Discharge lamp electronic ballast includes DC-DC converter circuit for converting voltage of DC power supply to output DC power, inverter circuit for converting DC power into AC power to supply it to discharge lamp, output feedback control circuit for controlling DC-DC converter circuit, and inverter driving signal generator circuit for controlling inverter circuit. Ballast includes microcomputer having voltage detecting function for detecting voltage value of DC power supply, and ballast temperature detector circuit for detecting temperature of ballast. Microcomputer sets first time based on voltage value of DC power supply and detection result of ballast temperature detector circuit, and reduces power supplied to the discharge lamp if first time elapses from time point when lamp is started, thereby supplying lamp with power for stable operation.

Conventionally, there is provided a discharge lamp electronic ballast configured to convert DC power (direct-current power) from a DC power supply into AC power (alternating-current power) to power an HID lamp (a high intensity discharge lamp) or the like, i.e., supply the AC power thereto.
HID lamps such as metal-halide lamps with high luminous flux are used for vehicles. In mainly used conventional lamps, mercury is enclosed in such a lamp in order to start the lamp to increase its luminous flux and stabilize the lamp so that a voltage across electrodes of the lamp is set to be rather high. A lamp in which mercury is enclosed is called a D1 or D2 lamp in general, and the D1 lamp has an igniter which is built in the lamp and configured to generate ignition trigger pulses, whereas there is a mercury-free lamp made to replace mercury with other halogen compound from the point of view of an environmental problem, and the market is now expected to expand. The mercury-free lamp is called a D3 or D4 lamp, and the D3 lamp has an igniter which is built in the lamp and configured to generate ignition trigger pulses.
For example, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2002-216989 A discloses discharge lamp electronic ballast configured to output a power command larger than a maximum power limit for several second from a point in time when a discharge lamp is lit, and to output a power command corresponding a rated output after several tens of seconds. In this ballast, the maximum power limit is adjusted in response to a temperature detection value from a temperature detector, thereby suppressing the increase of an internal temperature of the ballast.
In an HID lamp for vehicle, there is a problem of increase of the electricity capacity due to a ballast, wiring or the like, and generation of heat, because if the mercury evaporates, a lamp voltage decreases (e.g., from 85V to 42V) and a lamp current needs to be increased in general. In addition, if the discharge lamp electronic ballast is miniaturized, the temperature of the ballast increases, and accordingly the output to the lamp needs to be decreased, but an excessive decrease of the output may cause lamp flicker, and lamp going out during operation (hereinafter referred to as a "lamp-out").

Discharge lamp electronic ballast luminaire and vehicle with same

Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.


A moist non-rewetted particulate material obtained from an extract of e.g. coffee by drying, is subjected to a heat treatment being carried out without affecting the moisture content of the particulate material at a combination of temperature and time being adequate for effecting fusion so as to form a compact cake-like structure, which is disintegrated into granular material before drying to final moisture content, whereby fines may be separated without being subjected to final drying, and recirculated in the process. Hereby a product having an appearance similar to and a quality comparable to or better than that of freeze dried coffee can be obtained in a less expensive manner.

The present invention relates to a process for the preparation of a water soluble coffee or tea product from a non-rewetted particulate material obtained from an extract by drying.
Different processes are known for drying of extracts of coffee or tea so as to obtain a particulate material. Spray drying and freeze drying are examples of such processes. Also combined spray drying and belt drying processes, e.g. processes of the type known under the trademark FILTERMAT(copyright) (Niro) may be selected out for mentioning.
Furthermore different processes for agglomeration of the obtained particulate material have been devised, such as different rewet-agglomeration processes, e.g. the process described in applicant""s international patent application No. PCT/DK00/00009.
Thus it is known to spray dry a coffee extract in a spray drying plant so as to achieve a product, which is subsequently agglomerated e.g. by a rewet-agglomeration process as mentioned above.
Spray drying of a coffee extract in a combined spray and belt dryer of the FILTERMAT(copyright) type has been disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,351,849. By this process a comparatively wet product is collected as a mat on a gas-permeable conveyor belt on which it is dried to final moisture content and cooled in sections immediately following the spray drying section before it is comminuted to agglomerates of desired size.
The appearance of the products obtained by the above two kinds of processes differ from each other and from that of a freeze dried product. The quality of the products obtained by each of the processes depends on the process details.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a process for the preparation of a coffee product having an appearance similar to that of freeze dried coffee and a quality, particularly a taste, being comparable to or better than that of freeze dried coffee, which process may be carried out in a process line being less expensive than a freeze drying line.
It is a further object to provide a process which can be carried out using a non-rewetted particulate material as starting material.
The above objects are achieved by the process according to the invention. However it should be noticed that the process according to the invention is not limited to the preparation of coffee products; it is also applicable to the preparation of tea products, including herbal teas and the like and mixtures of different teas. Furthermore, the expression coffee products should be understood so as to include both coffee and mixtures of coffee with coffee substitutes and the like.
For the sake of simplicity, the invention will be explained with particular reference to coffee.
Extensive experiments carried out by the inventors have shown that a certain combination of features is essential for achieving the above objects.
As starting material for the process according to the invention a non-rewetted particulate material obtained from an extract by drying is used. This particulate material should have a moisture content which is higher than the moisture content desired in the final product. Thus the starting material has not as yet been dried to final moisture content. Contrary to rewet-agglomeration processes where only a moistening of the surface layer of the particles is aimed at, the moisture content should be substantially uniform. The particles having a substantially uniform moisture content which is higher than the moisture content desired in the final product should be subjected to a heat treatment which is carried out essentially without affecting the moisture content of the particulate material. When they are subjected to the heat treatment, the particles should be present as a layer, and the heat treatment should be carried out at a combination of temperature and time being adequate for effecting fusion so as to convert the layer of particles into a compact cake-like structure. Finally the resulting cake-like structure should be disintegrated into granular material before the final drying is carried out. By this feature two advantages are obtained, one being that the final drying can be carried out more efficiently on a granular material than on a cake, and the other being that off-size particles may be separated and recirculated in the process without becoming subjected to more than one xe2x80x9cfinal dryingxe2x80x9d and any consequential damage to the product quality. As furthermore a non-rewetted particulate material is used as starting material, it will be appreciated that a very lenient process is at issue.
From EP 0 373 697 B1 a process is known, wherein a granular beverage material is formed from a powdered extract of the beverage by sintering a powdered extract, which is already essentially dry, in an environment not being open to air, so as to form an agglomerate in which the particles of the starting material have been brought in a point-to-point contact so that they are bridged to one another without loosing their identity as a particle followed by granulation of the agglomerate. It is mentioned as essential that water vapour inherent in the powdered extract is retained during the sintering step. In line with the fact that the starting material is essentially dry, no subsequent drying of the obtained granulate is carried out. Thus, the condition of the material subjected to the sintering according to EP 0 373 697 B1 differs substantially from that of the material subjected to the heat treatment according to the invention, and the product obtained by the process according to EP 0 373 697 B1 has a much more loose structure than the product obtained by the process according to the invention, which has been confirmed by the present applicant by reproducing Example 1 of EP 0 373 697 B1.
Accordingly, the present invention provides a process for the preparation of a water soluble coffee or tea product from a non-rewetted particulate material obtained from an extract by drying, which comprises subjecting a layer of particulate material having a substantially uniform moisture content which is higher than the moisture content desired in the final product to a heat treatment, the heat treatment being carried out essentially without affecting the moisture content of the particulate material at a combination of temperature and time being adequate for effecting fusion so as to form a compact cake-like structure, disintegrating the cake-like structure into granular material after cooling as necessary, and subjecting the granular material to final drying, optionally after separation of off-size particles.
The particulate material having a substantially uniform moisture content which is higher than the moisture content desired in the final product may be obtained in a simple manner, viz. by interrupting the drying process before the moisture content desired in the final product has been reached. This procedure gives the additional advantage that the energy other-wise needed for final drying at this stage, is saved. Furthermore any loss of flavour during a final drying at this stage is avoided.
In a presently preferred embodiment, the particulate material is obtained from a combined spray drying and belt drying process, particularly a process of the type known under the trademark FILTERMAT(copyright). It may also be obtained from other drying processes such as a spray drying process, e.g. using a spray dryer/fluid bed combination. However processes of the FILTERMAT(copyright) type are particularly suited for providing a starting material of adequate moisture content giving a very lenient drying due to the possibility of operating this process with a drying gas outlet temperature as low as 50-60xc2x0 C.
The moisture content of the particulate material subjected to the heat treatment will typically be in the range from 4-12%, particularly in the range from 5-11% and preferably in the range from 6-10% by weight. Furthermore, the moisture content of the particulate material subjected to the heat treatment will typically be 1-10% and particularly 3-8% by weight (abs.) higher than the moisture content of the final product.
As mentioned above, the heat treatment should be carried out essentially without affecting the moisture content of the particulate material.
This requirement can be fulfilled by carrying out the heat treatment in an environment substantially in moisture equilibrium with the particulate material, such as an essentially closed or conditioned chamber.
In a presently preferred embodiment, the layer of particulate material is confined between opposed barriers when the heat treatment is carried out.
The barriers are preferably essentially non-pervious to gasses, whereby they will be able to create an essentially closed chamber by covering the major surfaces of the layer of particulate material.
In a further presently preferred embodiment, the opposed barriers are defined by or comprise an endless belt, which may be used in moving the layer to be subjected to the heat treatment. The belt is preferably made from a heat resistant polymer material, which may optionally be coated so as to improve the release property, e.g. as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,951,895 (Formcook AB), the content of which is incorporated herein by reference.
In addition to or as an alternative to being supported on an endless belt during the heat treatment, the particulate material may be supported on an array of trays whereby the compact cake-like structure would be divided in smaller units. A similar effect could be achieved by providing the endless belt with some sort of partitioning walls, e.g. lamellae extending transversal to the direction of movement or in some other direction(s). Such subdivision of the cake-like structure may facilitate the subsequent disintegration into granular material.
However, as a certain compression of the layer during the heat treatment has been found to further the heat transfer and the formation of a cake of adequate structure, the use of endless belts without partitioning walls is generally preferred. Also, the two belts may be slightly converging in the direction of movement.
When the layer is compressed during the heat treatment, it will generally be compressed to 65-90% and particularly 70-85% of the initial thickness.
As an alternative to using barriers which are essentially non-pervious to gasses, one or both barriers may be pervious to gasses such as water vapour, in which case the barrier(s) in question should be surrounded by an environment substantially in moisture equilibrium with the particulate material to prevent evaporation and migration of moisture in the layer.
Furthermore, a barrier may consist of a combination of pervious and non-pervious elements, such as a gas-pervious belt with a non-pervious backing such as a heating plate, or a belt being essentially non-pervious to gasses, which is supported by a structure allowing compression of the layer during the heat treatment, said structure being non-pervious too or of a more open nature.
When an endless belt or an array of trays is used for moving the particulate material, the movement could be continuous or stepwise. The stepwise movement would typically be an incremental movement, but could, particularly when a small plant is at issue, be a movement from one stage to another in a discontinuous process.
The heat can be transferred to the layer of particulate material in different ways.
In a presently preferred embodiment, heat is transferred to the layer by means of conduction, e.g. using heating elements in contact with at least one of the barriers, belts, trays or other supporting structures. As will be appreciated by the person skilled in the art, the heat may be supplied to the heating elements in different ways, e.g. by means of a fluid medium such as hot oil, hot water or steam, or by means of electricity.
The heating elements will typically be operated with a surface temperature in the range from 60-120xc2x0 C. and particularly in the range from 60-90xc2x0 C.
As alternative or supplement, heat may be transferred to the layer of particulate material by means of convection or radiation, such as infrared radiation or microwaves. E.g. heat may be supplied to one side of the layer by means of conduction and to the other by means of radiation or convection or a combination thereof.
Heating means should preferably be arranged on both sides of the layer, as both a higher thickness of the layer and a more uniform heat treatment will thereby be allowed.
The heat treatment should be carried out at a combination of temperature and time being adequate for effecting fusion so as to form a compact cake-like structure.
Typically the heat treatment will be carried out for 2-30 min., and heat will typically be supplied to provide a temperature in the layer of particulate material in the range from 45-120xc2x0 C. and particularly in the range from 50-90xc2x0 C. The higher moisture content, the lower fusion temperature can be selected for a given material. In general, a comparatively high moisture content is selected in order to make the heat treatment as lenient as possible.
The thickness of the layer of particulate material during the heat treatment will typically be in the range from 10-50 mm, although thicknesses outside this range can be used. However the thickness should not be too small as there will always be some variation, and the relative effect of such variation will be comparatively larger on a thin layer than on a thick layer. Furthermore the thickness should not be so high as to result in an unacceptable variation of the heat treatment throughout the layer.
E.g. a 25 mm layer of a coffee material having a moisture content of 8-9% by weight may be subjected to heat treatment for about 9 min. at a heating element temperature of 80-85xc2x0 C.
The layer of particulate material being subjected to the heat treatment should be as uniform as possible. For that purpose the particulate material may be disposed on the support, e.g. an endless belt, using a dosing unit, e.g. a vibrating chute. In general a bin will be interposed between the dryer and the device in which the process according to the invention is carried out in order to allow individual operation of the two units.
After the heat treatment, the cake-like structure may be cooled as necessary before it is disintegrated into granular material. Forced or non-forced cooling may be used as appropriate.
A suitable apparatus for carrying out the heat treatment and possible cooling according to the invention could be obtained by modification of the CONTACT-COOKER provided with two endless cooking belts intended for cooking meat products such as burgers etc., which is obtainable from the company Formcook AB.
The disintegration may be carried out in one or more steps, but will typically comprise a coarse disintegration of the cake followed by comminution, e.g. using a device of the hammer mill type.
The obtained granular material, still having a moisture content which is higher than the moisture content desired in the final product, is preferably subjected to a classification such as a sieving whereby off-size particles are separated before the granular material is subjected to final drying. Hereby the fines fraction which has not as yet been subjected to final drying and any consequential detrimental effect on the flavour etc., may be recirculated to the heat treatment step, or to the spray drying step where the addition of a certain amount of fines may be advantageous, or a combination thereof.
The final drying may be carried out in a conventional manner, e.g. using a belt dryer, a fluid bed dryer or a tray dryer.
The process according to the invention should be carried out in an environment allowing handling of the product. In tropical climate a room with conditioned air may be an appropriate environment.
A coffee product obtained by the process according to the invention has an appearance similar to that of a freeze dried coffee and an appropriate bulk density and solubility. Furthermore, it has been confirmed by gas chromatographic analysis that no appreciable change of the content of typical coffee flavour components (acetone, diethylketone, pentadione and pyridine) is taking place during the heat treatment.

