A hydraulic system of a transmission includes a plurality of pressure control valves. A pilot force component and an actuating force component of additional pressure control valves are applicable in the direction of a first end position of a valve slide. A downstream pressure of the additional pressure control valves is applicable in the direction of a second end position of the valve slide. Clutch valves are configured to be brought into operative connection by a pilot-controlled valve unit with an area guiding pressure of a primary pressure circuit or with an additional valve unit. The additional valve unit is a pressure-limiting valve with a predefined pressure level adjusted upstream of the additional valve unit and connected downstream to a low-pressure area.

In order to prevent the emptying of hydraulic lines of hydraulic systems of transmissions known from practice, pressure control valves of hydraulic systems, such as clutch valves or an additional clutch valve allocated to a hang-on clutch, are in operative connection with so-called "pre-filling valves." Typically, a multiple number of pressure control valves of hydraulic systems or hydraulic actuating devices of transmissions share a common pre-filling valve. In the area of the pre-filling valves, a certain minimum pressure in hydraulic lines is set, whereas typical values between 0.2 to 0.4 bar are present. In terms of structure, they are usually designed as spring-loaded seat valves, such as plate valves. Pre-filling valves themselves can regulate the constant pre-filling pressure only if a defined minimum flow rate at the associated hydraulic control volume is present. If the minimum flow is reached, for example, by associated valve leakages, the associated pressure level is not defined shortly after a start of the drive unit.
For reasons of installation space and costs, it is also typically the case that there are efforts to minimize the number of pre-filling valves. However, this disadvantageously leads to the fact that the associated network topology is significantly more complex, since at least two, often up to five, pressure control valves are to be connected to a common channel, which in turn is connected to a low-pressure area or an oil sump by a corresponding pre-filling valve. Thus, a reduction in the number of components is achieved with more complex line guidance. If an associated pilot stage or a respective associated pilot pressure control valve is not supplied with power, the pre-filling pressure level is always applied by the associated actuator.
Hydraulic systems that are known to date, which are designed with as few pre-filling valves as possible for a multiple number of pressure control valves, have the following disadvantage, among others:
Since the actuators, the clutches, the shift cylinders and the like are emptied by the pre-filling lines, the associated line cross-sections have relatively large dimensions by comparison. In addition, the pre-filling lines cross the entire housing of the actuating device, depending on the number of valves connected. The installation space required for this is disadvantageously no longer available for the unbundling of the remaining network topology.
Furthermore, it is disadvantageous that the line resistances that are effective despite the large channel cross-sections at low operating temperatures cause significantly extended discharge times in the area of the clutches. Depending on how far the tank connection of a 3/2-pressure control valve is distant from the associated pre-filling valve, such emptying periods can also be significantly scattered. For this reason, the temperature range for emptying processes may impair the spontaneity of individual gearshifts to a non-negligible extent. Moreover, it is also disadvantageous that an active pre-filling required for reasons of accuracy causes leakage losses, which reduce overall efficiency.
When a clutch is opened, that is, upon the rapid emptying of at least one of the connected pressure control valves by a pre-filling valve, a short-term pressure increase occurs in the area of the pre-filling line. All other, preferably open clutches or gear actuators are then subjected to a higher pressure level by their common pre-filling pressure level. During such operating situations, a calibration of a pressure sensor system cannot be carried out (for example). If, in the area of the pre-filling lines, an active pre-filling as a function of the currently prevailing operating temperature of the hydraulic fluid volume is not provided, there is the possibility, disadvantageously, that the time span that elapses until the correct rebuilding of the pre-filling pressure may be significantly greater than 10 seconds. Thus, hardly any calibrating operations can be carried out, particularly at low operating temperatures of a transmission.
The pressure control valves are usually designed as so-called "spring-loaded slide valves." This means that the valve slides of the pressure control valves are guided against a mechanical end stop, without a corresponding control, through the associated pilot stage, by the respectively applied spring force. Thereby, the valve slides of the pressure control valves travel over comparatively large actuating paths, in order to ensure sufficient opening cross-sections between a tank connection of the pressure control valves and the associated pre-filling line. As soon as the associated pilot stages, in each case, apply a pilot pressure in the area of the pressure control valves, the valve slides must be displaced against the spring force from the current end position. In steering and control behavior, the large actuating paths cause significant dead times between the control signal and the point in time at which the required working pressure or clutch pressure is adjusted. Thereby, the spontaneity of the pressure build-up decreases, the greater the actuating path to be traveled through by the valve slide.

Hydraulic system of a transmission with a multiple number of pressure control valves


An apparatus and control method for feeding medications in which processing units, which can prepare drugs, non-drug articles and drug-related articles, are provided along a carrier feed line, and in which carriers for respective patients are fed on the feed line in the order in which preparations for carriers, preparations for medications, and preparation for receiving carriers are all finished so that a large amount of medications can be collected and delivered by carts to a plurality of wards in a hospital with high efficiency. When patient data is entered in a host computer, at least one of the processing units corresponding to this data is activated to prepare medications. When preparations in all of the processing units, tray feed units, and tray receiving unit have been made, a corresponding tray is fed on the conveyor to collect medications and is then loaded into a predetermined one of a plurality of carts.

This invention relates to a method and apparatus for delivering drugs prepared in, for example, a hospital pharmacy and medical instruments such as injectors to nurse stations or operating rooms in different wards of a hospital or to different hospitals.
Carrier devices for taking articles out of a storage room and delivering them to predetermined positions by putting them in carriers are used in various industrial fields. In a hospital, especially in a big hospital, drugs prepared based on prescriptions issued by doctors are handed to patients or delivered to nurse stations in respective wards after being inspected by pharmacists. Thus, it is difficult to use the above-mentioned conventional carrier devices as drug carrier devices in hospitals.
In many hospitals, in order to eliminate the necessity for hospital pharmacists to have to walk to a drug storage room to fetch necessary drugs from the shelf, drug pouches for powdered drugs and tablets are put in buckets which run on a conveyor line installed in a pharmacy and are collected in one place. After checking if the drugs are consistent with prescriptions, they are handed to patients.
But by using an automatic injection dispenser disclosed in Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication 3-69537, it is possible to prepare drugs more efficiently. The dispenser disclosed in this publication has a temporary tray storage shelf, a shelf for storing transfusion fluids, a shelf for single items, and an ampule storage shelf that are arranged in this order in a drug storage room. Each shelf has a means for discharging drugs or other drug-related articles from the shelf into a tray. Drugs and other products are discharged from the respective shelves into trays and are then sent to a predetermined place.
Examined Japanese Utility Model Publication 6-14753 discloses a device for storing and discharging small medical articles such as ampules. In this device, ampules are stored in cartridges so that they can be easily stored and taken out. Ampules can be taken out of any desired cartridge by a discharging means and put in trays. The trays are then sent to an inspecting station and then to a discharging point.
A similar device is disclosed in Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication 2-28406 too.
These conventional devices have a means for collecting or selecting drugs and other medications which is provided in the feed line along which drugs and other medications taken out of a drug storage room are fed to a predetermined place in a pharmacy, and after being inspected by pharmacists, they are sent out of the pharmacy. But none of these devices has a means for delivering medications collected to a predetermined one of a plurality of wards in a hospital or to a predetermined one of a plurality of hospitals.
In most cases, drugs collected in a pharmacy and inspected by pharmacists are put in drug pouches and are physically handed to patients.
In big hospitals, drugs and non-drug articles prepared for patients are large in kinds, numbers and quantities.
While powdered drugs, tablets, liquid drugs and external drugs account for most drugs administered to outpatients, drugs administered to inpatients are much more varied in kinds, including ampules, vials, blood and other fluids for transfusion, which are used according to the instructions of doctors. Also, non-drug items such as injectors and dressings are also needed.
When necessary drugs and non-drug articles for a plurality of patients have been prepared and collected, they are checked by pharmacists or other authorized people, put in trays and sent to the respective nurse stations.
Conventional drug carrier devices make it possible to efficiently collect medications from an inspecting station. But none of them has a means for automatically sorting and delivering medications to respective nurse stations. Thus, they have to be manually sorted and delivered to nurse stations.
An object of this invention is to provide a control method for feeding medications in which processing units, which can prepare drugs, non-drug articles and drug-related articles and other items that are needed in hospitals, are provided along a carrier feed line, and in which carriers for respective patients are fed on the feed line in the order in which preparations for carriers, preparations for medications and preparation for receiving carriers are all finished so that a large amount of medications can be collected and delivered to a plurality of wards in a hospital with high efficiency.

Method and apparatus for delivering drugs


A first ventricle is stimulated at a stimulation site, a point of time for arrival at the AV node for at least one depolarization wave resulting from the stimulation is estimated and a first activation time interval substantially corresponding to the time interval required for at least one depolarization wave to travel from the stimulation site in the first ventricle to the AV node is computed. A similar process is used to compute a second activation time interval for the other ventricle. Based on these activation time intervals and a difference between the intervals, a pacing therapy can be determined.

Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) has been proven to be a good method to help patients with congested heart failure and bundle branch block. The optimal ventricular stimulation delay (VV-delay) is often selected by use of echocardiography or invasive LV dP/dt (max) measurements.
When using echocardiography, lateral movements of the interventricular septum indicate a suboptimal VV-delay. When the biventricular stimulation is performed with an optimal VV-delay, the septal movements laterally are minimized. Thus, if the propagation times from the right and left ventricles to the AV node in the septum is different, this can be compensated by a programmed VV-delay that ensures simultaneous arrival of the action potential to the septum.
Measuring left ventricular pressure gradient is an invasive procedure that only can be performed at a clinic. When septal movements are minimized the LV contractions are the most efficient which gives the highest dP/dt(max).
Neither echocardiography nor invasive pressure measurements can be performed outside clinic, which makes it difficult to continuously optimize the VV-delay in patients treated with cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT).
The optimal VV-delay used for CRT will be changing over time due to remodelling and disease progression. Continuous optimization would therefore improve the cardiac function in long term and speed up the reverse remodelling process after start of therapy. The response to CRT would also be beneficial as the optimal setting always would be programmed in the device.
Thus, efforts have been made within the art to provide solutions for out-of-clinic methods and systems for continuous optimization of VV-delay and/or atrio-ventricular pacing delays (e.g. AV-delay or PV-delay).
St. Jude Medical's QuickOpt™ Timing Cycle Optimization is an algorithm that provides IEGM (Intracardiac Electrogram) based AV (Atrial-Ventricular) timing optimization in CRT and ICD (Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator) systems and VV (Ventricular-Ventricular) timing optimization in CRT devices in a simple and swift way. QuickOpt™ Timing Cycle Optimization is based on the hypothesis that the point of time for the closure of the Mitral valve can be estimated by measuring the interatrial conduction time (P-wave duration), that the onset of isovolumetric contraction can be measured using the peak of the R-wave and that interventricular conduction delays can be measured by evaluating simultaneous RV (Right Ventricular) and LV (Left Ventricular) IEGMs and measuring the time between the peaks of the R-waves. The goal is to characterize interatrial conduction patterns so that preload is maximized and ventricular pacing does not occur until after full closure of the mitral valve and to characterize intrinsic and paced interventricular conduction patterns so that pacing stimuli and the resultant LV and RV conduction (paced wave fronts) meet at the ventricular septum. Accordingly, QuickOpt™ Timing Cycle Optimization electrically characterizes the conduction properties of the heart to calculate optimal AV delay, PV delay (the time interval between a sensed atrial event and the ventricular impulse) and VV delay. QuickOpt™ Timing Cycle Optimization has been clinically proven to correlate with the more time-consuming echo-based methods and may be used for patients carrying CRT and dual-chamber devices at implant or follow up. QuickOpt™ Timing Cycle Optimization is an appealing optimization method since it does not require systematic measurements of a number of different AV and VV delays, which makes it very fast and simple. There are other IEGM based optimization methods among which QuickOpt™ Timing Cycle Optimization is one such method.
U.S. Pat. Appl. 2010/0145405 to Min et al., entitled "Systems and methods for controlling ventricular pacing in patients with long inter-atrial conduction delays", presents a solution using QuickOpt™. In particular, atrio-ventricular conduction delays are measured and used for determining the pacing regime.
In U.S. Pat. Appl. 2010/0256701 to Muller, entitled "Determining site-to-site pacing delay for multi-site anti-tachycardia pacing", a solution where interventricular delays are determined for use in anti-tachycardia pacing is disclosed. A left to right directional conduction time is determined, for example, an LV lateral wall to RV apex time, by delivering energy to a LV lateral wall site, by sensing the delivered energy at a RV apex site and by measuring the elapsed time. The RV apex to LV lateral wall time is thereafter determined. A pacing regime is determined based on an offset between these two time intervals.
In U.S. Pat. Appl. 2011/0022111 to Min, entitled "Systems and methods for optimizing ventricular pacing delays during atrial fibrillation", methods and devices for optimizing interventricular (VV) pacing delays during AF (Atrial Fibrillation) are disclosed. A test to detect an intrinsic interventricular conduction delay for determining an optimal VV delay is performed. The test is initiated upon detection of AF based on high atrial rate. More specifically, separate RV pace and LV pace tests are performed to determine interventricular delays for left and right side (i.e. left to right conduction delay and vice versa). A RV test can be performed by first detecting RR intervals between RV QRS complexes on the RV channel. Then, RV pacing intervals are set to a period shorter than the detected RR intervals (e.g. 95% to 98% of the detected RR interval) to secure that the resulting LV QRS will arise via interventricular conduction and not via AV conduction from the atria. Right to left conduction delay is determined based on time delays between sequences of RV pacing pulses and respective detected resulting LV QRS's. For example, an average right to left conduction delay can be determined by averaging a set of such time delays. A similar procedure is performed to determine the corresponding time delay from left to right.
However, there is still a need within the art of improved systems and methods for continuous and automatic optimization of VV-delays of an implanted cardiac stimulator such as a pacemaker.

Method and system for stimulating a heart


One embodiment of the disclosure provides a kit for detecting a mutation and/or polymorphism of a specific region in a target nucleotide sequence, including: at least one first primer consisting of a first segment and a second segment, wherein the first segment is a complementary strand of a first sequence and the second segment is a second sequence, and the 3′ end of the first segment connects to the 5′ end of the second segment; a second primer being a third sequence; at least one third primer consisting of a third segment and a fourth segment, wherein the third segment is a fourth sequence and the fourth segment is a complementary strand of a fifth sequence, and the 3′ end of the third segment connects to the 5′ end of the fourth segment; and a fourth primer being a complementary strand of a sixth sequence, wherein the specific region includes rs1799853, rs1057910, rs2108622, rs9923231 and rs9934438.

It has been known that polymorphisms of the CYP2C9 (cytochrome P450, family 2, subfamily C, polypeptide 9) gene (CYP2C9*2 (rs1799853), CYP2C9*3 (rs1057910)), polymorphism of CYP4F2 (cytochrome P450, family 4, subfamily F, polypeptide 2) gene (rs2108622) and polymorphisms of VKORC1 (vitamin K epoxide reductase complex, subunit 1) gene (VKORC1-1639 (rs9923231) of or VKORC1 1173 (rs9934438)) significantly impact the maintenance dose for the drug warfarin (Clinical Chemistry 55:4, 804-812 (2009); Blood. 2008 Apr. 15; 111(8):4106-12. Epub 2008 Feb. 4.; Ann Clin Lab Sci. 2011 Summer; 41(3):229-35). Before prescribing the drug, prescreening patients for their genotypes will facilitate a faster individualized determination of the proper maintenance dose, minimizing the risk of adverse reactions and reoccurrence of thromboembolic episodes. However, if genotyping is performed to determine the loading therapy can be delayed by several hours to 1 day.
Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP), a special type of nucleic acid amplification, is a new technique developed by Eiken Genome of Japan in 2000. This method is able to complete an amplification of DNA or RNA in one hour by using four primers in an environment of 60-65° C. Since the loop-mediated isothermal amplification has the advantages of speed, simplicity of isothermal amplification, and assay-design flexibility, the loop-mediated isothermal amplification is very suitable for various types of nucleic acid testing, such as genotype identification.
FIGS. 1A and 1B illustrate the basic principles of the loop-mediated isothermal amplification, and the detailed principles and operation instructions of this method can be referred to in U.S. Pat. No. 7,175,985 B1 and the animation illustration provided on the website of Eiken Genome of Japan.
According to FIGS. 1A and 1B, it is understood that for the loop-mediated isothermal amplification, six regions are selected in a target gene 100, which are F1, F2, F3, B1c, B2c and B3c, respectively, and F1c, F2c, F3c, B1, B2 and B3 in the other strand shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B are complementary to the F1c, F2c, F3c, B1, B2 and B3 regions mentioned above, respectively. In this method, at least one of F1 and B1c regions which are selected has to contain a mutation or single-nucleotide polymorphism site which is targeted for detection, and the enzyme which is adopted is Bst DNA polymerase which is capable of performing amplification reaction in isothermality and opening the double-strand structure of a target or template DNA during amplification.
Furthermore, in this method, four primers are adopted, and they are forward inner primer (FIP) 101, forward outer primer 103, backward inner primer (BIP) 105 and backward outer primer 107.
The sequence of the forward inner primer (FIP) 101 consists of a first segment (the complementary strand of the sequence of the F1 region which is predicated, that is the sequence of F1c region which is predicated) and a second segment (the sequence of the F2 region). For example, if the F1 region of the target gene is predicated as a sequence from a wild type, the sequence of the first segment is the complementary strand of the F1 region from the wild type, in contrast, if the F1 region of the target gene is predicated as a sequence from a mutant type, the sequence of the first segment is the complementary strand of the F1 region from the mutant type.
The sequence of the forward outer primer 103 is the sequence of the F3 region
Moreover, the sequence of the backward inner primer (BIP) 105 consists of a third segment (the sequence of the B1c region which is predicated, that is the complementary strand of the sequence of the B1 region which is predicated) and a fourth segment (the complementary strand of the sequence of the B2c region, that is the sequence of the B2 region). For example, if the B1c region of the target gene is predicated as sequence from a wild type, the sequence of the third segment is the sequence of the B1c region from the wild type, in contrast, if the B1c region of the target gene is predicated as a sequence from a mutant type, the sequence of the third segment is the sequence of the B1c region from the mutant type.
Furthermore, the sequence of the backward outer primer 107 is the complementary strand of the sequence of the B3c region (namely, the sequence of the B3 region)
While performing the loop-mediated isothermal amplification, the second segment (the sequence of the F2 region) of the forward inner primer (FIP) 101 will anneal to the F2c region of the other strand of the target gene mentioned above and proceed to a complementary strand synthesis reaction, and a first strand which has the sequences of the first segment (the complementary strand of the sequence of the F1 region which is predicated, that is the sequence of the F1c region which is predicated), second segment (the sequence of the B2 region), F1, B1c, B2c and B3 regions is synthesized, and the forward outer primer 103 will push the first strand aside and thus a second strand which has the sequences of F3, F2, F1, B1c, B2c and B3 regions is synthesized.
Next, the fourth segment (the sequence of the B2 region) of the backward inner primer (BIP) 105 anneals to the B2c region of the foregoing first strand. And a third strand which has the sequence of the B1c region as predicated, the sequences of B2, B1, F1c, F2c, and the sequence of F1 which is predicated is synthesized by using the first strand as a template.
After that, the backward outer primer 107 will push the third strand aside and thus a fourth strand which has the sequences of the B3, B2, B1, F1c and F2c regions and the sequence of the F1 region which is predicated is synthesized. The predicated B1c region of the third strand and B1 region of the third strand will result in self-annealing, and similarly the predicated F1 region of the third strand and F1c region of the third strand will also result in self-annealing. Thus the third strand will become a strand with two ends each have a loop formed.
Then, the forward inner primer (FIP) and backward inner primer (BIP) continue the complementary strand synthesis reaction by using the complementary strand synthesis products of the third strand and/or the complementary strand thereof as the template in turn, and a double-strand product which has a plurality of loops is formed (please refer to FIG. 1B).
In addition, FIG. 2A shows results obtained from performing the loop-mediated isothermal amplification, the sequence of the F1 region which is predicated and the sequence of the B1c region which is predicated being the same as the sequence of the F1 region and the sequence of the B1c region of the target gene, respectively. When the sequence of the F1 region which is predicated and the sequence of the B1c region which is predicated are the same as the sequence of the F1 region and the sequence of the B1c region of the target gene, respectively, since the synthesized third strand which is mentioned in the foregoing paragraph and which has the sequence of the B1c region which is predicated, the sequences of B2, B1, F1c, F2c, and the sequence of the F1 which is predicated, is able to become a strand whose two ends each have a loop formed, the complementary strand synthesis reaction can continue.
In contrast, FIG. 2B shows results obtained from performing the loop-mediated isothermal amplification The sequence of the F1 region which is predicated and the sequence of the B1c region which is predicated is not the same as the sequence of the F1 region and the sequence of the B1c region of the target gene, respectively. When the sequence of the F1 region which is predicated and the sequence of the B1c region which is predicated are not the same as the sequence of the F1 region and the sequence of the B1c region of the target gene, respectively, the third strand can not self-anneal to form a strand whose two ends each have a loop formed. Thus complementary strand synthesis can not be continued.
Therefore, according to that mentioned above, by using appropriate primers for wild type and mutant type, respectively, a mutation and/or polymorphism of a specific region in a target nucleotide sequence can be detected.
However, for rs1799853 of the CYP2C9*2 gene, rs1057910 of the CYP2C9*3 gene, rs2108622 of the CYP4F2 gene, rs9923231 of VKORC1-1639 and rs9934438 of VKORC1 1173, primers designed by the software, PrimerExplorer V4, which is provided by Eiken Genome on its website to perform the loop-mediated isothermal amplification, no amplification results can be detected for previous mentioned five genes.
Therefore, a new kit is needed which can be used to quickly and accurately detect the single-nucleotide polymorphism of CYP2C9*2 (rs1799853) and CYP2C9*3 (rs1057910) of the CYP2C9 gene, rs2108622 of CYP4F2 gene, VKORC1-1639 (rs9923231) and VKORC1 1173 (rs9934438) of VKORC1 gene.

