A pseudo-differential switched-capacitor circuit using integrator-based common-mode stabilization technique is disclosed. A pseudo-differential switched-capacitor circuit with the differential floating sampling (DFS) technique has a common-mode gain value of one (1). An integrator is electrically coupled to the differential positive/negative outputs of the DFS circuit, and the integrator feeds back integrator output to the DFS circuit by detecting common-mode voltage disturbance at the differential positive output (Vout+) and negative output (Vout−), thereby stabilizing output common-mode level of the differential positive output (Vout+) and negative output (Vout−) at a desirable level.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to pseudo-differential switched-capacitor circuits, referred to as an integrator-based common-mode stabilization technique.
2. Description of the Prior Art
High-precision switched-capacitor circuits require high-gain and high-linearity amplifiers, which dominate the performance of the switched-capacitor circuits. The modern process tends toward low operating voltage to improve the circuit performance. This tendency leads to limited signal range and thus the design complexity. Further, the amplifiers may consume more power in order to maintain the signal-to-noise ratio.
Fully differential amplifier 10, as shown in FIG. 1A, is conventionally used to increase noise-immunity and signal swing. A common-mode feedback circuit (CMFB) 102 is required in the fully differential amplifier 10 to stabilize its output common-mode voltage (at the output node Out+/Out−). As the circuit's total current is controlled by a tail current metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) transistor Mc1, the common-mode disturbance at the input node In +/In− will not affect the circuit performance. The fully differential amplifier 10 therefore has high common-mode rejection ratio (CMRR). However, the transistor Mc1 disadvantageously limits the output signal range, and thus is unfavorable for low operating-voltage process. In order to enlarge the output signal range, a pseudo-differential amplifier 12, as shown in FIG. 1B, is conventionally used. The pseudo-differential amplifier 12 eliminates the tail current MOS transistor Mc1 of FIG. 1A, at the cost of losing common-mode noise-immunity. Accordingly, the input common-mode noise (at the input node In +/In−) will be amplified by the pseudo-differential amplifier 12, thereby degrading the circuit performance. The operations of the fully differential amplifier 10 and the pseudo-differential amplifier 12 are demonstrated in the following paragraphs in turn.
FIG. 2 schematically illustrates the operation of a switched-capacitor circuit 20 using the fully differential amplifier 104. In the illustration, only the common-mode voltage disturbance (ΔVcm) is considered while ignoring other alternating-current (AC) signals. In the sample phase, as shown in the left hand of the figure, the common-mode voltage disturbance (ΔVcm) is sampled by two capacitors C. In the amplify phase, as shown in the right hand of the figure, the output common-mode voltage can be maintained at Vcm due to the common-mode feedback circuit (CMFB). According to the conservation of charge, the common-mode voltage Vx at the input node of the amplifier 104 can be derived as shown in the figure. The input common-mode voltage disturbance (ΔVcm) will be reflected into the input common-mode voltage Vx. Nevertheless, the amplifier 104 can tolerate the common-mode voltage disturbance (ΔVcm) whenever the amplifier 104 has sufficient input common-mode range.
FIG. 3 schematically illustrates the operation of a switched-capacitor circuit 30 using the pseudo-differential amplifier 124. As the pseudo-differential amplifier 124 does not use any common-mode feedback circuit (CMFB), the output voltage thus cannot be controlled at a desirable level, and the circuit 30 generates common-mode gain of two (2) with respect to the input common-mode voltage disturbance (ΔVcm), where the common-mode gain is equal to the differential mode gain. When the circuit 30 is applied, for example, to the cascaded stages of a pipelined analog-to-digital converter, as shown in FIG. 4, the common-mode gain of two (2) in each stage will probably make the later stage(s) saturated, causing the converter to malfunction. The pipelined analog-to-digital converter mentioned above is discussed in another patent application entitled "Stage-Resolution Scalable Opamp-Sharing Technique for Pipelined/Cyclic ADC" owned by the same assignee of the present application, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
The pseudo-differential switched-capacitor circuit as discussed above needs an effective mechanism to stabilize the common-mode voltage in order to keep sufficient signal swing for a low operating-voltage process. There are some techniques disclosed in the scientific/technical literature, which are discussed in the following paragraphs.
1. Common-Mode Feedback Circuit (CMFB)
The common-mode feedback circuit (CMFB) is the most direct answer to stabilizing the output common-mode voltage. FIG. 5 shows a pseudo-differential switched-capacitor circuit 50 (which is the equivalent of the amplify-phase circuit 30 in FIG. 3) using the CMFB 102, which keeps the output common-mode level at a desirable common-mode voltage (Vcm). Owing to the lack of tail current transistor, the common-mode voltage disturbance (ΔVcm) at the input node will disadvantageously result in current change in the circuit 50, thereby degrading the circuit performance in accordance with the input common-mode voltage disturbance (ΔVcm).
2. Differential Floating Sampling Scheme (DFS)
For the pseudo-differential switched-capacitor circuit, in the sample phase, the common-mode voltage disturbance (ΔVcm) is sampled by two capacitors, or equivalently speaking, common-mode voltage disturbance ΔVcm, provided that the two capacitors have the same capacitance C, is sampled by the two capacitors, resulting in common-mode gain of two (2). It may be possible to decrease the common-mode gain to relieve the effect of the common-mode voltage disturbance on the circuit, by decreasing the degree of sampling the common-mode voltage disturbance (ΔVcm). This goal can be obtained, for example, by applying a differential floating sampling scheme (DFS) as shown in FIG. 6, which is disclosed, for example, J. Li and U. K. Moon, "A 1.8-V 67-mW 10-bit 100 MS/s pipelined ADC using time-shifted CDS technique," IEEE J. Solid-State Circuits, vol. 39, pp. 1468-1476, September 2004, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference. The circuit 60 in FIG. 6 uses two single-ended amplifiers in the positive and negative path respectively, and has a pseudo-differential architecture similar to that in FIG. 3. In the sample phase (with active ψ1), the upper plates (connected to the input nodes of the amplifiers 602A/602B) of the capacitor C1 and the capacitor C4 receive common-mode voltage (via ψ1-controlled switches), while the upper plates of the capacitor C2 and the capacitor C3 are floating (due to floating switch surrounded by the dash rectangular). The capacitor C1 or the capacitor C4 will sample the common-mode voltage disturbance (ΔVcm) to get the common-mode voltage disturbance charge (1xCx ΔVcm), but the floating capacitor C2 or the capacitor C3 will bypass the input common-mode disturbance. Accordingly, the common-mode gain of the circuit 60 has a value of one (1), and the input common-mode voltage disturbance will not be amplified. The circuit 60 according to the differential floating sampling scheme (DFS) needs no additional active circuit, such as the CMFB, and may substantially improve its power consumption. However, the switches of the circuit 60 disadvantageously give rise to charge injection effect, which makes additional common-mode voltage drift. When the circuit 60 is applied, for example, to the cascaded stages of a pipelined analog-to-digital converter, as shown in FIG. 4, the later stage(s) probably possesses large common-mode voltage drift, therefore decreasing the circuit performance.
3. Common-Mode Feed-forward Scheme (CMFF)
FIG. 7A shows a circuit 70 according to common-mode feed-forward scheme (CMFF), which has a stabilization concept similar to that in FIG. 6, but can further reduce the common-mode gain toward zero (0). FIG. 7A to FIG. 7C are disclosed, for example,
T. Ueno, T. Ito, et al., "A 1.2 V, 24 mW/ch, 10 bit, 80 M Sample/s pipelined A/D converters," Proc. Of CICC, pp. 501-504, September 2006, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference. The circuit utilizes a common-mode (CM) detector 702 to detect input common-mode voltage, and then utilizes an analog adder/subtractor 704 to make the common-mode voltage disturbance to be reflected onto the upper plate of the capacitor. As a result, no common-mode voltage disturbance (ΔVcm) will be sampled, and the circuit 70 thus has no common-mode gain, thereby effectively eliminating the common-mode voltage drift. However, the circuit 70 still has the common-mode voltage drift due to the charge injection effect caused by associated switches.
FIG. 7B shows a detailed circuit of the common-mode (CM) detector 702 in FIG. 7A, and FIG. 7C shows a detailed circuit of the analog adder/subtractor 704 in FIG. 7A. The analog adder/subtractor 704 is two-stage amplifier, which the first stage has a four-input single-ended amplifier 7041, and the second stage 7042 is a common source amplifier. The analog adder/subtractor 704 uses Miller compensation technique to accomplish its frequency compensation. The output of the circuit 704 is connected to the input as an amplifier with gain of one (1). As the CMFF circuit 70 does not utilize feedback control to decrease the common-mode voltage, the finite gain error and the settling error of the analog adder/subtractor 704 will still be amplified by the circuit 70. In order to decrease the common-mode voltage disturbance, the open-circuit gain and the bandwidth of the analog adder/subtractor 704 should both be increased, which advantageously consume more power.
Due to the disadvantages of the prior techniques for the common mode stabilization of the peudo-differential switched-capacitor circuits, a need has arisen to propose an innovative technique that could effectively decrease the common-mode voltage drift due to the charge injection effect caused by associated switches.