Process for the preparation of a water soluble coffee or tea product from a non-rewetted particulate material obtained from an extract by drying


The disclosure pertains to a spin-on fluid treatment device, including a treatment medium disposed within a housing, a top surface having an internally threaded bore and an outlet tube at least partially disposed inside said threaded bore in a concentric position. The outlet tube can have an externally oriented sealing portion for engaging with a complementary element of an inlet spud of an entity that receives said treated fluids. The outlet tube can be configured as an alignment feature to guide the treatment device onto the inlet spud during installation. The outlet tube can be configured with both an externally oriented sealing portion and an alignment feature. The disclosure also pertains to a system comprising a machine having a treatment device head and a spin-on fluid treatment device, a kit, a spin-on fluid filter cartridge, and a method of mounting a spin-on filter cartridge onto a filter head.

A filter of the spin-on type typically has a central orifice in its top surface, provided with a metal inner thread that is arranged to engage with a hollow threaded metal cylinder on the engine or machine, through which the filtered liquid is returned. If the liquid to be filtered is sufficiently viscous and the threads are produced with sufficiently low tolerances, the engaged threaded metal parts will form a sufficient seal between the clean (untreated) flow path of the fluid inside the filter housing and the dirty (treated) flow path of the fluid inside the filter housing to avoid substantial bypass of fluid from the dirty (untreated) side to the clean (treated) side without passing through the treatment medium. One or more further orifices are provided in the top surface, radially removed from the central orifice, for receiving the dirty fluid. An axial seal creates the seal between the fluid in the filter housing and the outside environment.
Spin-on filters in the prior art include: WO 2013/188036 A1; WO 2015/156760 A1; and WO 2013/028320 A2.
It is a disadvantage of the known spin-on filters that any impurities, such as plastic or metal particles, that are present at the interface (and in particular on the threaded surfaces) prior to installation of the filter, may end up inside the clean side of the filter after installation and thus reach the machine or engine during operation.
Furthermore, impurities can be formed by the metal to metal thread engagement during the installation of the filter and part of these impurities might end up inside the clean side of the filter.
Improvements over the prior art are desirable.

Spin-on fluid treatment device and methods


A system and method effective to monitor an amount of material in a portable container. The system may comprise a material and sensor in a container. The sensor is effective to detect a first level of the material when the container is at a first location and to generate a first data signal in response. The sensor is effective to detect a second level of the material in the container when the container is at a second location and to generate a second data signal in response. The sensor is further effective to send the first and second data signal to a processor. The processor is effective to receive the first and second data signal and generate a report based on the first and the second data signal, the report relating to an amount of the material in the container.

1. Field of the Invention
This disclosure relates to a system and method for monitoring chemicals, such as fracturing chemicals, agriculture chemicals or any other related industries, stored in portable containers.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a subterranean stimulation formation process, such as fracturing, one or more chemicals may be applied to a subterranean formation. The chemicals may each be stored in respective containers. As the formation process continues, an amount of each chemical in a respective container will change. Eventually, at least some of these chemicals may need to be replenished.