Kit for detecting a mutation and/or polymorphism of a specific region in a target nucleotide sequence

INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH INSTITUTE


A generator and lighting assembly is provided for use on a mechanism, e.g. a power driven tool, having a shaft that is rotated during use. The assembly includes a rotor assembly 122 including a rotor shaft 102 affixed to the mechanism shaft, and a permanent magnet 132 supported on the rotor shaft for rotation therewith. A stator assembly 124 is also provided, and includes a body presenting pair of electrically conductive arms 138 extending on opposite sides of the rotor and an electrically conductive shank 140 connecting the arms together, and a winding 136 of electrically conductive wire supported on the body and presenting a pair of opposed ends. The assembly includes a lamp assembly 128 for providing illumination to an area to be lighted, and includes a light emitting diode (LED) embedded in a solid transparent bulb formed of a synthetic resin composition. Electrical conductors connect the ends of the winding to the LED to form a circuit for supplying current to the LED upon rotation of the rotor magnet 132 within the stator assembly 124.

The present invention relates generally to electric generators, and more particularly to an electric generator and lighting assembly adapted for use with pneumatic, hydraulic and electric power tools and the like.
In many manufacturing and industrial maintenance settings, pneumatic, hydraulic and electric tools are used to construct and repair products. In these settings, frequently a worker is required to access a small, hard to reach place that is out of the line of normal illumination of conventional manufacturing area lighting. It is common for the worker to carry a separate DC or AC powered, hand-held light in order to provide additional lighting of the immediate work area.
However, because conventional lighting devices typically must be hand-held, the worker may quickly become tied up between handling the tool and the light while also positioning herself and the work piece in a proper orientation. Further, because pneumatic, hydraulic and electric power is already commonly available in the work place for use in powering the tools typically used, the provision of a separate DC or AC power source in addition to the lines already present represents unnecessary duplication of power lines in the work area which inhibits movement of workers and reduces their efficiency.
Another disadvantage to using most presently available DC powered lighting devices is environmental in nature, and relates to the problem of disposal of batteries and the like which are used to supply the power for such devices. It would be desirable to provide a lighting assembly that does not adversely affect the environment and that is powered by already available means typically present in a manufacturing or maintenance environment.

Electric generator and lighting assembly


A portable biological signal measurement/transmission system includes: a body unit; and at least one biological signal processing unit detachably connected to the body unit, and including a signal processor which processes a biological signal, the biological signal processing unit including a first transmitter which transmits the biological signal to the body unit when the biological signal processing unit is connected to the body unit.

