Cement bonding and bond logs in wells are significantly improved by imparting random or periodic, pulsating, oscillating or vibrating pressure to the fluids present during all stages of a cementing operation. The effect is to eliminate gelation of the fluids to improve cement placement and to enable consolidation of the cement slurry. The pressure pulses can also be detected to monitor the condition of the setting slurry.

1. The Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to methods and apparatus to improve four important aspects of cementing casing in a well bore. They are discussed in the order that the operations are generally performed in the field: (1) Improved placement of the cement during initial cementing of the casing in the well bore; (2) Preventing gas migration into the cement slurry after placement; (3) Improving the tests used to evaluate cement placement; and (4) Improving the success of remedial cement squeeze operations.
The basic concept of the present invention is to apply a random or periodic, pulsating, oscillating or vibrating pressure to the fluids present at different stages during the cementing operation. The effect is to reduce or eliminate gelation of the fluids.
The tendency of fluids in wells to develop gel strength under static conditions interferes with the cementing operation. One aspect of this invention is the discovery that if fluids are oscillated at the surface of the well, this motion is efficiently transmitted long distances down the well, where it prevents the development of gel strength, or reverses the process of gelation, if it has already occurred earlier in the operation.
2. The Prior Art
After a well has been drilled, casing is typically lowered into the well bore and is cemented in place by pumping a liquid cement slurry into the annular space between the casing and the well bore. This generally requires the displacement of a drilling fluid from the annulus by the liquid cement slurry. Drilling fluid tends to gel under the static conditions that exist just before the cement slurry is pumped downhole. When the cement slurry is pumped into the annular space between the casing and well bore, it may bypass pockets of gelled drilling fluid, leaving incompletely cemented casing.
Several techniques are routinely employed in the oil industry to improve displacement of the drilling fluid in the annulus by the cement slurry. They include thinning and circulating the drilling fluid prior to cementing, rotating or reciprocating the casing before and during cementing, the use of centralizers, etc. All of these methods add significantly to the expense and time required to cement the casing and they may not provide a proportioned improvement in the displacement of the drilling fluid by the cement slurry.
Casing vibration has been shown to improve cement displacement during large scale tests and it has been proposed as a method to prevent gas migration, which is discussed below. A device for commercial application has been constructed. It is a large hydraulically operated device that mechanically supports and vibrates the casing. It is very expensive and difficult to use in the field and has not proved to be a practical device. It has never been used for cementing operations because of its prohibitive cost, but it has had limited success in freeing stuck drill pipe when all other methods have failed.
The migration of gas from gas formations into the cement slurry may occur after the cement has been pumped, but before it has become a solid. This represents a common problem in some fields and may occur on an unpredictable basis in others. The consequences range from "gas cut cement" to blow outs to the surface. The control of gas migration is one of the most costly and challenging technical problems in well cementing.
The basic cause of gas migration is believed to be the loss of hydrostatic pressure within the cement column as it makes the transformation from a liquid slurry to a solid. The development of gel strength in the static column of cement is primarily responsible for this loss of hydrostatic pressure. This loss of hydrostatic pressure allows an influx of formation fluids, usually gas, before the cement has completed the setting process.
Various chemical additives have been tried to control gas migration in cement slurries. Some of these additives appear to be completely ineffective, while others appear to have different degrees of effectiveness. But all are very expensive and most are of limited applicability. Such additives typically increase the cost of cementing casing by a factor of two to five times.
Relatively few mechanical methods have been used to control gas migration and only one is in common use. It involves cementing a short column of cement across a gas zone known to be a problem and leaving a column of drilling fluid over the cement slurry to maintain hydrostatic pressure as the cement sets up. This technique may be used with a cement "staging tool" to complete the cementing operation. This method has enjoyed a degree of success, but it significantly increases the cost and time required.
Gas migration can be prevented if gelation of the cement slurry can be prevented or delayed until the cement slurry develops enough viscosity to prevent the movement of gas within the slurry. This can be accomplished by mechanical agitation. It has been reported that slowly rotating the casing, after the cement has been placed but before the slurry sets up, can prevent gas migration. Clearly this method is limited to applications where casing rotation is practical. Special equipment is required to accurately control the torque. Rotation must be stopped when the drag on the casing at the bottom of the well becomes too high and before torque builds to the point that the casing might be twisted off. This may occur before the cement is viscous enough the prevent gas migration at shallower depths. This is because cement slurries begin to thicken and set up at the bottom of wells first, because the temperature is higher.
Cement bond logs are the primary method used to evaluate the placement of cement between the casing and well bore. For the purpose of this discussion, the term cement "bond log" includes all devices that rely on acoustic logging devices used to evaluate the placement of cement. It also refers to the test results of such a device.
These cement bond logs heretofore have been subject to a number of shortcomings. A good bond log generally means that a good bond has formed between the cement and the pipe or casing, but a poor bond log does not necessarily indicate poor cement placement. There are many reasons why a poor bond log may be obtained, and none of them pertain to the actual cementing of the casing.
Advances are continually being made in the use of acoustic logs, but they all share one major shortcoming, namely they require a very good physical contact between the cement and the casing in order to conduct sound into the cement and formation. A gap of only a few thousandths of an inch between the cement and casing may be detected by the log as no cement at all between the casing and well bore. Any one of a number of processes, such as temperature cycling, cement shrinkage, casing contraction, etc., can cause gaps to form as the cement sets.
If a poor bond log is obtained, remedial cement squeeze operations are generally performed until a satisfactory bond log is obtained. Several squeeze operations may be required. A substantial body of field evidence indicates that these squeeze operations are often unnecessary and that the problem is the bond log rather than the overall quality of the cementing operation. That is to say, the cement bond log is taken to represent the extent of displacement of the drilling fluid by the cement slurry during cement placement and it is overly sensitive to factors that do not relate to the quality of the cementing operation itself.
Strategies have been developed to improve the ability of bond logs to accurately represent the completeness of the drilling fluid displacement by the cement. For example, it is now common practice to run bond logs with the casing pressurized. The expansion of the casing, when pressurized at the surface to pressures of the order of 1,000 to 2,000 psi, may close any "microannulus" that formed during cementing thereby providing an improved bond log.
However, there are also instances where pressurizing the casing does not close this gap. Excess pressure can enlarge a microannulus and/or form cracks in the cement sheath that are detrimental to the seal provided thereby. Expansive cement additives have been developed with the goal to improve bond logs. They have had a more limited application than pressurizing the casing and they may actually reduce the strength of the cement. All of these methods are time consuming and of uncertain reliability.
There are a variety of circumstances where it is desired to "squeeze" cement slurries into areas of a wellbore that are already occupied by gelled fluids, usually drilling fluid. A common example is to repair casing leaks in uncemented sections of casing. In this example, gelled drilling fluid is usually left in the annulus between the casing and the well bore and the objective is to squeeze cement into this annulus to seal off the leak to prevent unwanted formation fluids from leaking into the casing.
During such a squeezing operation, the cement often channels or fingers through the gelled fluid rather than displacing it away from the point of entry in a uniform fashion. Once such a channel has formed, large quantities of slurry will tend to flow through the same channel without displacing the gelled drilling fluid surrounding the channel. The result is an unsuccessful squeeze operation.
Multiple squeezes may be required. This involves squeezing, waiting for the cement to set, drilling out the cement left in the casing, pressure testing, squeezing again, (this time through a different channel,since the first one is full of set cement) etc, until a successful pressure test is obtained. Two or three squeezes are often required for a successful pressure test. Cases have been reported where a dozen or more squeezes were necessary to obtain a successful pressure test.

Method and apparatus to improve the displacement of drilling fluid by cement slurries during primary and remedial cementing operations, to improve cement bond logs and to reduce or eliminate gas migration problems


A photosensitive material processing apparatus includes plural processing tanks each to process a photosensitive material; plural cartridges each to fill solid processing agents for replenishment used in each of the plural processing tanks. The apparatus further includes plural replenishing devices each to replenish the solid processing agent in each of the cartridges into each of the processing tanks; a memory to store information indicating the standard quantity and information of an allowable quantity in surplus or shortage against the standard quantity which is a limited quantity allowing replenishment; a residual quantity detector to give an output signal corresponding to the solid processing agent whose residual quantity reaches zero; and a solid processing agent replenishment controller to control the replenishment of solid processing agents in the cartridges other than a cartridge for which the output signal is given, based on the information of the quantity for overs and shorts against standard stored in the memory.

The present invention relates to an apparatus for processing photosensitive materials wherein solid processing agents for photosensitive materials are replenished by means of a cartridge, and more particularly, to an improvement of a technology of replenishing solid processing agents in the course of processing photosensitive materials.
There have hitherto been known automatic processing apparatuses wherein a series of color development, bleaching, fixing and stabilizing are performed automatically for silver halide photographic photosensitive materials.
In such an automatic processing apparatus, a photosensitive material such as a film or a photographic paper is processed when it is fed successively into processing tanks each containing different processing solution, and each processing solution is deteriorated in terms of processing capability because of its fatigue caused by its work of processing photosensitive materials and because of another processing solution in a preceding tank that is carried to that processing solution as a processing step advances.
For the reasons mentioned above, there have been employed replenishment methods wherein replenisher solutions containing processing agents are replenished periodically based on an area of processed photosensitive materials.
In addition, a publication of WO92/20013 and Japanese Patent Publication Open to Public Inspection No. 119454/1993 (hereinafter referred to as Japanese Patent O.P.I Publication) disclose apparatuses wherein replenishment is made by solidified processing agents (a tablet-shaped processing agent having a circular section prepared by compression-molding powder or granules of processing agent component into a certain shape).
Processing agents for silver halide photographic photosensitive materials include, for example, color developing agents, bleaching agents, fixing agents and stabilizing agents for color negative films, and color developing agents, bleach-fixing agents and stabilizing agents for color photographic papers. In the case of an automatic processing apparatus that is called a minilab and is installed in a photofinishing laboratory, these processing agents in seven kinds need to be replenished to respective processing tanks or those in processing tanks need to be replaced with new agents, resulting naturally in complicated jobs and erroneous operations of putting in wrong tanks.
Owing to solidified processing agents, ease of handling has been attained considerably. For processing color films and color papers, however, management such as purchasing at least seven kinds of processing agents individually in accordance with a necessary quantity of each processing agent has been time-consuming.

