A self-authenticating chip includes first and second memory regions storing, respectively, first and second authentication codes. The second memory region is adapted to be unreadable and unmodifiable by the chip or a chip reader. The chip also includes a comparator for providing an indicator of whether given input matches the second authentication code. The chip also includes an authentication circuit that is operable to read the first authentication code from the first memory region, present the first authentication code to the comparator, and in response to receiving an indicator from the comparator indicating that the first and second authentication codes match, unlock at least one of (i) a communication interface of the chip to allow data to be transmitted therethrough to a chip reader and (ii) a third memory region of the chip to allow data to be read therefrom.

Each year, billions of dollars are lost worldwide to payment card fraud. Commonly; card data (e.g., credit/debit card account number, expiry date, etc.) are copied by fraudsters to create counterfeit cards that are used to conduct fraudulent transactions. For example, card data stored on a card's magnetic stripe may be copied when an unwitting user swipes the card in a compromised merchant point-of-sale (POS) terminal. Further, the proliferation of Internet use and e-commerce has created new opportunities for card data to fall into unscrupulous hands.
Some technological advances have been made in recent years to combat counterfeiting of payment cards. For example, card issuers have introduced so-called "smart cards" that rely on embedded integrated circuits or microchips (hereinafter referred to as "smart chips" or "chips") to provide certain security features. For example, smart cards may be configured to require user authentication (e.g., by entry of a secret numerical code) at the time of each transaction. Further, smart cards may be configured to communicate card data to merchant POS terminals in encrypted form to prevent that data from being copied. However, sophisticated fraudsters have discovered ways to replicate smart cards while circumventing the requirement for user authentication.
In recent years, counterfeiting of subscriber identity module (SIM) cards for mobile telephony devices has also emerged as a serious problem. Counterfeit SIM cards have been used by fraudsters to gain fraudulent access to mobile networks, and have also been used by criminals to commit crimes under fake or assumed identities. Conventional SIM cards include a number of security features to prevent counterfeiting. For example, conventional SIM cards include integrated circuits (chips) that store a secret key used to authenticate the SIM card to a mobile network. However, as is the case with smart cards, sophisticated fraudsters have discovered ways to replicate conventional SIM cards while circumventing their security features.
Accordingly, there is a need for improved protection against counterfeiting.


A spreading unit which may be used for the spreading of particles for the production of thin pressed board or as a cover layer or face layer for a multilayer pressed board in conjunction with other spreading units along a belt upon which a mat of the mixture of particles and glue is to be formed. The spreading unit has a bunker and a discharge system for discharging a raw material stream in free-fall which is intercepted by an air classifier spreading the particles onto the belt in parabolic paths. In a region directly below the raw-material discharge and over a portion of the parabolic paths, a ball-collecting unit, for example a disk grate, is provided to intercept the balls while allowing the particles to pass without altering their classification. Fine particles of the parabolic paths beyond the ball catcher pass directly onto the belt.