The present invention relates to a portable biological signal measurement/transmission system which includes at least one of a plurality of sensors for measuring a plurality of biological signals such as ECG, SpO2, and NIBP and which transmits biological signal information measured by the sensor to a monitoring device.
JP-T-2008-526443 discloses a related-art patient monitoring device which measures biological signals. The related-art patient monitoring device is shown in FIGS. 13 to 16. Referring to FIG. 13, the patient monitoring device 20 is defined by a housing 24 that receives input from a plurality of sensors, each forming part of physiologic sensor assemblies 28, 32 and 36, in this instance ECG, SpO2 and NIBP (non-invasive blood pressure) assemblies. The housing 24 includes a display 88 for vital sign numerics, waveforms and other patient data, as well as a user interface 92, shown in FIG. 14, that permits operation of the monitoring device 20.
Referring to FIG. 13, the display 88 is provided on a front facing side of the housing 24, as well as a plurality of adjacent actable buttons defining the user interface 92. The display 88 is a quarter (QVGA) color display, and the size of the display 88 is approximately 3.5 inches (measured diagonally). More particularly, the display 88 is an LCD having a pixel count of 240 by 320. The display 88 preferably includes a backlight (not shown) to improve readability of the display under low ambient light conditions.
As to the profile of the device 20, the size of the housing 24 is approximately 5.3 inches in height, 7.5 inches in width, and 2.0 inches in depth. In spite of the lightweight design, however, the monitoring device 20 is extremely durable and rugged in which the device is equipped to handle various loads that may be encountered in a patient-related setting. For example, the housing 24 includes a center or intermediate rubberized bladder 26 disposed between a front housing half and a rear housing half that is disposed peripherally therebetween about the device housing 24 in order to assist in cushioning the monitoring device 20 from impact or shock loads and to retain the interior of the device from dust or other contaminants. To further assist in cushioning the monitoring device 20, each of the corners of the housing 24 are curved to provide an effective contour. A battery compartment (not shown) is also formed within the housing 24, the cover of the battery compartment being essentially flush with the rear facing side 61 of the housing such the compartment does not protrude from the overall profile of the monitoring device 20. The rear facing side 61 of the housing 24 further includes a set of rubberized pads or feet 58, enabling the monitoring device 20 to be placed on a flat surface, as needed. In addition, each of the buttons included in the user interface 92 is elastomerized to aid in the overall durability and ruggedness of the monitoring device 20, the buttons being positioned so as not to overly protrude from the facing surface 84 of the housing 24 and allowing the device to maintain a relatively compact profile.
The compact profile of the device housing 24 enables the monitoring device 20 to be patient wearable. A pair of tabs 132, shown in FIG. 13, provided on opposing lateral sides of the device housing 24 enable the monitoring device 20 to be secured to a patient-wearable harness 135 or alternatively a strap 137 can be attached to the side tabs 132 permitting hand-held and portable operation of the monitoring device 20. The strap 137 can be used additionally for transport operations along with a transport belt 139 with respect to a gurney 138 or other transport apparatus. Otherwise and as noted above, the monitoring device 20 can be suitably positioned upon a table or other flat surface using the rubberized pads 58 provided on the rear facing side 61 of the device housing 24.
In addition to being compact and durable, the monitoring device 20 is extremely lightweight. The entire assemblage shown in FIG. 13 weighs approximately two pounds.
As noted above, a plurality of physiologic sensor assemblies are tethered to the housing 24, including an ECG sensor assembly 28, an SpO2 sensor assembly 32 and an NIBP sensor assembly 36, respectively, the sensor assemblies being shown in FIG. 13 only for the sake of clarity.
A brief treatment of each tethered physiologic sensor assembly 28, 32, 36 is now provided for the sake of completeness. More particularly and in brief, the SpO2 sensor assembly 32 is used to noninvasively measure oxygen saturation of arteriolar hemoglobin of a peripheral measurement site of a patient, such as the wrist, a finger, a toe, forehead, earlobe or other area. Reusable or disposable sensor probes can be used. In this instance, a finger clamp 60 is shown in FIG. 13, the clamp having a light emitter and a light detector that can be used to detect pulse/heart rate as well as blood oxygen saturation through pulse oximetry. The finger clamp 60 is tethered by means of a cable 64 extending to a pinned connector that mates with a corresponding female connecting port 44, FIG. 15, that is provided on the exterior of the device housing 24.
In brief, the ECG sensor or monitoring assembly 28 includes a lead wire assembly, in which either a three-lead or a five-lead ECG can be utilized. More particularly and by way of example, the herein pictured ECG sensor assembly 28 of FIG. 13 comprises a set of lead wires 68, each having electrodes 70 at the ends thereof to permit attachment to the body of a patient, the lead wire assembly including a harness 71 that is attached to a connection cable 72 having a connector which is matingly attachable to the connection port 40 of the device housing 24. The ECG sensor assembly 28 is further utilized herein with respect to a respiration channel of the monitoring device 20 in order to determine the rate or absence (apnea) of respiration effort through the determination of ac impedance between selected terminals of ECG electrodes 70, thereby determining the respiration rate of a patient using impedance pneumography based upon movements of the chest wall using a designated reference lead wire. Heart rate is detected for the device 20 using the ECG sensor assembly 28.
The ECG sensor assembly 32 creates a waveform (ECG vector) for each lead and further includes a QRS detector that can be adjusted depending upon the patient mode selected. The ECG sensor assembly 28 is further configured to determine heart/pulse rate, if selected, as well as mark pacer spikes in the resulting ECG waveforms byway of a pacer detection circuit. The ECG sensor assembly 28 further includes selectable notch filters of 50 Hz and 100 Hz, 60 Hz and 120 Hz, respectively.
In brief, the NIBP sensor assembly 36 indirectly measures arterial pressure using an inflatable cuff or sleeve 76, which is attached to the limb (arm or leg) of a patient (not shown). The remaining end of a connected hose 80 includes an attachment end that can be screwed into a fitted air connector fitting 48 that is provided on the top facing side of the housing 24. The air connector fitting 48 is connected to a pump (not shown) disposed within the monitoring device housing 24 in order to selectively inflate and deflate the cuff 76 to a specified pressure, depending on the type of patient, using the oscillometric method. Pressure changes are detected by means of circuitry in order to determine systolic, diastolic and mean arterial pressure (MAP). The NIBP sensor assembly 36 is capable of performing manual, automatic and a turbo mode of operation. The assembly 36 can also be equipped, when ECG is also being monitored, with a motion artifact filter if ECG is also being monitored. The filter employs a software algorithm that can be used to automatically synchronize the process of NIBP measurement to the occurrences of the R-wave of the ECG waveform, thereby increasing accuracy in cases of extreme artifact and diminished pulses. An example of a suitable NIBP artifact filter is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,405,076. Examples of NIBP and ECG sensor assemblies useful for incorporation into the monitoring device 20 are manufactured by Welch Allyn Inc., of Skaneateles Falls, N.Y., among others. With regard to each, the form of sensor assembly can be varied depending on the type of patient, (i.e., adult, pediatric, neonatal) by selective attachment to the connection ports 40, 48 that are provided on the monitoring device 20. Each of the foregoing sensor assemblies further includes electrosurgery interference suppression. As noted, pulse rate can be detected from either the SpO2 or the NIBP channels of the monitoring device 20.
It is contemplated, however, that other means for connecting the above noted sensor assemblies 28, 32 to the monitoring device 20 other than through the connection ports 40, 44, including wireless means, such as for example, IR, optical, RF, and other nontethered connections could also be employed. It should be further noted that the number of types of physiologic sensor assemblies used with the device 20 can be varied.
Referring to FIGS. 13 and 16, each of the above physiologic sensor assemblies 28, 32, 36 are internally connected electrically to a CPU 174 that is contained within the housing 24 of the monitoring device 20. Signal processing for each of the physiologic sensor assemblies 28, 32, 36 is performed internally through resident processing circuitry, for example, the SpO2 sensor assembly 32 utilizes the Nellcor Puritan MP506 architecture while the NIBP sensor assembly 36 is based upon a design, such as those used in the Micropaq and Propaq vital signs monitors, including, for example, an NIBP Module, Part 007-0090-01, manufactured and sold by Welch Allyn, Inc. Though not shown in FIG. 16, the resident circuitry for each of the sensor assemblies 28, 32, 36 are all integrated into a single logic board in which the ECG and respiration parameters utilize a common processor, such as a Motorola MPC 823 processor of the CPU 174. Despite being integrated into a single logic board, the remaining physiologic parameters (SpO2 and NIBP) are implemented in a more modular fashion, and utilize their own processors.
Still referring to the schematic diagram of FIG. 16, the contained battery pack 170 is interconnected to the CPU 174, the latter including a microprocessor, memory, and resident circuitry, in which each are connected to the tethered sensor assemblies 28, 32, 36 in order to enable processing storage and selective display of the signals provided therefrom as well as perform power conversion between the charging circuit of an optional charging cradle 140 and the contained battery pack, including circuitry to prevent overcharging of the contained battery pack 170 (i.e., 12 volts to 5 volts). The CPU 174 includes available volatile and non-volatile storage for patient data, in the form of Flash memory and SRAM, though other form as are also possible, the CPU 174 being further connected to the display 88. As noted above, the CPU 174 is presented on a single logic board along with the processors for the physiologic sensor assemblies 28, 32, 36. The CPU 174 is intended to handle device-specific aspects, such as alarm limits, display generation, and enabling and disabling of certain features, in which the physiologic sensor assemblies 28, 32, 36 predominantly only relate data for use by the CPU 174. It should be noted that portions of the processing function, for example, the ECG processing algorithms, can also reside in CPU 174, though this can be varied appropriately depending, for example, on the extent of processing power required or packaging concerns. The CPU 174, predominantly controls the operation of the device 20, including patient modes, pressures, voltages and the like, as a factory default setting, or either through the user interface 92, a remote monitoring station 184, shown in FIG. 16, and/or a connected PC 192, shown in FIG. 16.
In addition to the preceding, the monitoring device 20 as schematically represented in FIG. 16 further optionally includes a wireless radio card/transceiver 180, enabling bi-directional wireless communication with at least one remote monitoring station 184, such as, for example, the Acuity Monitoring Station manufactured and sold by Welch Allyn Inc., using the radio card as inserted in an internal PCMCIA expansion slot (not shown). The radio card 180 is an IEEE802.11 compliant radio card that connects to an antenna 182 that is also disposed within the housing 24 of the monitoring device 20 for transmission over a 2.4 GHz frequency hopping spread spectrum (FHSS) wireless local area network (WLAN) using access points 186. Additional details relating to an exemplary wireless interconnection, including networking therewith, is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,544,174.
As most clearly shown in FIG. 14, a lower or bottom facing surface 120 of the device housing 24 includes a latching member 124, shown in FIG. 14, as well as an electrical port 128, shown in FIG. 14, each of which are used in conjunction with an optional charging cradle 140. As previously noted, the battery pack 170, only shown schematically in FIG. 16, is contained in the rear of the device housing 24 within a rear compartment (not shown). The battery pack 170 provides portable power for the monitoring device 20 in which the battery life is dependent upon certain operational modes of the device. The battery pack 170 is rechargeable by means of charging circuitry contained within the optional charging cradle 140. The battery pack 170 includes at least one rechargeable lithium-ion battery, such as those manufactured by Sanyo Corporation. In this instance, the battery pack 170 includes two rechargeable batteries. The monitoring device 20 is capable of operation in a stand-alone mode using the contained battery 170 as a power source, the battery having an average runtime of up to approximately 24 hours, depending on the usage of the device.
In the related-art patient monitoring device disclosed in JP-T-2008-526443, the ECG, SpO2, and NIBP sensor assemblies are individually disposed, the plurality of sensor assemblies are connected to the patient monitoring device through the connector, and all signal processing (for example, signal amplification, A/D conversion, and filtering) of biological signal information measured by the ECG, SpO2, and NIBP sensor assemblies are conducted by the CPU in the patient monitoring device.
Therefore, the related-art patient monitoring device must be provided with a function to process biological signal information measured by the ECG, SpO2, and NIBP sensor assemblies. This limitation causes the following disadvantages; the process burden of the CPU mounted on the patient monitoring device is large, a dedicated device is required for various combinations of parameters, and the patient monitoring device is expensive and bulky so that the patient cannot move around while carrying the patient monitoring device. Furthermore, the measurable parameters are fixed by the design of the patient monitoring device. In the case of a related-art patient monitoring device such as described above, for example, when only ECG monitoring is applied to a non-severe patient, a hospital has to use an over-specified device for this patient which can measure all of the ECG, SpO2, and NIBP parameters. Thereby, it causes a problem in efficiency of apparatus management and operation.

