An antibacterial oil-in-water emulsion for inhibiting the growth of Helicobacter pylori is disclosed. The oil-in-water emulsion of the invention comprises droplets of an oily discontinuous phase dispersed in a continuous phase. The oily discontinuous phase contains an oil carrier and a glycerol ester selected from the group consisting of glycerol monooleate and glycerol monostearate. The emulsion can be positively charged, negatively charged or chargeless. In one embodiment, the emulsion is positively charged and further comprises a cationic halogen-containing compound having a C.sub.12 -C.sub.16 chain as a positive charge producing agent. In another embodiment, the emulsion is negatively charged and further comprises an negative charge producing agent having a C.sub.12 -C.sub.22 chain. The disclosed emulsions can be administered to individuals, for example, orally, to treat or prevent Helicobacter pylori infections.

The present invention relates to a lipid-containing oil-in-water emulsion which inactivates bacteria, particularly Helicobacter pylori, upon contact.
It is known that if a water-immiscible liquid phase is mixed into an aqueous phase by mechanical agitation, for example, by means of an ultra-disperser, the stability of the resulting oil-in-water dispersion most frequently requires the addition of an emulsifying agent, the molecules of which are adsorbed onto the surface of the oil droplets to form a kind of continuous membrane which prevents direct contact between two adjacent droplets. The drops of oil can further contain substances soluble in an organic medium, such as a sterol.
In addition to discrete oil droplets dispersed in an aqueous phase, oil-in-water emulsions can also contain other lipid structures, such as small lipid vesicles (i.e., lipid spheres which often consist of several substantially concentric lipid bilayers separated from each other by layers of aqueous phase), micelles (i.e., amphiphile molecules in small clusters of 50-200 molecules arranged so that the polar head groups face outward toward the aqueous phase and the apolar tails are sequestered inward away from the aqueous phase), or lamellar phases (lipid dispersions in which each particle consists of parallel amphiphile bilayers separated by thin films of water). These lipid structures are formed as a result of hydrophobic forces which drive apolar residues (i.e., long hydrocarbon chains) away from water.
Helicobacter pylori is a spiral shaped, urease producing bacterium that lives at the gastric epithelium-mucus junction and causes antral gastritis, peptic ulcer disease, gastric non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and gastric carcinoma. The bacterium is believed to be transmitted directly from person to person since no non-human reservoir has been identified (Berkowicz et al. (1987) Lancet 680-81). The portals of entry of pathogenic bacteria such as Helicobacter pylori are predominantly the skin and mucus membranes, including the upper and lower respiratory tracts. The first step in any infection is attachment or colonization on skin or mucus membranes with subsequent invasion and dissemination of the bacterium.
Thus far, therapy with bismuth and antibiotics has generally not been successful in irradicating the bacterium and preventing colonization (Rauws et al. (1988) Gastroenterology 94:33-40). It is therefore one object of the present invention to provide an alternative approach to inactivating bacteria such as Helicobacter pylori upon contact.


An apparatus for automatically spin checking a driven disc assembly for warpage includes a stationary ring and a movable ring. A torque motor is provided with an output shaft connected to a splined hub, upon which the driven disc assembly is mounted for rotation between the two rings. A servo motor and ball srew mechanism selectively moves the movable ring toward the stationary ring so as to frictionally engage the driven disc assembly therebetween. When so engaged, the distance separating the two rings is measured by an electronic sensor. The torque motor is then energized to exert a predetermined torque on the driven disc assembly, attempting to rotate it against the frictional force generated by the rings. Next, the movable ring is gradually moved away from the stationary ring so as to gradually reduce the frictional force exerted on the driven disc assembly. When the frictional force has decreased a sufficient amount, the driven disc assembly will begin to rotate under the urging of the torque motor. Sensors are provided for sensing this rotation and for measuring the distance separating the two rings at that time. The difference between these two distances is compared with a standard value to determine if the driven disc assembly is excessively warped.

This invention relates in general to gauging fixtures and in particular to an apparatus for automatically spin checking driven disc assemblies adapted for use in friction clutches.
Clutches are well known devices which are frequently employed in vehicles to selectively connect a source of rotational power, such as the crankshaft of an engine, to a driven mechanism, such as a transmission. Typically, a cover of the clutch is connected to a flywheel carried on the end of the engine crankshaft for rotation therewith. Between the flywheel and the clutch cover, a pressure plate is disposed. The pressure plate is connected for rotation with the flywheel and the cover, but is permitted to move axially relative thereto. A shift lever assembly is provided for selectively moving the pressure plate back and forth in the axial direction. The shift lever assembly is usually operated by a driver of the vehicle by means of a foot actuated pedal.
A driven disc assembly is disposed within the clutch between the pressure plate and the flywheel. The driven disc assembly is carried on an output shaft of the clutch, which forms the input to the transmission. The driven disc assembly includes a hub, which is splined onto the output shaft, and a support plate which is mounted on the hub for limited rotational movement. A plurality of friction elements are usually secured to the outer ends of the support plate. Springs or similar torsion dampening devices may be provided between the support plate and the hub. When the pressure plate is moved toward the flywheel, the friction elements of the support plate are frictionally engaged therebetween so as to cause the output shaft of the clutch to rotate with the flywheel, the cover, and the pressure plate. When the pressure plate is moved away from the flywheel, the driven disc assembly is released from such frictional engagement so as to disconnect this driving connection.
The length of travel of the pressure plate between the engaged and disengaged positions is typically rather small, typically from 0.050 inch to 0.100 of an inch. Accordingly, the driven disc assembly (which is selectively engaged and disengaged by the pressure plate) must be manufactured to have a thickness which is within closely maintained tolerances. Furthermore, the driven disc assembly must not be excessively warped or otherwise non-planar in shape. Otherwise, the pressure plate may undesirably contact the driven disc assembly when moved to the disengaged position.
In the past, a test fixture has been provided for measuring the amount of warpage of a driven disc assembly, referred to as spin checking the assembly. This prior test fixture included a splined hub, upon which the driven disc assembly to be tested was mounted, disposed between a stationary ring and a movable ring. After the driven disc was installed, a pneumatic cylinder was actuated to move the movable ring toward the stationary ring such that the driven disc assembly was frictionally engaged therebetween. This movement initially positioned the two rings apart from one another by a distance which was equal to the thickness of the driven disc assembly. Then, the movable ring was retracted a predetermined distance from this initial position using a mechanical shim. This predetermined additional distance represented the maximum amount of warpage which could be tolerated for the particular driven disc assembly. Next, a predetermined amount of torque was applied to the hub to rotate the driven disc assembly relative to the rings. This torque was generated by means of a weight supported at the end of a pendulum connected to the hub. If the driven disc assembly was able to rotate under the urging of this applied torque, then the amount of warpage was within acceptable tolerances. However, if the driven disc assembly was not able to rotate under the urging of this applied torque, then the warpage of the driven disc assembly was beyond acceptable tolerances.
Although this prior test fixture has been found to function satisfactorily, it will be appreciated that it was somewhat slow and, therefore, inefficient in the production environment. Furthermore, it required several manual operations to be performed by an operator. Lastly, other than the inability of the driven disc assembly to rotate under the urging of the applied torque, the fixture generated no external indication of whether the tested assembly was good or bad. Thus, it would be desirable to provide an improved spin checking apparatus which automatically determines whether the driven disc assembly is good or bad and which generates an external indication to the operator of the test results.

Apparatus for spin checking clutch driven disc assemblies


In a background-art medical gripping device, when a wall surface of an in vivo tissue has a large tear, a side portion of the tear can be gripped by the gripping device, but the other side portion opposed to the side portion cannot be gripped simultaneously. Therefore, to close the tear, complicated operation is required to be performed using plural gripping devices. A medical gripping device according to the present invention includes a fixed clip, a pair of movable clips made from an elastic material and provided to face the fixed clip, the movable clips having lower ends fixed to the fixed clip and the other ends opened, and a control mechanism which shifts from each other a timing at which a gripping target is gripped between one of the movable clips and the fixed clip and a timing at which the target is gripped between the other movable clip and the fixed clip.

Various medical gripping devices for gripping in vivo tissues have been known. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses such a medical gripping device.
The example will be described roughly. Gripping forceps are designed to open/close through the remote control from a proximal side of a flexible sheathe. A clip gripping an in vivo tissue is engaged with the gripping forceps. When the gripping forceps are retracted into the sheathe, the clip is closed by a closing member. Thus, the in vivo tissue of a body is gripped by the clip. Then, the clip is prevented from opening.
Next, by operating the proximal side of the sheathe such that the gripping forceps come out from a distal end of the sheathe, the griping forceps are opened to be released from the engagement with the clip. Thus, the clip is left in the body while the other portions are extracted outside the body. In this manner, in vivo blood stanching, ligation, marking, or the like, can be carried out by the clip.