As explained in the commonly assigned copending application Ser. No. 07/714,168, filed 12 Jun. 1991, particle board can be fabricated by spreading a mass of particles admixed with an adhesive or glue upon a conveyor belt to form a mat which can be compressed, e.g. in a double-belt press or a platen press, into particle board. The pressing can be carried out in the presence of steam which can serve to activate the adhesive or glue and/or with the aid of a thermally-activated adhesive or glue.
Reference may also be made to the spreading apparatus described in German patent document DE 25 35 461, published Feb. 10, 1977.
In that system, the mixture of the particles and the glue from a bunker or bin is discharged utilizing a discharge conveyor belt and a back-stripping arrangement which controls the deposit of the mass upon the conveyor belt to a discharge end of this conveyor which forms a material-discharge zone. The material passing off the end of the feed conveyor in this zone may pass in front of an air distributor at which the freely falling mass is laterally entrained by an air blast and distributed over a receiving surface in the form of the aforementioned mat-collecting conveyor belt.
In this air blast distributor, which forms an air-sifting system, the raw material is deflected by the air jets so that it falls in a number of parabolic paths which are distinguished by the fact that the path assumed by the material is dependent upon the mass of the material horizontally entrained by the air stream. In other words, heavier material tends to fall closer to the original line of free-fall at the discharge region while lighter materials are blown further away from the direct fall line.
The particular parabolic path assumed by materials of a particular weight is controlled by the velocity of the air. This method of spreading the particle mass is especially suitable for use when the material is to form a fine layer, e.g. as the upper or lower face layer of a mat and hence pressed board constituted of a plurality of layers, the inner layers of which can be somewhat coarser than the fine face layers.
Spreading systems of this type do not preclude the formation of glue clumps, aggregates or agglomerates in the raw material mass. Such glue clumps or balls are detrimental to the quality of the fabricated pressed board, especially when they appear in thin pressed board or the glue clumps or balls appear in the cover layers or face layers of the pressed board.
It is desirable, therefore, to remove these balls from the raw material so that the balls do not end up in the mats and especially do not appear in the face layers of multilayer mats.
The removal of such glue agglomerates or balls has been found to be especially important when the mats of material are to be pressed between steel belts of continuously operating presses because such balls have been found to be detrimental to the belts, especially by reducing the useful life thereof.
In the spreading system of German patent document DE 25 35 461, the raw material discharge region is fitted with a disk sieve constituted from a multiplicity of disk rollers which rotate in the same sense and whose disks interdigitate and at their peripheries can be toothed.
The chips pass between the rotating disks of the disk grate thus formed and depending upon the interdisk spacing, can be subjected to a classification into fine material, medium material and coarse material. If balls of glue or adhesive are present in the raw material, these can be separated from the chips or particles which trickle through the disk grate and can be entrained to a side of the disk grate whence they are discharged.
The air sifting of the downwardly trickling particulate material can be provided in this system below the disk grate, especially between the disk grate and the conveyor belt receiving the mat.
The air classification can result in entrainment of the finest particles to the upstream side of the system counter to the movement of this conveyor belt to enable the deposition of a fine cover or face layer on the latter. While this system operates effectively in most instances, when the combination of the disk grate with the air sifting is not used as is the case for the production of especially thin pressed board or when the spreading device is used only for the formation of the face layer, it is found that balls or agglomerates of glue are formed and deposited upon the conveyor belt which can be detrimental to the system.


Evaluating integrity of database workloads includes receiving transactional database lock commands from concurrent users and identifying a usage pattern of lock actions when results of an execution of the transactional database lock commands match a usage pattern for a data integrity rule. The data integrity rule is added to a set of one or more data integrity rules for the transactional database lock commands. The transactional database lock commands and the set of one or more data integrity rules are forwarded from a primary database server to a duplicate database server that is equivalent to the primary database server and configured to execute the transactional database lock commands while applying the one or more data integrity rules. Anomalies indicating a data integrity problem may be detected based on a comparison of the results of the executions at the primary database server and the duplicate database server.

The present invention relates to the field of database management systems, and more specifically, to evaluating integrity of database workload transactions.
An important function affecting the integrity of a database management system is the deterministic behavior of concurrent database transactions, more specifically table locking, availability and integrity, such as table page read-write accessibility during IUD actions (insert, update or delete). In database systems, locks are employed when more than one database user wants to access data concurrently. Locks are used to maintain data integrity and avoid data corruption when users attempt to modify the same data at the same time.
Standard locking engines allow a database user to modify data upon a granted lock request where exclusive access to the data exists until the lock is disengaged. If the database user needs to lock a database table for which they do not have a lock, they must request a lock from the database management system. Consequently, locking not only provides exclusivity to modify data but also prevents other database users from accessing uncommitted data actions. Normally during a data update, database users request a commit statement to make data modifications permanent. For example, the invocation of a commit to complete a database transaction, such as information read or write actions, makes all associated modifications visible to other users of the database.
Snapshot isolation (SI) is an alternative approach to concurrency control that takes advantage of multiple versions of each data item. A transaction T running under SI sees the database state as produced by all the transactions that committed before T started, but no effects are seen from transactions that overlap with T. This means that SI does not suffer from inconsistent reads. Transaction T will successfully commit only if no updates T has made conflict with any concurrent updates made since T's start. In a database management system (DBMS) using SI for concurrency control, read-only transactions are not delayed because of concurrent update transactions' writes, nor do read-only transactions cause delays in update transactions. Typically, locking is accomplished by a lock manager engine that is included in database management systems where lock acquisition actions are fully synchronized in nature.
However, in database transactional systems, a user may still progress in a transaction without knowing for certain that access to potentially shared data is serialized against modifications by other transactions. This specific anomaly that may occur is known as "write skew."

Determining integrity of database workload transactions

International Business Machines Corporation


An apparatus mounted on a valve for indicating a pressure of tire comprising a pressure indicator formed of transparent plastic and including a base having a scale, base consisting of an inner hollow cylinder sleeved on valve and an outer hollow cylinder with tops of cylinders open, a spring put on inner hollow cylinder, a seal put on inner hollow cylinder being urged by spring for eliminating a potential air flow through an inner or outer periphery of seal, and a cap having a downward peg engaged with valve, cap being releasably secured to a top of base. In indicating pressure of tire, air is flowed from within tire to push down seal through valve and pressure indicator so that a top of seal is aligned with one of marks of scale. Further, pressure indicator is disengaged from valve prior to inflating tire.