Portable biological signal measurement/transmission system


In a print order receiving system, a first output receiving server receives an order of a print output at every captured image data obtained by imaging apparatus; an image storing server stores the captured image data; and a first print out apparatus prints out an initial printed matter, and the first print out apparatus supplies the initial printed matter to a shipping terminal. An order receiving server receives a reorder of the printed matter from a user terminal; a charging and settlement server performs the charging and settlement of the printed matter; and the first print out apparatus prints the image data to generate later printed matter when a reorder is received, and the first print out apparatus supplies the later printed matter to the shipping terminal.

Recently, a system capable of supplying a service from the imaging of an object to the printing of a result of the imaging at the same place, like, for example, a picture print supplying apparatus disclosed in Japanese Publication for Registered Utility Model No. 3014733 has become popular.
Moreover, in recent years, a system for imaging and printing not only a static image but also a motion picture or a parallax image has been developed. Thereby, printed matter in which a viewed image can be changed in accordance with the changes of a viewing direction can be obtained.
As an example of the development of such business, business for making a parallax image picture as printed matter by utilizing a lenticular technique exists. For example, the following can be cited.    (1)"Torikkiri Konika 3D®" being a film with a three-eye type lens by Konica Corporation and the printing service thereof.    (2)"Kodak Snap Kids 3D®" being a film with a three-eye type lens by Eastman Kodak Company and the printing service thereof.    (3)"Motion Image Print (MIP) Card", which was developed by Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. and synthesizes 6 sheets of images, and a apparatus for making the card, "Ugoitaro®".    (4)A service by Chikyuya Co., Ltd. that receives an order of a card to be made with the aforesaid "Ugoitaro®" through the so-called Internet.    (5)A sale of an amusement apparatus for business use after receiving an order by Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd., which is a vending machine of a motion picture card supplying sequence pictures made by imaging an object as a card in which the object can be viewed as if it moves according to angles of viewing.
Moreover, as a similar system, there is a technique for making printed matter by utilizing a holography technique. For example, the techniques disclosed in the following documents can be cited as such a technique.    (6)Akira Shirakura, Nobuhiro Kihara and Shigeyuki Baba, "Instant Holographic Portrait Printing System", Proceeding of SPIE, Vol. 3293, pp. 246–253, January 1998.    (7)Kihara, Shirokura, Baba, "High Speed Hologram Portrait Printing System", Three-Dimensional Image Conference 1998, July in 1998.These documents disclose systems for supplying a service from the imaging of an object to the printing of a result of the imaging at the same place.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Image printing order receiving system and image printing order receiving method


The replaceable, outside-in flow filter element with integral annular trap provides a simple, efficient, tubular filter element that combines the advantages of inside out-flow and outside-in flow filters. The element includes end caps with pleated filter media extending there between. A solid tube is secured between the end caps in a position spaced radially outward from the media. The annular space between the media and the tube forms an integral, lateral, outer trap for containing filtered out particulate matter. The trap allows the particulate to be removed with the used filter element during conventional replacement. The inlet end cap includes openings spaced from an end of the filter media whereby a portion of the openings overlap the media in plan view such that inflow through this overlapping portion of the openings will flow radial outward in the space between the openings and the filter media to the annular space.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to replaceable filter elements. Specifically, the present invention relates to an outside-in flow replaceable filter element with integral annular trap.
2. Background Information
Hydraulic systems are frequently used in heavy machinery, including cranes, backhoes, demolition shears, bulldozers, and the like. In such hydraulic systems, it is important to keep the hydraulic fluid free of debris. Consequently, filter units or filter assemblies have been incorporated in the hydraulic systems to filter debris from the hydraulic fluid. Fuel systems and lubrication systems have also incorporated filter assemblies to clean the working fluid (with the fuel system being the only systems that do not typically re-circulate the working fluid).
It is common to form the filter assembly with a replaceable filter element. One common configuration is a tubular filter media in which the fluid being cleaned flows in a radial direction through the tubular pleated media. The direction of flow in such a structure defines the filter element as an outside-in (flow of fluid being cleaned is inward radial direction) or an inside-out (flow of fluid being cleaned is outward radial direction) filter structure. Examples of the tubular structure type filter elements include the K series element sold by Schroeder Industries, LLC, with the direction of flow for this element being defined by the associated assembly. From an operational standpoint there are certain advantages to outside-in flow and other advantages with inside-out flow. Namely with outside-in flow the pleat structure is more stable at higher pressure when constructed with a traditional fan pleat. This structure also exhibits higher dirt holding capacity as compared to similar inside out designs, since the media pleats are uniformly exposed to the system flow which results in a more uniform distributed deposition pattern. Alternatively with inside-out flow there is an advantage in that larger particles on the up-stream side of the filter remain in the center and are easily removed with the filter element, whereas in the outside in configurations such particles can, in theory, contaminate the system by falling or migrating past the filter location during filter element replacement. This contamination may occur after system flow stops which may allow particles on the outer most media layer to become dislodged and further contaminate the upstream fluid or settle within the filter housing. If this condition occurs and the element is removed from the filter housing (i.e. replacement of the filter element); the dislodged particles in the upstream fluid may contaminate the fluid downstream of the filter assembly.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,322,697 (the '697 patent) explains that contamination "is an important consideration relating to filter assemblies having replaceable filter elements. For example, prior art systems having replaceable filter elements can experience the accumulation of contaminants within the reusable housings that cover the replaceable filter elements. If this occurs, the "clean" side of new filter elements inserted within the contaminated housings can immediately become contaminated. There is a need in the art to prevent this type of contamination from occurring." The '697 patent discloses six separate embodiments of the invention to address this problem using a cap surrounding an annular "trap" area. However, in the cap designs in the '697 patent the openings in the top cap are aligned with the annular area and necessarily will have a reduced area than that of the trap forming area (due to the outwardly extending portions of the cap), and this can form a restriction for flow. There is a need in the industry for a simple, efficient, tubular filter element that combines the advantages of inside out-flow and outside-in flow, and which does not introduce flow limiting characteristics.

Replaceable filter element with integral annular trap


An electronic apparatus includes: a housing provided with a first conductive pattern; a substrate provided with a first wiring layer in a surface thereof and fixed to the housing; and a first conductive member connecting the first conductive pattern and the first wiring layer. The first conductive pattern extends onto an outer surface and an inner surface of the housing. The first conductive member is in contact with each of at least a part of the first conductive pattern extending onto the inner surface and an end of the first wiring layer. Alternatively, an electronic apparatus includes: a housing provided with a conductive pattern and having a through part in a frame portion thereof; and a substrate provided with a wiring layer on a surface thereof and having a protruding part and fixed to the housing. The protruding part and the through part are fit. The conductive pattern extends onto an outer surface of the housing and onto an inner surface of the through part. At least some of the conductive pattern extending onto the inner surface is in contact with an end of the wiring layer.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an electronic apparatus.
2. Background Art
In an electronic apparatus such as a cellular phone or PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), for suppressing affection of noise between an antenna and circuit components, it is preferable that they are disposed so that the distance thereof becomes long as much as possible. For example, there is a structure in which an antenna by in-mold or MID (Molded Interconnection Device) is separated from the substrate and disposed between the substrate provided with the circuit components and the housing and in which the power supply between the antenna and the substrate is performed through a plate spring or a spring connector or the like.
However, for disposing a plate spring or a spring connector, a space is required. As downsizing, thinning, and weight saving of the electronic apparatus are more required and substrate package density is higher, it becomes difficult to ensure such a space. In particular, in an electronic apparatus having a plurality of antennas for corresponding to a multiband, it is important to reduce the space connecting the antenna and the substrate.
There is a disclosed example of an technique with respect to a portable wireless device in which a non-power supply element disposed in an upper housing is connected to a lower housing with a wire and by which a high antenna performance is exerted in the phone call and thinning of the housing can be achieved in no phone call (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication JP-A 2003-110453 (Kokai)).


A miniaturized gas sensor including film type electrodes, and a solid ionomer electrolyte, for the detection of toxic gases, i.e., carbon monoxide, and other oxidizable or reducible gases and vapors is described. The all-solid planar sensor cell has two or more film type electrodes arranged on a non-conductive planar surface of a supportive material. The electrodes are discrete and in intimate contact with the same solid polymer ionomer membrane. The sensor cell contains no liquid electrolyte and is operated in a potentiostatic or potentiodynamic mode. The unique feature of the sensor cell is that high sensitivity to a select gas or vapor is achieved by a novel three-phase contact area design for a sensing electrode which is easily accessible to the gas sample via small diffusion openings or holes that penetrate through the solid polymer ionomer membrane layer above the sensing electrode. A significant signal to background noise enhancement is achieved for these film type sensor cells by processes that increase the three-phase contact area.