Integrator-based common-mode stabilization technique for pseudo-differential switched-capacitor circuits

NCKU Research and Development Foundation


Improvements in a truck van closure of the type having a flexible closure web with an opening therethrough and means for moving the web about the perimeter of the van between an inoperative position wherein access through the opening into the interior of the van is prevented and an operative position wherein access through the opening is allowed, the improvements comprising a means for tensioning the web in a vertical plane when the web is in its inoperative position, means for guiding the web along its path of travel between its operative and inoperative position and means for sealing the web against the entry of foreign materials into the van over the top of the web when the web is in its inoperative position.

This invention relates to an improved closure means for a truck van having a movable closure web with an opening therethrough that is selectively positionable to facilitate loading and unloading the truck. The web is movable about the perimeter of the van between an operative position allowing access into the interior of the van through the opening and a home or inoperative position wherein access through the opening is prevented. Such a closure means if disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,044,689, issued Sep. 3, 1991.
A problem with the flexible closure web disclosed in that patent is that when the truck is in motion, particularly at an accelerated speed along the highway, the longitudinally extending sides of the web have a tendency to bow inwardly due to the passage of air thereacross. Thus, means for tensioning at least the bottom portion of the web are desirable when the web is in its inoperative position and the truck is moving.
Also, means are needed to help guide the upper portion of the web along its movement about the perimeter of the van. Further, it is preferable to provide a means for sealing the upper part of the web from dust and debris which might enter the van over the top of the web as the truck moves.


An engaging member is provided for engaging two cross rods consisting of a first rod and a second rod. The engaging member includes an inverted U-shaped section having two ends. Each end of the inverted U-shaped section extends in a direction transverse to a plane on which the inverted U-shaped section locates, thereby forming an upwardly facing receiving section through which the second rod is extended. The receiving sections are parallel to each other and respectively joined with a first inclined section and a second inclined section. The first inclined section has a distal end extending across the second inclined section, thereby forming a first inverted U-shaped retaining section that is located above the first inclined section and the second inclined section. The second inclined section has a distal end extending across the first inclined section and, thereby forming a second inverted U-shaped retaining section that is located above the first inclined section and the second inclined section. The second inverted U-shaped retaining section is spaced apart from the first inverted U-shaped retaining section. The first rod is extended through the inverted U-shaped section and between the first inclined section and the second inclined section, while the first inverted U-shaped retaining section and the second inverted U-shaped retaining section are engaged with a portion of an upper periphery of the first rod. Each of the first inclined section and the second inclined section forms a bend adjacent to an associated receiving section for securely retaining the second rod in the receiving sections. The inverted U-shaped section is inclined toward the retaining sections, while the inverted U-shaped section and the receiving sections are so sized that the first rod rests on the second rod, thereby providing a reliable engaging effect between the first rod and the second rod.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an engaging member for assembled shelves that can be formed by a single wire.
2. Description of the Related Art
A tool is generally required for assembling conventional assembled shelves. In some cases, bolts, nuts, or nails are required, and the shelf must include holes or screw holes if the bolts and nuts are applied. Assembly of the shelf is time-consuming and labor-intensive. The construction of the shelf is not changeable and thus has limited application. In addition, the transportation and carriage of the shelf are inconvenient and/or costly. Although the shelf may be integrally formed as a single unit, it cannot be modified to match with personal need and the environment restriction. The present invention is intended to provide an improved engaging member that mitigates and/or obviates the above-mentioned problems.


A new and distinct apple tree named ‘Nicoter’. The new variety is the result of a cross between ‘Gala’ and ‘Braeburn,’ and is most similar in appearance to ‘Gala’. The new variety is distinguishable from ‘Gala’ by its red coloration and slightly less conical shape.

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of apple tree, botanically known as Malus communis Mill. and hereinafter referred to by the name 'Nicoter'. This new and distinct cultivar was bred by inventor, Johan Nicolai, in Sint-Truiden, Belgium.
'Nicoter' originated as a controlled cross between 'Gala' (unpatented) and 'Braeburn' (unpatented). It most closely resembles 'Gala' in appearance, although fruit of 'Nicoter' is less conical in shape than that of 'Gala', and the coloration of 'Nicoter' is more pink and less red than 'Gala'. Additional differences are shown in the table below.
 Characteristic 'Nicoter'   'Gala''Braeburn' Fruit Skin color Yellow      Yellow     Green(background)Overcolor of fruitRed, pinkOrange red to brightRed, stripedred, stripedFlesh ColorGrey, slightlyRed brownRed brownbrown
The new variety 'Nicoter' has been asexually propagated by T-budding and bench grafting onto 'M9' and 'MM111' rootstocks in Sint-Truiden, Belgium, and has demonstrated that the combination of characteristics as herein disclosed for the new variety are firmly fixed and remain true to type through successive generations of asexual reproduction.


A content creation application with an ink augmenting feature can communicate at least one recognized term from ink strokes input to a canvas interface of the content creation application to an ink augmenting service. The content creation application can receive at least one keyword from the ink augmenting service, where each keyword indicates a corresponding recognized term having available content identified by the ink augmenting service. The content creation application then transforms a grouping of the ink strokes corresponding to the recognized term indicated by each keyword to an actionable item in the canvas interface. Selection of the actionable item invokes the command to provide the available content.

Digital ink strokes are markings that are represented by a set of properties and point data that a digitizer captures. It can be the set of data that is captured in a single pen down, up, or move sequence. The act of generating the digital ink strokes can be referred to as "inking" and may be accomplished via input mechanisms of a stylus or pen (or even user finger on a touch screen or pad) that capture handwriting in its natural form.


Information inputted from an information terminal and destination information of a third person added to specific information which should be transferred to the third person and which is included in the information inputted are transferred to an information processing unit through a communication unit and are accumulated in a data base of the information processing unit, the specific information is extracted from the information accumulated in the data base on the basis of the destination information, thereby preparing a file and the specific information accumulated in the file is transmitted to the third person.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system for supporting a variety of operations, such as a home-based medical treatment such as house call, nursing, home-help, rehabilitation, and home-based cares, maintenance operations such as plants, and guarding operations.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, portable information communication terminals (Personal Digital Assistants; PDA) have been successively developed by manufacturers. The portable information communication terminals are compact and light enough to carry daily and can manage personal information and communicate information the user obtains at any place he is visiting, through a telephone line or the like. On the other hand, portable telephone have entered into common use in recent years, and simple portable telephones (Personal Handyphone System; PHS) have just been developed. Generalization of radio telephones and data communication are thereby further accelerated. There is the trend that a function similar to that is imparted to the PHS, enabling the PHS to serve as a radio data communication terminal.
Among these communication terminals, a terminal developed recently which can treat various types of information such as image, voice and the like, as well as conventional character information. A color image can be recorded in full color with high definition, composed of about 410,000 pixels, by a compact digital still camera. The image information thus obtained can be inputted to said terminal. An illustration, memorandum and so forth can be written onto the image in a bit map format. The image can be linked to a memorandum or the like to which voice information is simultaneously written.
A rapid increase in the number of house patients is expected as the percentage of the elderly increases in the near future. In this case, it is anticipated that problems of an increase in burden of home-help and insufficiency of man power become serious. The Ministry of Health and Welfare of Japan made a "gold plan" and a "new gold plan" to enlarge facilities such as health facilities for the old, and to increase the number of home helpers. According to these plans, institutionalized visiting nursing stations function as bases of the home-based medical treatment. Enlargements of man power and supporting facilities such as 10,000 home helper stations are further expected.
The physical burden of a person in charge of the home-based care is heavy as long as the care is performed such that the person in charge visits the patient's house. In particular, it is necessary that the home-based care is at least equal to the care which can be given to the patient who is in the hospital. Accordingly, a support in an all-day system is indispensable, but there is a physical limit in continuous attendance of one person in charge of the patient. Accordingly, rotational care and a rotation system of plural persons in charge are indispensable. At this time, if no information of the state of the patient, contents of treatment and so forth obtainable from visiting is shared by the persons in charge, each person in charge cannot obtain information of the patient when they are off duty. As a result, continuous and uniform care cannot sufficiently be given to the patient. In the case of nursing in a hospital, information can be shared attributable to periodical conference, cyclic transference of information and so forth. However, since the home-based care is performed such that a person in charge visits the patient's home, conference cannot frequently be held, thus resulting in a problem to arise in that information cannot easily be shared. What is worse, in the case of the home-based care in which various persons such as a visiting nurse, a home helper, a doctor, etc. alternately visit the patient, information cannot easily be shared among the foregoing persons in charge.
Such problems are not limited to home-based care, but are common to a system for supporting various operations for mobile workers in which a team of persons in charge is organized and the persons in charge alternately go to a destination as in a maintenance operation of a plant or the like, a maintenance service operation, a guarding operation of a building or the like, business or the like, and persons other than the person in charge take charge of such operations in an emergency situation.