System effective to monitor an amount of chemicals in portable containers


A steering column having a variable impact-absorbing structure includes an inner column tube, an outer column tube disposed at an outer circumferential part of the inner column tube, a guide fixed to an outer circumferential surface of the outer column tube, a strap having a deformable part fitted into the guide, a pin inserted through the strap and configured to be slidable into the guide, a solenoid that drives the pin, and a control unit that controls the solenoid. The steering column further includes a sensor that senses a state of a driver and outputs the sensing result to the control unit, wherein the strap comprises a plurality of parallel wires, one end of each wire being opened and the other end of each wire being connected to each other in a closed state, and a suspending end that is bent in a loop shape is formed on the closed end to enable the inner column tube to be suspended thereon.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to a steering column of a vehicle, more specifically, to a steering column having a variable impact-absorbing structure that varies absorption of the impact energy according to a physique of a driver, thereby minimizing an injury upon the driver.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, a steering column of a vehicle is supported by an upper and a lower part of the body of a car. The upper support structure includes a tilt for tilt operation of the steering column, and the lower support structure includes a hinge for tilting the steering column as a whole.
During a collision, a driver is often bumped secondarily into the steering wheel, so the steering wheel should be designed to absorb secondary collision impact. Moreover, the steering column should be stopped from being pushed to the rear where the driver is seated even when the front of the car is crushed from the collision.
Therefore, at impact, the support structures of the steering column fixed to the body of the car are designed to help the steering column make a relative movement to the body of the car. This can be realized by building the steering column to make a relative movement from its support structures at impact, or designing the support structures and the steering column as one body so that they move together relative to the body of the car.
Particularly, U.S. 2002/0167157 A1 disclosed an impact-absorbing structure having a metal strap that causes plastic deformation as the steering column and the body of a car move relative to each other during a car crash.
In the disclosure, the impact-absorbing structure includes a steering column on which a steering shaft is rotatably mounted in the circumferential direction, a supporter for supporting the steering column to the body of a car, and an energy absorber mounted on at least one of the steering column and the body of the car in order to vary absorption of the impact energy, depending on whether a driver wears a seat belt or not.
However, the above impact-absorbing structure was designed to adjust the energy absorption depending on whether the driver wears a seat belt, and it was not necessarily built in consideration with weight of the driver or physical conditions of the driver in different postures. Therefore, there was a limit to protect the driver from injuries as much as possible.
Moreover, the structure of the variable impact energy absorbing device was so complicated that overall process or assembly was very difficult to carry out. This resulted in low productivity and disappointing profits.
In addition, the energy absorber itself was composed of one strap in a band shape, so it could not get various strain energies, and this eventually turned collision related tuning to its own physical property.

Steering column having variable impact-absorbing structure


The invention provides a quick method for detecting the genus of Bacillus in samples from oil reservoirs, which comprise: collecting samples from oil reservoirs; inactivating microbes except for spore-forming Bacillus in the samples through high temperature; collecting spores from the samples; incubating the collected spores in a medium, and stimulating to resurrect Bacillus under in situ temperatures of the oil reservoirs; detecting the resurrected Bacillus in the cultures using molecular biological techniques. The present invention provides an effective method to detect the genus of Bacillus in samples from oil reservoirs, which is conducive to the discovery of the functional Bacillus for microbial enhanced oil recovery (MEOR) and to revealing the ecosystem of Bacillus in oil reservoirs.

With the detection and isolation of microbes in samples from oil reservoirs, researchers found out that not all microbes in oil reservoirs are harmful to oil exploitation, the metabolism products and activity of some microbes in oil reservoirs can be use to enhance oil recovery. Therefore, microbial enhanced oil recovery (MEOR) was proposed and implemented as one of tertiary measures to enhance oil recovery.
The principal part of MEOR is potential microbes. According to studies of functional microbes for MEOR, strains of Bacillus are documented as a functional group of microbes for MEOR. Bacillus is able to produce biosurfactant that can lower interfacial tension between crude oil and aqueous liquid and rocks, so as to improve the mobility of the crude oil and significantly increase the production of the oil; Bacillus can increase the production of the oil by degrading long chain hydrocarbons to decrease viscosity of crude oil and to improve the mobility of crude oil; Bacillus can also increase the production of the oil by producing polymer to selectively plug in oil reservoirs, so as to promote the volumetric sweep efficiency of injected water.
For studies and field trials of MEOR, investigating microbes inhabiting in oil reservoirs is a key and primary step to discover potential microbes and design strategies of field trials.
Traditional culture-dependent microbial methods are applied by researchers to isolate microbes from oil reservoirs and identify their potential functions to MEOR. However, the procedures to enrich and isolate microbes are complex, in most of cases, special media, special carbon resources and tens of incubations cycle during procedure of enrichment were needed. In addition, only a small percentage (less than 1%) (Amann et al., 1995) of viable microbes can be cultured on known nutrient media using the culture-dependent traditional techniques. Bacteria detected by traditional microbial methods are a minor part of the microbes inhabiting in oil reservoirs.
Recently, molecular microbial ecology represents a development in research methods, which contains utilizing techniques of molecular biology to investigate the ecology of microbes and offers new techniques to facilitate the detection of microbes. Researchers have investigated microbial diversity in samples collected from various oil reservoirs using culture-independent molecular biological methods.
Multiple groups of microorganisms with diverse phylogenetic affiliations have routinely been detected from oil reservoirs. However, an obscuring result from the studies based on culture-independent molecular techniques was that, in most of clone libraries, few to no clones or sequences detected were affiliated with the genus of Bacillus. These results insert an impression to us that Bacillus is rare or absent in these oil reservoirs.
When investigating microbial diversity in the original samples from oil reservoirs based on culture-independent molecular biological methods, DNA extraction from the spore-forming bacteria is more difficult than from other microbes, in addition, molecular biological methods is unable to detect a small proportion of 0.1-1% of bacteria (Head et al., 1998), both of which might be the major reasons for neglection of the group of Bacillus in clone libraries of samples from oil reservoirs.
The Bacillus is a group of Gram-positive, spore-forming bacteria, which is a potential microbial group for MEOR. How to detect and enrich the genus of Bacillus in samples from oil reservoirs is an urgent question faced by us. Considering the disadvantages and advantages of culture-dependent and culture-independent microbial methods and molecular biological methods, we provide a method to quickly detect the genus inhabiting in samples collected from oil reservoirs. This method is a combination of the advantages of both culture-dependent and culture-independent microbial methods and molecular biological methods.

China University of Geosciences, Beijing


A positive resist composition comprising (A) a resin that increases solubility in a developing solution by the action of an acid and comprises (a) a repeating unit containing a group that is decomposed by the action of an acid to become alkali-soluble, (b) a repeating unit containing an alicyclic lactone structure, (c) a repeating unit containing an alicyclic structure substituted with a hydroxy group and (d) a methacrylic acid repeating unit, wherein an amount of the methacrylic acid repeating unit is from 5 to 18% by mole based on the total repeating units of the resin, and (B) a compound that generates an acid upon irradiation of an actinic ray or radiation.

The degree of integration of integrated circuits has recently become much higher, and the processing of superfine patterns having a line width of a half micron or below is required in the production of semiconductor substrate for VSLI, etc. In order to meet such a requirement, a wavelength of light source used in an exposure apparatus for photolithography becomes shorter, and nowadays the use of an excimer laser beam (e.g., XeCl, KrF or ArF) in a short wavelength region of a far ultraviolet ray is investigated.
As a resist for use in the pattern formation by the photolithography in such a wavelength region, a chemically amplified resist is known.
In resist compositions for ArF light source, resins having an alicyclic hydrocarbon moiety introduced for the purpose of providing dry etching resistance have been proposed.
In Patent Document 1 (JP-A-9-73173 (the term "JP-A" as used herein means an "unexamined published Japanese patent application")), there is described a resist material using an acid-susceptive compound containing an alkali-soluble group protected by a structure including an alicyclic group and a structural unit capable of rendering the resin alkali-soluble upon releasing the alkali-soluble group by an acid.
In Patent Document 2 (JP-A-2000-214588) and Patent Document 3 (JP-A-2000-321771), resist compositions comprising a copolymer containing a methacrylic acid or acrylic acid repeating unit and an acid-decomposable repeating unit are described.
In Patent Document 4 (JP-A-2001-188351) and Patent Document 5 (JP-A-2000-26446), resist compositions comprising a copolymer containing a repeating unit having an alicyclic lactone structure are described.
In Patent Document 6 (JP-A-7-252324) and Patent Document 7 (JP-A-11-109632), resist compositions comprising a copolymer containing a repeating unit having an alicyclic group substituted with a hydroxy group are described.
In Patent Document 8 (JP-A-2001-109154) and Patent Document 9 (JP-A-2002-296783), a combination of an acid-decomposable repeating unit, a repeating unit having an alicyclic lactone structure and a repeating unit having an alicyclic group substituted with a hydroxy group is described.
Resins used in photoresist for far ultraviolet ray as described above ordinarily contain an acid-decomposable group and an aliphatic cyclic hydrocarbon group at the same time in the molecules thereof.
With respect to application of such conventional resins having alicyclic hydrocarbon moiety introduced to a resist composition, further improvements in various performances have been desired. Among them, further enlargement of process window of resist for contact hole has been requested.
Further, for the exposure of resist used in photolithography, a reduction production exposure method with a radiation (for example, g-line, i-line or KrF excimer laser beam) has been utilized. In general, resolution (R) of a lens is represented by the following formula according to the Rayleigh's equation:R=k[λ/N.A.]
In the formula, λ represents a wavelength of exposure light and N.A. represents a numerical aperture of the lens. Designating an open angle of incident light to a wafer as θ, N.A.=sin θ. k indicates a value fluctuating according to a resist and is frequently used as a characteristic parameter exhibiting performances of the resist. According to knowledge on a resist for i-line, k becomes small only as approximately 0.5, even when the resist is improved. As is apparent from the formula, in order to increase the resolution, R must be a small value. For this purpose, it is desired to increase the value of N.A., to decrease the value of λ or to decrease the value of k. At the present circumstances, however, the value of N.A. increases to reach almost 0.8 and on the other hand, the value of k reaches the limit of 0.5. In view of making the wavelength for exposure shorter, investigations have been made from 248 nm of KrF excimer laser beam to 193 nm of ArF excimer laser beam. However, even when the ArF excimer laser beam is used, the pattern formation of 100 nm or less becomes theoretically difficult.
Thus, a resist material capable of forming a finer pattern and a method of forming a pattern using a current exposure apparatus have been requested. In response to such requests, a technique including a method of controlling a contact hole size of a semiconductor device wherein a wafer is heated while irradiating with an ultraviolet ray (UV) in vacuo (flow bake) to change a resist shape (flow), thereby reducing a size of resist pattern as described in Patent Document 10 (JP-A-6-37071) appears promising. However, development of resist material suitable for the method is insufficient. Further, since the process of flow bake of a wafer while irradiating with an ultraviolet ray in vacuo is troublesome, a resist material capable obtaining the same effect only by flow bake in the atmosphere has been desired. However, when the flow bake process is applied to hitherto known resist materials, there are problems in that the control of hole size is difficult because of high flow speed and in that the resist materials do not sufficiently flow at a practical flow temperature (180° C. or below).
Recently, it has been further found that pits are frequently formed in a film at the flow bake step. There is fear that the formation of pits causes adverse effects (for example, deterioration of pattern transferability after etching or deterioration etching resistance) on a subsequent etching step. Therefore, it has been desired to prevent the formation of pits.
Patent Document 1 (JP-A-9-73173)
Patent Document 2 (JP-A-2000-214588)
Patent Document 3 (JP-A-2000-321771)
Patent Document 4 (JP-A-2001-188351)
Patent Document 5 (JP-A-2000-26446)
Patent Document 6 (JP-A-7-252324)
Patent Document 7 (JP-A-11-109632)
Patent Document 8 (JP-A-2001-109154)
Patent Document 9 (JP-A-2002-296783)
Patent Document 10 (JP-A-6-37071)