A socket for an electrical component comprises a dielectric housing (10) having contact retention cavities (12) and contacts (20) disposed in respective ones of the cavities. At least two of the contacts (20) each comprises a generally U-shaped configuration having first and second legs (21, 22) with a transverse element (23) joining together said legs. An extension (24) of the first leg (21) is bent back toward the second leg (22) and arranged to engage a lead of the electrical component. A tab (26) sheared from a center portion of the transverse element (23) and the first leg (21) extends downwardly from the second leg (22) through an aperture in a bottom of its respective cavity, thereby defining a slot (27) in the center portion of the transverse element and the first leg. An auxiliary electrical component (30) mounted on the socket has at least two leads (32) each of which is electrically terminated to a respective one of the at least two contacts by engagement between sides of the slot (27) in its respective contact.

Electrical circuit elements are commonly housed in packages having a plurality of leads disposed in an array. One such package is a dual-in-line package (DIP) having two rows of leads extending from opposite sides thereof and bent downwardly.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,060,296 discloses a DIP socket for removably mounting a DIP on a circuit board. This socket includes contacts each made from a single piece of metal which is formed into a generally U-shaped configuration. Each of the contacts has dual leaves which provide metal to metal contact on opposite sides of each lead of the DIP.
There is often a need to connect an auxiliary electrical circuit component to the DIP socket along with the DIP package itself. For example, decoupling capacitors are often needed to prevent electrical damage to an integrated circuit package in the event that the package is withdrawn from the socket when power is on.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,428,633 discloses a DIP socket having a capacitor attached thereto. The socket utilizes contacts of the aforementioned configuration for engaging leads of the DIP and has a further pair of single piece auxiliary contacts dedicated to terminating leads of the capacitor. Each of the auxiliary contacts has a slot which is dimensioned to grip one of the leads of the capacitor between walls of the slot. The auxiliary contacts are housed in the socket with their solder tails being abutted against respective solder tails of power and ground contacts in the socket.
There are a number of problems associated with this socket. The primary contacts and the auxiliary contacts are inserted into the socket from opposite directions, thereby increasing manufacturing complexity. Alignment of paired primary and auxiliary contacts is critical in order to achieve good surface contact between the abutting solder tails, and binding can occur during contact insertion which may distort one contact or flare the solder tails apart. Further, the abutting solder tails comprise an additional electrical interconnection having the potential for failure.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,405,188 discloses another DIP socket and capacitor assembly. The socket housing has a plurality of primary cavities each of which receives a contact. A pair of the primary cavities each have a secondary cavity formed adjacent and contiguous thereto for receiving a lead of the capacitor. When a contact is inserted into one of the pair of primary cavities an interference fit is formed with the lead in the secondary cavity. There is an additional manufacturing cost associated with forming the secondary cavities and ensuring that they are aligned with their respective primary cavities to within close tolerances.
It would be economically advantageous to provide a socket with a capacitor or other auxiliary electrical component mounted thereon without the need for special contacts or cavities in the socket.

Socket having an auxiliary electrical component mounted thereon


An analog/digital (A/D) converter includes a sequential approximation register (SA register) having a plurality of bits for storing the results of conversion in digits and an incrementor having a smaller number of bits than that of the SA register. The incrementor increments a portion of the results of conversion on the basis of the result of conversion of at least one bit in the SA register so as to minimize an error in the A/D conversion of a smaller number of bits than that of the SA register.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an analog/digital converter, hereinafter referred to as "A/D converter", and more particularly to an A/D converter which converts analog voltage into digital value even if the lower-order bits of it are cut off.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is known in the art that single-chip microcomputers used in industry and homes is equipped with an A/D converter which converts analog voltage detected by various sensors into digital values. There are many kinds of sensors depending upon applications such as thermosensors, hygrometric sensors and barometric sensors.
In recent years, as microcomputer-based products are becoming more sophisticated and having multi-functions, the built-in A/D converters are required to have as high resolution as in the 10-bit order. However, all the output voltage of the sensors need not be converted into 10-bit digital values, but some sensors may be less precise. For example, in the case of an 8-bit CPU, an 8-bit data can be processed by an A/D converter at one time. In contrast, a 10-bit data must be divided into two parts, and taken in twice part by part, thereby taking a longer time for reading data in digit converted by the A/D converter. It is common practice to take in a data in the 10-bit order when high precision is required, and to take in an 8-bit data when less precision suffices. In this way, the conventional microcomputer-based appliances try to maintain efficiency by averaging the performance.
The way to obtain an 8-bit conversion by using a 10-bit A/D converter consists mainly of reading out exclusively the results of the high-order 8-bits conversion and ignoring the low-order two bits.
Referring to FIG. 1, which shows a construction of a general-purpose sequential comparison type A/D converter built in a microcomputer, an analog voltage AN to be converted is inputted to an input terminal of a comparator 1, and a comparison voltage outputted by the D/A convertor division 2 is input to the other input terminal of the comparator 1. The D/A converting division 2 includes a ladder resistor. The comparator 1 has a control terminal to which a control signal from a control circuit 3 is inputted. The results of comparison obtained by the comparator 1 are stored in a sequential approximation SA register 4 (hereinafter called "SA register 4"), and the conversion conducted by the SA register 4 is inputted to the D/A converting division 2. The SA register 4 is supplied with an address by an address decoder 5, and the conversion conducted by the SA register 4 is outputted to a data bus DB.
Now, referring to FIG. 2, which shows a schematic internal structure of the SA register 4, the SA register 4 is composed of 10 bits from MSB (most significant bit) b.sub.9 to LSB (least significant bit) b.sub.0, and includes a control division 4a for controlling its operation.
This type of A/D converter is operated as follows:
The control circuit 3 outputs a control signal to operate the A/D converter, thereby causing it to sets "1" at the MSB b.sub.9 in the SA register 4. Then the D/A convertor division 2 outputs a reference voltage (1/2) V.sub.ref. The comparator 1 compares the target analog voltage AN with the reference voltage (1/2) V.sub.ref. If the target analog voltage AN is smaller than the reference voltage, the MSB b.sub.9 is reset, and if it is larger than it, the MSB b.sub.9 is kept in its set state.
Then, "1" is set at the 2nd bit b.sub.8 in the higher order. If "1" is already set at the MSB, the D/A convertor division 2 outputs a reference voltage (3/4) V.sub.ref, and if not yet, a reference voltage (1/4) V.sub.ref is outputted. In this way, the comparator 1 conducts the 2nd comparison between the analog voltage AN and the reference voltage. If the comparison finds that the target analog voltage AN is smaller than the reference voltage, the 2nd-bit b.sub.8 is reset, and if the comparison finds that the target analog voltage is larger, the 2nd-bit b.sub.8 is kept in its set state. After the same procedures are repeated ten times, the target analog voltage is converted into 10-bit digital value. Then the address decoder 5 inputs an address in the SA register 4, and outputs the conversion thereof to the data bus DB.
In this ray, the SA register 4 selectively controls the taps of the ladder resistor circuits for the D/A convertor division 2 while the A/D conversion is proceeding. Finally the SA register 4 stores the results of the A/D conversion. The characteristics of the 10-bit A/D conversion are shown in FIG. 3 where the X-axis indicates the analog voltages of the low-order 4-bit in terms of digital values, and the Y-axis indicates the results of conversion of low-order 4-bit. In FIG. 3 the ladder-like fine line represents ideal A/D conversion characteristics obtainable when a 10-bit conversion is practiced. The ladder-like dotted lines represent the ideal conversion characteristics obtainable when an 8-bit conversion is practiced. The ladder-like thick line represents the 8-bit conversion obtainable when after a 10-bit conversion is finished, the low-order two bits are rounded off.
There are another type of A/D converters which are provided with at least one register especially for storing the results of conversion. However, the addition of such special registers does not give any favorable influence on the performance of the SA register 4 but it only increases the number of step for transmitting the results of conversion to the storage register.
As is evident from the foregoing, when the A/D conversion is practiced by a 10-bit converter and the low-order two bits are rounded off, the resulting characteristics is not satisfactory as indicated by the full lines in FIG. 3, which is different from the ideal one indicated in the dotted lines obtained by using an 8-bit A/D converter. This unavoidably involves an error by (3/8) LSB.

Successive approximation ADC with rounding to vary bit number output

Mitsubishi Electric Semiconductor Software Co., Ltd.


A fuel pump arrangement has multiple fuel pumps for fitting to aircraft fuel tanks and allowing maintenance of the pumps without requiring access from inside the tanks, particularly one having a housing with two fuel pumps for mounting in or adjacent a single aperture in the wall of a fuel tank, each pump being individually removable from the housing by withdrawal away from the tank. A sleeve is moveable also in the same direction as the pump to obstruct inlets in the housing and isolate the housing from the fuel in the tank so the tank need not be drained.