Information transfer method, information transfer system, information inputting method, information input device, and system for supporting various operations


An endoscope system provided with an electronic or optical endoscope is provided therein with an illuminating optical system, an observation optical system, a flow passage system and a forceps channel. Cleaning and disinfection operations are performed on the endoscope so that the endoscope is reusable. An electronic or optical cover type endoscope is provided therein with an illuminating optical system and an observation optical system. The cover type endoscope is used with an endoscope cover having a flow passage system and a forceps channel mounted on the cover type endoscope. The endoscope cover is discarded and replaced whereby the cover type endoscope is reused. Peripheral equipment for endoscope inspection used in combination with the endoscopes is capable of being selectively connected to any of the endoscopes.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an endoscope system in which a cover type endoscope used with an endoscope cover being mounted and an endoscope used without an endoscope cover being mounted, are selectively connectable.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, an endoscope has widely been used in both the medical art and industrial art fields. For example, an endoscope which is used in the medical art field has an inserting section which is inserted into a body cavity so as to be able to observe internal organs, or which uses a disposition or treatment instrument or tool inserted into a treating-instrument channel in the endoscope, so as to be able to perform various types of medical care or treatment. For this reason, in an endoscope system, various peripheral devices or units for endoscope inspection have been used in accordance with objects and uses of inspection.
In an endoscope system which includes peripheral units for endoscope inspection which are used for various objects and uses, it becomes much more an important or serious problem not only in that the endoscope system is useful for the insertion, but also in how it is possible to reduce the cost of inspection. Particularly, in the medical art field, reduction of medical cost is a great problem. Until now, various proposals have been introduced for reduction in inspection cost.
For example, restraint in unit or device purchase cost is one proposal for reduction of inspection cost.
A CCD which is arranged at a forward end of an inserting section of an electronic endoscope which projects a color endoscope image on a screen of a monitor unit has conventionally had two systems including a surface sequential type and a concurrent or simultaneous type. The CCD of the surface sequential type is adequate for observing fine lesion parts, because it is possible to produce an image having high resolution. The CCD of the simultaneous type is adequate for observation of internal organs which performs peristalsis, because the CCD of the simultaneous type can produce an image which has less blurring. For this reason, in a case where a user who has different endoscope systems uses the endoscopes properly in accordance with an inspection object, it has been required to prepare systems which include not only the endoscopes of two systems, but also video processors which are respectively adapted to the systems.
In view of the above, in order to solve the above-discussed problem, a video processor which copes with both the surface sequential type and the concurrent type is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,853,773. There is no necessity to purchase a system including separate video processors which cope or correspond respectively with or to the systems. Thus, the unit purchase cost of the user can be reduced, and a space of an inspection room can effectively be utilized, because it is sufficient with a single video processor and a single accompanying or attendant system.
Further, as another proposal for reduction in the inspection cost, there is one in which the number of uses of the endoscope per one day increases so that an inspecting cost is reduced.
Generally, in a case where an endoscope which has been used once for inspection and treatment within a body cavity is again used for the other patients, disinfection chemicals, or an ethylene oxide gas must be used to perform washing or cleaning and disinfection of the endoscope after completion of the inspection and the treatment, in order to prevent infection from occurring between the patients through the endoscope. However, since about one hour is required to sufficiently disinfect the endoscope, which is provided with very small lines, the cleaning and disinfection time becomes a dead time. When it is assumed that the inspecting time per use is about five (5) hours, only four (4) persons can be inspected per a single day by a single endoscope, if it is assumed that the endoscope inspecting time per one every fifteen (15) minutes.
In order to solve the above-discussed problem, if a plurality of endoscopes are prepared, and if the endoscopes which have been cleaned and disinfected are used during the cleaning and disinfection time, inspection of twenty (20) persons per five (5) hours is made possible by subsequent use of five (5) endoscopes when the inspecting time is fifteen (15) minutes and the cleaning time is one (1) hour. In this case, however, there occurs a problem that the purchase of five (5) endoscopes is required.
In view of the above, U.S. Pat. No. 4,646,722 has proposed a throwaway or disposable endoscope sheath (hereinafter referred to as "endoscope cover"). The endoscope cover is arranged such that the endoscope cover covers an endoscope inserting section before inspection, an endoscope covered by the endoscope cover is inserted into a body cavity, the endoscope cover which has covered the endoscope inserting section is discarded after completion of the inspection and treatment, and a new endoscope cover is used to cover the endoscope and is left in place for subsequent inspection. By the use of the endoscope cover, it is possible to bring the cleaning and disinfection time (one hour) to a cover replacement or exchange time of only ten (10) minutes. Specifically, since twenty-five (25) minutes, which is the sum of the endoscope inspecting time of fifteen (15) minutes and the cover replacement time of ten (10) minutes, forms a single cycle, it is possible to perform inspection of twelve (12) persons per five (5) hours by only a single endoscope. Thus, it is possible to considerably reduce the endoscope inspecting cost per use.
However, in a case where the above-described disposable endoscope cover is applied to all of the endoscope inspections, the cost of the endoscope cover is generated every inspection, and it is not preferable in view of environmental maintenance or preservation to treat the endoscope cover as industrial waste or refuse. Thus, it has been desired to reduce the industrial waste even in a minor way.
In view of the above, we proposed that, in order to make an attempt to reduce the inspection cost, two types of endoscopes including an endoscope which is reused while being cleaned and disinfected without the endoscope cover being mounted (hereinafter referred to as "reusable type endoscope") and an endoscope which is used with an endoscope cover being mounted thereon (hereinafter referred to as "cover type endoscope") are suitably combined with each other so as to be used in inspection.
Specifically, the cover type endoscope is used twice in a dead time in which the reusable type endoscope is cleaned and disinfected, whereby a field of practical use of the reusable type endoscope which is low in running cost can be formed. Further, the endoscopes of two types are suitably combined with each other, whereby thirteen (13) persons can be inspected for about five (5) hours, and the number of uses of the endoscope cover can be reduced to 2/3. Thus, it is possible to cope with inspection cost and an environmental problem.
However, in an endoscope system for performing endoscope inspection, peripheral tools or equipment and materials for endoscope inspection such as a light source unit, a video processor, a fluid control unit, treatment equipments, forceps plugs, mouth pieces, or inserting auxiliary equipment are required in addition to an endoscope.
For this reason, in the reusable type endoscope system, it is assumed that cleaning and disinfection of the endoscope are carried out in every case. Thus, various devices or contrivances are carried out in order to improve detachable workability or operability between the endoscope and the peripheral equipment for the endoscope. Accordingly, the structure is complicated and is large-sized. Elements or members which can be born against repeated use are used in a treating-equipment inserting channel into which a treatment equipment is inserted, and a forceps-plug detachable or mounting and demounting portion.
Meanwhile, in the cover type endoscope system, since the number of mounting and demounting cycles between an endoscope body and peripheral equipment for endoscope inspection decreases drastically, simplification, small-sizing and reduction in cost are desired more than improvement in the mounting and demounting operability. Accordingly, it becomes a preference or priority problem to reduce the cost and to reduce, in outer diameter, the inserting section more than durability to alleviate a burden of a patient.
In this manner, in the conventional endoscope system, the structure of the peripheral equipment for endoscope inspection, which are used in the reusable type endoscope system, and the structure of the peripheral equipment for endoscope inspection, which are used in the cover type endoscope system, are arranged respectively under the original or unique backgrounds. Accordingly, in order to use both types of endoscopes together, in single-day inspection, it has been required to correspondingly replace or exchange also the peripheral equipment for endoscope inspection together with the endoscope. Thus, in a case where a replacement time of these equipments is also taken into consideration, an operational method in which the cover type endoscope is used in the dead time in which the reusable type endoscope is cleaned and disinfected, has been very difficult in actuality.

Endoscope system including both reusable-type and cover-type endoscopes


Means for safely handling medical needles such as needle electrodes, also known as surgical probes, and hypodermic needles. The needle handler can remove the needle for use and return the used needle to its sheath for disposal using only one hand, thereby avoiding any risk of inadvertent penetration of the used needle point in the other hand. The needle sheath is retained in fixed position in a stand or the like at the handler's work station and the sheath and stand are designed to render the sheathed needle readily installable in and removable from the stand by single-handed manipulation.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to medical needles and means for handling same, and more particularly to medical needles such as electrosurgical probes or so-called electrical needle electrodes, and also hypodermic needles, and sheaths and holders therefor, especially adapted for single-handed use.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Medical needles such as hypodermic needles and needle electrodes, also called electrosurgical probes, are designed for and when properly used are disposable after one use, and as articles of commerce are supplied to the profession in sheaths or cases from which they are withdrawn for use, then returned to the sheath for disposal after use. Handling of the needle during use, particularly after the needle may have become contaminated by reason of the subcutaneous application of the needle to a patient, and particularly when the patient has a communicable disease such as AIDS, creates an undue risk of the medical person or other handler of the needle inadvertently handling the needle in such a manner that it pricks a finger or other body part of the handler, with the handler thereby contracting blood poisoning or the communicable disease. This risk occurs because, when reinserting the used needle into its sheath for disposal, the handler when holding the base of the needle in one hand and the sheath into which the needle is to be inserted in the other hand, can misgauge the entry of the needle tip into the opening in the sheath and the tip of the needle can pierce the finger or thumb or the handler holding the sheath. This problem has been recognized for some time, particularly in connection with the handling of hypodermic needles, and it is common practice to provide a flared, funnel-shaped guide opening for the needle sheath to aid the handler in moving the tip of the used needle into the sheath. Such arrangements are commonly called safety needle sheaths and typically are disclosed in:
______________________________________ Pedicano et al 4,610,667 Pedicano et al 4,623,336 Masters et al 4,740,204 Davis et al 4,799,927 D'Amelio et al 4,823,791 Giuffre et al 4,880,413 Haindl 4,883,470 Hermann, Jr. et al 4,892,525 Barasch 4,928,824 ______________________________________
Safety needle sheaths with flared openings have partially solved the problem of inadvertent harmful handler contact with contaminated needles but the typical manner of manipulation of such still involves two-handed handling for reinsertion of the needle into the sheath, i.e. the holding of the needle or needle carrier in one hand and the holding of the sheath in the other.