Positive resist composition and method of forming pattern using the same


A BARC or other sacrificial fill layer etch comprises a selective etch chemistry of Ar/O2/CO. The BARC etch may be used in a via-first dual damascene method. After via (116) pattern and etch, a BARC/sacrificial fill layer (120) is deposited to fill the via (116) and coat the IMD (110). The excess sacrificial fill layer (120) material over the IMD (110) is removed using the Ar/O2/CO etch. A trench resist pattern (125) is formed over the BARC layer (120). During the main trench etch, portions of sacrificial fill layer (120) remain in the via to protect the etch-stop (104) at the bottom of the via (116).

As the density of semiconductor devices increases, the demands on interconnect layers for connecting the semiconductor devices to each other also increases. Therefore, there is a desire to switch from the traditional aluminum metal interconnects to copper interconnects and from traditional silicon-dioxide-based dielectrics to low-k dielectrics, such as organo-silicate glass (OSG). Semiconductor fabrication processes that work with copper interconnects and newer low-k dielectrics are still needed. As compared to the traditional subtractive plasma dry etching of aluminum, suitable copper etches for a semiconductor fabrication environment are not readily available. To overcome the copper etch problem, damascene processes have been developed.
In a damascene process, the IMD (intrametal dielectric) is formed first. The IMD is then patterned and etched to form a trench for the interconnect line. If connection vias have not already been formed, a dual damascene process may be used. In a dual damascene process, the trench is formed in the IMD and a via is etched in the (interlevel dielectric) ILD for connection to lower interconnect levels. The barrier layer and a copper seed layer are then deposited over the structure. The barrier layer is typically tantalum nitride or some other binary transition metal nitride. The copper layer is then electrochemically deposited using a seed layer over the entire structure. The copper is then chemically-mechanically polished (CMP'd) to remove the copper over the IMD, leaving copper interconnect lines and vias. A metal etch is thereby avoided.
Patterning and etching in a dual damascene process can be problematic due to the necessity of forming both the trench and the via before filling either with copper. Both trench-first and via-first processes are being developed. In a via-first process, the via is patterned and etched followed by the trench patterning. The bottom of the via needs to be protected during the trench etch to prevent etching of the via etch-stop layer. A BARC (bottom-antireflective coating) via fill has been proposed for protecting the bottom of the via during the trench etch. A spin-on organic BARC is often used to reduce substrate reflectivity during resist pattern. This BARC may be used to protect the bottom of the via. Methods for effectively integrating a BARC fill in a dual damascene process without creating additional processing problems are desired. Moreover, as new technologies demand ever smaller critical dimensions (CDs) in semiconductor devices, CD control becomes more important. Semiconductor processes must be controllable so that the small CDs can be reproduced.


Process for the preparation of tetrahydrobiopterin from neopterin and/or 6-substituted pterins with an improved yield and a high stereoselectivity. Also disclosed herein are novel individual intermediates prepared in the preparation of tetrahydrobiopterin, such as selectively protected neopterin useful for the preparation of tetrahydrobiopterin.

1. Field of the Technology
The invention relates to a method for preparing tetrahydrobiopterin and related compounds and analogs of biopterin. More specifically, it relates to a stereoselective process for preparing 5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-6-(L-erythro-1′,2′-dihydroxypropyl)pterin and includes the conversion of 6-(L-erythro-1,2,3-trihydroxypropyl)pterin and/or 6-substituted pterins to tetrahydrobiopterin.
2. Brief Description of Related Technology
Tetrahydrobiopterin is a biogenic amine of the naturally-occurring pterin family. Pterins are present in physiological fluids and tissues in reduced and oxidized forms, however, only the 5,6,7,8-tetrahydrobiopterin is biologically active. Tetrahydrobiopterin is a chiral molecule, and the 6R enantiomer, and 1′R,2′S,6R diastereomer of the tetrahydrobiopterin is the known biologically active form. The synthesis and disorders of tetrahydrobiopterin are described in Blau et al., Disorders of tetrahydrobiopterin and related biogenic amines, in Scriver C R, Beaudet A L, Sly W S, Valle D, Childs B, Vogelstein B, eds. The Metabolic and Molecular Bases of Inherited Disease, 8th ed., New York: McGraw-Hill, 2001, at pages 1275-1776.
In a living body tetrahydrobiopterin plays a very important role as cofactor of essential enzymes (e.g., the aromatic amino acid hydroxylases, the nitric oxide synthetases, as a coenzyme in a catecholamine-serotonin synthesis.) Tetrahydrobiopterin is an indispensable compound for biosynthesis of the neurotransmitters dopamine and hydroxytyptamine, of noradrenalin, adrenaline, and melatonin. The importance of tetrahydrobiopterin has been recognized in the course of the fundamental studies thereon. A deficiency of tetrahydrobiopterin causes serious neurological disorders like phenylketonuria (PKU) and Parkinson's disease. Symptoms due to such diseases can be remarkably improved by administration of tetrahydrobiopterin. Further, it has been recognized that tetrahydrobiopterin is effective for curing infantile autism and depressions.
Such useful pharmacological activities, as well as the challenging chemical structures of the molecule, have stimulated many synthetic efforts directed toward the preparation of tetrahydrobiopterin. For example, tetrahydrobiopterin has been prepared by: (1) the reaction of 4-hydroxy-2,5,6-triaminopyrimidine (TAP) and 5-deoxy-L-arabinose as described in E. L. Patterson et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc., 78, 5868 (1956); (2) the reaction of TAP and 5-deoxy-L-arabinose phenylhydrazone, as described in Matsuura et al., Bull. Chem. Soc. Jpn., 48, 3767 (1975); (3) the reaction of TAP and triacetyloxy-5-deoxy-L-arabinose phenylhydrazone, as described in M. Viscontini et al., Helv. Chim. Acta., 60, 211 (1977); (4) the reaction of oxime and benzyl α-aminocyanoacetate and condensation of the resulting 3-(1,2-dihydroxypropyl)-pyrazine-1-oxide derivatives with guanidine followed by deoxygenation of the N-oxide, as described in E. C. Taylor et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc., 96, 6781 (1974); (5) the reaction of α-hydroxyketone (prepared from crotonic acid) and TAP, as described in M. Viscontini et al., Helv. Chim. Acta., 55, 574 (1972); and (6) the reaction of TAP having protected hydroxyl group and 4-acetoxy-2,3-epoxypentanal followed by oxidation with iodine and deprotection, as described in Matsuura et al., Chemistry of Organic Synthesis, Vol. 46, No. 6, p. 570 (1988), by protecting the hydroxyl group of S-alkyl lactate with a trityl group, reducing the resulting alkyl 2-trityloxypropionate to (S)-2-trityloxypropanol, oxidizing it to (S)-2-trityloxypropanal, treating it with a 2-furyl metal compound to form (1S,2S)-1-(2-furyl)-2-trityloxy-1-propanal followed by oxidation and hydrolysis to form 2,3-dideoxy-6-trityloxyhepto-2-enopyranose-4-ulose, reducing it to 6-trityloxyhepto-2-ene-1,4,5-triol, acylating it to from 1,4,5-triacyloxy-6-trityloxyhepto-2-ene followed by oxidation to afford 2,3 diacyloxy-4-hydroxy-1-pentanal, treating it with phenylhydrazine to from a hydrazine, and condensing the hydrazine with a 3,5,6-triaminopyrimidinol followed by oxidation and deacylation, as described in Japanese Kokai No. 221380/1989.
Each of these conventional processes for preparing tetrahydrobiopterin have several drawbacks, including, for example, expensive and sparsely available carbohydrates are required as starting material to provide the asymmetric carbon atom at its side-chain, in that yield and purity are low due to multi-reaction steps, unstable intermediates are generated that require troublesome treatment operations, and troublesome purification procedures are required.
The prior processes for preparing tetrahydrobiopterin starting from 5-deoxy-L-arabinose are economically disadvantageous, since 5-deoxy-L-arabinose of the required purity is only not readily available in large quantities. Also the product from the reactions involving 5-deoxy-L-arabinose is known to undergo degradation. Other prior preparation of tetrahydrobiopterin have the disadvantage that biopterin is produced in a DL-form and optical resolution is required for obtaining the desired L-biopterin, thus leading to complicated process step and low yield. Indeed, in A. Kaiser, H. P. Wessel, Helv. Chim. Acta, Vol. 70, p. 766, 1987, states at page 768, that "These results and considerations demonstrate that no high-yield synthesis of biopterin from neopterin can be expected due to pyrrolo-pteridin formation upon activation of the side-chain terminus of neopterin."
Therefore, the conventional processes are unsuitable for industrial production of the compound and its derivatives. There exists a need for a process for the preparation of tetrahydrobiopterin, and analogs thereof in good yield using inexpensive starting material. A need also exists for an industrial scale process for the preparation of substantially optically pure tetrahydrobiopterin with an improved yield and a high stereoselectivity.