Film based techniques have been investigated for a wide variety of sensors, as reported by Wenyi et al., 1997; Hughes et al., 1997; Staley, 1996; Agbor et al., 1995; Tan and Tan, 1995; Menil et al., 1994; Kunnecke et al., 1994; Creasey and Varney, 1994; Geistlinger, 1993; Ishiji et al., 1993; Najafi et al., 1992; Hampp et al., 1992; Nakano and Ogawa, 1994; and Yamazoe and Miura, 1994. While solid-state gas sensors have the advantage of being able to operate at elevated temperatures, they also have the disadvantages of slow response and recovery time and a high internal operating temperature as reported by Liu et al., 1993; Narducci et al., 1993 and more recently by Schwebel et al., 1997; Sheng et al., 1997; and Micocci et al., 1997. Substantial development work needs to be done with this type of sensors before they can be utilized in battery-powered sensor instruments.
A Nafion®-coated metal oxide pH sensor was reported (Kinlen et al., 1994) with sputtered iridium oxide sensing and silver/silver chloride reference electrodes on alumina ceramic substrates. Nafion was used as a cation-selective ionomer coating in order to decrease the oxidation-reduction error generally affecting the performance of metal oxide pH electrodes. The use of Nafion as a polymer-electrolyte for a thin-film CO sensor was described (Yasuda et al., 1994) with macro-sized, sputtered Pt sensing electrodes and counter electrodes and a smaller, sputtered Au electrode as a reference electrode. A 5 wt % n-propyl alcohol solution of Nafion (DuPont, 1100 EW) was used to form the polymer electrolyte film over the electrodes by casting. The polymer was washed and protonated in aqueous sulfuric acid prior to casting. The lifetime of this sensor was reported to be less than one month. During this one month lifetime the CO oxidation current decreased steadily down to a few percent of its original value without any period of stable measurement signal. The lifetime of the device may be extended by up to three years by lamination of the polymer electrolyte layer with a cast perfluorocycloether-polymer film in order to keep the CO permeability coefficient through Nafion constant. Theoretical calculations showed that the drift rate of the signal could be significantly reduced under these conditions.
Descriptions of typical state-of-the-art hydrated solid polymer electrolyte or ionomer sensors and sensor cells are provided by Kosek et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,527,446; LaConti and Griffith, U.S. Pat. No. 4,820,386; Shen et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,573,648; and, Stetter and Pan, U.S. Pat. No. 5,331,310. These sensor cells, based on hydrated solid polymer electrolyte or ionomer technology, have several advantages over conventional electrochemical sensor cells. The catalytic electrodes are bonded directly to both sides of a proton conducting solid polymer ionomer membrane providing a stable electrode to electrolyte interface. One side of the electrolyte membrane is flooded with distilled water, making the sensor cell self-humidifying and independent of external humidity. Since no corrosive acids or bases are used in the sensor cell, over 10 years lifetime has been demonstrated for solid polymer ionomer sensor cells. Finally, the sensor cells are easy to maintain, thus ideal for use in remote, unattended environments. Regular addition of water to the reservoir in the sensor housing every several months, and monthly calibration checks are the only requirements.
A disadvantage of the state-of-the-art sensors described above is that the signal-to-noise ratio may not be conducive to the detection of very low concentrations (parts per billion, ppb) of important environmental and biomedical gases and vapors. Also, response time may be relatively slow, and reproducibility between sensors and sensor cells may be difficult to achieve. The sensors are also relatively costly.

Film-type solid polymer ionomer sensor and sensor cell


The present invention generally relates to medical devices. Specifically, the invention pertains to implantable medical devices that produces gaseous agents from precursors and releases them into the body. More specifically, the invention provides for the controlled release of the gaseous agent to the body to produce a local or systemic therapeutic effect.

Classically, use of helium as a substitute for nitrogen in the breathing gas during deep sea diving is well known. The helium prevents nitrogen from dissolving in body fluids at high concentration under pressure. This results in the painful condition known as "the bends", which is one of the first known examples of medical therapy using a gaseous agent.
Oxygen and other anesthetic gases and liquids are now routinely used for therapeutic purposes. Generally, gases are inhaled directly into the body directly. More recently, with the advent of open-heart surgery, oxygen has been administered to the body via extracorporeal blood oxygenators. Further, in the last decade, another gas, nitric oxide, was found to have potent vessel dilatory activity.
Most gases that could be considered for therapeutic applications are hydrophobic low molecular weight compounds of low water solubility. These gases are considered to have the ability to rapidly move through tissue by virtue of their high diffusivity and to cross the lipid membranes of target cells by virtue of their hydrophobic character. This is in contrast to movement of other bioactive agents such as ions, peptides and hormones, whose entry into cells requires specific interactions with cell surface receptors and/or similar transport mechanisms such as ion channeling, endocytosis or pinocytosis.
The mobility of most gaseous agents is between that of the extremely small and rapid acting electron delivered for cardiac pacing or neuro-stimulation therapies and that of slower acting, higher molecular weight agents such as hormones, peptides and molecular biological vectors. The primary delivery route used in gaseous therapy has been through use of extracorporeal devices for inhalation into the lung or to exchange gases in the blood, such as with a blood oxygenator.
The traditional and most widely used means for delivering a gas to the body is by inhalation. Nitrous oxide, xenon, or vapors of highly volatile liquids such as isoflurane are inhaled to produce systemic analgesia or anesthesia. The oxygen concentration of the inhaled gas stream may also be adjusted during anesthesia or during other medical procedures to improve blood oxygenation. Nitric oxide can also be beneficially administered via inhalation to improve lung ventilation by virtue of its vasodilating effect within the alveoli. The physiological effects of inhaled nitric oxide, with a half-life of seconds or less in the body, are limited to the lung while anesthetic gases produce more systemic effects because of their longer half-lives.
As seen from the previous description, the art describes various modalities of producing gaseous agents for delivery though an extracorporeal devices. The present invention provides an important advancement in the art by providing an internal implantable device for generating gaseous agents and their use in therapy. More specifically, the present invention provides a fully implantable medical device system for controlled delivery of a gaseous agent for therapeutic use. Optionally these devices can be integrated with other implantable medical devices. Having a local implantable source of gaseous agent provides a means for better controlled local delivery to the targeted tissue and use of lower concentrations of the gaseous agent.

Implantable medical device with controllable gaseous agent release system


An eye image taking device comprises: an imaging unit for taking an eye of a user as an eye image; a focusing degree calculating unit for calculating the magnitude of high-frequency components from the eye image; a threshold setting unit for setting a focusing threshold intrinsic to an authorized user; and a focus deciding unit for deciding a focus by comparing the magnitude of the high-frequency components and the focusing threshold, so that the optimum focusing threshold is set for the authorized user.

Generally, the iris authentication identifies a person by illuminating the eye of a user or its circumference with a near infrared ray or the like, by taking the eye image and the circumference image (as will be generally called the "eye image") with a camera, by extracting the iris information from the eye image obtained, and by comparing the iris information with the iris information which has already been registered in the iris information database. The eye image taking device to be used has to take the eye image highly precisely for extracting the iris information of the user precisely. Thus, there has been proposed an eye image taking device, which utilizes the automatic focusing technique to detect the eye position from the taken image of the entire face and to take the eye image of a desired size by zooming up that eye with a zoom lens.
In this automatic focusing technique, the control is made by making use of the fact that many high-frequency components are contained in image signals if an object is focused (as will be called the "focusing") so that the contour image is clearly taken, by integrating the high-frequency components in the image signals while varying the lens position, and by searching the lens position, at which the integrated value is the maximum. In order to search the lens position promptly, moreover, there is generally adopted (as referred to JP-A-2000-131598, for example) the so-called "hill-climbing method", in which the lens position is gradually varied in the direction for the high-frequency components to increase.
In recent years, on the other hand, as the accounts settling system or the like using a mobile terminal device such as a mobile telephone spreads, it has been tried to install the iris authenticating function of a high personal authentication reliability in the mobile terminal device. However, the eye image taking device needs a drive system for driving the lens and has a difficulty in reducing the size and weight of the optical system. It has, therefore, been extremely difficult to install the eye image taking device having the automatic focusing mechanism in the mobile terminal device such as the mobile telephone. For these reasons, a practical eye image taking device for the mobile terminal device can be proposed by installing a small, light and inexpensive camera using a fixed focus lens, by deciding the focusing degree with the magnitude of the high-frequency components contained in the image signals, and by guiding the imaging distance so that the magnitude of the high-frequency components may be larger than a predetermined threshold value.
However, personal differences are large not only in the pattern of an iris and the shapes of the individual portions such as eyelashes or eyelids but also in the magnitude of the high-frequency components contained in the eye image signals. Therefore, the method for guiding the imaging distance so that the magnitude of the high-frequency components may become larger than the predetermined threshold value has a problem that the stable focus decision cannot be attained depending upon the shapes of the individual portions of the eye of the user. This problem is exemplified such that some user may fetch the eye image out of focus or can neither attain the focus decision nor fetch the eye image.
The present invention contemplates to solve the problems thus far described and has an object to provide an eye image taking device, which can make a stable focus decision irrespective of the shapes of the individual portions of the eye of a user by using the small, light and inexpensive fixed focus lens and which can be installed in a mobile terminal device.

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


In a power control system a server maintains asset models that represent asset behaviour, each asset model being in real-time communication with its asset to dynamically inform the model of the status of the asset. A test is performed at the server by issuing a command to an asset requesting the asset to perform a function. Sensors at the asset measure physical parameters at the asset and report these to the server. The server determines whether the asset responded to the command and, if the asset responded, how it responded over time. The server establishes a model for the asset in terms of an energy capacitance and a time constant based on the measured response. An optimizer determines which assets are to participate in which service models. The server sends instructions to the selected assets to attempt to fulfill the services.