Medical needle with sheath and fixed holder enabling single-handed use


The present specification relates to a color conversion film comprising a color conversion functional layer including a microcapsule phase change material, and a backlight unit and a display apparatus including the same.

Development of a color conversion film using various materials has been progressed recently for improving color gamut of LCD displays such as TVs.
A color conversion film generally has a problem of reducing durability by accelerating degradation due to heat, oxygen or the like together with light. Accordingly, there have been demands for material selection and structure improvements capable of reducing their effects.
Particularly, enhancing heat resistance properties is essential in a color conversion film due to its inevitable exposure to the heat of a backlight and the like generated during display driving.
There have been attempts in the art to enhance thermal stability through substituting a functional group of a fluorescent substance, introducing a resin with high heat resistance, and the like, however, enhancing heat resistance has been limited since heat transfer to a color conversion layer itself has not been prevented. Accordingly, new technologies capable of preventing film degradation caused by heat have been required.

Colour conversion film, and back light unit and display device comprising same


A production of a water-absorbent resin by which a particle diameter of the water-absorbent resin can be controlled simply and conveniently, and a content of fine powder can be decreased, without necessity of change of raw materials or expensive facility investment is to be provided. The method is a continuous production method of a polyacrylic acid (salt)-based water-absorbent resin, comprising a polymerization step of an aqueous solution containing acrylic acid (salt), a drying step of the resultant hydrogel-like polymer, a pulverization step of the dried substance, a classification step of the pulverized substance, and optionally a surface cross-linking step of the classified substance, wherein (a) the drying step and the pulverization step are connected via a storage step and a transportation step; and (b) a time of holding the dried substance from a time of completing the drying step to a time of starting the pulverization step is set at 3 minutes or longer.

A water-absorbent resin has been widely utilized in various applications such as hygiene articles including disposable diapers, sanitary napkins, incontinent pads for adults and the like; and a water-retaining agent for soil, due to its absorbing property of such a large quantity of aqueous liquid as several times to several-hundred times own weight, and has been produced and consumed in a large quantity. Such a water-absorbent resin (it may also be called a high water-absorbent resin or a water-absorbing polymer) is described, for example, in Japanese Industrial Standard (JIS) K7223-1996, as well as introduced in many commercial reference books.
Although a sheet, a film, a fiber, gel, emulsion or the like have also been known as a form of the water-absorbent resin, a particulate is general, and it is provided in a powder state by obtaining a hydrogel-like polymer by polymerization of a hydrophilic unsaturated monomer, and drying it. The hydrogel-like polymer is mostly obtained as a bulk or aggregated substance of hydrogel particles, which is usually dried so as to give a solid content of about 95% by weight, and then pulverized to a particle with a desired size using a pulverization machine. Because the pulverized substance generally has a certain particle size distribution, however, particles having a particle diameter outside a desired range also generate. Therefore, by sieve classification of this pulverized substance after drying using a classification machine, particles having a size within a desired particle diameter range are prepared. As a result, a particulate water-absorbent resin is obtained. As the particulate water-absorbent resin to be used in hygiene articles, although different depending on intended applications, particles having a particle diameter in the range of usually 106 m or larger, still more 150 μm or larger and below 850 μm, as a major component, are preferably used. On the other hand, fine powder with a particle diameter below 106 μm, still mote below 150 μm, would blow up as powder dust and deteriorate work environment, in fabrication to hygiene articles, as well as causes deterioration of liquid permeability of the water-absorbent resin, and thus it is desirable that amount of fine powder contained in the water-absorbent resin is as low as possible. In addition, particles having a particle diameter of 850 μm or larger would provide convex-concave feeling at apart contacting with a skin, or decrease absorption rate, when used as a material of a hygiene article, and thus it is desirable that particles having a particle diameter of 850 μm or larger contained in the water-absorbent resin, are as less as possible, and usually particles having a particle diameter of 850 μm or larger are classified by sieve classification and then re-pulverized. Load of the pulverization machine or generation of fine powder, in this case, has also been a problem (refer to PATENT LITERATURES 1 to 4).
As described above, a water-absorbent resin is preferably in a form of particles having the upper limit and the lower limit of particle diameter controlled, and as a control method of such a particulate water-absorbent resin, there have been known a method for controlling particle diameter in a polymerization step such as reversed phase suspension polymerization (refer to PATENT LITERATURES 5 and 6); a method for controlling in a fine granulation step of a hydrogel-like polymer (refer to PATENT LITERATURES 7 and 8); a method for controlling in a pulverization step of a dried substance (refer to PATENT LITERATURES 9 and 10); a method for controlling in a classification step (refer to PATENT LITERATURES 11 to 16); a method for granulating in surface cross-linking (refer to PATENT LITERATURE 17); a method for removing fine powder with air flow in a cooling step after surface cross-linking (refer to PATENT LITERATURE 18); a method for making a large particle by adhering particles themselves after surface cross-linking (refer to PATENT LITERATURES 18 to 22), or the like.
However, control of a particle diameter in polymerization disclosed in PATENT LITERATURES 5 and 6 has limitation, as well as had still more difficulty in controlling a particle diameter in aqueous solution polymerization, unlike in the case of reversed phase suspension polymerization where polymerization is performed in a particle state.
In addition, also in a method disclosed in PATENT LITERATURES 7 to 10, there is limitation in controlling a particle diameter, and effect thereby is insufficient only by improvement of a pulverization apparatus, which thus requires search for conditions of a dried substance which permits efficient pulverization. A method for pulverizing a water-absorbent resin with high water content generally requires higher load on a pulverization machine, as compared with pulverization of a water-absorbent resin with low water content, and still more limits a pulverization method and a pulverization machine which can be used. As disclosed in PATENT LITERATURE 10, in a method for performing forced cooling, it is possible to suppress generation of fine powder in pulverization or particles which cannot be pulverized to a desired particle diameter, even by passing through a pulverization machine, as long as temperature of a dried substance is near room temperature. There, however, is a problem of requiring large scale facility, in using cool air or increasing air amount, due to inferior cooling efficiency in performing further cooling from 50° C. using air at room temperature.
Further, although removal of fine powder by classification disclosed in PATENT LITERATURES 11 to 16 and PATENT LITERATURE 18 enabled to remove fine powder, in some cases, it required not only disposal or reuse (recycle) of a large quantity of fine powder, but also classification operation for a long period for removing only fine powder completely. In addition, a granulation method disclosed in PATENT LITERATURES 17 to 22 showed a case where fine powder was reproduced in use or during transportation, caused by weak granulation strength, or absorption property was decreased, caused by use of a binder or the like in granulation.
Still more, a recycling method for a water-absorbent resin fine powder in a producing step described in PATENT LITERATURES 23 to 26 has a problem of requiring facility to recover and process fine powder, as well as requiring operation cost therefor, and thus it is necessary to reduce generation amount itself of fine powder. In addition, a method for recycling fine powder to a monomer of a polymerization step or a hydrogel-like polymer, described in PATENT LITERATURES 24 to 26 and the like, generated, in some cases, a problem of polymerization inhibition caused by fine powder.

Method for producing particulate water-absorbent resin


The method of making a three-dimensional scaffold for three-dimensional cell culture includes obtaining amorphous silica from sorghum husks, producing biogenic silica microbodies from the amorphous silica, and clustering the biogenic silica microbodies to form the three-dimensional scaffold. The three-dimensional scaffold can be used for growing three-dimensional cell cultures, such as human mesenchymal stem cell cultures.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the formation of a three-dimensional, biocompatible scaffold, and particularly to a method of making a three-dimensional scaffold from biogenic silica derived from sorghum husks.
2. Description of the Related Art
Bio-silicification and bio-mineralization are inorganic polymerization processes occurring in multicellular organisms, such as plants, animals, diatoms and sponges. These processes occur at normal physiological conditions and result in a wide range of natural composites and morphological frameworks. Such "silica super-structures" are typically not reproducible by artificial methods. Until recently, the relatively large quantities of biogenic silica (BSiO2) present in agricultural biomass or byproducts generated from the waste of agricultural crops was seen as nothing more than a pollution problem. However, such biomass resulting from the processing of sugarcane waste, rice husks, millet waste, sorghum husks, etc. are, in fact, a rich source of amorphous silica. The silica produced in this manner may be extracted in a more economically efficient manner than typical geological silica sources.
In general, biogenic amorphous silica bodies are more useful than crystalline silica structures because the amorphous silica has a relatively high surface area and is highly reactive due to nano-scale interactions. Biogenic silica bodies are mostly found in amorphous, fibrous, porous and hydrated forms [BSiO2.nH2O] and are typically in the form of polymerized materials (on the order of 10-1000 μm) produced by natural-silicification processes. Agricultural crops, such as millet, sugarcane, sorghum, etc., have high concentrations of non-toxic and biocompatible silica, typically found at about 5 to 75% of the total mineral content.
Common materials used for three-dimensional culture models are typically derived from various natural or synthetic sources, such as polymers, polyethylene glycol, inorganic composites, chitosan, collagen, alginate, organic hydrogels and nanofibers. However, the lack of multiple-functionalization, limited surface modification, poor mechanical strength, chemical hydrolysis, lack of biocompatibility, insensitivity to enzymatic processes, lack of cell specificity, biodegradability, and limited processability make these materials inefficient and often ineffective for their intended purpose.
Thus, a method of making three-dimensional scaffold for three-dimensional cell culture solving the aforementioned problems is desired.