Process for preparing tetrahydrobiopterin and analogs of tetrahydrobiopterin


A CW radar range measuring system having a transmitter adapted to transmit a continuous wave radar signal phase encoded in accordance with a code and a receiver adapted to receive a radar return from the transmitted radar signal. The receiver includes an analog to digital converter section for converting a sequence of samples of the radar return into a corresponding sequence of digital words. A digital correlator/integrator is fed by the digital words and the code for providing an indication of radar return energy as a function of range from the transmitter. A processor is fed by the digital correlator/integrator for determining, from the indicated energy, target range. The system includes a frequency spectrum analyzer for determining a frequency spectrum of the digital words and wherein the processor determines the target Doppler frequency from such determined frequency spectrum. In one embodiment of the invention, the digital correlator/integrator is fed the digital words and the frequency analyzer is coupled between the digital correlator/integrator and the processor. In another embodiment of the invention the frequency analyzer is fed the digital words and the digital correlator/integrator is coupled between the frequency analyzer and the processor. In still another embodiment, target range may be determined to an accuracy less than that corresponding to a time delay of 1/f.sub.s, the rate the at which the phase of the transmitted signal is phase encoded.

This invention relates generally to continuous wave (CW) radar range measuring systems and more particularly to systems of such type wherein a transmitted CW signal is modulated in accordance with a known code and target radar returns are correlated with differently time delayed replica of the code to determine target range.
As is known in the art, CW radars have been used to accurately, and unambiguously measure the velocity of a target by detecting a Doppler frequency shift in radar returns from the target. In order to enable such CW radar system to determine the range to the target, the transmitted carrier signal frequency, or phase is modulated in some known fashion to determine target range. This technique is described on pages 86 through 111 of a book entitled "Introduction to Radar Systems" by Merrill I. Skolnik, published 1962 by McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc.
One typical application for such CW radar range measuring system is in missile fuzing systems. In one such fuzing system, the phase of the transmitted CW signal is changed by 180 degrees, or not changed, selectively in accordance with a binary, pseudo-random noise code. Thus, a code of for example, N bits, is stored in a recirculating shift register memory. The bits are read out at a predetermined rate, f.sub.s, and fed to a bi-phase modulator along with the CW signal. The phase of the CW signal changes 180 degrees in response to a logic 1 bit and remains unchanged in response to a logic 0 bit, for example. The coded CW signal is transmitted through a transmit antenna. Radar returns from a target are received by a receive antenna. The received CW returns will have the same code as the transmitted code; however, the received code pattern will be time delayed with respect to the transmitted code an amount related to the target's range. Target radar returns are correlated with differently time delayed replica of the code to determine target range. Such technique is described on pages 10.19-10.25 in "Radar Handbook-Second Edition", edited by Merrill I. Skolnik, published by McGraw-Hill Publishing Company, 1990. Further, the frequency of the returns will be shifted by the targets' velocity (i.e., Doppler frequency of the target).
One system used to determine the target's range separates the received signals into a plurality of channels. The signal in each channel is fed to a correlator where the signal is multiplied with the code (albeit that the code fed to each channel has a different predetermined time delay relative to the transmitted code) and integrated. Thus, each channel corresponds to a range channel. In the absence of noise and/or clutter, the one of the channels having the greatest received power indicates the range to the target. (That is, the received code will "correlate" with the transmitted code in the range channel corresponding to the target's range.) Further, the frequency component in the frequency spectrum for such range channel having the greatest power indicates the target Doppler velocity (i.e., Doppler frequency, f.sub.D).
While such system may provide adequate target range measurement accuracy in some application, amplitude and phase mismatches among the channels may adversely effect such system's performance in other applications.
As is also known in the art, with such system, the bits of the code is transmitted at a bit rate, f.sub.s, and therefore the target range is resolved to a range resolution cell of 1/f.sub.s. While such range resolution may be adequate in some applications, in other applications greater range cell resolutions or accuracies are required.

CW radar range measuring system with improved range resolution


A method is disclosed. The method includes determining an amount of energy needed to change a first sample temperature of a first sample to a target temperature when a temperature changing element that changes the sample temperature is at the target temperature. Data associated with the amount of energy needed to change the sample temperature of the sample to the target temperature is then stored. The stored data may thereafter be used to quickly change a second sample temperature of a second sample to the target temperature, without having the second sample temperature exceed the target temperature.

Some processes that have multiple reaction steps require careful temperature control to produce optimal results. Examples of such processes include nucleic acid amplification reactions such as the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and the ligase chain reaction (LCR).
Apparatuses have been developed which accurately control the temperature of reaction vessels that house amplification reactions. For example, thermal cyclers are used for DNA amplification and sequencing, and other applications. A conventional thermal cycler has a block, which holds a reaction mixture, or sample, and the temperature of the block varies over time. The temperature of the sample is monitored and a feedback signal is sent to a temperature controller to control the temperature of the block.
While conventional thermal cyclers are useful, a number of improvements could be made. For example, conventional thermal cyclers do not heat the samples in the most efficient way. When a thermal cycler is used to heat and cool a sample in a PCR reaction, it is desirable to heat and cool the sample as efficiently as possible to reduce the processing time and increase throughput. Also, a conventional thermal cycler uses a feedback loop to control the temperature of the sample. The temperature of the sample is sensed by a sensor, the temperature of the sample is calculated by the processor, and a signal is fed back to a controller which controls a heating element, which supplies heat to the block. The electronics and software that are used to provide the temperature feedback loop are often complex and increase the cost of the thermal cycler.
It would be desirable to provide for an improved apparatuses and methods for changing the temperatures of samples such as PCR reaction mixtures. Embodiments of the invention address these and other problems, individually and collectively.