Photosensitive material processing apparatus


The present disclosure provides an atomizer and an electronic cigarette using same. The atomizer comprises a core assembly. The core assembly comprises an airflow shell, an atomizing seat partially accommodated in the airflow shell, and an oil-guiding seat connected with a part of the atomizing seat uncovered by the airflow shell. At least one air-inlet passage is formed between an inner wall of the airflow shell and an outer wall of the he atomizing seat. An atomizing chamber is defined inside the atomizing seat, and an oil-guiding chamber is defined inside the atomizing seat. The air-inlet passage and the oil-guiding chamber both communicate with the atomizing chamber. The atomizer of the present disclosure adopts a top air-inlet structure in order to solve the question of bottom oil leakage in the traditional electronic cigarette and has a better atomizing performance.

An electronic cigarette is a smoke-producing product using an atomizer to heat oil and could be used as an alternative to traditional cigarette. Because of using convenience and changeable flavor taste of oil, and also because of harmless to human body, electronic cigarettes are widely loved by people in domestic and foreign markets.
At present, all atomizers of electronic cigarette in the prior art adopt bottom air-inlet structures. But the bottom air-inlet structure could cause oil leakage of atomizer easily.

Atomizer and electronic cigarette having same


A mobile robot system includes an outside world sensor, a traveling unit, and a control unit. The control unit is configured to provide a history map data. Based on environment information obtained from the outside world sensor, a mobile object appearance point at which no mobile body exists at present but there is the possibility that a mobile body may appear in the future is recognized. In recognizing a door as the mobile object appearance location, if part of an object being obtained from the outside world sensor and having a width equal to or greater than a predetermined width set in advance belongs to an object movement position recorded in the velocity history map, then the part is recognized as a door.

As a background art in the technical field of a mobile robot, a mobile robot system described in Patent Document 1 is disclosed as a system which reduces the risk of collision between a robot and an existing article when the robot moves. As particular contents, it is indicated that the mobile robot system includes an environment map production unit which produces an environment map indicative of a geometrical situation of an environment including existing articles, a movement path data production unit which produces movement path data of movement of a mobile robot in a coordinate system of the environment map, and a risk level parameter calculation unit which calculates a risk level parameter indicative of the possibility that, during movement of the mobile robot, the mobile robot may collide with an existing article due to a control error from robot configuration information relating to the mobile robot, the environment map and the movement path data.
Further, a mobile robot system described in Patent Document 2 is a system which avoids, in an environment in which people and a robot come and go, collision from being caused by jumping out of a person or a robot. The mobile robot system includes an obstacle detection unit which detects an obstacle, a path production unit which sets both of a path and a velocity along and at which a robot arrives at a destination while bypassing the detected obstacle on the basis of an avoidance method determined in advance, and a mobile unit which carries and moves together with the obstacle detection unit and the path production unit. Further, it is disclosed that the distance between an end point of an object existing in an advancing direction of the mobile robot and the end point is measured, and if the end point of the object is detected, then the path and the velocity of the mobile robot are controlled such that collision of the mobile robot around the center at the end point with an obstacle which jumps out from a blind spot in the advancing direction of the mobile robot.


An inspection arrangement and an associated method for inspecting an elongate object. The arrangement includes a housing providing an interior space. The housing has an entrance and exit that are aligned. The arrangement includes a plurality of ultrasonic sensor arrays disposed to direct ultrasonic sensory pluses. Each sensor array has a plurality of ultrasonic sensors with each ultrasonic sensor positioned to direct a respective ultrasonic sensory pulse in a respective direction. The arrangement includes a fluid delivery device that delivers a coupling fluid into the interior space. The coupling fluid transmits the ultrasonic sensory pluses to the elongate object. The arrangement includes a plurality of redirecting elements associated with the plurality of ultrasonic sensor arrays. Each redirecting element is positioned such that ultrasonic sensory pluses from the respective ultrasonic sensor array proceed through the respective redirecting element and are redirected along a different direction.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to ultrasonic testing of elongate objects and specifically relates to ultrasonic testing of various elongate objects.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
Testing of elongate objects, such as pipes and rods, is often necessary in order to determine whether the objects have defects, damage, flaws or the like and especially those located below a surface of the object. Moreover, because such elongate objects are often very long and/or very numerous, it is useful to conduct inspection of the objects in a continuous manner that can be accomplished during relative movement of each respective elongate object relative to an inspection arrangement.
Nondestructive ultrasonic testing of elongate objects is a known technique. Within one known example, an ultrasonic inspection arrangement permits inspection of sequential portions of an elongate object as the object moves relatively through surrounding ultrasonic sensor arrays of the ultrasonic inspection arrangement. Further within the known example, a fluid jacket environment is utilized to surround the respective portion of the elongate object with a coupling fluid (e.g., water) to couple the ultrasonic sensor arrays to the elongate object for efficient conduction of ultrasonic pulses. Such a type of inspecting arrangement can be referred to as a rotating water or "ROWA" inspecting arrangement. Sealing members at the leading and trailing edges of the fluid jacket environment bound the fluid jacket environment and yet permit passage of the elongate object due to the presence of circular apertures through the sealing members. As the elongate object is moved through the inspection arrangement and the fluid jacket environment thereof, the portions of the elongate object are sequential inspected via the ultrasonic sensor arrays. In general, such ultrasonic testing of the elongate objects with circular cross sections, such as hollow, circular cross-sectional pipes, has proven to be quite good and beneficial.
It should be appreciated that elongate objects of various circular diameters can be inspected via use of a single inspection arrangement. Some modification may be necessary to the inspection arrangement to accommodate the differing circular diameters. For example, the sealing members at the leading and trailing edges of the water jacket may need to be adjusted or interchanged to provide a different circular aperture size. It should be appreciated for larger diameter elongate objects, the aperture size of the seals should correspondingly be larger. As such, it is beneficial to have a sensing arrangement that can regularly accept variation of the elongate objects being processed for sensing.
It has been contemplated that there might be benefit to inspect other types (i.e., non-circular cross-section) elongate objects using a similar type of sensing arrangement. For example, some elongate objects are not circular in cross-section but contain one or more flat faces. Within a specific example, some elongate objects may have four flat surfaces and have a square cross sectional area. However, the sensor arrays within the known sensory arrangement are arranged/directed such that the sensor arrays are designed to best operate upon circular cross-sectional elongate objects. As such, the known sensory arrangement may not be able to provide optimal sensing of such non-circular cross-sectional elongate objects. As such, there is a need to provide a sensing arrangement that can readily provide inspection of both circular and non-circular cross sectional elongate objects.

Linear scanner with rotating coupling fluid


A photon detector includes a semiconductor device, such as a Schottky barrier diode, which has an avalanche breakdown characteristic. The diode is cooled to cryogenic temperatures to eliminate thermally generated charge carriers from the device. The diode is then biased to a voltage level exceeding the avalanche breakdown threshold level such that, upon receipt of a photon, avalanche breakdown occurs. This breakdown is detected by appropriate circuitry which thereafter reduces the diode bias potential to a level below the avalanche breakdown threshold level to terminate the avalanche condition. Subsequently, the bias potential is reapplied to the diode in preparation for detection of a subsequently received photon.