Fuel pumps, for example those used in commercial aircraft, are often mounted on or in the fuel tank. If fitted in the fuel tank, each pump requires an aperture in the tank, which is a potential leakage point, for example, where high altitude differential pressures are present. Where multiple pumps are required, for example to increase flow rates or to enable fuel transfer between tanks, then multiple apertures are then needed. As well as an increased risk of leakage, each aperture produced increases costs and weakens the fuel tank.
The use of multiple pumps increases the desirability for ease of pump maintenance. A simple means for isolating the fuel tank and then withdrawing the pumps is needed. It is often difficult to remove the pumps for maintenance. Having a housing which allows complete dismantling of the wearable parts of the pump arrangement, from outside the fuel tank ameliorates the problem of maintenance, because it allows access from the outside of a fuel tank and there is no need to completely drain and purge the fuel tank for an engineer to access the fuel tank.


Described is an optical system and method for operating an HUD. The optical system includes an imaging system that generates optical radiation based on image information, a display system that projects the optical radiation, a deflection device that deflects the projected optical radiation, and at least one optically transparent pane-shaped element that at least partially reflects the deflected optical radiation. The deflection device guides the projected optical radiation onto the pane-shaped element, the optical radiation hitting the pane-shaped element at an angle. The imaging system, the display system, the deflection device and the pane-shaped element are arranged to generate a virtual image of optical radiation containing the image information. The optical system includes first and second edge points of the pane-shaped element. The first edge point has a minimal distance (dmin(1)) to the deflection device and the second edge point has a minimal distance (dmin(2)) to the imaging system.

HUDs in vehicles usually consist of an imaging system and a mirror system with 2 or more mirrors, which are all located in the dashboard of the vehicle. With an HUD, the image information emitted by an imaging system is made accessible to an observer, e.g. the driver of a motor vehicle or the pilot of an aeroplane, as a virtual image in their visual field. The size of the image generated by the HUD within the visual field of the observer is usually known as the field of view (FOV). The area on the image side at the observer which is at maximum illuminated by the imaging system is known as the eyebox. The desired size of the eyebox and the FOV define the necessary étendue which must be provided by the imaging system.
In most cases, the visibility of the image information shown is limited to a certain spatial area within the vehicle, so that the observer should be located at least with one eye within the head motion box (HMB) defined by display system used. The HMB has usually a rectangular base area with a size of approx. 220×80 mm2. The HMB is thus related to the observer and indicates the permissible spatial range within which the observer can at least detect a part of the image information presented by the HUD with one eye. On the other hand, the eyebox is more related to the imaging system and is based on the maximum aperture angle of the image in a direction towards the observer. For current HUDs, the HMB and the eyebox do not or not significantly differ from each other in general.
The image sensor serves to display and irradiate image information. A corresponding individual component is described as an imaging system. This can for example be a TFT/LCD display or a Pico projector. The imaging system usually comprises a so-called "imager" (image generator) for displaying the image information. Possible imagers usually take the form of TFT/LCD panels, DMD, LCoS, MEMS or similar. Preferably, the imaging system can be a Pico projector with DMD/LCoS as an imager or also a simple TFT panel. If a TFT panel is used, the image information irradiated by the TFT panel is made accessible to the observer directly as a virtual image in the visual field. If a Pico projector is used, this first generates an interim image on an additional interim screen, wherein this interim image essentially takes on the function of a TFT. The interim image is then usually displayed by a mirror system in the eyebox of the observer.
From a given étendue request (based on a desired size of the eyebox and the FOV) and the precise irradiation properties of a known imaging system, the required size of the imaging system and the irradiation angle to be used can be determined. From this, the minimum size of a TFT panel to be used or of the interim screen when a Pico projector is used is determined.
If a TFT panel is used, image information that is irradiated as a real image of the TFT panel is propagated with the aid of mirrors to a virtual image in front of an observer, with motor vehicles in front of the windscreen, for example. Here, reference can in general be made to a single-step display (imaging system→virtual image).
If a Pico projector is used as an imaging system, the étendue already supplied by the imager, such as a DMD or LCoS, for example, is usually not sufficient. For this reason, it must be enlarged accordingly. Typically, this occurs with the aid of a diffusing panel which is positioned on the plane of the interim image. By enlarging the angle, the diffusing panel also enlarges the étendue of the real interim image on the interim image plane. This interim image with enlarged étendue can now also be propagated to a virtual image within the visual field of an observer with the aid of mirrors. Here, reference can be made to a dual-step display (imaging system→real interim image→virtual image).
In motor vehicles, the HUD has to date been located solely in the dashboard. Here, construction space of approx. 5 l is required for an FOV of 6°×2°. However, in most cases, the available construction space can only be influenced to a limited degree. The size of the first mirror (from the perspective of the virtual image) is essentially determined by the FOV, the angle of the windscreen, and the size of the eyebox. The curve of the windscreen, the optical path from the eye of the observer across the windscreen to the first mirror, and the position of the imaging system within the dashboard are also influential. With the exception of the position of the imaging system, these values are essentially prespecified. However, different positions of the imaging system also require slightly different tilting angles of the mirror to the main beam. As a result, the mirror size is also marginally influenced. The first optical component that can be influenced from the perspective of the driver is thus the first mirror mentioned above.
Future HUDs should support Augmented Reality and thus extend reality by showing additional information or displays. In particular, here, it should be possible to project location-accurate images to the observer, which interact directly and immediately with the visible environment of the observer. Thus, reality can be virtually extended as required, depending on the demands of the current vehicle situation.
In order to realise an Augmented Reality HUD (AR-HUD) in vehicles, a particularly large FOV is required (FOV 10°×6° or larger). Due to the large FOV, significantly larger mirrors for deflecting the beam are also required. These must also be housed in the dashboard and, as a result, require additional construction space (currently more than 15 liters). In the case of an enlargement of the FOV, however, it must be noted that for a fixed imaging system, the brightness of the displayed image is in general reduced. Thus, in order to maintain the brightness of the image and to increase the size of the FOV, in the case of a HUD with an unchanged size of the eyebox, a corresponding enlargement of the imaging system and of the associated display system must also be planned in addition to an enlargement of the deflection device.
Particularly in the dashboard of a motor vehicle, however, there is an increasing lack of space, since the steering column, air conditioning unit, control panel cross-member, windscreen wiper mechanics, windscreen ventilation, a large portion of the vehicle electronics and much more also need to be housed here. The lack of space in the dashboard thus limits the maximum possible size of the FOVs. The car industry, as well as other vehicle manufacturers, is therefore interested in particularly space-saving solutions. For this reason, larger FOVs can only be realised, and the Augmented Reality experience significantly improved, through the corresponding savings in the construction space required.
Vehicle manufacturers are also increasingly in favour of saving electrical energy. With motor vehicles, this is clearly reflected in particular by the increasing use of electricity-saving LEDs for external lighting. If a vehicle uses less energy, the light machine is less of a burden on the engine, which in turn helps to save fuel. Energy savings are also gaining in importance with regard to the achievement of international climate goals. The use of HUDs in vehicles adds a further electric consumer which consumes not inconsiderable levels of power. With current HUDs, however, a large portion of the energy required to generate images is lost unused. On the one hand, with a large eyebox (220×80 mm2), it is often the case that only a very low portion of the energy irradiated from the imaging system contributes to the image information perceived by the observer (up to 0.3%). On the other, with TFT panels or LCoS, often considerable polarisation losses occur, since unpolarised light sources, such as LEDs, are usually used. Additionally, with the dual step display, a great deal of light is lost on the diffusing panel, since the angle spectrum generated is far greater than the area which can be used to display the virtual image.
It is therefore the object of the present invention to provide a system and a method for operating an HUD which overcome the described disadvantages of the prior art, and which make it possible to enable corresponding display applications, even with limited construction space with the largest possible FOV with high energy efficiency. In particular, the increased use of Augmented Reality in vehicles should be enabled as a result.