The present invention relates to tires of motor vehicle and more particularly to a pressure indicating device for tire of motor vehicle with improved characteristics.
A conventional valve 20 of a tube-less tire is projected from rim 10 as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. Valve 20 comprises a hollow cylindrical member 30 through rim 10; a tube member 40 having a lower portion secured within bore of hollow cylindrical member 30 and an upper portion with outer threaded section 402 and an inner threaded section 401; a channel member 50 having a narrow inner hole; a spring 80; a cap 60 having an outer threaded section 601; and an elongate slender bar 70 having a thin disk 701 on lower part with spring 80 anchored between the narrow inner hole of channel member 50 and a top of the elongate slender bar 70. The elongate slender bar 70 is inserted through the channel member 50 and cap 60 until disk 701 is stopped by bottom end of the channel member 50 which is in turn secured in tube member 40. Also, threaded section 601 of cap 60 is secured to the inner threaded section 401 of tube member 40. In inflating tire, air is pumped into tire through bores of cap 60 and channel member 50 by pushing down the elongate slender bar 70 by needle (not shown) for disengaging disk 701 from bottom end of the channel member 50. In the mean time, a person can know the fullness of the tire by observing the pivoting of pointer of a pressure gauge coupled to an air pump. But in a use state of tire, above air passage is closed. Further, person can only knock on the tire by hand or foot for generally determining a fullness thereof by feeling its hardness or hearing its sound prior to driving. However, such technique is not reliable. Thus improvement exists.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus mounted on a valve on a tire for indicating a pressure thereof. The apparatus comprises a pressure indicator formed of transparent plastic and including a base having a scale, the base consisting of an inner hollow cylinder sleeved on the valve and an outer hollow cylinder with tops of the cylinders open, a spring put on the inner hollow cylinder having a lower end rested on a bottom of the base, a hollow disk-shaped seal put on the inner hollow cylinder being urged by a top of the biased spring, an outer ring sleeved between the seal and an inner wall of the outer hollow cylinder, an inner ring sleeved between the seal and an outer wall of the inner hollow cylinder so as to eliminate a potential air flow through an inner or outer periphery of the seal, and a cap having a downward peg engaged with the valve, the cap being releasably secured to a top of the base wherein in indicating the pressure of the tire, air is flowed from within the tire to push down the seal through the valve and the pressure indicator so that a top of the seal is aligned with one of marks of the scale, and the pressure indicator is disengaged from the valve prior to inflating the tire.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an apparatus mounted on a first valve on a tire for indicating a pressure thereof. The apparatus comprises a pressure indicator formed of transparent plastic and including a base having a scale, the base consisting of an inner hollow cylinder sleeved on the first valve and an outer hollow cylinder with tops of the cylinders open, a spring put on the inner hollow cylinder having a lower end rested on a bottom of the base, a hollow disk-shaped seal put on the inner hollow cylinder being urged by a top of the biased spring, an outer ring sleeved between the seal and an inner wall of the outer hollow cylinder, an inner ring sleeved between the seal and an outer wall of the inner hollow cylinder so as to eliminate a potential air flow through an inner or outer periphery of the seal, and a cap releasably secured to a top of the base; and a second valve formed on a top of the cap and in communication with the cap, the second valve having an elongate slender bar engaged with the first valve; wherein in indicating the pressure of the tire, air is flowed from within the tire to push down the seal through the first valve and the pressure indicator so that a top of the seal is aligned with one of marks of the scale, and in inflating the tire, air is flowed to the tire through the second valve, the pressure indicator, and the first valve.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an apparatus mounted on a first valve on a tire for indicating a pressure thereof. The apparatus comprises a pressure indicator formed of transparent plastic and including a base having a scale, the base consisting of an inner hollow cylinder sleeved on the first valve and an outer hollow cylinder with tops of the cylinders open, a spring put on the inner hollow cylinder having a lower end rested on a bottom of the base, a hollow disk-shaped seal put on the inner hollow cylinder being urged by a top of the biased spring, an outer ring sleeved between the seal and an inner wall of the outer hollow cylinder, an inner ring sleeved between the seal and an outer wall of the inner hollow cylinder so as to eliminate a potential air flow through an inner or outer periphery of the seal, and a cap integrally formed on a top of the base; and a second valve formed on a top of the cap and in communication with the cap, the second valve having an elongate slender bar engaged with the first valve; wherein in indicating the pressure of the tire, air is flowed from within the tire to push down the seal through the first valve and the pressure indicator so that a top of the seal is aligned with one of marks of the scale, and in inflating the tire, air is flowed to the tire through the second valve, the pressure indicator, and the first valve.
The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken with the accompanying drawings.