The present invention relates to low level light detecting devices and, more particularly, to a device capable of detecting receipt of individual photons over a wavelength range extending into the infrared region.
It is desirable in a number of light detecting applications to be able to sense the receipt of individual photons, since this represents the upper limit for resolution and sensitivity. Conventional prior art photon detectors have typically utilized photomultiplier tubes. When an incoming photon strikes the photocathode of a photomultiplier tube, an electron of the cathode material is given sufficient energy to escape from the surface of the cathode. The electron travels through the vacuum of the tube and enters an electron multiplier where it strikes a series of successively more positive electrodes. At each impact of the electron, additional secondary electrons are released, and further multiplication occurs. The movement of these electrons through the photomultiplier tube constitutes an electric current flow which may be detected, providing an indication that at least one photon has been received by the tube and has struck the surface of the photocathode.
Photomultipliers, however, have a number of disadvantages. Typically, they are relatively expensive, bulky and require substantial biasing voltages. Additionally, they are appropriate for use in a somewhat limited spectral range. Specifically, infrared photons of relatively long wavelength (greater than one micron) typically do not carry enough energy to release an electron from the cathode surface into the tube vacuum.
For a number of light sensing applications where the detection of individual photons is not required, semiconductor photodetectors, such as photodiodes, are utilized. Photodiodes are small, rugged, relatively inexpensive, and have a broader spectral response than photomultiplier tubes.
Photodiodes, however, as used in prior art devices, are not sufficiently sensitive to be able to detect individual photons. In a typical prior art circuit, a photodiode is reverse biased. A number of thermally generated free charge carriers are available in the diode material and provide conduction of a reverse or "dark" current through the device. When the diode is illuminated, photons strike the diode and impart sufficient energy to elevate additional electrons from the valence band into the conduction band and cause an additional light-generated "photo-current" to flow. This photocurrent is taken to indicate the absorption of light by the diode. However, only a single charge carrier pair is ordinarily generated by the absorption of an optical or infrared photon, and the resulting current is insufficient by itself to allow detection of an individual photon.
It is known to increase the reverse bias of such a photodiode until free charge carriers moving in the diode can pick up enough energy from the internal electric field to release additional carriers in collisions with the diode crystal lattice. These carriers release additional carriers in a process known as avalanche multiplication. Avalanche multiplication multiplies both dark current and photocurrent, with the result that a much larger current proportional to the original unmultiplied current flows in the diode. A diode operated in this mode, especially one specifically intended for such operation, is called an "avalanche photodiode."
The factor by which the current is multiplied by the avalanche effect is very critically dependent upon the bias voltage applied, and this dependence becomes rapidly more critical as the bias is raised to increase avalanche gain. If the bias is raised high enough, the multiplication factor becomes effectively infinite, a condition called avalanche breakdown. If an avalanche breakdown condition were permitted to persist, the avalanche diode would be quickly damaged. In order to control avalanche gain and avoid the dangers of avalanche breakdown, avalanche photodiodes are commonly operated with constant current bias. A set current is supplied to the diode, and the bias voltage is allowed to rise, increasing the avalanche gain until the gain is high enough so that the sum of dark current and photocurrent, multiplied by the gain, is equal to the bias current supplied. If the photocurrent increases, the required gain and therefore the required voltage bias decrease, thereby indicating the absorption of light. An alternative biasing arrangement, carefully controlled fixed voltage biasing, has proven less successful in the past due to the very critical bias control requirements and inherent instability of such a mode of operation.
The fact that a substantially steady dark current is required in order to help set the bias point of a continuously operating avalanche photodiode prevents its use as a detector of individual photons. The thermal generation rate of carriers in the diode must be high enough to provide a substantially steady current, and the fluctuations in that rate will mask the effects of a single charge carrier pair generated by an individual photon. Accordingly, this conventional mode of operation cannot be used to detect individual photons. Photodiodes, however, are well suited for use in infrared detection, since the energy carried by an infrared photon is sufficient to create a charge carrier pair in a suitable semiconductor.
It is known to cool a photosensitive semiconductor device to reduce the noise produced by thermally created free charge carriers in the device, as shown by U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,457,409 issued July 22, 1969, to Shenker et al; 3,445,659, issued May 20, 1969, to Guimento et al; 4,134,447, issued Jan. 16, 1979, to Frosch et al; 3,114,041, issued Dec. 10, 1963, to Amsterdam; 3,103,585, issued Sept. 10, 1963, to Johnson et al; 3,597,614, issued Aug. 3, 1971, to Bishop; 3,602,714, issued Aug. 31, 1971, to Farmer et al; 3,942,010, issued Mar. 2, 1976, to Peterson et al; 4,059,764, issued Nov. 22, 1977, to Belasco et al; and 4,118,947, issued Oct. 10, 1978, to Diedrich et al. While improving the sensitivity of the semiconductor photodetectors, these photodetectors are, nevertheless, not sufficiently sensitive so as to be able to detect individual photons. As noted previously, an avalanche photodiode, biased in a constant current mode, cannot take full advantage of the reduction in dark current produced by cooling.
Accordingly, it is seen that there is a need for a photosensitive semiconductor detector capable of detecting individual infrared photons.


A method and system for forming microlens (78) on an optical fiber (60) include optical fiber lensing device (10) having lowering mechanism (18) for inserting optical fiber (60) at a predetermined and controlled speed to a predetermined depth in oil-acid bath having oil layer (62), acid layer (64), and boundary (68) between oil layer (62) and acid layer (64). The next step is to etch optical fiber (60) at boundary (68) by forming meniscus (66) around optical fiber (60) to selectively and controllably form on optical fiber (60) a microlens (78) having a predetermined shape, preferably a hyperbolic shape. The etching includes the steps of first tapering optical fiber (60) to a shape determined by the distance that optical fiber (60) is first inserted into acid layer (64). The etch step further chemically mills microlens (78) on optical fiber (60) to the predetermined shape by controlling the etch time and position of optical fiber (60) relative to boundary (68) for etching optical fiber (60) at boundary (68).

The usefulness of a fiber optic transmitter module depends in part on the ability of the module to transfer light from the energy source into the optical fiber that transmits the light. Forming a microlens on the end of the fiber, i.e., a "microlens", improves transfer of light from the energy source to the optical fiber. There are limitations, however, in the current or known methods for forming such microlenses. For example, while many techniques exist to manufacture microlenses, none has both the flexibility to make a number of different types or shapes of microlenses and the ability to be used in a large-scale production environment. That is, while some techniques provide flexibility in microlens configurations, other techniques may be scaled for production. Present methods include techniques known by the following names: (1) draw and lensing; (2) mechanical machining; (3) laser machining; (4) bubble etch and lensing; and (5) taper etch and lensing.
In the draw and lensing technique, forming a microlens begins by attaching a weight or otherwise applying a pulling force on the fiber and then placing the fiber in an arc. The arc softens the fiber so that the pulling force may draw it to a taper. After fiber separation, the arc melts the tip to form a hemispherical microlens. A limitation of this technique is that it can only form hemispherical microlenses. This technique is also very difficult to control. Room air currents, mechanical vibrations, and other external factors affect the microlens formation. The inability to control these factors therefore severely limits the draw and lens technique in mass production facilities.
Mechanical machining entails machining, grinding, and polishing the optical fiber lens end. Mechanical machining provides flexible microlens configurations, but is excessively expensive. As a result, mechanical machining is not feasible for mass production processes.
Laser machining is similar to mechanical machining, but uses a laser such as a CO.sub.2 laser to ablate the fiber end. The laser machining technique can make a variety of microlens configurations and is less expensive than mechanical machining. This technique, however, has little use in a mass production environment. This is because each fiber must be fixed in a rotating stage and individually machined. The need to carefully process each fiber, therefore, makes volume production using laser machining impractical.
The bubble etch and lensing technique is a two-step process that etches the fiber to a point and then places the end of the fiber in an arc to form a hemispherical microlens. In the bubble etch and lensing technique, the optical fiber is etched in a bubble enclosure to keep hydrofluoric acid fumes from attacking the fiber above the taper. This method, like the laser machining method, possesses the problems of being labor intensive, difficult to control, having a low production yield, and only able to produce hemispherical microlenses.
In the taper etch and microlensing technique, the fiber is etched to a point using an oil boundary method instead of the bubble enclosure that the bubble etch and lensing technique uses. The fiber microlens is formed using an electric arc. While this process is easy to control and to scale for production volumes, the only microlens configuration that this process permits is hemispherical microlenses. It has been shown, however, that an ideal optical fiber microlens should have a hyperbolic microlens. This is because the ideal optical fiber lens should have an aperture large enough to collect all laser radiation. It should have a focal length that matches the laser and fiber modes. It also should be free of spherical aberrations. Moreover, an ideal optical fiber microlens should be coated to eliminate Fresnel reflections. H. M. Presby and C. A. Edwards in an AT&T Bell Laboratories "Electronic Letter" dated Mar. 12, 1992 illustrate that in order to meet these requirements the ideal shape for a microlens of a optical fiber cable is hyperbolic. None of the above described methods, however, provide a hyperbolic optical fiber microlens in a process that has significant application in a manufacturing environment.
Accordingly, there is a need for a method to produce an optical fiber lens that can produce a hyperbolic microlens in high production volumes.
There is a need for a method for producing an optical fiber microlens that accommodates large production volumes and that is flexible for a variety of microlens configurations.
There is a further need for a method for producing an optical fiber microlens that is easy to perform and to control and that manufacturing environment air currents, mechanical vibrations, or other external factors do not adversely affect.

Method and system for forming an optical fiber microlens


The invention is directed to a device for the discontinuous production of block foam comprising a mixing unit, a means for moving the unit approximately vertically into and/or out of a mold with the unit having reaction component feed lines, a stirring means, and a mixing container having a plate with feed openings for the reaction components characterized in that. (A) a distributing device is arranged below the feed opening for one of the components and PA0 (B) the mixing container comprises a bottomless cylindrical shell, the lower rim of which can be placed on the bottom of the mold.

The invention relates to a device for the discontinuous production of block foam wherein a bridge-like framework, is equipped with a vertically movable mixing unit, which is provided with component feed lines and a stirrer. The mixing unit has as a mixing container a bottomless cylindrical shell which can be mounted to a plate having feed openings for the reaction components. A distributing device is arranged underneath the feed opening for one of the reaction components. The mixing unit is vertically movable into and/or out of a mold placed beneath the mixing container. Equipment of this type is advantageous for the discontinuous production of block foam, when insufficient product requirements make continuous production unprofitable.
The mixing of the components is a particularly critical factor with equipment for discontinuous production techniques. With known equipment the components are simply introduced through a plate at the top of the mixing container and stirred. After each mixing operation, the interior wall of the mixing container has to be cleaned manually. A more refined version has a distribution channel at the upper edge of the mixing container, from the bottom of which an annular gap opens toward the interior wall of the mixing container. The mixing container is provided with a floor which has a lockable opening. In introducing the components through the feed openings into the mixing container, one component is fed in first through the distribution channel. This first component is distributed around the circumference of the interior wall of the mixing container and runs down the wall thereby rinsing it. Only then is the second component fed through the other feed opening, without using the distribution channel. Such a mixing container, therefore, is costly because of the necessary distribution channel and the container floor having a lockable exit opening. The flushing procedure is relatively time consuming, because the annular gap may not exceed a certain maximum width to assure the distribution of the components over the entire ring cavity of the distribution channel so that all wall sections are flushed uniformly. Flushing of the exit opening in the floor results in significant material losses.
It is an object of the invention to safely flush the interior walls of the mixing container within the shortest possible time, using relatively simple means. It is also an object of the invention to avoid flushing and to avoid additional areas which cannot be flushed and where the mixture could settle.