Optical system and a method for operating an HUD


A laser drive circuit is utilized to record data with a good signal quality over a wide range of linear velocities to an optical information recording medium. Specifically, the laser drive circuit of an optical information recording apparatus sets a ratio of a recording power to a power at which a reproduction signal quality reaches a threshold value to be relatively low at low velocities, and relatively high at high velocities.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to an optical information recording method for recording information to an optical information recording medium with which data is optically recorded and reproduced, and to an apparatus for recording the same, and a recording medium, and more particularly relates to a method for recording information to an optical information recording medium with which information is recorded at a plurality of different linear velocities.
2. Description of the Related Art
Optical disks, optical cards, optical tapes, and so forth have been proposed and developed in recent years as media for optically recording data. Optical disks have become especially popular as media that allow large volumes of data to be recorded and reproduced at high density.
For instance, in the case of a phase-change optical disk, data is recorded and reproduced by the following method. The recording film of an optical disk is irradiated with a laser beam focused by an optical head and stronger in power than the reproduction power (this power level will be referred to as the recording power, and expressed as Pp), and when the temperature of the recording film goes over the melting point, the molten portion is rapidly cooled as the laser beam is transmitted, and this forms a mark in an amorphous state. When the recording film is irradiated with a laser beam that has been focused enough to raise the temperature of the recording film to at least its crystallization temperature but below its melting point (this power level will be referred to as the erasure power, and expressed by Pb), the irradiated portion of the recording film enters a crystalline state. As a result, a recorded pattern consisting of marks (amorphous regions) and spaces (crystalline regions) corresponding to a data signal is formed on the optical disk. The data is then reproduced by taking advantage of the difference in reflectance between the crystalline and amorphous regions.
As described above, to form marks on a medium, it is necessary to modulate the power level of the emitted laser beam at least between an erasure power and a recording power. The pulse waveform used in the modulation operation is called a recording pulse. Many recording methods for forming a single mark with a plurality of recording pulses have already been disclosed. The plurality of recording pulses is called a recording pulse train. FIG. 10a shows an example of a recording pulse train. A pulse at the front part of the recording pulse train is called the leading pulse 501, a pulse at the end of the recording pulse train is referred to as the trailing pulse 503, and a pulse between the leading pulse 501 and the trailing pulse 503 is called a multi-pulse 502. The number of recording pulses that make up the recording pulse train varies with the recording code length (that is, the length of the recording code with respect to a channel clock period Tw), and at the shortest code length, there may be only one recording pulse. The intensity of the laser beam is modulated as shown in FIG. 10b on the basis of this recording pulse train. As a result, a mark 302 is formed on a track 301 as shown in FIG. 10c. A method in which a mark is formed by using a laser irradiation waveform in which the pulse level is varied between the leading portion and the trailing portion as shown in FIG. 11, instead of using a recording pulse train, has also been disclosed.
At present, DVDs and other such optical information recording media primarily make use of constant linear velocity (CLV) recording. This is a system for recording data at substantially the same linear velocity, transfer rate, and linear density over the entire surface of the medium. An advantage therefore is that there is no change in the laser beam irradiation conditions or in heating/cooling conditions during recording and reproduction. On the other hand, since the rotational speed of the medium varies with the recording or reproduction position (that is, the radial position) on the medium, controlling the rotational speed changes of a spindle motor is essential.
In contrast, a constant angular velocity (CAV) recording system, in which the rotational speed and the linear density of the medium are kept substantially constant over the entire surface of the medium, has been proposed. Unlike with a CLV recording system, a CAV recording system does not require control of the rotational speed changes of a spindle motor for rotating the medium, so an advantage is that the spindle motor and the control circuit thereof can be produced at lower cost. Also, there is no need to wait for a recording or reproduction operation until a specific rotational speed is attained after seeking the recording or reproduction position, so the access speed with respect to the medium can be shortened. On the other hand, a CAV recording system, the linear velocity and the transfer rate of the medium vary with the recording or reproduction position in the medium. Therefore, the conditions under which the medium is irradiated with the laser beam, and the heating/cooling conditions vary with the recording or reproduction position.
Improving recorded signal quality in either of these systems is important in terms of recording or reproducing large volumes of data at high density. Accordingly, methods have already been disclosed for improving signal quality by adjusting the recording power with respect to a certain linear velocity (the recording or reproduction position in the case of CAV recording). One such method that has been disclosed involves recording a test signal while the recording power or the erasure power is varied, and determining the power levels on the basis of the recorded test signal so that the asymmetry or degree of modulation of the reproduction signal is optimized (see Patent Document 1, for example).
However, with the above-mentioned conventional recording method, if the linear velocity is varied over a large range in CAV recording, the optimal conditions will be different for each linear velocity, so a data signal cannot be recorded stably and with good signal quality. This problem will now be described.
During recording at a high linear velocity, the spindle motor rotates at high speed. Consequently, if there is even a slight axial runout or eccentricity to the disk, this will have a major impact on servo operation. Specifically, if there is axial runout in the disk, the actuator of the optical head will oscillate strongly in the optical axis direction. If there is eccentricity in the disk, the actuator will oscillate strongly in the direction parallel to the plane of the disk. If this oscillation exceeds the response characteristics of the actuator, the actuator will be unable to keep up with the axial runout or eccentricity of the disk, defocusing or off-tracking will occur, and the signal cannot be recorded stably.
On the other hand, during recording at a low linear velocity, the relative speed between the laser spot and the medium is lower, and cooling after melting caused by laser irradiation is slower, so recrystallization proceeds from the edges of the molten part, and the remaining portion becomes a mark. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 12, a molten region 303 is larger than a mark 302, and the end of the molten region extends all the way to the walls 304 of a track 301 (that is, a guide groove or land). As a result, this affects the fine shape of the walls 304 (causing looseness), recrystallization does not occur in part of the molten region reaching the walls 304, and parts of the mark stick to the walls 304. Consequently, the shape of the mark is distorted and this lowers the quality of the reproduction signal.    Patent Document 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. H10-64064.

Optical information recording method, optical information recording apparatus, and optical information recording medium


A photographic film package having a film wound on a spool in a housing having an exit/entrance port, orients fixedly with a film cartridge chamber of a camera such that the film will exit the package in the winding direction of the camera and exhibit superior flatness at the exposure station of the camera. The film has light-sensitive layers having total layer thickness of not thicker than 30 .mu.m on one side of a transparent support and a back layer containing a hydrophilic polymer having a layer thickness of from 15% to 90% of the total layer thickness of the light-sensitive layers on the other side of the support.

Recently, in corporation with the improvements of the graininess, the sharpness, and the color reproducibility of silver halide photographic materials such as mainly silver halide color negative photographic materials and with the popularization of a camera equipped with a zoom lens or a two focal points lens, high quality photographs enriched with variety have been obtained.
However, a camera equipped with a zoom lens or a two focal points lens, if the focal length at the telephoto side is lengthened, is quite large and consequently inconvenient to carry, while if the camera is small, it loses sufficient telephoto effect.
As a means for solving the aforesaid problems, a pseudo zoom technique has been recently proposed with the aid of the progress of the performance of color negative films as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,490,844, 4,583,831, and 4,650,304.
According to the pseudo zoom technique, information as to the focal distance of a lens inlet at the time of photographing is detected during the printing process to enlarge a part of the picture of the negative film, resulting in a telephoto effect for the developed print. The techniques of pseudo zoom hitherto proposed are for a color negative roll film of 135 format, which is a leading format at present.
However, it has been found that, when the aforesaid pseudo zoom technique is practiced using a color negative roll film of a 135 format, which is predominantly used at present, the image quality, particularly the sharpness of color images, is insufficient. Differing from a usual large-size print, the print obtained by the pseudo zoom technique corresponds to a small-size print cut from a part of a large-size print. The appreciation distance for a small-size print is shorter than that for a large-size print. Accordingly, in a small-size print formed by a pseudo zoom, the sharpness is very important.
The telephoto photographic print formed by a pseudo zoom corresponds to a print formed from a photographic film of a small format such as 110 format. However, in a 110 format, a cause of deteriorating the sharpness of the print is that the camera does not have a film pressure plate for securing the flatness of the film, and a shade paper at the back side of the film disturbs the flatness of the film.
However, it has also been found that the proposed pseudo zoom system does not have the aforesaid factors which deteriorate the sharpness of prints and, thus, the sharpness of the photographic film itself becomes very important for obtaining the print of sharp images in the pseudo zoom technique.
As a result of various investigations, the inventor has found that, when the humidity changes at photographing, film curls and thereby moves out of the focal plane of the camera and, in particular, in a print having a telephoto effect given by a pseudo zoom technique, the deterioration of the sharpness becomes severe. Furthermore, it has also been found that the use of a conventional cartridge (Patrone) for a 135 format which has been practically used with satisfactory results for the past several tens of years gives more serious reduction in the sharpness with changes in the humidity in the pseudo zoom technique.
The body portion of a cartridge for 135 format is cylindrical as shown in FIG. 1, the length of the outlet of film (port portion) of the cartridge is not constant, and the position of the cartridge in a camera is determined by the portion of a pile-like ribbon protruded from the port portion. Thus, when a cartridge is loaded in a camera, the position of the cartridge in the camera can not be controlled at a definite position.
Accordingly, in a combination of a 135 cartridge and a camera having a function of detecting the sensitivity of film by a general DX code, when the cartridge is loaded in the camera, it is impossible to keep the film outlet of the cartridge at the plane including the exposure stage of the camera, and, when the cartridge is once loaded in the camera, photographing is conducted in the non-plane state. If the film outlet of a cartridge is largely out of the plane of the exposure state of the camera, the extruded film near the film outlet is set in the camera in a bent state. It has been found that, when the bent film is sent to the exposure stage of the camera, the change of the curling state of the film in the exposure state is accelerated when humidity is changed to greatly deteriorate the flatness of the film. In particular, in a pseudo zoom print system, the enlarging magnification is increased and hence the inferiority of the flatness of film as described above becomes a serious defect. Therefore, it has been found that the establishment of the technique for stably keeping the flatness of film in the exposure stage of a camera is a new theme for improving the image quality of a print obtained by a pseudo zoom print system.
Furthermore, it has also been found that a serious problem caused by the increase of the enlarging magnification in a pseudo zoom print system is the scratches on the back surface of the film. As the result of various investigations, it has been confirmed that the scratches on the back surface of the film form white colorless portions on the print obtained therefrom, which are very conspicuous, and that more than 50% of the all of scratches of the film may form such white portions on the print. Accordingly, it has further been found that the prevention of the scratches on the back surface of a film is another new theme for improving the image quality of the print obtained by a pseudo zoom print system.