A butterfly-type check valve (30) employs a secondary check valve (38) that is carried on the valve plate (36). The valve plate (36) is revolvable and translatable relative to the pivot shaft (34). In operation, the check valve (30) opens in response to a change in aerodynamic forces which act on the valve plate (36), the change being effected as a response to the opening of the secondary check valve (38). As the valve plate (36) rotates to an open position, its revolutionary movement relative to the shaft (34) changes the location of pivot points (40) relative to the surface (62) of the plate. This changes the areas (42, 44) of the surface (62) on both sides of the pivot points (40) so that the aerodynamic forces cause the valve (30) to open still further.

FIG. 1 of the accompanying drawings schematically illustrates a conventional butterfly valve arrangement 10 in which a butterfly plate 12 positioned in a duct 14 is rotated about an axis defined by a spindle or shaft 16 in order to vary the rate at which fluid flows through the duct. Typically, the plate 12 is rotated via torque applied by an external actuator 18 through the shaft 16.
A series of arrows 20 generally illustrates the static pressure profile resulting from the aerodynamic or hydrodynamic forces acting on the butterfly plate 12. The overall effect of the static pressure may be represented by a center of pressure (indicated by the arrow 22) which tends to force the plate 12 to the closed position. This force must be countered or overcome by energy supplied to the actuator 18 in order to retain the position of the plate 12 or further open the valve 10.
As a general matter, in order to lower the externally-supplied energy required to match or exceed the hydrodynamic forces acting on the plate 12, the center of pressure 22 should be favorably altered in relation to the axis of rotation That is, either the center of pressure 22 should be aligned with or moved closer to the shaft 16, or the shaft should be aligned with or moved closer to the center of pressure.
The above-referenced application teaches, among other things, that if in the design of a butterfly valve one provides for relative translational movement between the shaft 16 and the plate 12, then the bulk of the energy required to torque the plate can be provided by the aerodynamic forces acting thereon. The present invention employs this and other teaching contained in said application to provide a butterfly-type check valve.


Most machines in an organization's computer network connect to the Internet and create web traffic logs which allow analysis of HTTP traffic in a simple, centralized way. The web traffic logs may contain error reports and error reports contain significant information that can be used to detect network security. By reviewing the error reports, significant information about a network and its security can be found as common sources of network security weakness may be watched for in the error reports.

This Background is intended to provide the basic context of this patent application and it is not intended to describe a specific problem to be solved.
Network security personnel face numerous obstacles to their ability to monitor their network for security weaknesses, policy violations and intrusions. For example, the network security personnel do not control all the machines, as guests connect to the networks and even user's set up systems without the network security personnel knowing or approving. As another example, preferred security agents may not be present on all systems as the cost may be prohibitive, the sphere of control may be limited, there may be incompatible systems, etc. As hard as it may be to believe, network security personnel may not have administrative rights on all systems in communication with the network as they may only have rights to audit systems and not fully inspect them.

Identifying security properties of systems from application crash traffic


A semiconductor memory device according to an embodiment includes a control circuit configured to apply a first voltage to a selected first line, apply a second voltage to a selected second line, and apply a third voltage and a fourth voltage to a non-selected first line and a non-selected second line in a setting operation, respectively. The control circuit includes a detection circuit configured to detect a transition of a resistance state of a selected memory cell using a reference voltage. The control circuit is configured to execute a read operation in which the control circuit applies the third voltage to the selected first line and the non-selected first line, applies the second voltage to the selected second line, and applies the fourth voltage to the non-selected second line, and set the reference voltage based on a voltage value of the selected second line.