Device for the discontinuous production of block foam


A blind rivet fastening tool in which the jaws are open at the original position, and at a return step in which the tool is returned to the original position after a blind rivet is fastened the fastened blind rivet is pushed out. The tool comprises a hollow nose housing for housing a mandrel; a nose piece provided at a front end of the nose housing and having an opening; a floating piece provided at a front end of the inside of the nose piece; the floating piece having a though hole in which the mandrel is inserted; a jaw guide provided at the back side of floating piece and having an inside surface which has a smaller diameter toward the front end thereof; jaws provided inside the jaw guide for holding the mandrel; a pulling head and a jaw pusher for respectively pulling back and pushing forward the jaws.

Blind rivets which are made from a hollow metal rivet body comprised of a sleeve and a rivet head at one end of a sleeve and a metal mandrel, the shaft of which extends through the through-hole of a rivet body, are well known. Blind rivets have the advantage that several mounted components can be joined by an operation on one side only.
When fastening mounted components with blind rivets, a tool for fastening blind rivets is used. The tool for fastening blind rivets is provided with a nose piece which is placed at the front end of the nose housing and which has an aperture for inserting the mandrel of the blind rivet; a jaw guide which has an inner circumferential surface which is formed so that the inner diameter thereof decreases towards the front end, and which is placed so as to be moveable forward and back in the nose housing and is contiguous with the back of the nose piece; jaws which have an outer circumferential surface which contacts slidably with the inner circumferential surface of the jaw guide, and which are placed within the jaw guide so as to grip the mandrel of the blind rivet; and a jaw pusher which pushes the jaws forward and which is placed inside the nose housing and is contiguous with the back of the jaws.
When fastening a blind rivet to a mounted component using a blind rivet fastening tool, the mandrel of the blind rivet is inserted into the aperture of the nose piece of the fastening tool; it is attached in this state, with the rivet body projecting from the nose piece. In this state, the fastening tool is positioned so that the rivet body is inserted into the mounting hole of the mounted component. Next, the fastening tool is put into operation and pulls the mandrel hard enough to break it, and the blind rivet is fastened to the mounted component by deforming the sleeve of the rivet body by expanding the diameter thereof. The broken mandrels are ejected to the back of the fastening tool and collected in a receptacle. Following this, the jaw guide returns to its starting position for attaching the next blind rivet.
There are many types of blind rivets. Blind rivets are known which fasten by pulling out the mandrel, and after expanding the diameter of one end of the sleeve of the rivet body, the rivet head is squeezed in from the outer circumference by the nose piece of the fastening tool, and the inner circumference of the rivet head engages with the shaft of the mandrel. The fastening tool for fastening this sort of blind rivet cannot increase the outer diameter of the rivet head, because the rivet head is squeezed in by means of the nose piece. For this reason, this is often used with a washer in combination. Also, because the rivet head is gripped in the aperture of the nose piece after fastening, a mechanism for pushing it out of the nose piece is necessary.
Patent Reference 1 discloses a two-component snap fastener tool which is comprised of a tubular collar and a pin component having an enlarged projecting head and a long, thin shaft, and a method of fastening with this snap fastener tool. In the two-component snap fastener of Patent Reference 1, the long, thin shaft of the pin component extends through the aperture of the work piece, and the collar is swaged into a snap retaining groove of the pin component. The shaft of the pin component shears off at a breaking neck portion groove and is fastened. The tool has a rim portion which engages in a tensioning groove of the pin, inside a tubular collet assembly which is supported so as to be capable of sliding in an anvil housing.
Patent Reference 1 discloses that a collar release component of the tool releases the collar which has been made by a swaging step. However, when the two-component snap fastener is set in the tool, it is necessary to open the rim portion of the tool so that it grips the tensioning groove.
Patent Reference 2 discloses a tool for swage-setting a fastener with a two-component structure which is comprised of a pin which passes through the concentric holes of a two-sheeted plate and a sleeve which fits together with the outside of the pin. This tool attaches an outside anvil body which engages with the guard portion of the sleeve of the fastener to a gun body which has a mechanism for gripping and pulling the pin of the fastener. The anvil at the tip of the anvil body has a center hole and carries out the swaging step.
Patent Reference 2 discloses that the pin component is ejected from a center aperture by means of an ejector component which is moveable within the housing. However, when the fastener is set on the tool, the chuck of the tool is made to contact a cap of the back surface, and it is necessary to open the chuck to do the setting.
In Patent References 1 and 2, part of the rivet body is deformed by enlarging the diameter thereof, and the rivet is fastened by deforming the rivet head by squeezing it in. Because the rivet head is squeezed in by the nose piece, it has a mechanism for kicking out the rivet head from the nose piece after fastening.
In existing tools for fastening blind rivets, a jaw guide is placed in the tip of the inside of a nose piece, and jaws are placed on an inner circumference which narrows towards the front end of the jaw guide. The jaws of the fastening tool are closed in the starting position because the jaws are pushed forward. For this reason, it is necessary to set the rivets by opening the jaws of the tool for fastening blind rivets.
If the jaws are open at the starting position, setting the rivets in such a fashion is possible and convenient. For this reason, a tool for fastening blind rivets is sought in which the jaws are open at the starting position.


Crosslinked polymer microparticles are produced by emulsion polymerizing a monomer mixture containing a crosslinking monomer having a plurality of polymerizable sites in the molecule in an aqueous medium containing a polymeric amide-acid and a neutralizing base as an emulsifier/dispersant. The polymer microparticles are incorporated to thermosetting coating compositions for rheology control and other purposes. The amide-acid moieties of the emulsifier/diapersant are capable upon curing of the coating composition of cyclizing into an imide ring and the polymer amide-acid retained on the polymer microparticles, which imide moieties do not adversely affect the properties of cured films of the coating composition.

Crosslinked polymer microparticles otherwise known as polymer microgels have been used in the coating industry to produce high solids coating compositions and/or to improve the rheological and other properties of water-based and solvent type coating compositions.
The polymer microgels may be produced by the emulsion polymerization of a monomer mixture containing a polyfunctional monomer having at least two ethylenic unsaturation in the molecule. The resulting synthetic latex may be incorporated into a water-base paint as such. For use in solvent type paints, the microgels in the emulsion may be isolated as discrete particles by spray drying, lyophilization or similar processes, or they may be directly dispersed in conventional organic solvents by solvent substitution. When used in a coating composition, the polymer microgels produced by the emulsion polymerization method tend to adversely affect the durability, particularly the water resistance of the resulting coating films owing to the hydrophilic nature of the emulsifier used in the polymerization.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,477,536 to Howard J. Wright et al. discloses the use of polymer microparticles having polar and/or ionic groups such as carboxyl group on their surfaces in two coat-one bake coating systems. The polymer microparticles are produced by the emulsion polymerization method and the carboxyl groups which induce the electrostatic stabilization in the aqueous medium may be introduced, for example, by using as an emulsifier an unsaturated, water-soluble polyester copolymerizable with the monomers constituting the polymer microgels. Alternatively, polymer microparticles having carboxyl groups on their surfaces may be produced by emulsion polymerizing an acrylic or methacrylic acid-containing monomer mixture. In either case, the emulsifier or monomer having polar groups are localized on the particle surface while leaving the nonpolar components in the particle core. The polymer microparticles having polar and/or ionic groups thus produced are also disadvantageous in that they adversely affect the water-resistance of the coating films when incorporated therein.

Crosslinked polymer microparticles their preparation and use


Disclosed is a receipt slip issuing apparatus for an automatic transaction system in which an identification card path crosses a blank path through which a two-ply details slip blank is fed, and a transcription mechanism for transferring card-borne information onto the blank is located in the position of such crossing. In a positional state for transcription on the blank, a printing mechanism corresponds to a first line to be printed of the blank, and a cutter is so located as to correspond to a position where a lower sheet of the blank is to be cut for each slip. A receipt slip outlet is disposed right under an I.D. card inlet-outlet, whereby a user may catch and draw out both his I.D. card and an issued receipt slip one-handed.