International Patent Application WO2016/027041 describes a power distribution control system having a string of power assets comprising at least two different power assets selected from sources, stores and responsive loads. Each asset has an associated local router. The assets and associated routers communicate with a central server and attempt to fulfil high level aims of the server by negotiating times and quantities of power transfer between themselves. Parameters in relation to the power assets are stored in a database. A control system at the server anticipates future activity in the grid, such as future peaks in demand or supply, and local power assets prepare in response. The power assets communicate between themselves on a peer-to-peer basis and collectively confirm to the server their ability to modify their collective behaviour in response to an event in the grid.
Responsiveness to events in the grid is an example of a service. As well as serving a primary function at a local level—e.g. heating or cooling a building, or refrigerating goods, or generating power (renewable or otherwise) or storing energy—an asset can, alone or in combination with other assets, provide a service to the grid (i.e. operate in a service model) in which some secondary function is delivered at the level of the grid. Provision of a responsive load is an example of such a service.
Thus, an asset can participate in a local function, its primary function, in which it operates under local control, typically in a local control loop that has a set point such that the asset is driven (ON and OFF or UP and DOWN) to track the set point, while at the same time participating in a secondary function that is a grid function or wide-area function, in which its operation is influenced by the control system at the server, e.g. by influencing the timing of tracking of the set point or by moving the set point (within limits that do not fundamentally compromise or unduly compromise the primary function). The secondary function is referred to herein as a "service". The modelling of that service at the server is a "service model".
GB1515911.4 describes a responsive load system using refrigeration loads controlled by means of local control loops in response to local thermostats. A server may intervene in the operation of the responsive load. This may comprise overriding the local control loop an individual refrigeration load. As long as the operating thresholds of the refrigerators are not exceeded or violated, i.e. the temperature is kept within a range between pre-determined maximum and minimum values, the system provides a responsive refrigerator bank that can lead to cost saving in terms of being highly responsive to power fluctuations in the power grid. Additionally, the server can plan and modify the behaviour of the compressors of the refrigerators.
Responsive loads can be responsive at very short notice (e.g. to a locally measured drop in grid potential and/or frequency) or can be responsive to events that change more slowly (e.g. cloud cover occluding or uncovering a solar farm) or in a planned manner (e.g. being available to absorb power from a solar farm during a midday-period). Each of these examples represents a service.
More generally, a service is the provision of some physical power service, particularly to the grid operator (but possibly to owners of assets connected to the grid), that overlays the basic operation of the grid in its primary function of delivering power to loads. Services generally fall into the categories of power based services, energy based services and reliability based services.
Assets may contribute to services that are responsive or planned. For example, avoiding energy wastage in the grid can be considered a service. Similarly, extending the lifetime of a grid substation by minimizing the generation, by assets, of harmonics in the grid can be considered a service. The assets must perform their primary function (e.g. driving a machine in a factory or generating power with a smooth sine-wave) but they can be guided to so in a low-harmonic manner by a server, and that secondary function has benefit to the operator of the grid (because it reduces heat generation in the substation, thereby avoiding wastage and also extending the lifetime of the substation).
Aris Dimeas et al: "Microgrids Control Issues", 26 Dec. 2013 describes microgrids in which a local controller (MC) takes into account the operational cost function of a microsource, a profit margin sought for by an owner of a distributed generation (DG) unit, and the prices of the external market provided by a microgrid central controller (MGCC). The MGCC is said to "optimize" the microgrid operation according to the external market prices, the bids received by the DG sources and the forecasted loads. It sends signals to the MCs of the DG sources to be committed and, if applicable, to determine the level of their production. Control of the balance of supply and demand by controlling the price of energy is extensively discussed in the literature. In a bid/offer system, an asset either offers to participate at a bid price or participates at an offer price. At the agreed price, the asset performs its primary function (it performs heating or cooling or generates electricity or stores it etc.)
Similarly, US2014/0018969, proposes a reporting infrastructure for control by a grid operator and proposes "active supply clients" for management of electric power available to the electric power grid, whether by generation source supply elements or by storage source supply elements (such as battery, fuel cell, compressed air, stored water or the like), with the aim of generation balancing so that storage devices serve to stabilize and regulate renewable energy resources, or with the aim of optimization according to various factors such as cost, timing, price, market conditions and the like.
Optimization of a microgrid operation according to the price of energy (and anticipated price) is merely optimizing to one parameter in a complex system. That complexity can increase many times and in many dimensions when one considers that generating and consuming energy are merely two services among many other possible services.
Moreover, a given asset can participate in delivering more than one service (operate in more than one service model). Immediate delivery of a service may preclude that asset from participating in a service model at a future time (and vice versa). An asset that is planned to be participating in a service model may cease to do so (because of changes in circumstances or because of responsiveness by participation in a different service).
The problem of optimization of provision of services can be broken down into time periods (e.g. a day or an hour or a half-hour). The finer the granularity of optimization, the greater the potential benefit, but also the greater the computational burden. If the problem is to be broken into short (e.g. half-hour) increments, it is essential that any optimization algorithm can complete its calculation in a time substantially shorter than the time increment. Otherwise there will be insufficient time to deploy the optimal allocation of assets to service models and have those assets provide those services, before the next time increment. Time must also be allowed for latency in client-server reporting and control arrangements.

Power distribution control with asset assimilation and optimization


A noise calculation mechanism is incorporated into a cadence tone detector which upon a miss in either a energy or silence interval allows for retention of those periods corresponding to noise and augments the appropriate energy and silence interval.

Within a telecommunication switching system, telecommunication switching systems use signals to communicate control information between themselves. It is necessary that the circuit receiving the signals have signal-recognition facilities (referred to as call classifiers) for detecting and recognizing various signals. Conventionally, many of these signals have been cadence signals: a pattern of signal energy on and signal energy off periods, wherein the pattern may be repeating or non-repeating. Two techniques are in call classifiers. The first technique utilizes a state machine for the signal recognition. The state machine has typically been very complex, involving large number of states even for signaling schemes that use simple cadences, and has to have been individually designed for recognizing signals used in each particular telecommunication system or country. Such a state machine is difficult and expensive to design, implement, modify or adapt for different signaling schemes. In addition, the presence of noise in the signals that are to be recognized causes the state machines to produce erroneous results. This noise problem has been solved in the prior art using classical filtering techniques employed ahead of the state machine signaling detection stages. The time variant characteristics of the noise often make such attempts at this type of filtering impractical.
The second technique that has been utilized to detect call classifiers is through the use of cadence tables. This technique uses an incoming signals cadence—its intervals of silence and energy, as an index into tables of candidate values. The table can contain a myriad of values whose outcome could lead to the detection of several different signals. In the presence of noise, the cadence tables yield many misses that would be interpreted as the identification of an unknown signal and the consequent disconnection of the classifier. These missed-identifications reduce the accuracy of tone detection.

Apparatus and method for noise immunity during signal detection


A user control is provided to selectively display and/or edit the contents of any field within a multi-field text string object having separate fields each containing a different representation of a text string (e.g., Kanji symbols, syllabary characters phonetically spelling the Kanji symbols, and latin characters phonetically spelling the Kanji symbols). The various fields thus encapsulate identification, meaning, and pronunciation information for a single text string. A controller interface between the user control and the multi-field text string object allows methods within the user control to be performed on the multi-field text string object. Contents of the currently selected display field for the multi-string text string object are displayed, together with a selection control. The selection control may be actuated to display an ordered list of the contents of all fields within the multi-field text string object, and the current display field altered by selecting a field from the displayed list. A user unable to recognize, understand, or pronounce a text string based on one representation of a text string may thus switch views to a different representation of the same text string familiar to the user. Contents of the currently selected display field may also be edited.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates in general to altering user interface display of text strings and in particular to altering user interface display of multi-field text string objects. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to selectively displaying any field from a multi-field text string object within a user interface display.
2. Description of the Related Art
Multinational companies often run information system (IS) networks which span multiple locales spread around the globe. To maximize the usefulness of such networks, operations within each country tend to run in the local language of the country. Where possible, names of abstract objects in user applications are in the local language and match the local language organization, city, or human names which the abstract objects represent. In the case of system management software, often abstract objects would represent each of a global enterprise""s local offices.
Central management of such a global network may be difficult or impossible when abstract object names utilize the local language and the local language""s underlying character set. For offices located in Egypt, abstract objects would most naturally be named in Arabic; offices in Russia would name objects utilizing the Cyrillic character set; and for offices in Japan, objects would be named in Japanese. A problem arises, however, when a enterprise""s headquarters IS staff attempts to examine these objects. The IS staff at the multinational headquarters located in the United States is unlikely to be able to read Arabic or Japanese, or even recognize Cyrillic characters.
Japanese, for example, is a logosyllabic or ideographic language which does not have an alphabet representing simple sounds, but instead has a very large character set with symbols (xe2x80x9cideographsxe2x80x9d) corresponding to concepts and objects rather than simple sounds. For instance, the Joyo Kanji List (Kanji for Daily Use) adopted for the Japanese language in 1981 includes 1945 symbols. Users unfamiliar with the Kanji characters will have difficulty identifying a particular abstract object named in Japanese, as well as difficulty even discussing such abstract objects over the telephone with an English- and Japanese-speaking counterpart.
Additionally, merely seeing an ideograph may provide no clue as to the correct meaning or pronunciation since, in Japanese, the same character may have multiple meanings or pronunciations. For instance, the character depicted in FIG. 7A may mean either xe2x80x9cWestxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cSpainxe2x80x9d; the symbol depicted in FIG. 7B may be pronounced either xe2x80x9chayashixe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9crinxe2x80x9d (or xe2x80x9clinxe2x80x9d); and the characters depicted in FIG. 7C may be pronounced xe2x80x9csuga no,xe2x80x9d xe2x80x9csuga ya,xe2x80x9d xe2x80x9ckan no,xe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9ckan ya.xe2x80x9d This circumstance is based in part on the history of the Japanese language, in which the Kanji characters were adopted from the Chinese language. Thus, for example, the xe2x80x9crinxe2x80x9d symbol depicted in FIG. 7B is On-Yomi, basically a simulation of the Chinese pronunciation when the character was imported to Japan, while xe2x80x9chayashixe2x80x9d is Kun-Yomi, a Japanese word assigned to the character which has the same meaning.
It would be desirable, therefore, to provide mechanism for selectively controlling the display language of text strings in a user interface. It would further be advantageous if the mechanism permitted the user to change the display language of a user interface and edit the contents of any display field.
It is therefore one object of the present invention to provide a method, system and computer program product for s altering user interface display of text strings.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a method, system and computer program product for altering user interface display of multi-field text string objects.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a method, system and computer program product for selectively displaying any field from a multi-field text string object within a user interface display.
The foregoing objects are achieved as is now described. A user control is provided to selectively display and/or edit the contents of any field within a multi-field text string object having separate fields each containing a different representation of a text string (e.g., Kanji symbols, syllabary characters phonetically spelling the Kanji symbols, and latin characters phonetically spelling the Kanji symbols.). The various fields thus encapsulate identification, meaning, and pronunciation information for a single text string. A controller interface between the user control and the multi-field text string object allows methods within the user control to be performed on the multi-field text string object. Contents of the currently selected display field for the multi-string text string object are displayed, together with a selection control. The selection control may be actuated to display an ordered list of the contents of all fields within the multi-field text string object, and the current display field altered by selecting a field-from the displayed list. A user unable to recognize, understand, or pronounce a text string based on one representation of a text string may thus switch views to a different representation of the same text string familiar to the user. Contents of the currently selected display field may also be edited.
The above as well as additional objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed written description.