1. Field
Embodiments described in the present specification relate to a semiconductor memory device configured as an arrangement of memory cells each storing data by a change in resistance value of a variable resistance element, and an operation method thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, a resistance varying memory device employing a variable resistance element as a storage element has been receiving attention as a successor candidate of flash memory. Now, it is assumed that the resistance varying memory device, as well as including a resistance varying memory in a narrow sense, that is, a resistance varying memory that configures a transition metal oxide as a recording layer and stores a resistance value state of the transition metal oxide in a nonvolatile manner (ReRAM: Resistive RAM), includes also a phase change memory that employs chalcogenide or the like as a recording layer and uses resistance value information of a crystalline state (conductor) and an amorphous state (insulator) of the chalcogenide or the like (PCRAM: Phase Change RAM), and so on.
A memory cell array in a resistance varying memory device has memory cells disposed at intersections of bit lines and word lines, each memory cell being configured from a variable resistance element and a current rectifier element such as a diode or the like. In such a memory cell array, selection of a memory cell can be performed using the current rectifier element such as a diode or the like. Moreover, it is also possible for a high-density memory cell array to be realized by alternately stacking the bit lines and word lines to configure a three-dimensional stacked arrangement of memory cell arrays.
A resistance state of a recording layer in a resistance varying memory is changed by applying a voltage/current to the recording layer. Therefore, during a write operation, unless it is quickly detected that the resistance state of the recording layer has changed and the voltage/current application discontinued, an excessive electrical stress is applied to the recording layer, whereby a functional decline of the recording layer occurs. Accordingly, when a write operation is executed on a memory cell to change the resistance state, it must be quickly detected that the resistance state of the variable resistance element in the memory cell has changed, and thereby avoid, as far as possible, application of an unnecessary operational voltage. Detection of a change in resistance value of the variable resistance element is performed by, for example, detecting a voltage value of the bit line connected to the memory cell. Preparing a certain reference voltage and detecting when there is a reversal in magnitudes of the voltage value of the bit line connected to the memory cell and the voltage value of the reference voltage allows the change in resistance value of the memory cell to be detected.
In a memory cell array having memory cells arranged at intersections of bit lines and word lines, when a write operation is executed on a selected memory cell, the voltage state of the selected bit line and the selected word line change according to a resistance state of non-selected memory cells surrounding the selected memory cell. In view of the change in voltage state of the selected bit line and the selected word line, the reference voltage must be designed with a considerable margin. This makes it difficult to set the reference voltage employed for detecting whether the resistance state of the selected memory cell has undergone transition or not. There is also a possibility that, in the case where the voltage value of the reference voltage deviates from the voltage of the bit line connected to the selected memory cell around a time of the operation, the change in resistance state cannot be accurately detected. As a result, an excessive voltage is applied to the selected memory cell resulting in the memory cell being destroyed.

Semiconductor memory device and operation method thereof


In a gas turbine engine in which bearings (18, 30) of turbine (12) and compressor turbine (22) and exhaust duct (32) of compressor turbine (22) are attached to external annular wall (46) of heat exchanger (44). External annular wall (46) of heat exchanger (44) has heat insulation layer (48) on the inside surface. The engine has cooling device (94) for cooling external annular wall (46) of heat exchanger (44) on the side opposite to heat insulating layer (48).

This invention concerns counter-rotating gas turbines having a heat exchanger in the turbine flow duct. It is widely known to use heat exchangers (recuperators) in the flow duct of gas turbine engines (Paul Graig, in Electric and Hybrid Vehicle Design Studies, SP 1243, Society of Automotive Engineers, Inc., 1997, Warrendale, Pa., p. 135). The heat exchangers are used to increase efficiency by recycling waste heat. Normally, the heat exchanger is mounted outside the gas turbine engine and is connected to it by means of piping, or, as is the case with the above reference, the heat exchanger encloses the gas turbine engine and has an outer annular casing wall that can be heat insulated on the outside to lower heat losses to the ambient environment. Normally, the gas turbine engine has a separate frame that supports the turbine stator, the combustor and the shaft bearings. The outer annular wall or casing of the heat exchanger is supported by the frame and is hot during operation.
It is also known to use counter-rotating gas turbine engines (see our pending application Ser. No. 09/161,170, filed Sep. 25, 1998) in which a turbine and a compressor turbine rotate on different shafts in opposite directions, and shafts are journalled in bearings. The gas turbine engine has a heat exchanger that is used to heat the fluid coming from the compressor to the combustor and to the turbine. It should be noted that in the gas turbine engine of this type, there is no stator with guide vanes, and the compressor turbine is mounted immediately downstream of the turbine, and the turbine functions as a rotating guide vane system for the compressor turbine. This means that the fluid from the turbine flows directly to the blades of the compressor turbine. Therefore, the flow duct between the two turbines must have a stable geometry to minimize losses. This means that the clearance between the two turbines and the position of their shafts in space (alignment) should be maintained as accurate as possible under any operating conditions (speed, power, and temperature). Any deviation from the accurate geometry between the two turbines will result in a decrease in efficiency.