This invention relates to a receipt slip issuing apparatus for issuing receipt slip for the confirmation of transaction to a user or customer who performs his desired transaction, such as for example drawing-out of cash, by inserting an identification medium for transactions, such as an identification card (hereinafter referred to as I.D. card), into the apparatus.
The apparatus of this type may be incorporated into a cash dispensing machine as a mechanical section thereof, or connected as a unit with another apparatus unit having a different function to be used as a terminal for an automatic transaction system.
In a cash dispensing machine containing such receipt slip issuing apparatus, for example, when a user inserts his I.D. card through a card inlet and inputs his desired amount of money by operating a keyboard, cash or paper money corresponding to such amount is delivered, and a receipt slip bearing an account of transaction is issued through a slip outlet. A receipt slip blank, which is formed of continuous elongated 2-ply sheets, is contained in the apparatus. The elongated blank is drawn out successively for each transaction in response to a command signal given by the apparatus, and fed through a blank path. Then, specific account information recorded in the inserted I.D. card is transferred to the blank by a transcription mechanism, and transient account information including transaction details, data, etc. in accordance with the user's input is printed on the blank. One sheet of the blank subjected to such transcription and printing is cut into a predetermined length by a cutter mechanism, and issued as an individual receipt slip from the slip outlet through a slip delivery path.
For prevention of crimes, conventional cash dispensing machines are generally too bulky to carry about, so that a receipt slip issuing apparatus built therein are designed with generous depth, on the whole. Accordingly, in one such conventional apparatus, a blank is fed and cut at a predetermined position by a cutter mechanism. Then, the blank is reversed, and a first line on one receipt slip region of the blank where printing is to be started is brought in alignment with a printing mechanism, where suitable transient account information is printed on the slip region. Thereafter, the blank is moved a little, a position on the slip region for transcription is brought in line with a transcription mechanism for transcription, and then the blank is further fed and cut at a predetermined portion by the cutter mechanism to provide a slip.
As may be understood from the above description, the blank is advanced or reversed through a required distance by a feed drive mechanism with every printing or transcribing operation. Therefore, the blank feed operation is complicated, and the planning and adjustment of operation processes are very difficult. Further, a pulse motor, for example, is used as the feed drive means, requiring extremely high cost of production.
Moreover, in the feed process for the printing and transcribing operations, the blank is intermittently moved relatively slowly, whereas the cut slip should preferably be trasferred through the delivery path as fast as possible. Hereupon, it is necessary that the difference between the speeds of transportation through the blank path and the slip delivery path be compensated at a boundary region between the paths, and that the uncut portion of the blank be subjected to no tensile force. Therefore, according to the prior art apparatus, a free space substantially equivalent to the length of a slip is provided between the cutter mechanism and a slip drawing roller in the slip delivery path, and a single slip cut by the cutter mechanism is drawn into the drawing roller. Thus, the apparatus is made longer by a length for the free space, and the fixed dimensions of the free space would make it impossible to deal with a longer slip by means of the same apparatus.
Furthermore, in the large-sized prior art apparatus, an I.D. card inlet-outlet is disposed at a distance from a slip outlet partly because of the elongated construction of the apparatus, so that the user must receive the card and the slip, as well as cash, separately. Thus, there have been demands for simplification of the user's operations and reduction of the time required therefor.


A thermally curable mixture contains 10-70% by weight of reactive compounds, 0.05-2% by weight of at least one basic catalyst, and at least one solvent. The reactive compounds are consisting essentially of a first reactive compound and a second reactive compound at a molar ratio between 1:1 and 1:10. The first reactive compound is a formamide selected from the group consisting of hydroxyformamides, di-formamides and polyformamides, and the second reactive compound is at least one compound having an epoxy equivalent between 100 and 800 g KOH per mole epoxy group, selected from a group of aromatic di-glycidylethers and aromatic poly-glycidylethers. The basic catalyst is at least one chemical agent selected from the group consisting of tertiary ammonium salts, tertiary aromatic amines, and tertiary heterocyclic amines. The solvent is at least one chemical compound selected from the group consisting of aliphatic alcohols, ether alcohols, diether, and tertiary amides.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to thermally curable mixtures which consist of polyfunctional amides and aromatic di- or polyglycidylethers, or additionally a cyclic carbonate, and which are reacted by addition of a basic catalyst and are used as coatings or foams.
2. Related Art
Primary aliphatic and aromatic di- and polyamines have manifold uses as hardeners for epoxy coatings. It is especially advantageous that crosslinking takes place already at low temperatures between 0.degree. and 100.degree. C. and that because of the large choice of di- and polyamines of different chemical structure the properties of the finished coatings can be varied greatly. Disadvantageous, however, are the short pot-lives of such epoxy/amine-mixtures which reduce their storage stability and workability considerably, as well as the negative hygienic properties of many of the used amines. Also many amines show strong corrosive action, have a relatively high vapour-pressure and take up CO.sub.2 readily from the air which reduces their solubility and reactivity against epoxy compounds.
Primary- and secondary amino-functions can be blocked in many ways chemically reversible, whereby the limitations named above can be avoided at least during the manufacture, storage and use of the coatings totally or partially.
One possibility for the reversible blocking is the reaction of primary and secondary amino groups with volatile organic and inorganic acids under salt formation. The release of the reactive amino-functions occurs by addition of aqueous bases in stoichiometric amounts relative to the amino content. This possibility can be used only in aqueous coating systems in which the released acids use up epoxy groups and corrode metallic substrates, however. Another possibility for the blocking of primary amino groups is the reaction with aldehydes and ketones under formation of aldimines and ketimines which are split hydrolytically to the starting products. The most blocking agents known from peptide synthesis have to be ruled out because of their high price and the deblocking methods unusual in coatings technology such as hydrogenation, photolysis or cleavage by aggressive reagents.
Acidic and basic hydrolysable groups are secondary or tertiary amido groups, preferably formamido groups. They can be prepared in many ways, e.g. by thermolysis or dehydration with hydroscopic agents of the respective ammonium salts, by reaction of the amines with CO under pressure and noble-metal-catalysis and by reaction of amines or ammonium salts with esters, preferably formic esters. These methods, such as e.g. the thermolysis and dehydration of ammonium salts and the amidation of esters in most cases are suitable only for amines without other reactive groups.
A blocking of primary and secondary amino-functions in compounds which have additionally other reactive groups such as OH--, SH-- or ester-functions, is possible by carbonylation under pressure as described e.g. in the patents U.S. Pat. No. 4,510,326 and CS 183 083 or by reaction of ammoniumhydrochlorides with formic esters and triethylamine under acidic catalysis, as described by L. F. Tietze and Th. Eichler in the book "Reaktionen und Synthesen in organisch-chemischen Praktikum", page 120, G. Thieme Verlag, Stuttgart, New York, (1981), for aminoacidesters. The process named first requires, however, a very high technical expense, while the second process proceeds as a difficult controllable solid/liquid phase reaction, produces a large amount of non-usable triethylammoniumchloride and the final product, especially the hydroxyalkylformamide, can be separated hardly from the ammoniumchloride.