Method, system and computer program product for providing a user interface with alternative display language choices

International Business Machines Corporation


An automatic steering of an agricultural tractor on a surface of a field to be processed is accomplished by equipping the tractor with a camera for taking a picture of a region of the field, which is in front of the tractor, including the surface that is to be processed, generating a pixel data file from a picture signal of the camera, generating texture information with respect to the texture of the surroundings of the pixels contained in the data file, classifying the pixels of the pixel data file while considering the texture information, in order to generate a binary information as to whether or not a particular pixel is to be associated with the surface that is to be processed, generating a steering signal based on the results of the classification, and repositioning the steering device of the harvesting machine according to the steering signal so that the machine is steered automatically along the surface that is to be processed.

In past years many operations of agricultural vehicles have been automated, which previously were controlled manually by an operator. In order to reduce the work load on the operator, for example, various steering systems have been proposed that automatically steer the vehicle across a field. They can reduce the work load on the operator and make it possible for the operator to concentrate on other important aspects of the work, such as a control of the load on the operating arrangements of the vehicle. In the future it may also be conceivable that such vehicles could be operated across a field without an operator.
Automatic steering systems have been described which rely on various principles. Systems operating without contact can be divided into systems based an a measurement of distance that attempt to detect the difference in height between the harvested crop that has been cut and the crop that has not been cut and systems based on a picture image that attempt to detect the difference in appearance between the harvested crop that has been cut and the crop that has not been cut at the side of the edge of the harvested crop or the difference between the plants and the ground.
For example, systems based on a measurement of distance can be found in EP 0 887 660 A and EP 1 271 139 A.
EP 0 887 660 A describes a measuring arrangement in which a laser beam directed downward towards the ground is pivoted across a range of angles. On the basis of its direction and position, the location of the point is determined at which the laser beam is being reflected. In this way a profile of the height of the ground is determined that makes it possible to recognize a swath or an edge of the harvested crop at the border between the part of the field of a cereal crop that has been harvested and the part remaining standing and thereby to generate a measurement signal.
In a laser distance measuring arrangement of this type EP 1 271 139 A proposes in addition that the amount of the crop to be taken up can be determined by the intensity of the reflected laser radiation.
A disadvantage of the systems based on the measurement of distance lies in the fact that a relatively costly distance measuring arrangement is required with a laser and an electronic arrangement for the determination of the elapsed running time of the laser beam.
Examples of systems based on the use of a picture image that employ a camera directed at the field and an electronic picture processing arrangement can be found in DE 35 07 570 A, EP 0 801 885 A, WO 98/46065 A, WO 96/17279 A, JP 01 319 878 A, JP 03 012 713 A, U.S. Pat. No. 6,278,918 B, U.S. Pat. No. 6,285,930 B, U.S. Pat. No. 6,385,515 B, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,490,539 B.
DE 35 07 570 discloses an automatic steering system for an agricultural tractor that is intended to operate along or across a field with plants arranged in rows. The system derives the orientation of the rows from a picture image provided initially. Then the picture is processed along lines that extend parallel to an established orientation and the average grey scale values for each row are stored in memory. During the operation across the field, the field is processed along the same lines. The result of the processing of each line are compared with the stored values and the reference values are maintained by appropriate steering signals.
EP 0 801 885 A describes an agricultural machine with a camera whose picture image is digitized and subjected to a picture imaging process. Here each of the rows is examined for its position in a step function in which the grey scale value changes step-by-step. In the individual rows the pixel positions are determined for the greatest likelihood of the step function. These positions are utilized to generate a steering signal.
Furthermore WO 98/46065 A recognizes on the basis of the information contained in the various rows whether they contain a border of the harvested crop. On the basis of the information of all rows, the row at the end of the field to be harvested is established.
WO 96/17279 A proposes that a border be superimposed upon a picture taken by a camera (such as a parallelogram) and to identify objects within that shape by a brightness that lies above a threshold value. The objects are subjected to a regression analysis in order to determine their offset to a previously established row, which in turn is again used for the generation of a steering signal.
JP 01 319 878 A concerns a steering system in which areas of specific colors are connected to each other in a picture taken by a camera, in order to define a straight line. This line is regarded as a plant row and is used to generate a steering signal.
JP 03 012 713 A proposes an automatic steering system for a tractor in which a window of a picture that was taken by a camera is defined. In this window a virtual line is defined along which the plants are arranged. Here the picture is compared with a virtual plant row, in order to generate a steering signal.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,278,918 B proposes that the crop to be taken up be divided into two or four regions. In these regions the location and the direction of the plant row is detected. The plant row that can be recognized better is used to generate the steering signal. The decision whether or not a pixel represents a plant is performed by K-means clustering in which a histogram of the pixel values is generated, in which the x-axis represents the levels of the grey scale values and the y-axis represents the number of pixels with the particular grey scale values. The pixels that more likely represent the plants therefore appear at the right side of the histogram. The algorithm divides the histogram generated by the picture from the camera into a predetermined number of classes K, whose intervals are spaced equally. The data are processed recursively in order to find the average grey scale value of the class. Based on a predetermined matrix or so as to minimize a cost function, the borders between classes are shifted recursively until the centers of the classes are shifted by less than a given tolerance. Following that a threshold is placed to differentiate between the plants and the ground at the beginning of the class K or another class. The classification can also be performed by other clustering algorithms such as dividing processes, self-organizing maps and neuronal logic or fuzzy logic. U.S. Pat. No. 6,285,930 B, U.S. Pat. No. 6,385,515 B and U.S. Pat. No. 6,490,539 B also refer to this system.
In the systems described that are based on a picture image, the distinction is made on the basis of the brightness and/or the color of the individual pixels whether or not they represent a plant. In some of these systems the plants that have been identified are connected by a virtual line that is used to generate a steering signal. However in some cases in which automatic steering of an agricultural machine is desirable, it is not easy or almost impossible to recognize on the basis of the color or the brightness whether or not a pixel belongs to a line that should be followed. A typical example is a swath of grass that has been mowed or straw lying on a field of a cereal crop that has been harvested. The swath consists of the same material as the stubble remaining standing on the field and therefore in many cases has more or less the same brightness and color as the swath. The systems described that are based on a picture image can be applied here only with difficulty. Other systems described recognize plants on a field and orient themselves by the rows described, in order, for example, to apply chemicals. In case that no plants are present these systems cannot be applied.
In the description of EP 0 801 885 A (page 3, first paragraph) a possible process is mentioned which uses a local, two-dimensional Fourier transformation operator as basis for a texture-based segmentation in order to establish a special frequency band with a significant difference between plants that have been cut and those remaining standing. The fact is cited that this process did not show any clear indication of a significant difference in its initial tests. For that reason it was abandoned.
The problem underlying the invention is seen in the need to make available a process for automatic steering of an agricultural machine and a corresponding steering system, that operates reliably and can be attained at reasonable cost.

Process and steering system for the automatic steering of an agricultural vehicle


A gauge member arranged to include first and second planar side walls arranged in a parallel coextensive relationship having a first end wall spaced from a second end wall having a first step therebetween, a second step is positioned at an uppermost end of the second end wall parallel to the first step. The first step and second step are spaced apart a predetermined spacing, with a third end wall and a fourth end wall spaced from and parallel relative to one another at an opposed end of the body structure, the third and fourth steps are spaced apart a further spacing greater than the predetermined spacing, the first and second steps are arranged to position and engage overlapping siding plates, the third and fourth steps are also arranged to engage overlapping siding steps at a greater spacing relative to one another.

1. Field of the Invention
The field of invention relates to siding apparatus, and more particularly pertains to a new and improved siding alignment tool arranged to gauge spacing between lowermost ends of overlapped siding or shingle members.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The instant invention is arranged to overcome deficiencies in the prior art that have heretofore failed to provide for convenient gauge structure arranged to permit the gauging and overlapping of shingle members spaced relative to one another in a vertical orientation and in this respect, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.