Method of making a three-dimensional scaffold for three-dimensional cell culture


A displacement mechanism for a remotely operated vehicle includes a motor configured to actuate a drive crank, a coupler link connected to the drive crank on a first side, and a lift rocker on a second side, a displacement link connected to the lift rocker, and a displacement plate connected to the displacement link and having a plurality of wheels provided thereon. The drive crank, the coupler link, the lift rocker, the displacement link, and the displacement plate are each respectively connected with pivot connections such that actuation of the motor actuates the displacement plate between a raised position and a lowered position. The lift rocker is configured with a pivot point arranged in a body of the lift rocker such that the lift rocker, the pivot connection between the displacement link and the lift rocker, and the pivot connection between the lift rocker and the coupler link each rotate around the pivot point when the motor is actuated.

FIGS. 1A and 1C disclose a typical prior art automated storage and retrieval system 1 with a framework structure 100. FIGS. 1B and 1D disclose a prior art container handling vehicle 200,300 operating the system 1 disclosed in FIGS. 1A and 1C, respectively.
The framework structure 100 comprises a plurality of upright members 102 and optionally a plurality of horizontal members 103 supporting the upright members 102. The members 102, 103 may typically be made of metal, e.g. extruded aluminum profiles.
The framework structure 100 defines a storage grid 104 comprising storage columns 105 arranged in rows, in which storage columns 105 storage containers 106, also known as bins, are stacked one on top of another to form stacks 107.
Each storage container 106 may typically hold a plurality of product items (not shown), and the product items within a storage container 106 may be identical, or may be of different product types depending on the application.
The storage grid 104 guards against horizontal movement of the storage containers 106 in the stacks 107, and guides vertical movement of the storage containers 106, but does normally not otherwise support the storage containers 106 when stacked.
The automated storage and retrieval system 1 comprises a container handling vehicle rail system 108 arranged in a grid pattern across the top of the storage 104, on which rail system 108 a plurality of container handling vehicles 200,300 (as exemplified in FIGS. 1B and 1D) are operated to raise storage containers 106 from, and lower storage containers 106 into, the storage columns 105, and also to transport the storage containers 106 above the storage columns 105. The horizontal extent of one of the grid cells 122 constituting the grid pattern is in FIGS. 1A and 1C marked by thick lines.
Each grid cell 122 has a width which is typically within the interval of 30 to 150 cm, and a length which is typically within the interval of 50 to 200 cm. Each grid opening 115 has a width and a length which is typically 2 to 10 cm less than the width and the length of the grid cell 122 due to the horizontal extent of the rails 1 10,111.
The rail system 108 comprises a first set of parallel rails 110 arranged to guide movement of the container handling vehicles 200,300 in a first direction X across the top of the frame structure 100, and a second set of parallel rails 11 1 arranged perpendicular to the first set of rails 1 10 to guide movement of the container handling vehicles 200,300 in a second direction Y which is perpendicular to the first direction X. In this way, the rail system 108 defines grid columns above which the container handling vehicles 200,300 can move laterally above the storage columns 105, i.e. in a plane which is parallel to the horizontal X-Y plane.
Each prior art container handling vehicle 200,300 comprises a vehicle body and a wheel arrangement of eight wheels 201,301 where a first set of four wheels enable the lateral movement of the container handling vehicles 200,300 in the X direction and a second set of the remaining four wheels enable the lateral movement in the Y direction. One or both sets of wheels in the wheel arrangement can be lifted and lowered, so that the first set of wheels and/or the second set of wheels can be engaged with the respective set of rails 110, 111 at any one time.
Each prior art container handling vehicle 200,300 also comprises a lifting device (not shown) for vertical transportation of storage containers 106, e.g. raising a storage container 106 from, and lowering a storage container 106 into, a storage column 105. The lifting device comprises one or more gripping/engaging devices (not shown) which are adapted to engage a storage container 106, and which gripping/engaging devices can be lowered from the vehicle 201,301 so that the position of the gripping/engaging devices with respect to the vehicle 201,301 can be adjusted in a third direction Z which is orthogonal the first direction X and the second direction Y.
Conventionally, and also for the purpose of this application, Z=1 identifies the uppermost layer of the grid 104, i.e. the layer immediately below the rail system 108, Z=2 the second layer below the rail system 108, Z=3 the third layer etc. In the exemplary prior art grid 104 disclosed in FIGS. 1A and 1C, Z=8 identifies the lowermost, bottom layer of the grid 104. Consequently, as an example, and using the Cartesian coordinate system X, Y, Z indicated in FIGS. 1A and 1D, the storage container identified as 106′ in FIG. 1A can be said to occupy grid location or cell X=10, Y=2, Z=3. The container handling vehicles 200,300 can be said to travel in layer Z=0 and each grid column can be identified by its X and Y coordinates.
Each first container handling vehicle 200 comprises a storage compartment or space 8 for receiving and stowing a storage container 106 when transporting the storage container 106 across the rail system 108. The storage space may comprise a cavity arranged centrally within the vehicle body, e.g. as is described in W02014/090684A1, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
Alternatively, the second container handling vehicles 300 may have a cantilever construction, as is described in N0317366, the contents of which are also incorporated herein by reference.
The first container handling vehicles 200 may have a footprint, i.e. an extent in the X and Y directions, which is generally equal to the lateral extent of a grid cell 122, i.e. the extent of a grid cell 122 in the X and Y directions, e.g. as is described in WO2015/193278A1, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. The term "lateral" used herein may mean "horizontal".
Alternatively, the first container handling vehicles 200 may have a footprint which is larger than the lateral extent of (lateral area defined by) a grid column 105, e.g. as is disclosed in W02014/090684A1.
FIG. 3 illustrates a prior art first container handling vehicle 200 stripped of outer panels to expose a displacement mechanism capable of lowering and lifting one of the sets of wheels in the wheel arrangement 201. The second container handling vehicle 300 may also comprise a similar displacement mechanism to that of FIG. 3. However, the configuration and placement of said displacement mechanism in the second container handling vehicle 300 may deviate from that of FIG. 3, as the cantilever construction allows for other configurations of the displacement mechanism in the vehicle body of the container handling vehicle 300.
The displacement mechanism illustrated in FIG. 3 is fully described in WO2015/193278A1, but a summary is included herein for the sake of clarity.
As seen in FIG. 3, the displacement mechanism comprises a first and second displacement plate 2,2′ positioned along opposing side walls of the vehicle's 200 framework. Provided on each of the displacement plates 2,2′ is a master wheel 3 and two slaves wheels 4 which are connected by an encircling band 5. The slave wheels 4 comprise one set of wheels of the wheel arrangement 201, and are rotated by the encircling band 5 which is driven by the master wheel 3 connected to one or more drive units 6.
The displacement plates 2,2′ are interconnected by a vertically displaceable bar 7 mounted above the container receiving space 8, and displacement of the bar 7 thus results in simultaneous displacement of the displacement plates 2,2′ and the wheels 3,4 provided on said plates 2,2′. The displacement of the bar 7 is achieved by means of a lever arm 9 configured to exert a force activated by a displacement motor 20, thereby moving the bar 7 vertically. The bar 7 is arranged and guided within guiding slots 1 1 having a width being slightly larger than the diameter of the bar 7 and a length being equal or slightly longer than the total displacement length. The end of the lever arm 9 is mounted on a rotatable bolt 12 situated at one lateral side of the bar, thus defining a fulcrum 12.
The displacement motor 10 functions as the rotational mechanism of the lever arm 9, and is situated at the opposite lateral side of the bar 7 relative to the fulcrum 12. The displacement motor 10 is thus connected to a lever arm wheel 14, and a locking arm 15 is arranged at one end to the lever arm wheel 14 and attached in the other end to the end of the lever arm 9 opposite to the fulcrum 12. The locking arm 15 is configured to at least partly enclose the lever arm wheel 14 when the lever arm 9 is rotated into its raised position, i.e. a position where the bar 7 has been pushed up to its uppermost position; thereby blocking any vertical movements of the lever arm 9 that is not caused by controlled operation of the displacement motor 10.