Thermally curable mixture containing epoxy and formamide compounds


A formulation for proteins is provided that comprises a lyophilized mixture of a protein, a water-soluble etherified cellulose in an amount that upon reconstitution of the formulation will be sufficient to form a gel, and an excipient to facilitate rehydration of the gel and to maintain protein integrity during storage of the lyophilized gel product. When reconstituted to a gel, this formulation can be applied, for example, to tissue in need of treatment.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention is directed to a lyophilized protein formulation, a gel reconstituted from the formulation with water, and a method of topical treatment utilizing the gel.
2. Description of Background and Related Art
In the past ten years, advances in biotechnology have made it possible to produce a variety of proteins using recombinant DNA techniques for pharmaceutical applications. Because of proteolytic degradation in the gastrointestinal tract and poor permeability of these large molecular weight molecules through the intestinal mucosa, oral administration is usually not feasible. Hence, most of these proteinaceous pharmaceutical agents are administered by intravenous, intramuscular, or subcutaneous injections. The parenteral mode of delivery is also desirable for its inherent pulsed administration. Banerjee, P. S., Parenteral Delivery of Peptide and Protein Drugs, in Peptide and Protein Drug Delivery, Advances in Parenteral Sciences: 4. Lee V. H. L., ed. (Marcel Dekker, Inc., New York, N.Y., 1991)
Understandably, this form of administration has been poorly accepted by patients, except for those suffering from life-threatening situations. For this reason, some proteins have recently been evaluated for topical applications, including relaxin for inhibition of uterine myometrial contraction and cervical ripening at parturition, tissue factor for clotting blood, TGF-.beta. for wound healing, and interferon-gamma for atopic dermatitis and trauma-related infections.
Methylcellulose is a synthetic derivative of the naturally occurring cellulose polymer. It differs from cellulose in that two of the three hydroxy groups of the glucose unit are substituted by a methoxy group. This group substitution allows cellulose to hydrate and form a hydrogel. In the pharmaceutical industry, this gel has been commonly used for synthetic drugs and small peptides in topical applications. See, e.g., Howell et al., J. Periodont. Res., 26: 180-183 (1991); Spirtos et al., Gynecol. Oncol., 37: 34-38 (1990); Sacks et al., J. Infect. Dis., 161: 692-698 (1990); Groeneboer et al., Curr. Eye Res., 8: 131-138 (1989); Bohr et al., Arch. Dermatol. Res., 279: 147-150 (1987); Schultz et al., Cornea, 7: 96-101 (1988); Schmidt et al., Acta Ophthalmol., 59: 422-427 (1981).
In addition, cellulose derivatives have been used to formulate therapeutic proteins or polypeptides for topical use. See, e.g., EP 267,015 published May 11, 1988; EP 308,238 published Mar. 22, 1989; and EP 312,208 published Apr. 19, 1989, which disclose formulation of a polypeptide growth factor having mitogenic activity, such as TGF-.beta., in a polysaccharide such as methylcellulose; EP 261,599 published Mar. 30, 1988 disclosing human topical applications containing growth factors such as TGF-.beta.; EP 193,917 published Sep. 10, 1986, which discloses a slow-release composition of a carbohydrate polymer such as a cellulose and a protein such as a growth factor; GB Pat. No. 2,160,528 granted Mar. 9, 1988, describing a formulation of a bioactive protein and a polysaccharide; and EP 193,372 published Sep. 3, 1986, disclosing an intranasally applicable powdery pharmaceutical composition containing an active polypeptide, a quaternary ammonium compound, and a lower alkyl ether of cellulose. See also U.S. Pat. No. 4,609,640 issued Sep. 2, 1986 disclosing a therapeutic agent and a water-soluble chelating agent selected from polysaccharides, celluloses, starches, dextroses, polypeptides, and synthetic polymers able to chelate Ca and Mg; and JP 57/026625 published Feb. 12, 1982 disclosing a preparation of a protein and water-soluble polymer such as soluble cellulose. In addition, a method for entrapping enzymes in gel beads for use as a biocatalyst is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,859,169. Also, a method for preparing polyvinyl alcohol gel intended as a transdermal vehicle for water-soluble synthetic drugs is disclosed in JP 62/205035 published Sep. 9, 1987.
TGF-.beta. is typically formulated at an acidic pH at which it is active. Various methods for its formulation include adding 2-5% methylcellulose to form a gel [Beck et al., Growth Factors, 3: 267-275 (1990) reporting the effects on wound healing of TGF-.beta. in 3% methylcellulose], adding collagen to form an ointment or suspension [EP 105,014 published Apr. 4, 1984; EP 243,179 published Oct. 28, 1987; EP 213,776 published Mar. 11, 1987], or adding a cosmetically acceptable vehicle to the TGF-.beta. for a topical formulation [U.S. Pat. No. 5,037,643 issued Aug. 6, 1991].
Additionally, proteins other than TGF-.beta. have been formulated with celluloses for various purposes. For example, epidermal growth factor (EGF) is mixed with a water-soluble cellulose polymer to obtain a sterile aqueous medicinal composition. U.S. Pat. No. 4,717,717 issued Jan. 5, 1988. Also, certain pharmaceuticals are mixed with gelatin, lysozyme, albumin or skim milk along with a hydrophilic polymer such as methylcellulose or hydroxypropyl cellulose to improve their absorption or dissolution rate. JP 57/026615 published Feb. 12, 1982. Moreover, corticosteroids can be formulated with gelatin and methylcellulose or other celluloses to form a non-oil ointment. JP 61/233617 published Oct. 17, 1986. In addition, cellulose derivatives have been used as a gel base for relaxin. WO 89/07945 published Sep. 8, 1989. This publication indicates that the formulated relaxin may be in liquid, frozen, or gel form, or may be lyophilized and reconstituted.
It has also been known to mix an active medicament unstable to heat with a biodegradable protein carrier such as collagen, atelocollagen, or gelatin to form a carrier matrix having sustained-release properties. The resultant mixture is then dried, and the dried material is formed into an appropriate shape, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,774,091. Examples of active drugs for this purpose are given as t-PA; prostaglandins; prostacyclines; biohormones, e.g., hGH, bGH, GRF, somatomedins, and calcitonin; interferons; interleukins; tumor necrosis factor; and other cytokines such as macrophage activating factor, migration inhibitory factor, and colony stimulating factor.
The major problem with incorporating proteins into gels is the instability of these proteins in such a configuration. For example, when relaxin is incorporated into the liquid methylcellulose gel medium, the protein is stable at 5.degree. C. for only a month even in the absence of light. In addition, for those proteins such as relaxin and TGF-.beta., the liquid containing the protein must be mixed with the gel at the time of administration. This is typically accomplished by the cumbersome and time-consuming procedure of intermixing the two components through syringes connected by an interlocking unit. Insufficient mixing may also lead to therapeutic failure.
For example, the current gel formulation package for relaxin contains one protein vial (lyophilized or liquid), one diluent vial (if the protein is in lyophilized form), one liquid gel vial, two syringes, two needles, and one interlock connector for the syringes. In hospitals, physicians are required to undertake a complicated procedure of mixing the protein and wet gel together, reconstituting the protein vial with diluent, withdrawing reconstituted protein solution into one syringe first, and then withdrawing wet gel into another syringe. After removing needles from both syringes, they connect the syringes with an interlock connector and push two syringe plungers back and forth to allow the gel and protein solution to mix for use.
Freeze-drying, or lyophilization, is a process by which the material to be dried is first frozen and then the ice or frozen solvent is removed by sublimation in a vacuum environment. Rey, "Some basic facts about freeze drying," p. xiii, in Goldblith et al., ed., Freeze Drying and Advanced Food Technology, Academic Press, London, 1975; Pikal, Freeze-drying of Proteins, parts 1 and 2, BioPharm, Sep. 1990, p. 18-27 and Oct. 1990, p. 26-30. An excipient may be added to a formulation to be freeze dried so as to reduce the time for reconstitution. Examples of such agents include a sugar, polyol, amino acid, methylamine, or lyotrophic salt. See, e.g., Carpenter and Crowe, "The Mechanism of Cryoprotection of Proteins by Solutes," Cryobiology, 25: 244-255 (1988).
Various small molecular weight drugs have been formulated and then freeze-dried. A dried composition and method of oral administration of drugs, biologicals, nutrients, and foodstuffs is described in U.S. Pat. 5,039,540; however, while the term freeze drying is used, the patent employs a different process entirely. U.S. Pat. No. 4,883,785 discloses a method for preparing a formulation for anti-fungal agent such as amphotericin B, where cyclodextrin is used to improve the solubility of the drug, and lyophilization is employed to preserve the formulation in the solid state.
A freeze-drying method for preparing dry sponge-like polymeric carriers is described in JP 56/25211 published Jun. 24, 1980 by which embedded enzymes (lysozyme, dextranase, mutanase, levanase) can be slowly released when applied to the affected area of the mucous membrane inside the mouth in treating oral cavity and naval cavity diseases.
Moreover, a method is disclosed for preparing lyophilized cellulose lamellae containing low molecular weight molecules, such as pilocarpine chloride, for slow release in the ophthalmic field. Zaloukal, Ceskoslovenska Farmacie, 39: 433-435 (1990).
In contrast to small molecular weight drugs, proteins have a high molecular weight associated with extensive secondary, tertiary, and quaternary structure that can be disrupted upon lyophilization. Hence, proteins tend to aggregate and/or deamidate when treated under certain conditions. There is a special need in the art for a topical, water-soluble polysaccharide-based gel formulation of protein that is stable, does not require complicated mixing procedures before application, and rehydrates readily from a powder reconstituted in water.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a topical gel formulation for proteins that is stable for shipping and storage and is easy to prepare prior to administration.
It is another object to provide a lyophilized formulation of protein that does not require a long time for reconstitution.
It is a further object to provide a formulation package having only one product vial (containing lyophilized protein and gel base), one diluent vial, one syringe, and one needle. Such a package provides advantages in product packaging and manufacturing costs.
These and other objects will become apparent to one of ordinary skill in the pharmaceutical, pharmacologic, veterinary, and clinical arts.

Reconstitutable lyophilized protein formulation


Exemplary embodiments relate to an apparatus and method for integrated control of driver assistance systems (DAS). The apparatus includes a first driver assistance system control module configured to control at least one driver assistance system installed in a vehicle, a second driver assistance system control module configured to control a driver assistance system installed in the vehicle other than the driver assistance system controlled by the first driver assistance system control module, and an integrated control module configured to receive an operating state signal indicating an operating state of the at least one driver assistance system controlled by the first driver assistance system control module from the first driver assistance system control module and transmit an activation control signal for the driver assistance system controlled by the second driver assistance system control module to the second driver assistance system control module when the operating state signal is received.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a driver assistance system and an apparatus and method for controlling the driver assistance system.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As the demand for safety and convenience of vehicles as well as for performance of vehicles increases, a driver assistance system (DAS) that assists in controlling vehicles on the basis of information acquired through sensors or the like installed in vehicles has been researched, developed, and applied to the vehicles.
Thus, vehicles tend to be equipped with many systems which may be categorized as DAS in addition to default chassis systems.
As an example, vehicles tend to be equipped with driver assistance systems (DAS) such as a smart cruise control (SCC) system for assisting in driving a vehicle, a traffic jam assistance (TJA) system, an autonomous emergency braking (AEB) system for preventing a vehicle collision, a cross traffic assistance (CTA) system, an active blind spot detection (ABSD) system, or a smart parking assistance system (SPAS) for assisting in parking a vehicle.
The driver assistance systems control vehicles and assist drivers on the basis of information acquired through sensors or the like installed in the vehicles according to respective operating conditions.
Since several driver assistance systems are installed in a vehicle, there is a possibility that a driver may be confused or a problem may occur due to simultaneous operation of multiple driver assistance systems.
For example, when an Idle Stop and Go (ISG) system, which automatically turns off an engine of a vehicle in order to enhance the fuel economy of the vehicle when the vehicle is stopped, operates simultaneously with another driver assistance system, this operation may disrupt the operation of the other driver assistance system.

Apparatus and method for integrated controlling of driver assistance systems


Various methods and systems are provided for an exhaust gas recirculation cooler including a plurality of cooling tubes. In one example, an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) cooler includes a plurality of cooling tubes positioned within a housing of the EGR cooler, each cooling tube of the plurality of cooling tubes extending between and directly coupled to tube sheets of the EGR cooler at ends of each cooling tube, where at least one end of one or more cooling tubes of a first portion of the plurality of cooling tubes, inward of a tube sheet coupled to the at least one end, includes a compliant region, where the first portion is positioned proximate to an exhaust inlet of the EGR cooler.