Method and apparatus for temperature control


Solid supports for chemiluminescent assays are provided. The solid support includes a plurality of probes covalently or physically attached to the support surface and a chemiluminescent enhancing moiety incorporated onto the surface or into the bulk of the support. The solid support can be a multi-layered support including an upper probe binding layer (e.g., an azlactone polymer layer or porous functional polyamide layer) adjacent to a cationic microgel layer. The azlactone-functional polymer can be a copolymer of dimethylacrylamide and vinylazlactone crosslinked with ethylenediamine. The cationic microgel layer can be a cross-linked quaternary onium salt containing polymer. A method and a kit for conducting chemiluminescent assays using the solid supports is also provided. The kit comprises a dioxetane substrate, a biopolymer probe-enzyme complex, and a solid support. The solid support can be an azlactone functional polymer layer adjacent to a cationic microgel layer; a porous polyamide functional layer adjacent to a cationic microgel layer; or a quaternized azlactone functional polymer layer.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to solid phases for use in connection with biological assays. More specifically, the invention pertains to solid materials which can be used for chemiluminescent assays based on 1,2-dioxetanes which can be triggered by enzymes and enzyme conjugates in ligand-binding pairs to emit light.
2. Background of the Technology
Increasingly, blotting assays employing chemiluminescent detection have become a popular modality for the detection of biomolecules such as proteins and nucleic acids. Conventionally, such assays are conducted by isolating a sample of the analyte on a membrane, exposing that membrane to an antibody-agent or nucleic acid probe agent complex, wherein the agent causes a composition to be added to undergo chemiluminescence. In its most widely practiced form, this type of blotting assay employs an enzyme or enzyme conjugate as the agent causing a compound which can decompose to release light to undergo that decomposition, thereby giving chemiluminescence. Among the most effective compounds for this purpose are 1,2-dioxetanes. These structures, if stabilized with an adamantyl group or similar stabilizing group, or with a derivatized adamantyl group, can be protected with an enzyme-labile group to form an enzyme cleavable substrate. When cleaved by a suitable enzyme, the substrate forms an unstable anion, which then decomposes to release light. For example, using an enzyme, the chemiluminescent compound is a substrate, and among dioxetane substrates, AMPPD disodium 3-(4-methoxy-spiro[1,2-dioxetane-3,2′-tricyclo[220.127.116.11,7]decan]-4-yl) phenyl phosphate is widely used. Structurally related compounds, wherein the adamantyl group is substituted with various electron-active groups, convert the adamantyl moiety from a mere stabilizing agent to one which actively influences dioxetane decomposition. Among these, the chlorine-substituted compound, or CSPD, has been demonstrated to be particularly effective. A wide variety of other compounds, bearing other enzyme-labile protective groups, such as sugar, acetate and other ether and ester moieties are known and effective.
Various protocols are used in blotting assays. In a Western or Southern Blotting assay, for example, proteins or nucleic acids are purified and transferred to membrane supports. The membranes are typically nitrocellulose, polyamide (e.g. nylon), or polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF). This transferred material (analyte) is incubated with at least one antibody specific for the compound being sought (e.g., specific protein or nucleic acid). In a Western Blotting assay, the antibody can be complexed with an enzyme, or, alternatively, a second antibody complexed with an enzyme can be added following a washing step. In the case of AMPPD and CSPD, the binder (antibody or DNA/RNA probe) is conjugated with an alkaline phosphatase enzyme. Subsequent to washing, the blot is incubated with the chemiluminescent substrate. Release of chemiluminescence is confirmation of the presence of the suspected compound or target analyte.
In Southern blotting procedures, a nucleic acid sample is blotted onto a membrane following gel electrophoresis separation. Hybridizations are performed with enzyme labeled nucleic acid probes (labeled directly or indirectly via biotin-avidin or antibody-antigen bridge) containing base sequence complementary to regions specific for the target sample. Again, subsequent to washing, the blot is incubated with the chemiluminescent substrate and the subsequent release of light signal provides confirmation of the presence of the suspected nucleic acid sequence.
These blotting formats present certain problems in connection with the membrane supports typically employed. For instance, the chemical content of the membrane surface, to which the chemiluminescent substrate is exposed, has a tendency to quench or promote quenching of the emitted light, thus reducing the intensity of the chemiluminescent signal. Further, the membranes used have significant lot-to-lot variations, due to current production processes. As a result, it is difficult both to standardize the process and to provide for automatic data acquisition. Among specific problems encountered are low signal levels, very high non-specific backgrounds, and membrane-initiated decomposition of chemiluminescent substrates, such as AMPPD and CSPD.
When dealing with dioxetane substrates such as AMPPD, it is important to note that these compounds have very low intensities of chemiluminescence in aqueous or protic environments. This is believed to be due principally to proton transfer quenching reactions, or dipole-dipole interactions which tend to promote dark reactions of the excited state ultimately produced by enzyme cleavage. Proton transfer reactions are extremely well known in organic chemistry, and can easily compete with light emission during the lifetime of the excited state, which is several orders of magnitude longer. See, for example, Shizuka, "Accounts of Chemical Research", 18, 141-147 (1985). This can be confirmed by the fact that the chemiluminescent efficiency of AMPPD in aqueous buffers is approximately only 10−6, but improves, in the presence of a hydrophobic medium, by approximately 104.
In addition to the above-noted problems, conventional blotting assays continue to leave certain goals unmet. Of particular importance is the inability to quantify the amounts of individual nucleic acid fragments, or proteins, identified in blotting applications. Currently, blotting assays are qualitative in nature, confirming only the presence or absence of a particular component (nucleic acid or protein). Frequently, a component will be present to varying extents in multiple analytes, but diagnosis of a disease or particular molecular biological condition depends on the relative number of component species in the analyte. Current blotting techniques do not permit adequate quantitative discrimination on this basis.
Another shortcoming of prior art blotting assays is the resolution obtainable with conventional solid support materials. It would be desirable to provide material compositions which would enable the quantitative detection of sharply resolved signal generating regions, corresponding to a bound component in the absence of or greatly diminished greatly diminished background signal. Such a material compositions would be suitable for automated data acquisition. As an example, scanning charged-coupled devices can be employed in reading complex information such as spatially localized DNA or RNA sequences on a surface. Such automation would enable a higher efficiency of error-free data acquisition. Current blotting assays conducted on surfaces utilizing chemiluminescent compounds such as dioxetanes do not provide the necessary sharp resolution of high intensity signal producing regions or loci with sufficiently diminished background to permit automated data acquisition. More importantly, these blotting methods and materials are wholly insufficient for application to high-density molecular (nucleic acid or protein) microarrays where more quantitative individual target quantitation is desirable.
Various solutions to the aforementioned problems have been proposed. For example, cationic layers comprising onium salt containing polymers have been proposed for use as membranes in chemiluminescence assays. These membranes have been used to reduce the background noise and to improve the sensitivity and reliability of chemiluminescent assays. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,336,596; 5,593,828; 5,827,650 and 5,849,495.
A need still exists, however, for solid phases which can be used for chemiluminescent assays based on enzyme-triggerable dioxetanes which yield improved signal collection from higher feature density signal generating regions. These solid phases would enable a more quantitative analysis of spatially localized analytes on/in the surface of the material. Such materials would allow for improved chemiluminescent signal detection particularly in high density microarray analysis formats.

Solid phases optimized for chemiluminescent detection


The present document relates to telecommunication networks. In particular, the present document relates to the provision of network interaction services within a telecommunication network. A method for enabling interaction services with a network comprising a network server (102, 103, 104) on communication devices (101, 105) coupled to the network is described. The method comprises setting up (301, 302) a multimedia communication session between a first communication device (101) and a second communication device (105) via the network server (102, 103, 104); wherein the multimedia communication session comprises a data bearer channel; transmitting (303) an interactive visual object via the data bearer channel from the network server (102, 103, 104) to the first communication device (101); wherein the interactive visual object is associated with an interaction service of the first communication device (101) with the network; wherein the interactive visual object is intended for display on a display of the first communication device (101); receiving a feedback command from the first communication device (101) to the network server (102, 103, 104); wherein the feedback command is associated with an input at the first communication device (101) based on the interactive visual object; and initiating the execution of the interaction service in accordance to the feedback command.

With more intelligence being integrated into next generation communication end devices (e.g. mobile telephones, cordless phones), higher expectations are put on such communication end devices to handle various interactions with the network. Examples for such interactions are multi-party call features such as call transfer, call hold, conference call, etc. The provisioning of such network interaction features within a communication network typically requires a coordinated provision of appropriate interaction settings and/or interaction firmware on the communication end devices and on the application servers within the network.
A traditional approach to handling such coordinated provision of interaction settings is to rely on an end-to-end device management system. Whenever the network is deploying an interaction feature that requires different interaction settings on the communication end devices, new configuration settings are pushed to the clients (i.e. towards the communication end devices) via a standard management interface, e.g. TR-69. If the interaction feature to be deployed requires new service logic in addition to or alternatively to updated configuration settings, a firmware upgrade needs to be deployed on the communication end devices. Such a centralized device management approach not only introduces deployment lead times for new interaction services and features that jeopardize the agility of next generation application deployment, but is also prone to errors. Furthermore, the great number of different types of communication end devices requires the provision of a large number of different configuration settings and firmware upgrades for the different types of communication end devices. Overall, a centralized device management approach requires significant financial and time efforts, in particular to validate multiple handsets/clients within a given network infrastructure.
The use of Javascript/HTML5-based web clients on the communication end devices makes the upgrade of the communication devices to new configuration settings easier, but it is almost impossible for operators to make sure that the same user experience can be guaranteed across all clients.
The present document addresses the above mentioned shortcomings of traditional schemes for providing new network interaction features and services. The described methods and systems enable a fast and homogeneous implementation of network interaction services on various different types of communication end devices.

VoIP client control via in-band video signalling


A radiation-emitting optoelectronic component may include a semiconductor chip or a semiconductor laser which, in operation of the component, emits a primary radiation in the UV region or in the blue region of the electromagnetic spectrum. The optoelectronic component may further include a conversion element comprising a first phosphor configured to convert the primary radiation at least partly to a first secondary radiation having a peak wavelength in the green region of the electromagnetic spectrum between 475 nm and 500 nm inclusive. The first phosphor may be or include BaSi4Al3N9, SrSiAl2O3N2, BaSi2N2O2, ALi3XO4, M*(1−x*−y*−z*) Z*z*[A*a*B*b*C*c*D*d*E*e*N4-n*On*], and combinations thereof.

Energy-efficient light sources are of great importance for plant growth under artificial light sources. However, plants do not absorb all wavelengths of visible light with the same efficiency. Examples of important leaf dyes for photosynthesis include chlorophyll A, chlorophyll B, carotenoids, zeaxanthins, lycopenes and luteins. Overall, these dyes have their main absorptions in the range from 400 nm to 520 nm and 610 nm to 720 nm. However, there is a variation in the intensity of absorption in different plants and measurements. A number of characteristic absorptions can be found, for example, in Y. Zeinalov et al., Bulg. J. Plant Physiol., 2000, 26(1-2), 58-59; P. S. C. Schulze et al., Trends in Biotechnology, 2014, 32, 8, 422-430 and D. Singh et al., Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 49, 2015, 139-147. Typically, these leaf dyes can be efficiently stimulated to photosynthesize by lighting with blue and red LEDs. However, this has the disadvantage that the light is not white, which means that discolorations resulting, for example, from fungi or deficiency phenomena on the plant are not readily apparent to the user. In addition, this illumination leads to an ambient climate which is unpleasant to people.


A light system monitors an area of interest for exposure to radiant energy provided by an operating room light head. At least one operating parameter of the light head is obtained, and based on the at least one operating parameter it is determined if the area of interest has been or will be exposed to radiant energy exceeding a prescribed threshold over a prescribed time period. Based on the determination, the system at least one of automatically adjusts an operating setting of the at least one light head or generates a warning of possible overexposure to radiant energy in the area of interest.