The present invention discloses a new process for producing ioversol (marketed as OPTIRAY(copyright)) comprising:

This invention is in the field of imaging. In particular, the invention relates to X-ray imaging. And most particularly, the invention relates to a new process for obtaining ioversol.
This invention relates to N,Nxe2x80x2-bis(2,3-dihydroxypropyl)-5-N-(2-hydroxyethyl)glycolamido-2,4,6-triiodoisopthalamide (ioversol).
Ioversol is commonly used as an X-ray contrast agent. The agent may be used in various radiographic procedures including those involving cardiography, coronary arteriography, aortography, cerebral and peripheral angiography, arthroglraphy, intravenous pyelography and urography as well as myelograpihy.
The present commercial manufacture of ioversol proceeds in four steps from bis(2,3-dihydroxypropyl)-2,4,6-triiodo-5-aminoisophthalamide to crude ioversol product, which product is subsequently purified. This conversion utilizes two expensive raw materials, acetoxyacetyl chloride (AAC) and bromoethylacetate (BEA), which together contribute to greater than 25% of the final product material cost. Additionally, the present commercial manufacturing process requires the use of several expensive, environmentally undesirable and/or reactive solvents such as 1,1,2-trichloroethane (TCE), dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) and amylacetate. Each of these solvents have been particularly troublesome in manufacturing due to difficulties in recovery and other operational difficulties. TCE, in particular, is a chlorinated solvent of considerable concern in manufacturing. Thus, there exists a need for an improved process for then manufacture of ioversol which incorporates less expensive and more environmentally suitable raw materials.
The present invention provides a new process for producing ioversol (marketed in final dosage form as OPTIRAY(copyright)) comprising:
(a) reacting 5-amino-N,Nxe2x80x2-bis(2,3-dihydroxypropyl)-2,4,6-triiodoisopthalamide with chloroacetyl chloride in a polar aprotic solvent or combinations thereof to produce N,Nxe2x80x2-bis[2,3-di(2-chloroacetoxy)propyl]-5-(2-chloroacetamido)-2,4,6-triiodoisophthalamide;
(b) reacting the product of (a) with a base to produce N,Nxe2x80x2-bis(2,3-dihydroxypropyl)-5-(2-chloroacetamido)-2,4,6-triiodoisopthalamide;
(c) reacting the product of (b) with an alkylating agent capable of producing a hydroxyethylated product in the presence of a base and water to produce N,Nxe2x80x2-bis(2,3-dihydroxypropyl)-5-[N-(2-hydroxyethyl) (2-chloroacetamido)]-2,4,6-triiodoisopthalamide; and
(d) reacting the product of (c) in water and acetate ions to produce ioversol.
The new synthetic route replaces the high cost AAC and BEA components with chloroacetylchloride (CAC) and an alkylating agent which is capable of producing a hydroxyethylated product, respectively, thus reducing the introduction of these components to a more elementary and far less expensive archetype. Further, except for a small quantity of the polar aprotic solvent dimethylacetamide (DMAC) utilized in the initial step, the remaining reactions are conducted in an aqueous reaction medium, eliminating TCE, DMSO and amyl acetate and their corresponding costs and environmental difficulties.
The current process for producing ioversol is generally depicted in Table 1 below:
The current general procedure for producing ioversol is as follows:
5-Amino-N,Nxe2x80x2-bis (2,3-dihydroxpropyl)-2,4,6-triiodoisophthalamide is dissolved in N,N-diomethylacetamide and acetylated with acetic anhydride, using 4-dimethylaminopyridine as a catalyst, to produce 5-amino-N,Nxe2x80x2-bis(2,3-diacetoxypropyl)-2,4,6-triiodoisophthalamide. Upon completion of the reactions the mixture is diluted with 1,1,2-trichloroethane and washed with aqueous sodium carbonate and aqueous sodium chloride solutions to remove acetic acid, which is the by-product of the reaction. The resulting 1,1,2-trichloroethane solution of the product is used in STEP #2.
Most of the solvent (1,1,2-trichloroethane) is distilled from the solution of 5-amino-N,Nxe2x80x2bis(2,3-diacetoxypropyl)-2,4,6-triiodoisophthalamide prepared in STEP #1. The reaction solvent, N,N-dimethylacetamide, is added. Excess acetoxyacetyl chloride is added and the reaction mixture is stirred at ca. 40xc2x0 C. until the reaction is completed. 5-Acetoxyacetamido-N,Nxe2x80x2-bis(2,3-diacetoxypropyl)-2,4,6-triiodoisophthalamide is formed. 1,1,2-trichloroethane is added to dilute the reaction mixture and the solution is washed with aqueous sodium bicarbonate and aqueous sodium chloride solutions to remove acetoxyacetic acid and other by-products. The resulting organic layer which contains the reaction product is used in the next step.
Solvent (1,1,2-trichloroethane) is distilled from the solution of 5-acetoxyacetamido-N,Nxe2x80x2-bis(2,3-diacetoxypropyl)-2,4,6-triiodoisophthalamide prepared in STEP #2. Dimethyl sulfoxide is added as the reaction solvent. Potassium carbonate and 2-bromoethyl acetate are added and the mixture is stirred for ca. 10 hours at ca. 40xc2x0 C. to complete the reaction to form 5-[N-(2-acetoxyethyl)acetoxyacetamido]-N,Nxe2x80x2-bis(2,3-diacetoxypropyl)-2,4,6-triiodoisophthalamide. After the reaction is completed, 1,1,2-trichloroethane is added to dilute the mixture. To remove the inorganic salts and dimethyl sulfoxide in the medium, the mixture is washed once with deionized water, and twice with aqueous sodium chloride solution. The organic layer, which contains the product, is then distilled to remove the solvent and the residue is dissolved in amyl acetate while the mixture is still hot. The mixture is then cooled and stirred continuously to complete the crystallization. The reaction product is collected and dried. After testing, it is used in STEP #4 to prepare crude ioversol aqueous solution.
5-[N-(2-Acetoxyethyl)acetoxyacetamido]-N,Nxe2x80x2bis(2,3-diacetoxypropy)-2,4,6-triiodoisophthalamide solids are slurried in hot water containing a catalytic quantity of sulfuric acid. The solid gradually dissolves as it is heated with the steam on the jacket. The material is hydrolyzed to produce crude ioversol and acetic acid as a by-product. To remove the acetic acid, clean steam is sparged into the reactor. The solution volume is maintained constant by adding deionized water during the reaction and acetic acid removal. The reaction is tested for completeness of hydrolysis and for the removal of acetic acid.
The solution which contains ioversol, (crude ioversol aqueous solution) is cooled and utilized in subsequent purification steps.
The process of the invention for producing ioversol is depicted in Table 2 below:
The general procedure for the process of the invention involves reacting 5-amino-N,Nxe2x80x2-bis(2,3-dihydroxypropyl)-2,4,6-triiodoisophthalamide with chloroacetyl chloride in a polar aprotic solvent.
The general procedure for the process of the invention involves reacting 5-amino-N,Nxe2x80x2-bis(2,3-dihydroxypropyl)-2,4,6-triiodoisophthalamide with N,N-dimethylacetamide and chloroacetyl chloride. The resulting product is hydrolyzed with a base (such as sodium hydroxide). A homogeneous solution is obtained by adding water. Precipitation is affected to yield N,Nxe2x80x2-bis(2,3-dihydroxypropyl)-5-(2-chloroacetamido)-2,4,6-triiodoisophthalamide. Alternately, 5-amino-N,Nxe2x80x2-bis(2,3-dihydroxypropyl)-2,4,6-triiodoisophthalamide is reacted with N,N-dimethylacetamide, acetonitrile, and chloroacetyl chloride. The resulting product is hydrolyzed with a base. A homogeneous solution is obtained by adding water. Precipitation is affected to yield N,Nxe2x80x2-bis(2,3-dihydroxypropyl)-5-(2-chloroacetamido)-2,4,6-triiodoisophthalamide. This product is combined with an aqueous base and deionized water. 2-Chloroethanol is added followed by heating. The addition of hydrochloric acid yields N,Nxe2x80x2-bis(2,3-dihydroxypropyl)-5-[N-(2-hydroxyethyl)(2-chloroacetamido)]-2,4,6-triiodoisophthalamide. Alternately, N,Nxe2x80x2-bis(2,3-dihydroxypropyl)-5-(2-chloroacetamido)-2,4,6-triiodoisophthalamide plus metal halide and deionized water are combined. Ethylene oxide is added followed by heating. The addition of hydrochloric acid yields N,Nxe2x80x2-bis(2,3-dihydroxypropyl)-5-[N-(2-hydroxyethyl)(2-chloroacetamido)]-2,4,6-triiodoisophthalamide. This product is suspended in water with acetate ions and hydrochloric acid added. This suspended solution can take place at or above atmospheric pressure. Generally about 1 to about 2 atmospheres above atmospheric pressure is used. After adding aqueous sodium hydroxide to, maintain the pH, the reaction yields N,Nxe2x80x2-bis(2,3-dihydroxypropyl)-5-N-(2-hydroxyethyl)glycolamido-2,4,6-triiodoisopthalamide. Finally, salts and low molecular weight impurities are removed.
Polar aprotic solvents for use with the invention include dimethylacetamide, acetonitrile, dimethylsulfoxide, dimethylformamide, tetrahydrofuran, dimethoxyethane, dioxane, or combinations thereof. Suitable bases for use with the water include sodium hydroxide, lithium hydroxide, ammonium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, disodiumhydrogenphosphate, trisodiumphosphate, dipotassiumhydrogenphosphate, tripotassiumphosphate, dilithiumhydrogenphosphate, trilithiumphosphate, diammoniumhydrogenphosphate, and triammoniumphosphate. Alkylating agents capable of producing a hydroxyethylated product suitable for use with the invention include 2-chloroethanol, ethylene oxide, ethylene carbonate, 2-bromoethanol, 2-iodoethanol, and 2-tosylethanol. Acetate ions for use with inventions include sodium, lithium, ammonium and potassium.
Specifically, the process of the invention is detailed in the Examples section of this document.
The following examples illustrate the specific embodiments of the invention described in this document. As would be apparent to skilled artisans, various changes and modifications are possible and are contemplated within the scope of the invention described.


