay cells 13 in the delay line 12 is K, and one period of the input clock CLKi is T. Therefore, the setting for the delay line 12 delaying the input clock CLKi by the amount of delay dT8, which is equal to T, is capable of forcing each delay cell 13 to has an amount of delay equaling T/K. In other words, after the DLL 10 has successfully lock the delayed clock CLKd 360° lagging behind the input clock CLKi, an output of an Nth delay cell within the delay line 12 corresponds to an amount of delay equal to
  N  *            T      K        .
However, the DLL 10 shown in FIG. 1 does little to resist the effects of jitter. Jitter, a term familiar to those skilled in the art, refers to any deviation of amplitude, phase timing, or the width of signal pulse. Alternatively, jitter is defined as "the period frequency displacement of the signal from its ideal location". Jitter is typically caused by electromagnetic interference and cross talk with other signals. The effect of jitter on the DLL 10 results in erroneous delayed clocks, thereby making the DLL 10 malfunction to lock a wrong phase difference. Referring to FIG. 2, the effects of jitter on the DLL 10 advance the timing of a falling edge ideally occurring at t11. Therefore, jitter causes the 360° phase detector 14 to detect a 180° phase difference at t′ and erroneously triggers the notification signal Sc. As a result, each delay cell 13 does not provide a wanted amount of delay equaling T/K. Therefore, an application device is unable to function normally due to an improper delayed clock generated from the delay line 12 of the related art DLL 10.

Jitter-resistive delay lock loop circuit for locking delayed clock and method thereof


A device-information-holding section holds inherent device information including the control information to be possessed by an image-forming device. A condition-setting section sets a reference value to specific device information in the above device information as a condition. A character-data-generating section determines whether the device information fetched from the device-information-holding section meets the above set condition, adds predetermined color information to the device information in accordance with the determination result, and converts the device information into character-string data. An image-data-generating section converts the above converted character-string data into character-image data. An image-data-storing section stores the above converted character-image data. An image-forming section reads the character-image data from the image-data-storing section and forms an image based on the character-image data on an image-recording medium. The image-forming section has a function for printing out the specific device information by coloring or character-modifying the information under a specific condition.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image-forming device and a method for controlling the device, particularly to an image-forming device such as a digital color copying machine having a function for applying specific character modification to a specific item in accordance with a condition previously designated by a user when printing out machine control information or operator information and a method for controlling the device.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the case of a digital color-copying machine, it is conventionally executed to print out machine control information or operation information in the form of a list or report.
In this case, a list or report is printed out as color characters for error communication as disclosed in Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication Nos. 9-193511 and 9-193501, or it is colored in accordance with a base color as disclosed in Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 8-147123.
However, these prior arts do not print out a specific item among items to be printed out by using an inherent color or character modification.
That is, in the case of a conventional digital color copying machine, it is not executed to print out a specific item by coloring it with a specific color in accordance with a specific condition or applying character modification to the item when printing out device information in the form of a list or report.
When using one digital color copying machine by a plurality of sections in common and printing out the control information for the number of copies or the number of prints for each section, it must greatly improve the operability from the viewpoint of extraction of control information to print out a specific item desired by a user by designating a modification method for a character color or the like in accordance with a specific condition designated by the user.
In the case of the above prior art, however, a user cannot print out a specific item desired by the user by designating a modification method for a character color in accordance with a specific condition designated by the user when printing out the control information for the number of copies or the number of prints to used by sections in common. Therefore, there is a problem that the operability is not preferable for a user from the viewpoint of extraction of a specific item from machine control information.

Image forming device and method for controlling the same


A combination lock includes an outer case with an inner case received therein and the outer case has a chamber which communicates with a passage in which a latch is received. A spring is mounted to the latch and provides a force to move the latch in a direction away from the chamber. A front unit having two disks is located in the first chamber and a rear unit having two disks is located in the second chamber. The two disks of the front unit drive each other and the two disks of the rear unit drive each other. A first dial plate drives one of the disks of the front unit and a second dial plate drives one of the disks of the rear unit. When the notches are in alignment with each other, the end piece of the latch can pass through the notches and the lock is unlocked.

The conventional locks comprises mechanical locks and electronic locks, wherein the electronic locks are easily unlocked by proper scanning apparatus and the mechanical locks do not have the shortcomings as the electronic locks. The mechanical locks comprise combination locks and conventional mechanical locks using keys. The combination locks are more convenient for the uses and the numbers are memorized by the users and the thieves are difficult to know the numbers. However, the conventional combination lock includes multiple digit rings which includes only 10 digits and the numbers that are able to unlock can be achieved by rotating the digit rings in either of two directions, so that the possible combination of the numbers are limited.
The present invention intends to provide a combination lock which includes two dial plates and each dial plate control two disks so as to have more number of combinations.


Contemplated compositions and methods generate a durable immune synapse and so lead to activated T-cells and memory T-cell formation by use of selected co-stimulatory receptors and their ligands in conjunction with selected neoepitopes. Moreover, immune competent cells are attracted into a tumor microenvironment after activation of the T-cells using hybrid or chimeric binding proteins that comprise a chemokine portion and that target components of necrotic cells.

The background description includes information that may be useful in understanding the present invention. It is not an admission that any of the information provided herein is prior art or relevant to the presently claimed invention, or that any publication specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art.
All publications and patent applications herein are incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each individual publication or patent application were specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference. Where a definition or use of a term in an incorporated reference is inconsistent or contrary to the definition of that term provided herein, the definition of that term provided herein applies and the definition of that term in the reference does not apply.
Tumor immune therapy has recently gained momentum, at least in part due to successful treatments using one or more therapeutic entities, and especially checkpoint inhibitors (see e.g., Anticancer Res. 2017 November; 37(11):5935-5939). Other therapeutic interventions have also shown promise using epigenetic stimulation (e.g., Oncoimmunology 2017 Aug. 30; 6(10):e1315486), and neoepitope based treatment is now considered one of the most promising therapeutic options (e.g., Immunotherapy 2017 March; 9(4):361-371; Clin Cancer Res. 2016 Apr. 15; 22(8):1885-96). Likewise, the use of genetically engineered NK and T cells with chimeric antigen receptors has found remarkable responses in at least a subset of patients (see e.g., EMBO Mol Med. 2017 September; 9(9):1183-1197). However, while such treatments at least conceptually should stimulate an immune response, tumor complexity and the intricate timing and molecular requirements for an effective immune response often prevent a desired therapeutic effect. For example, where a tumor antigen is presented by an antigen presenting cell, strength and duration of the interaction between the antigen presenting cell and a naïve T cell at the immune synapse typically determine whether the T cell will become an anergic T cell or a cytotoxic T cell, and as such whether or not the tumor antigen will be tolerated or eradicated. Moreover, even if a T cell is induced to become a cytotoxic T cell, other immune competent cells (and especially NK cells and macrophages) are often required to produce a clinically meaningful response. Unfortunately, presence and activity of such cells is often insufficient, typically due to the particular defense mechanisms of a tumor that are often found in the tumor microenvironment.
Thus, mechanistic considerations alone focusing on one or another aspect of an immune response will generally not result in an effective immune response to a tumor as a therapeutically effective immune response depends on presence, sequence, and timing of various components in the tumor. Consequently, there remains a need for improved compositions and methods to treat cancer using immune therapy.