Technical Field
Embodiments of the subject matter disclosed herein relate to an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) system, a cooler for that system, and associated methods.
Discussion of Art
Engines may utilize recirculation of exhaust gas from an engine exhaust system to an engine intake system, a process referred to as exhaust gas recirculation (EGR). In some examples, a group of one or more cylinders may have an exhaust manifold that is coupled to an intake passage of the engine such that the group of cylinders is dedicated, at least under some conditions, to generating exhaust gas for EGR. Such cylinders may be referred to as "donor cylinders." In other systems, the exhaust gas may be pulled from a manifold.
Some EGR systems may include an EGR cooler to reduce a temperature of the recirculated exhaust gas before it enters the intake passage. The exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) cooler may be used to reduce exhaust gas temperature from about 1000 degrees Fahrenheit to about 200 degrees Fahrenheit. Some EGR coolers may fail during use due to high stress concentration in cooling tubes at a connection point between the cooling tubes and a tube sheet of the EGR cooler. Compressive forces may act on the cooling tubes due to constraints on ends of the cooling tubes by a sidewall of a housing of the EGR cooler, thereby resulting in degradation of the tube-tube sheet joint. Stress concentrations on the tubes may be greatest at a leading edge of the EGR cooler, the edge that is closest to an exhaust inlet of the EGR cooler, due to increased thermal gradients at this location.

Method and systems for an EGR cooler including cooling tubes with a compliant region


The compound of formula (8), in racemic or single enantiomeric form, is useful in making N-(diphenylmethyl)-piperazines such as cetirizine and levocetrizine.

Cetirizine, chemically 2-[4-[(4-chlorophenyl)-phenyl-methyl]piperazin-1-yl]ethoxy]acetic acid, is a useful pharmaceutical active ingredient. It is an antihistamine whose principal effects are mediated via selective inhibition of H1 receptors. This anti-allergy drug is marketed by the company UCB (which is also the originator of the drug) and/or Pfizer under the brand name Zyrtec®, as a dihydrochloride salt (often referred to as "cetirizine hydrochloride") as shown below.

The drug is indicated for the relief of symptoms associated with seasonal allergic rhinitis or perennial allergic rhinitis, as well as for the treatment of the uncomplicated skin manifestations of chronic idiopathic urticaria in adults and children 6 months of age and older.
Cetirizine has one asymmetric carbon, therefore it may be resolved into enantiomers. The pharmaceutically active enantiomer in the racemic cetirizine is the levocetirizine, which is the (R) enantiomer of cetirizine. A medicament comprising levocetirizine was launched in the first quarter of 2001 in Germany followed by a pan-European launch. Levocetirizine is also marketed as the dihydrochloride salt, under the brand name Xyzaal®.
Cetirizine was disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,525,358 (EP 58146). Levocetirizine was specifically disclosed in GB2225321. The method of use of levocetirizine has been disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,698,558 (EP 663828).
Conventionally, levocetirizine may be obtained by resolution of the cetirizine enantiomers as generally suggested, e.g., in WO 94/06429. However, the effectiveness of such process is apparently not high and therefore it is preferred to make levocetirizine from an enantiopure intermediate.
One such useful intermediate is the compound of formula (4)

The presence of a quarternary carbon in the formula (4) indicates that the compound may be obtained as a racemate or as a single enantiomer, particularly as the (R) enantiomer. This intermediate may be converted to cetirizine or related analogues, particularly to racemic cetirizine or levocetirizine, by various known processes, e.g., by processes reviewed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,525,358. Resolution of the intermediate (4) into enantiomers by L-tartaric acid as well as the process for making levocetirizine from the corresponding enantiomer of (4) was disclosed in GB2225321. However, the yield and effectiveness of the resolution is insufficient, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,478,941.
The useful starting material for making the compound (4) is the well known and commercially available compound of formula (1),

Similarly as the above compound (4), the compound (1) may be obtained as a racemate or as a single enantiomer, particularly as the (R) enantiomer. It is known that the racemic compound (1) can be easily and effectively resolved into enantiomers by a fractional crystallization, preferably by the crystallization of salts with L-tartaric acid. (see U.S. Pat. No. 5,478,941). This makes the compound (1) an important intermediate, particularly in the synthesis of an enantiomerically pure (4).
In a known process for making compound (4) disclosed in EP 617028 (U.S. Pat. No. 5,478,941), the racemic compound of formula (1) and/or its (R)-enantiomer is subjected to a condensation with the N-sulfonated bis-chloroethylamine compound of formula (2),

to form the compound of formula (3).

The compound (3) is then deprotected to form the key intermediate of general formula (4). A disadvantage, however, with the use of the compound of formula (2) in the synthesis of the compound of formula (4) is the need to use a strong deprotecting agent. The tosyl-protective group may be effectively removed only by using a solution of hydrogen bromide in acetic acid. This agent is extremely corrosive, irritating and toxic so that special measures must be used in employing this material.
In principle, one could expect that also an unprotected compound of the formula (5a)
might be used for coupling with the compound (1). This would avoid the deprotection step and form the compound (4) directly. But this option is not satisfactory. First, the compound (5a) is an extremely toxic compound ("mustard gas"), and second the reaction is accompanied with a large amount of side products arising particularly from the self-condensation of the compound (5). Thus, the use of an N-protected bis-haloethylamine is clearly preferable. But other potentially useful N-protected compounds, e.g. a carbonyl, alkyl or a triphenylmethyl protecting group, have been reported as unsatisfactory. U.S. Pat. No. 5,478,941 and EP 955295 teach that the above mentioned N-tosyl compound of formula (2) is the only useful compound for the coupling reaction with (1). The protected analogues (a carbonyl, alkyl, or trityl protecting group) caused important racemization of the compound (1) during the coupling reaction and/or the formation of undesired by-products.
Opalka C. J. et al. (Synthesis 1995 (7), p. 766-768) reports that the coupling reaction failed if the amides of formula 6, wherein R represents a carbon-terminated substituent, were used.

Thus other protecting groups have proven to be unsuitable so far. It would be desirable to have an alternative process for making the compound of general formula (A), particularly for making the racemate or the R-enantiomer thereof.

Process for making n-(diphenylmethyl)piperazines

Abstract: wherein Z is preferably phenyl.


The nailer extension device has a handle, a trigger system near the handle to actuate the nailer, and a cable system running inside the cylindrical part of the device. The cable system connects the trigger of the extension handle with the trigger of the nailer. An adjustable knuckle allows the user to set the angle of the nailer in reference to the extension handle. The adjustable knuckle allows the user to nail objects at different heights while keeping the nailer on a horizontal plane.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a nailer extension device. More specifically, the present invention relates to an extension handle that will greatly extend the effective reach of a nailer gun or similar tool.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As often is the case, carpenters and other workers must us tools in awkward or seemingly impossible positions. One of these difficult positions encountered by carpenters is having to hammer nails at great heights or hard to reach corners. Not only must the carpenter use hammers and nails at hard to reach heights but sometimes must also change the angle at which the nail is hammered. These problems are not solved merely through the use of a ladder but require additional tools. There is therefore a need for a device that will extend the effective reach of a workman's tool such as a nailer. Such a device must allow the user to quickly and easily change the angle of the tool without lowering the tool and must have structure to support the device in order to reduce the amount of strain put on the user. The present invention provides such a device.
Work tool extension devices have been described in the patent literature. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 3,949,817, issued Apr. 13, 1976, to Rice, describes an extender for a chain saw. The Rice patent, however, fails to show or suggest a pivotable extender or support means for the extender.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,207,675, issued Jun. 17, 1980, to Causey et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 4,359,822, issued Nov. 23, 1982, to Kolodziejczyk describe a pivotable tool extender. Both the Causey et al. and the Kolodziejczyk patents, however, fail to show or suggest a pivotable tool extender that is easily pivotable without having to first lower the extender and then re-bolt or re-tighten the pivot means.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,228,202, issued Jul. 20, 1993, to Liao and U.S. Pat. No. 4,707,921, issued Nov. 24, 1987, to Meyer et al., describe extension handles.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,129,363, issued Jul. 14, 1992, to Ricketts describes a leash apparatus wherein the strap is disposed inside the device.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,176,160, issued Jan. 5, 1993, to Osborn describes a reaching apparatus with a trigger system.
U.S. Design Pat. No. Des. 250,569, issued Dec. 19, 1978, to Smith describes a handle support.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.


A hydromechanical drive system having a swash-plate type hydrostatic axial piston engine and a mechanical transmission including a connection plate having a control surface. The axial piston engine includes an outer housing and a cylindrical drum with working cylinders located within the outer housing. Hydraulic-medium channels are formed in the connection plate which open onto the control surface and the working cylinders are periodically connected with the hydraulic-medium channels during rotation of the cylindrical drum. A gear element is located on the connection plate.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to a hydromechanical drive system consisting of a swash-plate type hydrostatic axial piston engine and a mechanical transmission such as a geared transmission. The axial piston engine has a cylindrical drum provided with working cylinders and a control surface onto which hydraulic-medium channels open so that the working cylinders are periodically connected with the hydraulic-medium channels during rotation of the cylindrical drum.
2. Description of Related Prior art
A hydromechanical drive system for driving a crawler track or for use as the gear drive for a work vehicle is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,583,425 which is incorporated herein by reference. In this prior art drive system, the axial piston engine is partially integrated into the transmission. The cylindrical drum and the swash plate of the axial piston engine and the surrounding housing are located in a hollow space of the planet carrier of the last stage of the planetary transmission. This arrangement reduces the axial structural length of the drive system as compared to other hydromechanical drive systems. However, the radial dimensions of this system are greater than the radial dimensions of a single axial piston engine which is disadvantageous. Furthermore, in connection with the axial length of the drive system, the control base receptacle is provided with hydraulic-medium channels for the delivery and return of a hydraulic medium.