A rule set for client-applied encryption is created and deployed to a client device by a network device over a communications network. Encryption applied by the client in accordance with the rule set may form the basis of a secure connection in which encrypted information is encapsulated and tunneled across a network that includes a wireless or wired interface through which the client obtains network connectivity. The client may monitor operating conditions, including operating conditions of the communications network, client device, and/or service provider. The rule set includes one or more rules that may be used by the client in combination with the detected operating conditions to select the appropriate encryption protocol. The rule set may persist at the client for use over multiple sessions in which a range of communication protocols and/or access points are used by the client to obtain network connectivity.

Various forms of data encryption may be applied to communications transmitted over a network for the purpose of securing information. The concept of the virtual private network (VPN), for example, typically relies on one or more forms of encryption in combination with a tunneling protocol to prevent or reduce disclosure of private information. Common encryption protocols used for VPNs include IPSec, SSL/TLS, MPPE, and SSTP to name a few examples. In the context of wireless networks such as Wi-Fi, for example, encryption over the air interface may take the form of WEP, WPA (including TKIP), or WPA2 (including CCMP), for example.
Various forms of encryption may be applied in combination and at one or more different levels of a protocol stack for network communications. For example, one form of encryption may be applied to data passing from a first layer that is encapsulated and encrypted using a different form of encryption that is applied at a second layer. Encryption protocols may be further defined as being either a point-to-point (e.g., transport level) encryption protocol or a message level encryption protocol, with each protocol having its own respective advantages and disadvantages.
Wireless devices such as smartphones, tablet computers, laptop computers, etc. have the benefit of being mobile. This mobility enables wireless devices to obtain network connectivity through a variety of different access points using a variety of different wireless protocols. Many wireless devices available today offer support for two, three, or more different wireless protocols. For example, many smartphones support 3G and 4G cellular protocols, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth.
Additionally, network access points may be owned or operated by a variety of different entities, including publicly available cellular carriers with which a client accessing the network is a subscriber, publicly available cellular carriers with which the client accessing the network is not a subscriber, and private individuals and organizations that operate publicly accessible or private wireless networks. Each of these entities may implement different policies for their wireless networks, including different forms of security and rules for the data traversing their networks.

Rule sets for client-applied encryption in communications networks


A harvester grain bin monitoring system is disclosed. The system includes a sensor that monitors the perimeter of the bin proximate to the top rim to provide a warning to an operator when the grain level reaches approaches the bin rim. The sensor may be optical or mechanical.

It has long been a problem of harvesting equipment to determine the amount of grain which has been stored within the bin of the combine. Initially, it was necessary for the operator to turn around and physically took into the grain bin to determine the level of grain. As the cost of crop production rises, any spillage of grain becomes more and more expensive for the farmer, and it becomes more critical to ensure that the grain bin does not overflow onto the ground. Additionally, many harvesters now utilize grain bin extensions, making the bin taller than the top of the cab, and thereby preventing viewing of the grain level from within the cab.
Various monitoring systems are now available for harvesters which are much more effective than requiring the operator to physically view the contents of the combine grain bin. A majority of the most common monitoring systems utilize a mechanical switch or float within the grain bin that triggers a light or warning device for the operator. However, these devices measure the level at a point in the bin, and are ineffective in determining the crop level when the crop flows around the mechanical sensor rendering it immobile, or when gravity forces the crop away from the sensor.
There is a need for an improved monitoring system for harvester grain bins.


A vehicle height adjustment device includes a changer, a vehicle height controller, and a malfunction detector. The changer is configured to change a relative position of a body of a vehicle relative to an axle of a wheel of the vehicle. The vehicle height controller is configured to change the relative position based on a detection value detected by a detector configured to detect the relative position so as to control a vehicle height, which is a height of the body. The malfunction detector is configured to detect a malfunction in at least one of the changer and the detector, the malfunction causing the vehicle height controller to continue to control the vehicle height to increase.

Field
The present disclosure relates to a vehicle height adjustment device.
Background
Japanese Examined Patent Publication No. 8-22680 discloses a vehicle height adjustment device that increases the height of a motorcycle during travel and that decreases the height of the motorcycle during halt in order to facilitate a rider's or a passenger's getting on and off the motorcycle.
The vehicle height adjustment device automatically changes the height of the motorcycle in response to its speed of travel. Specifically, the vehicle height adjustment device automatically increases the height of the motorcycle when its speed reaches a set speed, and automatically decreases the height of the motorcycle when its speed changes to or below a set speed. In the adjustment of the height of the motorcycle, an electromagnetic actuator is driven into operation.