Surgical lights are typically designed to be as bright as allowed by safety standards. These safety standards only limit the brightness of a single surgical light with no regard for the accumulated effect of the radiant power, e.g. the radiant energy emitted by each light in combination with the length of time the light has been on and/or on the patient, the increased radiant power delivered to a surgical site due to multiple lights being aimed at the same surgical site, etc. It is common clinical practice to use a surgical lighting system at full intensity for the duration of a procedure, which exposes a patient to radiant energy that could, over time, dry out the patient's exposed tissue, or could possibly cause an even worse adverse effect. The FDA has received multiple reports of over-exposure from surgical lights resulting in discoloration or burning of patient's skin. Although the Instructions for Use (Operator's Manual) may warn of the risks of excessive radiant power, and users are able to decrease the radiant power as they wish, there are no known surgical lighting products that automatically reduce the radiant power in response to any measured or input quantity or warn the user to consider doing so. The responsibility for preventing such adverse events currently rests entirely on the surgical team.

Surgical lighting system that reduces risk of excessive radiant energy


The present inventions relate to compositions and methods for providing drought resistant grass plants comprising Festuca mairei plant germplasm. Specifically, the inventions relate to providing compositions and methods for introgressing Festuca mairei germplasm and/or specific Festuca mairei genes into grass plants, such as Lolium perenne plants. Further, the invention relates to methods of grass plant breeding comprising genetic markers for identifying the preferred Festuca mairei germplasm introgressed into grass plants, and providing commercially desirable drought resistant cultivars of grass plants.

Perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) (Lp) is a cool-season grass (2n=2x=14, LL) that is in wide use as turfgrass and forage grass due to superior quality and rapid establishment of plants. However, lack of drought tolerance makes Lp less persistent and reduces economical advantages of its use during hot and dry summers or dry environments.
One approach for improvement of drought tolerance in perennial ryegrass is introgression of alien genomes from other drought tolerant genera, such as fescue plants (Rie and Mondart 1985, Ames: Iowa State Univ. Press, 1985:241-246; herein incorporated by reference). Thus, plant breeders and geneticists have attempted for several decades to genetically combine perennial ryegrass (L. perenne L.) with fescue (Festuca spp.) to create novel forage grasses containing both high forage quality and good drought tolerance.
However, a major barrier in Festuca×Lolium breeding programs for providing commercial cultivars of L. perenne plants comprising the desirable traits of Festuca is the difficulty in selecting hybrids with the desired alien chromatin or chromosome addition-substitution. Further, Festuca germplasm is rapidly loss from subsequent breeding lines when attempting to retain the drought resistant Festuca germplasm and the desired agronomic traits of Lolium plants.
Therefore, despite exhaustive efforts, especially in light of the potential enormous economic and environmental significance of success, there is still a need for identification and characterization of plant genes that would confer drought tolerance to Lolium plants. Further, there remains a need for providing increased drought tolerance in L perenne L. ryegrass plants.

Compositions and methods for drought tolerance

Board of Trustees of Michigan State University


An expandable downhole anchoring tool positionable within a wellbore for use in cooperation with drilling equipment comprises a body including a plurality of angled channels formed into a wall thereof, and a plurality of moveable slips disposed in the same radial plane around the body, wherein the plurality of moveable slips are hydraulically translatable along the plurality of angled channels between a collapsed position and an expanded position. A method of setting an expandable anchor within a wellbore comprises running the anchor into the wellbore in a collapsed position, and expanding the anchor into gripping engagement with the wellbore, wherein the anchor is adapted to expand up to at least 1.5 times a collapsed diameter of the anchor.

Once a petroleum well has been drilled and cased, it is often necessary or desired to drill one or more additional wells that branch off, or deviate, from the first well. Such multilateral wells are typically directed toward different parts of the surrounding formation, with the intent of increasing the output of the well. The main well bore can be vertical, angled or horizontal. Multilateral technology can be applied to both new and existing wells.
In order to drill a new borehole that extends outside an existing cased wellbore, the usual practice is to use a work string to run and set a whipstock via an anchor disposed at the lower end thereof. The upper end of the whipstock comprises an inclined face. The inclined face is designed to guide a window milling bit radially outwardly with respect to the casing axis as the milling bit is lowered, so that the milling bit engages and cuts a window in the casing. The lower end of the whipstock is adapted to engage an anchor in a locking manner that prevents both axial and rotational movement.
Multilateral technology provides operators several benefits and economic advantages. For example, multilateral technology can allow isolated pockets of hydrocarbons, which might otherwise be left in the ground, to be tapped. In addition, multilateral technology allows the improvement of reservoir drainage, increasing the volume of recoverable reserves and enhancing the economics of marginal pay zones. By utilizing multilateral technology, multiple reservoirs can be drained simultaneously. Thin production intervals that might be uneconomical to produce alone become economical when produced together with multilateral technology. Multiple completions from one well bore also facilitate heavy oil drainage.
In addition to production cost savings, development costs also decrease through the use of existing infrastructure such as surface equipment and the well bore. Multilateral technology expands platform capabilities where slots are limited and eliminates spacing problems by allowing more drain holes to be added within a reservoir. In addition, by sidetracking damaged formations or completions, the life of existing wells can be extended. Laterals may be drilled below a problem area once casing has been set, thereby reducing the risk of drilling through troubled zones. Finally, multilateral completions accommodate more wells with fewer footprints, making them ideal for environmentally sensitive or challenging areas.
Often however, a well bore is configured such that a tubular string of a smaller diameter is contained within a larger pipe string, casing, or open hole, thereby making it necessary to run well tools through the smaller diameter tubular and thereafter perform downhole operations (such as sidetracking) within the larger area provide by the larger pipe string, casing, or open hole. Expandable tools are generally used for such operations. Disadvantages of known expandable anchors include limited radial expansion capabilities and limited capability of securing the anchor within the larger diameter. As such, prior expandable anchors that support whipstocks for drilling sidetrack boreholes, for example, may be susceptible to small but not insignificant amounts of movement. Hence, it would be desirable to provide an expandable anchor that effectively prevents an anchored whipstock from moving.


A device is disclosed for introducing a flexible elongated element through at least two portions of a subject. In an embodiment, the device includes a proximal end and a distal end, as well as an advancement unit for longitudinally advancing the flexible elongated element toward the distal end such that a proximal end of the elongated element may pass from the distal end of said device with sufficient force to pass through the portions of the subject. The device also includes a securing unit for variably adjusting a securing force applied by the flexible elongated element to secure together the portions of the subject.

Suturing instruments are typically used to draw together two or more portions of a subject patient (e.g., tissue such as muscle or skin) or to attach an object to the patient (e.g., to attach a piece of surgical mesh to the abdominal wall of the patient during hernia repair surgery).
Certain suturing instruments employ a needle that precedes a length of suture material through a subject.
For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,470,875; 4,027,608; 4,747,358; 5,308,353; 5,674,230; 5,690,653; 5,759,188; and 5,766,186 generally disclose suturing instruments in which a needle, with trailing suture material, is passed through a subject.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,890,615; 4,935,027; 5,417,700; and 5,728,112 generally disclose suturing instruments in which suture material is passed through the end of a hollow needle after that needle has passed through a subject.
With all of the foregoing devices, a needle must be passed through the subject in order to deploy the suture. This is generally undesirable, since the needle typically leaves a larger hole in the subject than is necessary to accommodate only the suture material. In this respect it should be appreciated that it is generally desirable to alter each portion of the material being sutured as little as possible.
A suturing instrument has been devised which permits the suture material itself to pierce the subject without the use of a needle. However, this device does not permit sufficient flexibility with regard to the amount of tension that may be applied to the suture and tissue.
More particularly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,499,990 discloses a suturing instrument in which a 0.25 mm stainless steel suturing wire is advanced to the distal end of a suturing instrument, whereupon the distal end of the suturing wire is caused to travel in a spiral direction so as to effect stitches joining together two portions of a subject. After the spiral is formed, the beginning and end portions of the suture may be bent toward the tissue in order to inhibit retraction of the suture wire into the tissue upon removal of the suturing instrument. The stainless steel wire is sufficiently firm to hold this locking set. In addition, after the spiral is formed, the radius of the deployed suture spiral may then be decreased by advancing an outer tube over a portion of the distal end of the instrument. Again, the stainless steel wire is sufficiently firm to hold this reducing set.
Unfortunately, however, such a system does not permit sufficient flexibility in all situations with regard to the appropriate amount of tension to be applied to the subject, since the wire is relatively firm (i.e., firm enough to hold its sets). Such a system also does not provide sufficient flexibility with regard to the appropriate type of suture stitch to be applied, since the device is specifically configured to provide only a spiral suture stitch.
In contrast to the aforementioned limitations of the suturing instrument of U.S. Pat. No. 5,499,990, it is desirable that a suturing instrument approximate the portions of the material which is to be joined in the correct physiological relationship, and to urge the portions together with an appropriate amount of force. If too much force (or tension) is applied to the suture material, then the subject portions may become necrotic or the sutures may cut through the subject. If too little tension is applied to the suture material, then the healing process may be impaired.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,453,661 discloses a surgical instrument for applying staples. The staples are formed from the distal end of a length of wire. The distal end of the wire is passed through a subject, and thereafter contacts a die that causes the wire to bend, thereby forming the staple. The wire is sufficiently firm to take the set imposed by the die. The staple portion is then cut from the wire by a knife. Again, such a system suffers from the fact that it does not permit sufficient flexibility in all situations with regard to the appropriate tension to be applied to the subject, since the attachment is made by a staple which has a predefined geometry and is formed with relatively firm wire. In addition, the system is limited as to the type of fastening which may be applied, since the surgical instrument is limited to only applying wire staples.
There is a need, therefore, for a new suturing device that permits minimally disruptive suturing and permits flexibility in the placement, application, and tensioning of the suture material.