The rail system 108 may be a single track system, as is shown in FIG. 2A. Alternatively, the rail system 108 may be a double track system, as is shown in FIG. 2B, thus allowing a container handling vehicle 201 having a footprint 202,202′ generally corresponding to the lateral area defined by a grid column 112 to travel along a row of grid columns even if another container handling vehicle 200 is positioned above a grid column neighboring that row. Both the single and double track system, or a combination comprising a single and double track arrangement in a single rail system 108, forms a grid pattern in the horizontal plane P comprising a plurality of rectangular and uniform grid locations or grid cells 122, where each grid cell 122 comprises a grid opening 115 being delimited by a pair of rails 1 10a, 110b of the first rails 110 and a pair of rails 11 1a,111b of the second set of rails 11 1. In FIG. 2B the grid cell 122 is indicated by a dashed box.
Consequently, rails 110a and 110b form pairs of neighboring rails defining parallel rows of grid cells running in the X direction, and rails 11 1a and 11 1b form pairs of neighboring rails defining parallel rows of grid cells running in the Y direction.
As shown in FIG. 2C, each grid cell 122 has a width Wc which is typically within the interval of 30 to 150 cm, and a length Lc which is typically within the interval of 50 to 200 cm. Each grid opening 115 has a width Wo and a length Lo which is typically 2 to 10 cm less than the width Wc and the length Lc of the grid cell 122.
In the X and Y directions, neighboring grid cells 122 are arranged in contact with each other such that there is no space there-between.
In a storage grid 104, a majority of the grid columns are storage columns 105, i.e. grid columns 105 where storage containers 106 are stored in stacks 107. However, a grid 104 normally has at least one grid column which is used not for storing storage containers 106, but which comprises a location where the container handling vehicles 200,300 can drop off and/or pick up storage containers 106 so that they can be transported to a second location (not shown) where the storage containers 106 can be accessed from outside of the grid 104 or transferred out of or into the grid 104. Within the art, such a location is normally referred to as a "port" and the grid column in which the port is located may be referred to as a "delivery column" 1 19,120. The drop-off and pick-up ports of the container handling vehicles are referred to as the "upper ports of a delivery column" 1 19,120. While the opposite end of the delivery column is referred to as the "lower ports of a delivery column".
The storage grids 104 in FIGS. 1A and 1C comprise two delivery columns 119 and 120. The first delivery column 119 may for example comprise a dedicated drop-off port where the container handling vehicles 200,300 can drop off storage containers 106 to be transported through the delivery column 119 and further to an access or a transfer station (not shown), and the second delivery column 120 may comprise a dedicated pick-up port where the container handling vehicles 200,300 can pick up storage containers 106 that have been transported through the delivery column 120 from an access or a transfer station (not shown). Each of the ports of the first and second delivery column 119,120 may comprise a port suitable for both pick up and drop of storage containers 106.
The second location may typically be a picking or a stocking station where product items are removed from or positioned into the storage containers 106. In a picking or a stocking station, the storage containers 106 are normally never removed from the automated storage and retrieval system 1, but are returned into the storage grid 104 once accessed. For transfer of storage containers out or into the storage grid 104, there are also lower ports provided in a delivery column, such lower ports are e.g. for transferring storage containers 106 to another storage facility (e.g. to another storage grid), directly to a transport vehicle (e.g. a train or a lorry), or to a production facility.
For monitoring and controlling the automated storage and retrieval system 1 (e.g. monitoring and controlling the location of respective storage containers 106 within the storage grid 104; the content of each storage container 106; and the movement of the container handling vehicles 200,300 so that a desired storage container 106 can be delivered to the desired location at the desired time without the container handling vehicles 200,300 colliding with each other), the automated storage and retrieval system 1 comprises a control system (not shown) which typically is computerized and which typically comprises a database for keeping track of the storage containers 106.
A conveyor system comprising conveyors may be employed to transport the storage containers between the lower port of the delivery column 119,120 and the access station.
If the lower port of the delivery column 119,120 and the access station are located at different levels, the conveyor system may comprise a lift device for transporting the storage containers 106 vertically between the port and the access station.
The conveyor system may be arranged to transfer storage containers between different grids, e.g., as is described in WO2014/075937A1, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
Further, WO2016/198467A1, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference, disclose an example of a prior art access system having conveyor belts (FIGS. 5a and 5b in WO2016/198467A1) and a frame mounted rail (FIGS. 6a and 6b in WO2016/198467A1) for transporting storage containers between delivery columns and work stations where operators can access the storage containers.
When a storage container 106 stored in the grid 104 disclosed in FIG. 1A is to be accessed, one of the container handling vehicles 200,300 is instructed to retrieve the target storage container 106 from its position in the grid 104 and to transport it to or through the delivery column 119. This operation involves moving the container handling vehicle 200,300 to a grid location above the storage column 105 in which the target storage container 106 is positioned, retrieving the storage container 106 from the storage column 105 using the container handling vehicle's lifting device (not shown), and transporting the storage container 106 to the delivery column 119. If the target storage container 106 is located deep within a stack 107, i.e. with one or a plurality of other storage containers positioned above the target storage container 106, the operation also involves temporarily moving the above-positioned storage containers prior to lifting the target storage container 106 from the storage column 105. This step, which is sometimes referred to as "digging" within the art, may be performed with the same container handling vehicle 200,300 that is subsequently used for transporting the target storage container 106 to the delivery column, or with one or a plurality of other cooperating container handling vehicles 200,300. Alternatively, or in addition, the automated storage and retrieval system 1 may have container handling vehicles 200,300 specifically dedicated to the task of temporarily removing storage containers 106 from a storage column 105. Once the target storage container 106 has been removed from the storage column 105, the temporarily removed storage containers can be repositioned into the original storage column 105. However, the removed storage containers may alternatively be relocated to other storage columns 105.
When a storage container 106 is to be stored in the grid 104, one of the container handling vehicles 200,300 is instructed to pick up the storage container 106 from the delivery column 120 and to transport it to a grid location above the storage column 105 where it is to be stored. After any storage containers positioned at or above the target position within the storage column stack 107 have been removed, the container handling vehicle 200,300 positions the storage container 106 at the desired position. The removed storage containers may then be lowered back into the storage column 105, or relocated to other storage columns 105.
A problem with the prior art displacement mechanism illustrated in FIG. 3 is that the slots 11 are slightly larger than the displaceable bar 7, there is therefore a small swinging movement at the top of the displacement plates 2, rendering the movement of these slightly unstable. Furthermore, the displaceable bar 7 requires space to be moved up and down, which leaves less space for other components in the upper part of the vehicle. Yet another problem is that the locking solution in FIG. 3 is unreliable and complicated.
In view of the above, it is desirable to provide a displacement mechanism that solves or at least mitigates one or more of the aforementioned problems related to the use of prior art displacement mechanisms.