A radiant ray-detector having a high resolving ability and capable of being easily produced as well as a method for producing the same are herein disclosed. The radiant ray-detector comprises a plurality of photomultiplier tubes 11 combined together and scintillator chips 1, wherein the scintillator chips 1 each is in the form of a hexahedron, more than one face thereof is mirror finished, the other faces are surface-toughened and a number of these scintillator chips 1 greater than the number of the photomultiplier tubes 11 are joined together so that the overall area of the resulting mirror surface of a group of scintillator chips 1 is approximately identical to the area of an entrance window 12 of each corresponding photomultiplier tube 11 and wherein different transmittances are imparted to individual coarse faces 4 of the scintillator chip 1 joined to those of other scintillator chips. In particular, the transmittances of these scintillator chip 1 are preferably designed such that they increase as the distance between the chips and the center of the group of chips increases. The method for producing the radiant ray-detector is characterized in that the transmittance of each joined face 4 of the scintillator chip 1 is controlled by properly selecting the particle size of abrasive grains used for finishing each coarse face.

The present invention relates to a radiant ray-detector used in an apparatus for radiation therapy and radiological diagnosis such as X-ray computed tomography unit (X-ray CT unit) and positron computed tomography unit (positron CT unit) and radiation-determining machinery and tools for high energy-physical studies as well as a method for producing the radiant ray-detector.
One of the known radiant ray-detectors comprises a photomultiplier tube and a scintillator connected to the photomultiplier tube. When radiant rays are incident into the detector, the scintillator emits light rays and the photomultiplier tube converts the emitted light rays into electric signals for the amplification thereof. The scintillator capable of emitting light rays makes use of Bi.sub.4 Ge.sub.3 O.sub.12 crystal (hereunder referred to as "BGO crystal").
The detection of radiant rays sometimes requires the analysis of a point into which the radiation is incident (hereunder referred to as "radiant ray-incident point"). In such case, a specific radiant ray-detector is used, which comprises a plurality of photomultiplier tubes and a plurality of scintillator chips or scintillator blocks (several chips or blocks each for each entrance window of the photomultiplier tube). Japanese Patent Provisional Publication No. 4-290984 discloses a joined body of scintillator blocks for fitting to the entrance window of a radiant ray-detector capable of analyzing the radiant ray-incident points. More specifically, the reflectivities of interfaces between every neighboring two blocks differ from one another or each scintillator block is separated from the neighboring block(s) by a filler such as a BaSO.sub.4 powder or a reflecting material such as a TELFON (a fluorocarbon) tape.
The device as disclosed in the foregoing patent suffers from problems in that when radiant rays are incident upon a scintillator chip and converted into light rays, the quantity of the light transferred to the neighboring chips should be evaluated, but the quantity cannot accurately be determined through the detection of the reflectivity.

Radiant ray-detector and method for producing same


A hybrid additive manufacturing approach that incorporates three-dimensional (3D) printing and placement of modules selected from a library of modules to fabricate an electromechanical assembly. By virtue of fabrication of the electromechanical assembly, mechanical properties and electrical properties of the assembly are created. The invention overcomes the material and process limitations of current printable electronics approaches, enabling complete, complex electromechanical assemblies to be fabricated.

Additive manufacturing is increasingly becoming a significant fabrication technique, both in research and industrial settings, applicable to a broad range of applications. Some commercially important additive manufacturing examples include, for example, low-cost rapid tooling manufacturing, low-volume prototype and production runs, medium-volume automotive and aerospace applications, dental restoration, orthopedic implants, custom orthotics, and user-specific artificial limbs. Furthermore, additive manufacturing methods have been used in biomedical research settings to create heterogeneous tissues from individual precursor cell types and to create functional replacements for missing or damaged body parts.
Despite a great deal of effort and the diversity of additive manufacturing techniques, no additive manufacturing process can fabricate high quality electrical interconnections, computational circuits, sensors or actuators in combination with mechanical elements in an integrated component, i.e., electromechanical component.
With Direct-Write electronics ("DW"), or the similar Direct Print ("DP") technique, it has been demonstrated that inkjet printers are capable of fabricating transistors, and have used a combination of inkjet or digital printing and Fused Deposition Modeling ("FDM") or Stereolithography ("SLA") to create electrical circuits within a 3D printed part. One interesting alternative approach uses conventional semiconductor fabrication to create very small semiconductor devices that are subsequently blended with an ink binder. Although electromagnetic actuators fabricated in one process via FDM and DP has been recently demonstrated, it is rudimentary at best.
Despite this progress, enormous challenges must be overcome. Synthesizing electrically conductive materials with volume resistivity similar to bulk metals that can be extruded or deposited in a low-temperature environment (so that is it process-compatible with other materials in the assembly) remains an elusive challenge. The current state of the art, available from various vendors, employs powdered metal inks that are solvent-borne and achieve volume resistivity that is four times (4×) to ten times (10×) larger than bulk metal in the case of silver, and 10× to 50× for copper. These materials require a post-process sintering step, typically by heating to between 80 and 150 degrees Celsius (° C.) in order to achieve the stated resistivity, which can be difficult to integrate with other heat-sensitive components within the assembly. The active devices such as transistors that have been fabricated thus far have lower carrier mobility and lower on-off ratios than similar devices fabricated in silicon.
Printed transistors using complementary logic (p-channel and n-channel devices) have been combined to produce ring-oscillators, inverters and NAND ("Not AND") gates; however low fabrication-temperature organic transistors rely on semiconductor materials that offer dramatically lower charge carrier mobilities than are available via conventional semiconductor fabrication techniques. The large discrepancy between the highest reported electron and hole mobilities for printed polymers for organic transistors imposes additional design trade-offs when fabricating complementary transistor circuits, a key component of logic circuits.
In certain situations carrier mobility impacts the drain current and the transconductance in a field effect transistor. Larger drain currents are desirable for some applications; however, as a consequence of lower mobility and larger oxide thickness, printed organic transistors typically offer drain currents that are several orders of magnitude smaller than conventional devices. It has been found that wider channels can be used to increase drain current, though this is usually accompanied by increased leakage. Resolution limitations of current printable electronics techniques impose a feature-size penalty of nearly three orders of magnitude, relative to conventional semiconductor fabrication techniques, which limits the amount by which the channel length can be reduced.
Larger transistor feature sizes lead to increased parasitic capacitances at each transistor, reducing their switching speed. Lower transconductance also limits switching speed; the propagation delay of recent fast organic transistors is at least three orders of magnitude slower than conventional transistors, limiting their use to relatively simple logic circuits since this delay accumulates with each cascaded logic cell. Printed organic semiconductors sacrifice endurance relative to conventionally fabricated circuits, with published shelf- and operating lifetimes ranging from several weeks to two years.
Conductor quality in printed electronics is impaired by incompatible material processing requirements. Low-resistivity base materials and narrow traces with high current-carrying capacity are desired In order to achieve favorable conductivity, electrically conductive materials are used. Electrically conductive materials including conductive materials that can be inkjet-printed or extruded are referred to as "inks". These inks typically require a post-print curing or sintering step that entails heat-treating at temperatures ranging from 125 to 500° C. for an extended period of time. Since this range exceeds the glass-transition temperature of most common polymers used in additive manufacturing, the sintering step can cause other materials in the part to melt or degrade.
To circumvent this problem, alternative sintering techniques have been developed based on chemical reactions, resistive heating, plasma, photonic energy, and radio-frequency heating. Recent results compatible with low-temperature polymer substrates demonstrate conductor resistivity of 2-10× bulk via pulsed Xenon lamps, and pulsed-laser, though integration of these methods with structural additive manufacturing materials has not been demonstrated. Reactive silver inks have been shown to yield traces with conductivity nearly equal to bulk silver after 15 minutes of sintering at 90° C., though material costs may limit this approach.
A commercially available method for creating electrical conductors on the surface of plastic parts, known as Laser Direct Structuring ("LDS"), uses a laser to ablate the thermoplastic substrate where conductive traces are desired; organic-metallic additives in the plastic are activated during this process, leaving behind a surface that can be plated during successive wet metallization steps. However, like the other methods mentioned above, LDS creates electrical traces only on the surface of a part and limitations in achievable trace thickness impose constraints on current-carrying capacity despite continuing improvements in material resistivity.
An alternative fabrication approach, Shape Deposition Manufacturing ("SDM"), circumvents material and process compatibility issues by embedding prefabricated components into an assembly as it is being fabricated. This concept has been demonstrated by embedding complete assembled circuit boards as well as discrete components; these components are interconnected with embedded wires or printed conductors subject to the limitations discussed above. At a smaller scale, individual pieces of prefabricated semiconducting material referred to as "chiplets", have been self-assembled to form functional arrays of devices over large scales, including roll-roll manufactured LED sheets, and flexible arrays of chip-scale solar cells. When fabricated with high-speed electrical interconnects on their edges, individual chiplets can be interconnected to form larger composite circuit "Quilts". A related approach also decomposes the problem into separate high-temperature fabrication steps using conventional micro-fabrication tools, followed by a low-temperature assembly process based on transfer printing.
Existing manufacturing methods exist that embed components; however these methods rely on special-purpose embedding of particular components for specific designs. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,278,442 to Prinz et al. discloses electronic components formed in place by incremental material build-up of thin layers. At least one mask is used per layer to form electronic components made of conductors such as gold and copper, insulators such as ceramic materials and possibly semiconductors, all of which are applied by thermal deposition spray using a thermal deposition spray.
Another example of an existing manufacturing method that embeds components is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,301,415 to Prinz et al., which forms three-dimensional objects by applying segments of complementary material and deposition material so as to form layers of material. Selected segments of material are then shaped after one or more segment is formed. In this manner, layers of material form a block containing the object made of deposition material and surrounded by complementary material, which may subsequently be removed.
As further described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,286,573 to Prinz et al., the support structure has a melting point lower than the melting point of the deposition material so that the support structure can be removed by a melting process.
With all of the above described methods, embedded components are printed or shaped within a complementary material, which may ultimately be removed. These components are specific to the desired application of the assembly. Though multiple additive material deposition techniques have been developed to address diverse users, existing techniques fail to address three critical requirements that electromechanical printers must satisfy. First, existing methods produce components with electrical performance that is inferior to conventionally produced electrical components by several orders of magnitude. Second, existing methods are incapable of combining the diverse materials required for complex, integrated electromechanical systems. Thus, there is a need for general-purpose, scalable manufacturing methods that employ a library of pre-fabricated modular components that are universal in manufacturing a variety of assemblies. Third, existing techniques that embed components do not contemplate or demonstrate a modular, general-purpose system. Instead they embed specific pre-fabricated components that are unique to each intended end-use or printed/assembled design. This limitation makes existing methods incapable of addressing the need for a general-purpose electromechanical 3D printer. The invention satisfies these needs.