According to various aspects, a modified-reality device may be described, the modified-reality device including: a head-mounted device including one or more displays, wherein the one or more displays are configured to receive image data representing at least an image element and to display a modified-reality image including at least the image element; one or more sensors configured to provide head tracking data associated with a location and an orientation of the head-mounted device; and a processing arrangement configured to receive flight data associated with a flight of an unmanned aerial vehicle, generate the image data representing at least the image element based on the head tracking data and the flight data, and provide the image data to the one or more displays.

An unmanned aerial vehicle may have one or more processors to control flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle along a predefined flight path. The one or more processors to control flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle may be or may include a flight controller. The predefined flight path may be provided and/or modified, for example, by manual remote control, waypoint control, target tracking, etc. Further, an obstacle detection and avoidance system may be implemented to avoid collision of the unmanned aerial vehicle with an obstacle located in the predefined flight path of the unmanned aerial vehicle. In one or more applications, an unmanned aerial vehicle may be remotely controlled by a user. The user controlling the unmanned aerial vehicle may be also referred to as pilot. The pilot may control flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle so that the unmanned aerial vehicle may remain visible for the user, in other words, the unmanned aerial vehicle may remain within the pilot's line of sight. Further, a pilot may control flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle while using first person view glasses, wherein a video signal is transmitted from the unmanned aerial vehicle to the first person view glasses. The video signal may be provided by a camera mounted at the unmanned aerial vehicle so that the pilot may see the vicinity of the unmanned aerial vehicle from the perspective of the unmanned aerial vehicle and not from his own perspective, e.g., from the ground.

Modified-reality device and method for operating a modified-reality device


A hand reel for use in winding electrical extension cord utilizes a central casing having a grip handle portion extending outward from an uper end thereof. Cord is wound within the casing on a spool means. The spool means is comprised of hub portions mounted at opposed sides of the casing and rotatable relative to the casing. The hubs join together within the casing along mating spool surfaces integrally formed on the hubs. Cap elements are provided along the exterior surfaces of the hubs at opposed ends of the spool. Each cap element contains an electrical receptacle connected with an interior end of the extension cord. Bar handles are formed adjacent to circumferential edges of both hubs, affording ambidextrous rotation of the spool means.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to reels or rewinders for winding line and, more particularly, to a hand reel for winding electrical extension cord.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are frequent occasions, especially in construction or repair work, where it is necessary to use an electric tool, such as a portable drill, saw, or the like, an appreciable distance from an outlet source of electric power. An extended electric cord coiled on a reel is typically used to connect the distant point of work with the electric outlet. There have been many attempts to provide a satisfactory hand reel for electrical extension cord. The reel should be lightweight and inexpensive, but rugid enough in design to withstand rough treatment.
A standard cord reel employs a spool-like body disposed between a pair of annular plates or hubs. The spool rotates on an axle. The interior end of an extension cord wound about the spool is connected with an electrical outlet receptacle formed at one end of the spool and rotatable with the reel. U.S. Pat. No. 2,805,290 issued to R. J. Wentsel discloses a reel having a hollow spool with an endplate at one end having a handle for holding the reel and an electrical receptacle in an endplate at the other end of the spool. Another handle is mounted from the hub at the same other end of the spool for rotating the reel about the axis of the stationary handle. U.S. Pat. No. 3,983,977 issued to V. R. Crabb describes a reel having an elongate bar handle extending through a hollow spool and extending outward from one side of the spool for holding the reel. Mounted on the hub at the other end of the spool from the outward extension of the stationary handle is a handle to rotate the reel about the bar handle axis and an electrical receptacle having plural appliance recesses.
The use of a stationary handle coaxial with the spool requires an operator to balance the weight of the reel at a distance from its center of gravity in an awkward fashion. This arrangement is especially difficult to manage when heavy cord or long lengths of cord are to be wound upon the reel. The extended protrument of the stationary handle does not make for compact storage of the reel. Fabrication of such reels may be difficult and relatively expensive due to the many non-symmetrical reel pieces.


Vectors expressing kanA-kanB-kanK and other kanamycin production-related genes, Streptomyces species recombinant bacteria transformed with the vectors, a method of producing kanamycin antibiotics by the bacteria, and a new kanamycin compound produced by the bacterium are provided. With the use of the recombinant bacteria of the present invention, the direct fermentative biosynthesis of amikacin and tobramycin as semi-synthetic kanamycins is possible, and the yield of kanamycin B as a precursor of the semi-synthetic kanamycin is improved.

Kanamycin produced by Streptomyces kanamyceticus is a 4,6-disubstituted 2-deoxystreptamine-containing aminoglycoside antibiotic as are gentamicins and tobramycin, whereas neomycins and butirosins are 4,5-disubstituted aminoglycosides.
These types of antibiotics are produced mainly by actinomycetes and have been widely used for a long time. Like other antibiotics, the appearance of aminoglycoside-resistant bacteria, which produce aminoglycoside-modifying enzymes, cause serious problems. The issue of resistance has been addressed by the semi-synthetic variants of naturally-occurring aminoglycosides such as amikacin, dibekacin, and arbekacin. The central 2-deoxystreptamine (2-DOS) and pseudodisaccharides 2′-N-acetylparomamine, paromamine, and neamine are common biosynthetic intermediates of most aminoglycosides. The biosynthetic route to neamine via 2-deoxystreptamine and paromamine was elucidated using recombinant enzymes involved in butiroin and neomycin biosynthesis.


A plurality of application profiles are obtained, for a plurality of applications. Each of the profiles specifies a list of resources, and requirements for each of the resources, associated with a corresponding one of the applications. Specification of a plurality of constraints associated with the applications is facilitated, as is obtaining a plurality of cost models associated with at least two different kinds of servers on which the applications are to run. A recommended server configuration is generated for running the applications, by formulating and solving a bin packing problem. Each of the at least two different kinds of servers is treated as a bin of a different size, based on its capacity, and has an acquisition cost associated therewith. The size is substantially equal to a corresponding one of the resource requirement as given by a corresponding one of the application profiles. Each of the applications is treated as an item, with an associated size, to be packed into the bins. The bin packing problem develops the recommended server configuration based on reducing a total acquisition cost while satisfying the constraints and the sizes of the applications.

A number of different problems are typically encountered in hosting enterprise-wide IT. These problems include presence of multiple applications, heterogeneous servers, non-uniform utilization across servers, and complex service level agreement (SLA) and quality-of-service (QoS) requirements. Several different approaches have been proposed to address these issues.
US Patent Publication 2003-0225904 discloses a server load distribution apparatus, server load distribution program and server system. A server load distribution apparatus provided between a client and servers including a first power supply and a control unit activating the first power supply depending on a command, comprises a unit for receiving a data request packet from one of the client computers, a unit for transferring the received data request packet to the one of the servers, a unit for counting the number of responses per unit of time, the responses being responses of the servers to the data request packet, a unit for determining an optimal number of the servers which are in operation based on the data request packet and the number of the responses, and instruct the transfer unit to transfer the data request packet to one of the servers, and a unit for supply a plurality of commands for activating the first power supply to the control units.
US Patent Publication 2003-0005028 discloses a system and method for determining how many servers of at least one server configuration to be included at a service provider's site for supporting an expected workload. A method comprises receiving, into a capacity planning system, workload information representing an expected workload of client accesses of streaming media files from a site. The method further comprises the capacity planning system determining, for at least one server configuration, how many servers of the at least one server configuration to be included at the site for supporting the expected workload in a desired manner.
US Patent Publication 2005-0138170 discloses a method and apparatus for controlling the number of servers in a hierarchical resource environment. The invention relates to the control of servers which process client work requests in a computer system on the basis of resource consumption. Each server contains multiple server instances (also called "execution units") which execute different client work requests in parallel. A workload manager determines the total number of server containers and server instances in order to achieve the goals of the work requests. The number of server instances started in each server container depends on the resource consumption of the server instances in each container and on the resource constraints, service goals and service goal achievements of the work units to be executed. At predetermined intervals during the execution of the work units the server instances are sampled to check whether they are active or inactive. Dependent on the number of active server instances the number of server address spaces and server instances is repeatedly adjusted to achieve an improved utilization of the available virtual storage and an optimization of the system performance in the execution of the application programs.
WIPO Publication WO/2004/012038 discloses near on-line servers. A dynamic state manager (DSM) for a server cloud manager (SCM) of a virtualized logical server cloud includes a resource definition, a rules module and a state manager engine. The resource definition incorporates information of the available physical and logical resources of the server cloud, including cost, priority, usage and demand information of the resources. The resource definition further incorporates dependencies and relationships between physical and logical resources. The rules module includes predetermined behavioral rules based on demand, usage, priority and cost information. The behavioral rules define optimized resource utilization of the resources of the server cloud. The state manager engine is linked to the resource definition and the rules module and cooperates with the SCM to apply the behavioral rules to achieve optimized resource utilization.

Method, system and computer program product for server selection, application placement and consolidation planning of information technology systems

International Business Machines Corporation