Displacement mechanism for a remotely operated vehicle


The invention relates to a method of MR imaging of at least a portion of a body (110) of a patient placed in an examination volume of a MR device, the method comprising the steps of:—subjecting the portion of the body (110) to an imaging sequence comprising at least one RF pulse, the RF pulse being transmitted toward the portion of the body (110) via a RF coil arrangement (109) to which RF signals are supplied by two or more RF power amplifiers the RF power amplifiers being activated alternately during the imaging sequence in a time-multiplexed fashion, wherein the imaging sequence requires a RF duty cycle and/or a RF pulse duration exceeding the specification of at least one of the RF power amplifiers;—acquiring MR signals from the portion of the body (110); and—reconstructing a MR image from the acquired MR signals. Moreover, the invention relates to a method of MR spectroscopy involving the alternating use of RF power amplifiers in a time-multiplexed fashion.

Image-forming MR methods which utilize the interaction between magnetic fields and nuclear spins in order to form two-dimensional or three-dimensional images are widely used nowadays, notably in the field of medical diagnostics, because for the imaging of soft tissue they are superior to other imaging methods in many respects, do not require ionizing radiation and are usually not invasive.
According to the MR method in general, the body of the patient to be examined is arranged in a strong, uniform magnetic field whose direction at the same time defines an axis (normally the z-axis) of the co-ordinate system on which the measurement is based. The magnetic field produces different energy levels for the individual nuclear spins in dependence on the magnetic field strength which can be excited (spin resonance) by application of an electromagnetic alternating field (RF field) of defined frequency (so-called Larmor frequency, or MR frequency). From a macroscopic point of view, the distribution of the individual nuclear spins produces an overall magnetization which can be deflected out of the state of equilibrium by application of an electromagnetic pulse of appropriate frequency (RF pulse) while the magnetic field of the RF pulse extends perpendicular to the z-axis, so that the magnetization performs a precession about the z-axis. This motion of the magnetization describes a surface of a cone whose angle of aperture is referred to as flip angle. The magnitude of the flip angle is dependent on the strength and the duration of the applied electromagnetic pulse. In the case of a so-called 90° pulse, the spins are deflected from the z axis to the transverse plane (flip angle 90°). The RF pulse is radiated toward the body of the patient via a RF coil arrangement of the MR device. The RF coil arrangement typically surrounds the examination volume in which the body of the patient is placed.
After termination of the RF pulse, the magnetization relaxes back to the original state of equilibrium, in which the magnetization in the z direction is built up again with a first time constant T1 (spin lattice or longitudinal relaxation time), and the magnetization in the direction perpendicular to the z direction relaxes with a second time constant T2 (spin-spin or transverse relaxation time). The variation of the magnetization can be detected by means of receiving RF coils which are arranged and oriented within the examination volume of the MR device in such a manner that the variation of the magnetization is measured in the direction perpendicular to the z-axis. The decay of the transverse magnetization is accompanied, after application of, for example, a 90° pulse, by a transition of the nuclear spins (induced by local magnetic field inhomogeneities) from an ordered state with the same phase to a state in which all phase angles are uniformly distributed (dephasing). The dephasing can be compensated by means of a refocusing pulse (for example a 180° pulse). This produces an echo signal (spin echo) in the receiving coils.
In order to realize spatial resolution in the body, linear magnetic field gradients extending along the three main axes are superposed on the uniform magnetic field, leading to a linear spatial dependency of the spin resonance frequency. The signal picked up in the receiving coils then contains components of different frequencies which can be associated with different locations in the body. The signal data obtained via the receiving coils corresponds to the spatial frequency domain and is called k-space data. The k-space data usually includes multiple lines acquired with different phase encoding. Each line is digitized by collecting a number of samples. A set of k-space data is converted to a MR image by means of Fourier transformation.
In some medical applications, the difference in MR signal intensity from standard MR protocols, i.e. the contrast, between different tissues might not be sufficient to obtain satisfactory clinical information. In this case, contrast enhancing techniques are applied, which rely for example on advanced MR sequences or on MR contrast agents, like paramagnetic agents (Gd-DTPA/DOTA), or combinations of both. In a number of important MR applications with or without using contrast agents, advanced contrast enhancing MR sequences are favorable, which employ long RF pulses or quasi continuous-wave RF transmission for e.g. saturation transfer, hetero- or homonuclear polarization transfer, proton decoupling or spin locking.
A particularly promising approach for contrast enhancement and increase of MR detection sensitivity (by orders of magnitude) is the known method based on 'Chemical Exchange Saturation Transfer' (CEST), as initially described by Balaban et al. (see e.g. U.S. Pat. No. 6,962,769 B1). With this CEST technique, the image contrast is obtained by altering the intensity of the water proton signal in the presence of a contrast agent with a fast-relaxing proton pool resonating at a slightly different frequency than the main water resonance. This is achieved by selectively saturating the nuclear magnetization of the pool of exchangeable protons which resonate at a frequency different from the water proton resonance. Exchangeable protons can be provided by exogenous CEST contrast agents (e.g. DIACEST, PARACEST or LIPOCEST agents), but can also be found in biological tissue (e.g. endogenous amide protons in proteins and peptides or protons in glucose, not covered in the original Balaban method). A frequency-selective saturation RF pulse that is matched to the MR frequency of the exchangeable protons is used for this purpose. The saturation of the MR signal of the exchangeable protons is subsequently transferred to the MR signal of nearby water protons within the body of the examined patient by (chemical or physical) exchange with the water protons, thereby decreasing the water proton MR signal. The selective saturation at the MR frequency of the exchangeable protons thus gives rise to a negative contrast in a proton-density weighted MR image. Amide proton transfer (APT) MR imaging of endogenous exchangeable protons allows highly sensitive and specific detection of pathological processes on a molecular level, like increased protein concentrations in malignant tumor tissue. The APT signal is also sensitively reporting on locally altered pH levels—because the exchange rate is pH dependent—which can be e.g. used to characterize ischemic stroke. CEST contrast agents have several important advantages over T1- and T2-based MR contrast agents. CEST contrast agents allow for multiplexing by using a single compound or a mixture of compounds bearing exchangeable protons that can be addressed separately in a multi-frequency CEST MR examination. This is of particular interest for molecular imaging, where multiple biomarkers may be associated with several unique CEST frequencies. Moreover, the MR contrast in APT/CEST MR imaging can be turned on and off at will by means of the selective saturation RF pulse. Adjustable contrast enhancement is highly advantageous in many applications, for example when the selective uptake of the contrast agent in the diseased tissue in examined body is slow.
A problem of all known APT/CEST MR imaging techniques is that the selective saturation prior to the actual acquisition of image data takes a comparably long time. The build-up of the saturation of the exchangeable protons is a relatively slow process (the characteristic timescale is on the order of one second). Consequently, the desirable saturation period for APT/CEST measurements is typically 2-5 seconds. Then, immediately following the saturation period, a (slice-selective) excitation RF pulse is usually applied for generation of the bulk water MR signal and one or more MR signals are recorded, for example as gradient echoes or spin echoes. The acquisition of individual MR signals used for imaging takes typically only several milliseconds up to a few hundred milliseconds, wherein the full k-space is acquired as a set of these short signal acquisitions.
Since the APT/CEST technique is based on narrow-band off-resonance RF saturation of the exchangeable proton pool, significant average RF power, ideally a continuous-wave RF irradiation or RF pulse trains with high duty cycle, are required during several seconds prior to the actual MR signal acquisition. When implemented on MR imaging systems which are in clinical use at present, the APT/CEST detection sensitivity is disadvantageously suboptimal due to the hardware constraints of the standard RF power amplifiers commonly used in those systems. Such standard RF power amplifiers are designed to deliver high-power short RF pulses for imaging applications, wherein the maximum length of the RF pulses as well as the RF duty cycle are limited because of the heat dissipation within the electronics of the RF power amplifier. A typical solid-state RF power amplifier of MR imaging devices allows up to 250 ms of RF pulse duration with a RF duty cycle of 50%. This is not suitable for effective APT/CEST MR imaging which actually requires continuous-wave RF irradiation or pulse trains with a RF duty cycle of 70 to 100% over a time interval of 2-5 seconds for obtaining sufficient saturation of the proton magnetization, albeit at a lower RF power than required for the short RF pulses used for MR image-acquisition. Presently, saturation sequences are applied on clinical MR imaging systems with short RF saturation pulses of up to 800 ms only, as a result of the mentioned hardware constraints. This disadvantageously leads to a substantially reduced APT/CEST signal as compared to the CEST signal that could be obtained with optimal saturation.
A further disadvantage of the saturation sequences conventionally applied in APT/CEST MR imaging is that the ability to quantify the CEST effect may be compromised due to a spatially inhomogeneous saturation effect of the saturation RF pulse. A reason could be an imperfect homogeneity of the spatial distribution of the RF magnetic field (B1) during saturation. This is particularly a problem at high static magnetic field strength of 3 Tesla or more. The inhomogeneity of the B1-field results in non-linear distortions of the CEST signal intensity. A quantitative analysis of the CEST effect, which would be desirable for various applications, is difficult to achieve under such conditions.
Finally, it has to be mentioned that APT/CEST MR imaging is particularly constrained by the safety regulations for heat deposition (SAR) in the tissue of the examined patient because the long and powerful RF irradiation during saturation results in a considerable SAR contribution.

Magnetic resonance using quazi-continuous RF irradiation


A process eliminates pattern shifting artifacts in a printed image by perturbing a threshold/image signal value relationship when a multi-level grey level is binarized. The process utilizes a programmable multi-level grey signal modifying circuit for modifying the multi-level grey signal by a predetermined value according to its grey level. The modified multi-level grey signal is binarized to a binary pixel signal according to a relationship between the modified multi-level grey signal and a threshold value. The process further generates an error corresponding to the relationship and diffuses the error to neighboring pixels. The multi-level grey signal is modified with either random noise multiplied by a grey level dependent coefficient or by a predetermined value from a checkerboard or vertical line pattern. The value from the pattern is dependent upon the grey level and pixel location of the image data.

There are many methods of rendering grey images on an output device. One such example is error diffusion. Error diffusion can render complex images that contain a mixture of text and picture reasonably well. The utilization of error diffusion eliminates the need to have image segmentation to separate the text from the picture so that the picture aspect of the document can be screened and the text aspect of the document can be threshold.
FIG. 1 illustrates a typical error diffusion binarization circuit. In FIG. 1, a modified video signal is fed to a comparator 1 which compares the modified video signal to a threshold value. The comparator 1 outputs a logic one when the modified video signal has a value greater than or equal to the threshold value and outputs a logic zero when the modified video signal has a value less than the threshold value. Depending on whether the rendering device connected to this error diffusion binarization circuit is a write white system or a write black system, the logic value of the output from the comparator 1 will cause the rendering device to produce a pixel or not.
In addition to producing the binary value for the rendering device, the comparator 1 produces an error value. The error value is the modified video signal value when the modified video signal has a value less than the threshold value, or the error value is equal to the modified video signal value minus the maximum video value when the modified video signal has a value greater than or equal to the threshold value. The error is diffused to downstream pixels, the next pixel in the same scanline and pixels in the next scanline. This error is then accumulated for each pixel such that when a particular pixel is to be processed by the error diffusion binarization circuit, the accumulated error value for the particular pixel is added to the incoming video signal corresponding to the particular pixel to produce the modified video signal being fed into comparator 1.
One problem associated with the utilization of error diffusion in rendering an image on a document is the occurrence of periodically repeating patterns. These patterns occur most notably at the grey levels of 85, 128, and 170 when an 8 bit data word is utilized to represent the grey level of the image data. For example, when the grey level input is 128, the binarized image can alternate between a checkerboard pattern and a vertical line pattern. Depending on the printer spot size and the grey level at which the spot was mapped, the vertical line pattern can appear lighter than the checkered board pattern, thereby producing a undesired artifact.
The idea of dithering or adding threshold perturbations to defeat visual artifacts of a regular and deterministic nature has been utilized in the prior art. For example, in the article "Digital Halftoning" by Robert Ulichney, it was proposed to add random noise, across the entire image, to the elements of the error weights or to the threshold to defeat the visual artifacts discussed above However, by adding noise to all parts of an image tends to degrade the image and will also destroy the dot pattern established in the highlight and shadow areas.
Therefore, it is desirable to perturb only the threshold in those areas where the occurrence of periodically repeating patterns are distracting. More specifically, it is desirable to eliminate pattern shifting artifacts by making one of the patterns much less likely to occur. On the other hand, it is desirable to mask this artifact by making the transitions between the patterns happen more frequently, thereby breaking up the regular patterns.