A supercapacitor according to the present invention includes a negative carbon-comprising electrode which does not intercalate sodium, and a positive carbon-comprising electrode. An electrolyte composition comprises sodium hexafluorophosphate and a non-aqueous solvent comprising at least one selected from the group consisting of ethylene glycol dimethyl ether, diethylene glycol dimethyl ether, triethylene glycol dimethyl ether, and tetraethylene glycol dimethyl ether. The supercapacitor has an electrochemical voltage window of from +0.0 V to 3.5 V (full cell voltage). The electrolyte has an electrochemical voltage window of from +0.05 V to 3.9 V vs. Na/Na+. A method of making and a method of operating a supercapacitor is also disclosed.

Supercapacitors store ionic charge electrostatically at the interface of high surface area electrodes, such as carbon electrodes, in a liquid electrolyte composition. Supercapacitors are also referred to interchangeably as ultracapacitors or electric double-layer capacitors (EDLC). Efforts to increase the energy density of supercapacitors have focused mainly on developing higher surface area electrodes and controlling electrode pore size. Energy density of supercapacitors can also be increased through faradaic mechanisms commonly known as pseudocapacitance, which arises from the introduction of redox active groups through functionalization of the carbon electrode surface or the incorporation of metal oxides.
Despite significant improvements in electrode materials design, most non-aqueous electrochemical capacitors use the same electrolyte compositions: either a mixture of tetraethylammonium tetrafluoroborate (TEABF4) in acetonitrile (AN) or TEABF4 in propylene carbonate (PC). These electrolyte compositions have a high specific conductivity that minimizes resistive losses and enables capacitors to operate at high power. However, these electrolyte compositions typically exhibit a practical voltage window around only 2.5-3.0 V, beyond which the capacitor lifetime is significantly reduced. Ionic liquids and other organic solvents (adiponitrile, sulfones, and carbonates) have been considered for high voltage electrolytes for capacitors. Of these, ionic liquids have generated the most interest due to their high stability, but remain limited by high cost, low purity, and low conductivity. Since the energy stored in a capacitor increases quadratically with voltage, extending the electrochemical window of the electrolyte composition could significantly improve the energy density of the capacitor.
With prolonged cycling, the capacitance of EDLCs decreases and the resistance increases. The performance degrades more rapidly at elevated temperature or higher voltage. Degradation is typically attributed to decomposition of the electrolyte, and is very sensitive to the electrolyte composition, electrode polarity, carbon surface functionality, and trace moisture. The long-term performance of EDLCs can also be limited by the stability of other components in the cell including the carbon, polymer binders, and current collectors (typically aluminum). Commercial EDLCs with organic electrolytes operate over a voltage window between approximately 1.5 and 4.5 V vs. Na/Na+. Developing higher voltage electrolytes for EDLCs requires careful consideration and control of all possible side reactions. For example, extending the positive voltage limit beyond 4.5 V vs. Na/Na+ likely requires strategies to effectively suppress corrosion of the aluminum current collector. Carbon oxidation may also occur at high voltage.
Extending the negative voltage limit below 1.5 V vs. Na/Na+ also presents certain challenges. The solvents most commonly used in lithium-ion batteries and EDLCs (carbonates and ACN) passivate electrodes at potentials below about 1.2 V vs. Na/Na+. Effective passivation of the negative electrode is critically important for the operation of lithium-ion batteries, but detrimental for double-layer capacitors. Even very thin insulating surface films can reduce the double layer capacitance and block small pores. Binders based on polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), which are commonly used in commercial EDLC electrodes, are also reduced below about 1.0 V vs. Na/Na+. Finally, the stability of the carbon itself with respect to reduction and/or intercalation of cations must be considered. Accordingly, there remains a continued need for an electrolyte composition that can extend the operating voltage window of a supercapacitor.

High voltage window electrolyte for supercapacitors


The present method and system for transmitting feature and authentication information for wireless communication services reduces the amount of data transmitted from a handset to a base station by transmitting service information when the wireless handset registers with the base station and authentication information when wireless service is requested by the wireless handset. After receiving the service and authentication information, the base station may store the service and authentication information in memory and retrieve the stored service and authentication information when the wireless handset again requests service from the base station. Alternatively, a mobile switching system may communicate the service and authentication information to the base station.