System and methods for additive manufacturing of electromechanical assemblies


A method includes comparing a length of a first packet to a threshold, determining that the first packet is a short packet when the length of the first packet is less than the threshold, and determining that the first packet is a long packet when the length of the first packet is greater than or equal to the threshold. The method also includes when the first packet is a long packet placing the first packet in a long packet container and transmitting the long packet container to a photonic switch. Additionally, the method includes when the first packet is a short packet placing a first portion of the first packet in a first short packet container, where the first short packet container includes a sequence number, a source top-of-rack switch (TOR) address, and a destination TOR address and transmitting the first short packet container to an electronic switch.

Data centers route massive quantities of data. Currently, data centers may have a throughput of 5-10 terabytes per second, which is expected to increase in the future. Data centers contain huge numbers of racks of servers, racks of storage devices, and other racks often with top-of-rack (TOR) switches, which are interconnected via massive centralized packet switching resources. In data centers, electrical packet switches are used to route data in these data centers. However, electrical packet switches have capacity limitations.

System and method for hybrid photonic electronic switching


A bit line equalizing control circuit of a semiconductor memory apparatus includes a control signal generating unit that receives a bank active signal to generate a control signal such that a bit line equalizing signal is delayed and enabled, a bit line equalizing selecting unit that generates a bit line equalizing detection signal in response to a plurality of mat select signals and the control signal, and a driver that receives the bit line equalizing detection signal to generate the bit line equalizing signal.

1. Technical Field
The embodiments described herein relate to a bit line control circuit of a semiconductor memory apparatus and, more particularly, to a bit line equalizing control circuit of a semiconductor memory apparatus.
2. Related Art
Generally, a semiconductor memory apparatus periodically performs an active operation and a precharge operation. When an active command is input to the semiconductor memory apparatus, a word line is activated, and charge sharing occurs between a bit line and a complement bit line. Accordingly, a bit line sense amplifier is driven so that the voltage of the bit line or the complement bit line is raised to a core voltage level. If a precharge command is input, then the voltage of the bit line and the complement bit line is equalized to a precharge voltage level (one-half of the core voltage level). A time period until a next active command is input to the semiconductor memory apparatus after the precharge command is input is commonly referred to as a row address strobe (RAS) precharge time (tRP). In order to manufacture high-speed memory apparatuses, reduction of the RAS precharge time, which is one of many asynchronous parameters of the memory apparatuses, is important.
FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of a conventional bit line equalizing circuit. In FIG. 1, a bit line equalizing circuit 101 includes a first bit line equalization (BLEQ) selecting unit 10(A), a second bit line equalization selecting unit 10(B), and a bit line equalizing driver 20. The first BLEQ selecting unit 10(A) receives a first mat select address signal 'Mat_Select_ADD(A)', a first normal row enable signal 'NRE(A)', and a first redundancy fuse output signal 'RedFuse_out(A)', and produces an output signal '/BLEQON(A)'. The second BLEQ selecting unit 10(B) receives a second mat select address signal 'Mat_Select_ADD(B)', a second normal row enable signal 'NRE(B)', and a second redundancy fuse output signal 'RedFuse_out(B)', and produces an output signal '/BLEQON(B)'. The bit line equalizing driver 20 receives the output signals '/BLEQON(A)' and '/BLEQON(B)' of the first and second BLEQ selecting units 10(A) and 10(B), respectively, to generate a bit line equalizing signal 'BLEQ'. Although not shown, the bit line equalizing signal 'BLEQ' is input to a bit line sense amplifier. Here, the first and second BLEQ selecting units 10(A) and 10(B) have the same structure.
FIG. 2 is a schematic circuit diagram of a conventional bit line equalizing selecting unit of FIG. 1. In FIG. 2, the BLEQ selecting unit 10 includes a first NAND gate 11, a first inverter 13, a second NAND gate 12, and a second inverter 14. The first NAND gate 11 receives a mat select address signal 'Mat_Select_ADD' and a normal row enable signal 'NRE'. The first inverter 13 inverts a redundancy fuse output signal 'RedFuse_out'. The second NAND gate 12 receives outputs of the first NAND gate 11 and the first inverter 13, and the second inverter 14 inverts an output of the second NAND gate 12.
FIG. 3 is a schematic circuit diagram of a conventional bit line equalizing driver of FIG. 1. In FIG. 3, the bit line equalizing driver 20 includes a NAND gate 21, a first inverter 22, and a second inverter 23. The NAND gate 21 receives an output of the BLEQ selecting unit 10 (of FIG. 1). The first inverter 22 receives an output of the NAND gate 21, and the second inverter 23 receives an output of the first inverter 22.
A conventional operational procedure of the bit line equalizing circuit will be described. If an array control block is selected by a row address input with an active command, and a mat inside a core cell is selected through the array control block, then both the mat select address signal 'Mat_Select_ADD' and the normal row enable signal 'NRE' are enabled at a high level. When a mat of a redundancy circuit is selected in order to replace a defected mat detected in a wafer test, the normal row enable signal 'NRE' is not enabled, but the redundancy fuse output signal 'RedFuse_out' is enabled. When both the normal row enable signal 'NRE' and the redundancy fuse output signal 'RedFuse_out' are enabled, an output signal '/BLEQON' of the BLEQ selecting unit 10 is enabled at a low level. The bit line equalizing driver 20 receives the output signal '/BLEQON' enabled at a low level to generate the bit line equalizing signal 'BLEQ' used to equalize the bit line and the complement bit line.
As shown in FIG. 1, in a semiconductor memory apparatus employing a scheme in which core cells share a sense amplifier, a signal '/BLEQON(A)' or a signal '/BLEQON(B)' is input to the bit line equalizing driver 20 provided in the array control block, and the bit line equalizing signal 'BLEQ' is supplied to the same sense amplifier through the bit line equalizing driver 20. Accordingly, the signal '/BLEQON(A)' is output from the first BLEQ selecting unit 10(A) when a predetermined mat is selected from one adjacent core cell, and the signal '/BLEQON(B)' is output from the second BLEQ selecting unit 10(B) when a predetermined mat is selected from another core cell.
A RAS precharge time (tRP) is determined by subtracting a time (Time B) from a time (Time A). Here, the Time A refers to a time period in which the voltage level of the bit line and the complement bit line of the mat becomes a one-half level (VBLP) of a core voltage after the precharge command is input. Similarly, the Time B refers to a time period in which the level of the bit line and the complement bit line is raised to the level of the core voltage after the active command is input. In order to enhance the tRP, the Time A to equalize the bit line and the complement bit line after the precharge command is input must be set within a short period of time, or the Time B to release equalizing of the bit line and the complement bit line after the active command is input must be delayed.
If the tRP is reduced, a high-speed semiconductor memory apparatus can be manufactured. In order to enhance the tRP, only a scheme to reduce the Time A is commonly used instead of a scheme to delay the Time B.