Error diffusion pattern shifting reduction through programmable threshold perturbation


The present invention relates to golf ball components and golf balls comprising high levels of pre-vulcanized or pre-crosslinked materials, as well as methods of making same. The pre-vulcanized or pre-crosslinked materials are typically thermoset materials that are fragmented or ground into a powder, exposed to high pressure, high temperature sintering (“HPHTS”) and molded into the desired shape.

Golf balls typically contain materials that can be difficult to recycle. In particular, golf balls contain thermoset materials which, like rubber in tires, do not degrade and pose serious threats to the environment. In 1844, Charles Goodyear obtained U.S. Pat. No. 3,633 directed to sulfur vulcanization and further stated that "[n]o degree of heat, without blaze can melt it . . . It resists the most powerful chemical reagents." Although Goodyear's sulfur vulcanization provided a significant breakthrough to the industrial revolution, he also created one of the most difficult materials to recycle. There have been many efforts to develop methods of recycling and reclaiming rubber, especially in view of the increasing amount of scrap rubber produced by items, such as tires.
However, there is no method to date that utilize high levels of pre-vulcanized materials in golf balls. Thus, a need exists to produce golf ball components with material properties modified by the use of high levels of pre-vulcanized materials.

Method of manufacturing a golf ball having one or more layers


A system authenticates an original hardcopy document using a digital signature generation system and a digital signature verification system. Initially, the original hardcopy document is scanned to provide a bitmap image to the signature generation system. The bitmap image is highly compressed by the signature generation system using compression schemes such as MPEG (for gray images) or a low-fidelity symbol based compression scheme (for bi-level images). A signed hardcopy document is then printed that includes the bitmap image and an authentication token. The authentication token is encoded in the signed hardcopy document using either serpentine halftone patterns or data glyphs. The authenticity of the signed hardcopy document is verified by inputting a scanned bitmap image of the signed hardcopy document into the signature verification system. Once received, the signature verification system decodes, authenticates, and decompresses the bitmap image to define decompressed image data. The decompressed image data is then output to a display or printer and compared with the signed hardcopy document to determine whether it is authentic.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to using electronic methods to process hardcopy documents, and more particularly, to a system that uses digital methods for authenticating hardcopy documents.
2. Description of Related Art
The use of public-key cryptography to authenticate (i.e., verify the integrity of) digital data by a recipient is well known. For example, the Digital Signature Standard (DSS), a proposed Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS), provides a Digital Signature Algorithm (DSA) for digital signature generation and verification. (Details of the DSA are available on the Internet at http://www.itl.nist.gov/div897/pubs/fip186.htm (FIS PUB 186), which is hereby incorporated by reference.) Typically, the DSA and other forms of digital signatures make use of public and private keys. Public keys are assumed to be known to the public whereas private keys are never shared between users. Digital signatures are generated using private keys and verified using a corresponding public key to authenticate, or verify the integrity of, a digital document.
Public-key cryptography has proven to function well for applications that can assure that the sender and the recipient have identical (i.e., digitally identical) message data. In operation, such digital signature algorithms utilize a secure hash function to generate a condensed version of digital message data. In practice, making the hash function one-way or irreversible maximizes the security of a hash function. Once condensed, the message data is signed using the sender's secret key to generate a digital signature. Upon receipt of the digital signature and the digital message data, the recipient utilizes the same hash function to regenerate the condensed version of the message data. This condensed version of the message data is then verified using the signature and the sender's public key.
However, once message data between the sender and recipient is no longer digitally identical then public-key cryptography is no longer practical for providing the verification of digital signatures. In one instance, message data passed between sender and recipient may fail to be digitally identical when the data being passed is analog data. Analog data is defined herein as data that may not have reduced quality when reproduced at the recipient and the sender, however, the digital reproductions may not be identical. In general, applications that pass between sender and recipient message data that is not digitally identical are not well suited for public-key cryptography.
Another instance where public-key cryptography fails to operate as intended is when a document needs to be further processed after the digital signature is computed. For example, further processing of a document may require conversion to a different resolution, or further lossy compression. If the resolution conversion or lossy compression applied to a document is non-reversible, then the signature will not apply to the processed image because the further processing makes the original document and the further processed document no longer digitally identical.
A further instance where public-key cryptography fails to operate as intended is for the digital signature verification of hardcopy documents (e.g., paper, and transparency). In this instance, scanned reproductions of the sender hardcopy document and the recipient hardcopy document are not digitally identical because document scanners have the property of being unable to reproduce a digital scan of a hardcopy document even if the same scanner is used repeatedly.
In view of forgoing limitations of public-key cryptography, it would be desirable to provide a system that can be used to authenticate (i.e., verify the integrity of) hardcopy documents. Such a system would advantageously be used to detect changes between a hardcopy document delivered by a sender to a recipient without requiring repeatable digital reproductions of the hardcopy document.

System for authenticating hardcopy documents


A virtual structured information system or a virtual database is developed and presented in the framework of an information theory for multiple source information systems such as databases. A virtual tree structure is built from virtual nodes in main memory which contain no raw data. The virtual nodes and virtual trees provide general non-data virtual structure, like cross-table nodes, for systematic information manipulations such as on-line analytical processing in a structured information system.

As set forth in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,245,337, 5,293,164, and 5,592,667, a multi-dimensional approach has been developed for transforming an unstructured information system into a structured information system. This approach addresses the unique properties of multiple information source systems, including database systems, from an information point of view. In particular, this new methodology attempts to unify the two fields of information theory and database by combining the encoding compression theory and the database theory for general data manipulations into a general information manipulation theory with respect to multi-dimensional information space.
Broadly, multiple information sources are described by different information variables, each corresponding to one information source or information stream. Information manipulations are primarily index manipulations which are, in general, more efficient than non-index manipulations of the same number. The only non-index manipulations are carried out at leaf nodes where unique data values are stored. Therefore, the non-index manipulations are minimized. As a further aspect of this approach, a structured information system or database is built by taking into account information relations between different sets of data in the database. Such relations between neighboring nodes are easily analyzed and presented on-line because they are built into the structure. Relations between nodes that are not neighbors are not explicitly built into the existing structure. On-line analysis on these relations requires efficient information manipulations in main memory.
However, only a limited amount of such statistical information is explicitly built into the structured database information system. For example, information about double patterns made up of two leaf nodes of single patterns is easily shown in the case of two neighboring leaf nodes which have a common parent node of double patterns in an existing tree structure. Analyzing pattern statistics between any two leaf nodes that do not have a common double-pattern parent node in the existing tree structure could be difficult because the statistics is not explicitly stored at any node in the existing structure. Such analysis would be greatly simplified if one could build a double-pattern node in main memory, that has the exact same properties as if it were built from the raw data. In order to build this node efficiently, no data values should be involved, that is, using only manipulations of the memory tokens.


A volume measurement apparatus is for a storage container and has an elongated member having a measurement scale marked thereon and an attachment mechanism configured to attach the elongated member onto a storage container. The storage container is capable of holding a liquid or granular substance. The volume measurement apparatus further has an adjustment mechanism configured such that a position and orientation of the elongated member can be adjusted relative to the storage container to align a minimum or maximum capacity marker on the measurement scale with a topmost level of the substance held in the storage container. The measurement scale is adapted such that it can be used to measure a volume of the substance held in the storage container.

Containers of various forms are used in industry for storing and transporting materials and substances. In the agricultural industry, for example, large reusable containers known as intermediate bulk containers (IBCs) are used for the transportation and storage of chemicals, solvents and agricultural products in liquid and granular form.
Intermediate bulk containers typically consist of a rectangular-shaped storage vessel made of a semi-translucent plastic material, such as polyethylene, which holds a substance to be stored or transported. The storage vessel is housed inside a galvanized iron supporting cage which, when being transported, is placed on top of a wooden pallet. The supporting cage provides structural rigidity and protects the storage vessel from impacts when the container is being moved by, for example, forklift truck or pallet jack. The supporting cage also enables multiple containers to be stacked vertically on top of one another for increasing aggregate storage capacity.
To allow the volume of liquid, or other substance, contained in the intermediate bulk container to be measured, the container's storage vessel has one or more measurement scales marked on the surfaces of its internal and/or external side walls. An operator of the container measures the volume by comparing the level of the top surface of the liquid or substance with the scale through the semi-translucent walls of the storage vessel.
Accurate measurements can only be taken using these marked scales if the container is resting on an even surface at an angle that is perpendicular to the ground. Further, these scales have a fixed resolution only which makes them inflexible in use. The resolution may be too low to provide the level of accuracy that is required. Equally, in some cases, the resolution marked on the storage vessel may be too high, meaning that significant time is required to take each reading, which is impractical. Marked scales can be inaccurate or vague or become illegible as a result of erosion or staining through prolonged use.
It is, therefore, common to decant or transfer a liquid or substance stored in an intermediate bulk container into a separate container of known dimensions, or that has a marked measurement scale of sufficient resolution and accuracy, in order to take volume measurements. Double handling of the substances in this manner, however, wastes time and can increase operator exposure to harmful chemicals.
It is, therefore, also known to use separate automated volume measurement devices. These include automated level sensors utilising floatation devices or electrical conduction sensors and electronic flow meters. These devices and methods are, however, difficult to operate and require frequent re-calibration. They are also expensive and suffer from some of the same shortfalls of conventional manual measurement methods as mentioned above.
The present invention attempts to overcome, at least in part, the aforementioned disadvantages of previous volume measurement devices and methods.