Surgical suturing instrument and method of use


A single chip radio transceiver includes circuitry that enables received wideband RF signals to be down converted to base band frequencies and base band signals to be up converted to wideband RF signals prior to transmission without requiring conversion to an intermediate frequency. The circuitry includes a low noise amplifier, automatic frequency control circuitry for aligning the LO frequency with the frequency of the received RF signals, signal power measuring circuitry for measuring the signal to signal and power ratio and for adjusting frontal and rear amplification stages accordingly, and finally, filtering circuitry to filter high and low frequency interfering signals including DC offset.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to wireless communications and, more particularly, wideband wireless communication systems.
2. Related Art
Super-heterodyne receivers traditionally receive an RF signal that must be converted to base band by way of an intermediate frequency (IF). Thereafter, the IF signal is amplified and filtered to define a communication channel. In a transmitter, similarly, a base band signal is up converted to the intermediate frequency wherein the amplification and subsequent filtering are carried out at the IF stages. While some systems skip the IF conversion step, wideband systems typically require conversion to IF stages. Depending on the signal bandwidth and the type of communication system, semiconductor devices are not yet able to allow full integration of active filters operating at the elevated intermediate frequencies for a wideband or high data rate communication network. To carry out filtering at the intermediate frequencies, surface acoustic wave filters (SAW) are commonly used. The SAW filters have the drawback, however, of being bulky, heavy and expensive. Additionally, the SAW filters require low impedance matching thereby resulting in high power consumption. Because they are often powered by battery, portable wireless communication devices are not readily adaptable for such systems in that they are required to be inexpensive, light and consume lower amounts of power. Thus, there is a need to design transceiver systems that eliminate the use of intermediate frequency filters.
An alternate approach to using a higher intermediate frequency that requires the SAW filters is to convert the RF go signal to an intermediate frequency that is sufficiently low to allow the integration of on-chip channel selection filters. For example, some narrow band or low data rate systems, such as Bluetooth, use this low intermediate frequency design approach.
One problem using low intermediate frequencies, however, is satisfying image rejection requirements for the systems. The image rejection requirement for the down conversion is hard to meet and is usually limited to about −40 dB. Thus, this low intermediate frequency approach is limited for narrow band or low data rate systems. Wide band or high data rate systems require an intermediate frequency that is not low enough for the integration of channel selection filters given the technology that is available today for semiconductor processes. There is a need, therefore, for a wireless transceiver system that allows for full integration on-chip of circuit designs that support high data rate and wideband communications.

Direct conversion RF transceiver for wireless communications


A robot arm comprising a first arm segment and a second arm segment coupled to each other by a first revolute joint having a first rotation axis and a second revolute joint having a second rotation axis non-parallel to the first rotation axis, and a joint mechanism for articulating the first arm segment relative to the second arm segment about the first and second rotation axes, the joint mechanism comprising: a first driven gear disposed about an axle coincident with the first rotation axis, the axle being fast with a first arm segment of the robot arm; a second driven gear disposed about the second rotation axis and fast with a second arm segment of the robot arm and fast with the first driven gear about the first rotation axis; a first drive gear configured to drive the first driven gear to rotate about the axle, the first drive gear being arranged to engage the first driven gear; a second drive gear for driving the second driven gear to rotate about the second rotation axis; and an intermediary gear arrangement arranged to engage the second drive gear and the second driven gear and being disposed about the first rotation axis, whereby rotation of the intermediary gear arrangement relative to the first arm segment about the first rotation axis can be driven.

This disclosure relates to drive arrangements for robot joints. In particular, some embodiments relate to drive arrangements within robotic wrists.
Robots that are required to manipulate objects, which may for example be industrial or surgical robots, frequently have an arm composed of rigid elements which are linked together in series by a number of flexible joints. The joints could be of any type but are typically revolute joints, or a combination of revolute and prismatic joints. The arm extends from a base, whose location might be fixed or moveable, and terminates in a tool or an attachment for a tool. The tool could, for example be a gripping, cutting, illuminating, irradiating or imaging tool. The final joint in the arm may be termed the wrist. The wrist may permit motion about only a single axis, or it may be a complex or compound articulation, which permits rotation about multiple axes.
In the case of a surgical robot there are a number of important criteria that influence the design of the distal joint(s) of the arm.
1. It is desirable for the arm, and particularly its distal portion where the wrist is located, to be small in size. That allows multiple such robot arms to work in close proximity and hence opens up a wider range of surgical procedures that the arm can perform.
2. It is desirable for the joints to be capable of delivering a high torque, so that they can carry heavier tools and deliver high acceleration to the tool tip.
3. It is desirable for all articulations to have position and force/torque sensors, so that the control mechanism can take data from those sensors and for those sensors to take accurate readings.
4. It is desirable for the distal portion of the robot arm to be as light as possible, to reduce the force that must be exerted by more proximal joints of the robot arm.
5. It is desirable for the motion about the joints to be smooth. This leads to improved control of the motion and may be particularly important when a high degree of positional control is required, such as during a surgical procedure.
6. It is desirable for the distal portion of the robot arm to be as light as possible, to reduce the force that must be exerted by more proximal joints of the robot arm.
The number of important criteria makes it difficult to design an arm that best balances all the requirements.
One particular problem is how to fit the motors and gearing into the wrist of a robot arm. The arrangement should be compact but also allow for high stiffness and torque transfer. Many existing designs compromise one of these criteria.
There is a need for an improved drive arrangement for a joint of a robot arm.


A device adapted to deliver red/NIR light through an eyelid of a patient, the device comprising:                a) a nose bridge,        b) a first orbital rim adapted to encircle a first eye, wherein the first orbital rim is attached to the bridge, and        c) a red/NIR LED attached to the rim.

US Published Patent Application 2014-0358199 (Lim) discloses the intranasal delivery of the infrared light to the orbitofrontal cortex of the brain. The commercial embodiment of this application appears to be the Vielight 810® device. The Vielight 810® device comprises an infrared LED that is inserted into the nose and is powered by a battery pack.
Red/NIR light is significantly attenuated as it penetrates tissue. According to one Lim white paper, red/NIR light suffers a power loss of about 80% per mm penetration of tissue. (Lim, The Potential Of Intranasal Light Therapy For Brain Stimulation, Feb. 2, 2013, page 8). In another white paper, Lim reports that a) only 2.4% of infrared light penetrates 3 cm of dead tissue, and b) in live rats, only about 6% of photons with a wavelength of between 630 nm and 800 nm penetrate tissues up to 28 mm. (Lim, Inventor's Notes on Whole Brain Photobiomodulation with Vielight Neuro—a Transcranial-Intranasal Light Therapy Combination, January 2016, pages 8 and 16).
The recommended treatment time for the Vielight Intranasal device is 25 minutes. (Lim, Potential supra, abstract.)
U.S. Pat. No. 8,734,498 (Codman I) discloses a hand-held intranasal light device comprising an infrared LED powered by a battery contained within the handle of the device.
The literature reports several articles involving NIR irradiation of the forehead, with subsequent monitoring of cerebral blood flow via functional NIR spectroscopy. See, e.g., Kroczek, Addiction Biology, "Prefrontal functional connectivity measured with near-infrared spectroscopy during smoking cue exposure", 2015. None of the FNIR articles reviewed report on neuronal activity in the OFC, thereby implying that NIR light did not reach the OFC from irradiation of the forehead. See. also, e.g., Leon-Carrion, "Functional Near-infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS): Principles and Neuroscientific Applications" in Neuroimaging—Methods.


A sandwich maker includes a base and a perforating member. The base includes a base cavity into which a portion of a sheet of dough can be positioned, the base cavity including a plurality of slots positioned in a spaced fashion therein and extending through the base cavity. The perforating member is separably coupled to the base external to the base cavity and moveable between a normally retracted position and an extended position, wherein the perforating member includes a plurality of teeth spaced along the perforating member such that each tooth of the plurality of teeth aligns with a corresponding slot of the plurality of slots, and wherein each tooth is configured to extend into the base cavity via the corresponding slot when the perforating member is in the extended position so as to cut slits in the portion of the sheet of dough positioned within the base cavity.

Stuffed pizza sandwiches are typically in the form of a baked dough shell enclosing some food ingredients generally including one or more of the following: tomato sauce, cheese, spices, vegetables, and meats. To make a stuffed pizza sandwich, an uncooked hollow dough shell or pocket is formed to hold the desired stuffing(s). After the stuffing(s) are introduced into the dough pocket, the dough pocket is sealed along a seam line to capture the stuffing(s) inside. The stuffed sandwich is then baked in an oven.
When making stuffed pizza sandwiches on a commercial scale, it is important that the sandwiches be made in an efficient and uniform manner. As such, several assemblies have been developed for simultaneously forming a plurality of stuffed sandwiches. However, this approach generally requires that multiple sandwiches be made which generally include pre-determined/standard ingredients.
However, in order to attract and maintain consumers in today's highly competitive retail food industry, it is important to customize the ingredients of a stuffed pizza sandwich to meet the unique tastes of an individual consumer. As such, a device which enables efficient and consistent formation of individual stuffed pizza sandwiches to suit the unique tastes of individual customers is desirable. It is also desirable that the device be easily disassembled for cleaning.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.