Bit line equalizing control circuit of a semiconductor memory apparatus


A method and system for updating a collection of software resources in a virtual desktop infrastructure system. Virtual machines associated with sets of virtual disk elements in a hierarchy of disk layers, such as basic, department, or user virtual disks are offered updates for one or more available software resources. Updates available for deployment in the virtual desktop infrastructure system are recorded in a database by a controller server. The controller server takes an inventory of all the virtual machines associated with each disk layer in the hierarchy of disk layers on which to apply the available updates. The controller server applies the one or more updates to the identified virtual machines, and stores the update application results in a database. The controller server may apply the one or more updates to virtual machines associated with descendant disk layers in the hierarchy of disk layers in view of previous applications of the updates.

Traditionally, personal computer configurations include combinations of operating systems, applications, and user settings, which are each managed individually by owners or administrators on an ongoing basis. However, many organizations are now using desktop virtualization systems to provide more flexible options to address the varying needs of their users. In a desktop virtualization system, a user's computing environment (e.g., operating system, applications, and/or user settings) may be separated from the user's physical computing device (e.g., smartphone, laptop, desktop computer). Using client-server technology, a "virtualized desktop" may be stored in and administered by a remote server, rather than in the local storage of the client computing device.
There are several different types of desktop virtualization systems. As an example, Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) refers to the process of running a user desktop inside a virtual machine that resides on a server. VDI and other server-based desktop virtualization systems may provide personalized desktops for each user, while allowing for centralized management and security. Servers in such systems may include storage for virtual desktop images and system configuration information, as well as software components to provide the virtual machines and allow users to interconnect to them. For example, a VDI server may include one or more hypervisors (virtual machine managers) to create and maintain multiple virtual machines, software to manage the hypervisor(s), a connection broker, and software to provision and manage the virtual desktops. VDI management is a complex and tedious process.
Desktop virtualization systems may include one or more virtual disk layers that comprise a hierarchy of disk layers or "disk tree." Each disk layer in the hierarchy of disk layers is comprised of one or more virtual disks. The composition of these disk layers may take place through various means. Disk trees are involved in a run-time merge performed during operating system boot, which provides information relating to the data contained in each disk tree, and results in the generation of one or more virtual machines for utilization by the end user.

System updates with personal virtual disks


This invention relates to a novel cleaning solution for use particularly with automated analyzers used in clinical laboratories and a method of cleaning a surface with the novel cleaning solution. This solution eliminates problems of cross contamination of samples due to reagent carryover, brought about by the analyzer's probe that dispenses more than one reagent. In particular, this solution resolves carryover problems in coagulation assays performed with automated systems.

Thrombin, thromboplastin and phospholipids are all common ingredients in reagents used for coagulation assays performed on samples of serum and plasma. Thrombin and thromboplastin in particular, are very sticky substances and are difficult to remove from a surface. Because of this property, it is difficult to avoid cross contamination of a second sample by the reagent used in one test that is still adhering to the probe that is then used to deliver a different reagent to a second sample. Cross contamination of a reagent for one assay into a reagent for another assay or into a sample will adversely affect assay results.
This was not a problem when all coagulation assays were done manually, as separate pipettes were used with each reagent and with each sample. A pipette was discarded after each use, thereby eliminating cross contamination problems.
Today, many coagulation assays are performed on analyzers. In most analyzers that have limited random access capabilities, cross contamination problems are avoided by having dedicated fluidic pathways for each reagent. By doing so, the same reagent is constantly dispensed by the same probe or pipette, generally in the same order for a large batch of serum or plasma samples having the same test run. Therefore, the probe or pipette does not have to be cleaned, or cleaned well, between each dispensation of reagent, as the probe or pipette will always be dispensing the same reagent.
However, the next generation of automated coagulation analyzers contains random access capabilities. This means that a limited number of probes attached to fluidic pathways will be dispensing a different reagent into each separate sample container, if the analyzer is so programmed. Automated analyzers that have random access capabilities are therefore subject to cross contamination problems. For example, the presence of thrombin from a fibrinogen assay and thromboplastin from a prothrombin assay on a probe results in a shortening of a samples clotting time in the activated partial thromboplastin time assay. Thrombin, thromboplastin and fibrinogen are particularly difficult to remove from a surface because of their strong adhesion properties. Changes in assay results would affect the diagnosis afforded a patient, thereby causing severe ramifications to the patient's treatment.
Currently, there are some types of cleaners available that remove carryover. These are strong denaturing cleaners, such as sodium dodecylsuifate, 10% bleach solutions or hydrogen peroxide solutions. Although they do remove carryover, these cleaners also denature the reagents at the same time, resulting in poor assay performance results. This occurs because the denaturing cleaners also remain on the probe and are carried back to the reagent vials or are mixed with the reagent as it enters the bore of the probe, prior to the dispensation of the reagent. Therefore, not only must each reagent be thoroughly cleaned from the probe, it must be rapidly cleaned in order for the probe to be able to dispense reagent into a large number of samples in a very short amount of time, for example, 180 samples per hour.
A fully automated coagulation analyzer with random access capabilities to perform analyses related to hemostasis and thrombosis on serum and plasma samples uses common pathways for reagents, thereby necessitating a substantially non-denaturing cleaning solution for the common reagent pathway, the probe.
Therefore, it is highly desirable in the art to have a solution for cleaning a reagent probe from residual coagulation assay reagents, in particular, thrombin, thromboplastin and fibrin, in order to avoid any contamination from the carryover of a reagent from one sample tube to another.

Cleaning solution for automated analyzers


Method of preparing a fixed biological implantation material in which an implantation material is fixed with an aldehyde and the excess aldehyde is bound by an aminodicarboxylic acid in an acidic medium.

Surgical implantation of biological materials is a frequently employed technique and finds application in many areas of medicine. The material may originate from the recipient himself (autologous tissue), from the same species as the recipient (homologous tissue), or heterologous tissue). Examples of such biological materials are cardiac valves, pericardium, sinews, tendons, ligaments, dura mater, bones, skin, collagen, arteries, veins, etc. Various methods, which reduce the implant these materials as a replacement for or repair of certain defects in man since in the absence of appropriate pretreatments, the biological materials can lead to rejection reactions in man.
Methods of reducing antigenicity mainly have the intent of fixing, that is, denaturing the tissue. For this purpose, these materials are treated with aldehydes, such as glutaraldehyde, formaldehyde and glyoxal. Glutaraldehyde and formaldehyde are the reagents used most, since they are known to have a sterilizing effect. Moreover, they are known to have a good denaturing effect, that is, they reduce the antigenicity of the material to such an extent, that rejection reactions no longer occur after implantation. However, the aldehyde residues present in the tissue must be removed as completely possible, since the aldehydes can cause severe irritations, such as inflammatory reactions or other harmful effects, after implantation. For this purpose, the biological materials are treated before implantation with sterile solutions, such as doubly distilled (oil) water, or with isotonic salt solutions, in order to remove the residues of unbound aldehydes.
It is also already known to remove the aldehydes by the addition of aminodicarboxylic acids. The aldehyde removal reaction is carried out in a medium having a pH greater than 7. These methods, moreover, are based on the principle of a Schiff's base reaction between free, diffusible aldehydes in the tissue and the NH.sub.2 groups of the added substance. As the pH increases, Schiff's base reaction. For this reason, care is always taken to ensure that the reaction is conducted in an appropriately neutral to alkaline medium. Aside from aminocarboxylic acids, primary, secondary and tertiary amines, as well as mixtures of these amines are suitable for these reactions.
Such methods, however, still leave significant amounts of aldehyde in the tissue. As a result, the remaining aldehydes, can cause an inflammatory reaction.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a method of removing aldehydes from biological materials to the extent that they no longer cause irritation in adjacent tissue.

Method of preparing a biological implantation material