This invention relates to providing wireless communications. More particularly, this invention relates to a system for transmitting service and authentication information in a manner that reduces transmissions over the system.
Wireless communications have proliferated in the last few years. For purposes of this application, wireless communications include telephone services, pagers, Internet service, e-mail, and other service provided to mobile handsets. FIG. 1 illustrates wireless network 100 providing wireless communications to a mobile handset 110. For purposes of the present discussion, mobile handset may be a cellular telephone, a pager, or any other type of device that exchanges signals with a wireless network to provide a service to a user.
Radio signals 120 are transmitted between mobile handset 110 and one of antennas 130. The antenna 130 transmits and receives radio signals 120 containing data for providing wireless services to handset 110. Antenna 130 transmits data to and receives data from a base station 140 via path 131. Base station 140 converts radios signals to signals to be transmitted over the telephone network. Each base station 140 is connected to a mobile switching system 150. Mobile switching system 150 controls which base station 140 provides service to mobile handset 110. Mobile switching system 150 also connects the base station 140 to public telephone switching network (PTSN) 160 via path 151. One skilled in the art will recognize that path 151 is a plurality of trunks that connects mobile switching system 150 to switching systems in PTSN 160.
Wireless communications are provided in the following manner. Mobile handsets enters a cell serviced by an antenna 130 and transmits a location registration request via radio signals 120 to the antenna 130. Antenna 130 passes the location registration request to the connected base station 140. The base station transmits a location registration request to mobile switching system 150 and transmits a signal to handset 110 to terminate the location registration request. Mobile switching system the forwards the request to service provider wireless server 170. Service provider wireless server 170 maintains records as to which services that mobile handset 110 receives.
Service provider wireless server 170 transmits a message to mobile switching system 150 that includes service information and authentication information to mobile switching system 150. Mobile switching system 150 in turn transmits the message to base station 140. Base station 140 uses the information to determine which services that mobile handset 110 receives and to authenticate the handset 110 when service is requested. Every time mobile handset 110 moves to a new cell, the above process is executed.
As the number of services and users of wireless communications increase, the size of each cell decreases and the number of cells increases. As the number of cells increases, the traffic over the wireless network increases. Therefore, there is a need in the art for a reduction in the amount of data transmitted over the network.
The above and other problems are solved and an advance in the art is made by the provision of a method and a system for transmitting feature and authentication information for wireless communication services. This invention reduces the amount of data transmitted over a wireless network when a mobile handset is registered in a cell. The amount of data is reduced by only transmitting the service information for a handset to a base station when the handset registers with a base station. Authentication information is only transmitted to the base station when a request for a wireless service is requested for the wireless handset. This reduces the amount of data transmitted over the wireless network since authentication data is only transmitted when service is requested.
In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of this invention, wireless communication services are provided to a mobile handset in the following manner. A base station receives a location registration request from the mobile handset. In response to receiving the location registration request, the base station transmits a service information request to a mobile switching system. The base station then receives an information message from the mobile switching system in response to the service information request transmitted by the base station. The information message includes the service information for the mobile handset. When the base station receives a communication service request for the mobile handset in said base station, the base station also receives authentication information from the mobile switching system. After the base station receives the authentication information, the base station performs an authentication of the mobile handset in response to receiving the authentication information.
When the base station receives a service set-up message requesting a service for a wireless handset, the base station reads authentication information from a service information message in response to receiving a request for an incoming service to the mobile handset. The base station may then stores the authentication information in response to reading the authentication information from the service information message.
When the base station receives a request from the mobile handset for an outgoing service, the base station may determine whether the authentication information for the mobile handset is stored in a memory in the base station. If the authentication information is stored in the memory, the base station reads the authentication information from the memory. If the authentication information is not stored in the memory, the base station transmits a request to the mobile switching system for the authentication information. The base station then receives the authentication information from the mobile switching system. The authentication information may then be stored in the memory in response to receiving the authentication information.
The mobile switching system may perform in the following manner in an exemplary embodiment. First, the mobile switching system receives the service information request from the base station. The mobile switching system then generates an information message that includes the service information for the mobile handset. The information message is then transmitted by the mobile switching to the base station.
In order to generate the information message, the mobile switching system may determine whether the service information for the mobile handset is stored in a memory in the mobile switching system. If the service information is stored in the memory of the mobile switching system, the mobile switching system reads the service information from the memory.
If the service information is not stored in the memory of the mobile switching system, the mobile switching systems transmits a request for the service information to a service provider server. The service provider server transmits the service information to the mobile switching system. The mobile switching system receives the service information. After the service information is received, the mobile switching system may store the service information in the memory.
When the mobile switching system receives an authentication information request from the base station, the mobile switching system generates an authentication message including the authentication information and transmits the authentication message to the base station. In order to generate the authentication message, the mobile switching system may determine whether the authentication information is stored in a memory of the mobile switching system in response to receiving an authentication information request. If the authentication information is stored in the memory, the mobile switching system reads the authentication information from the memory.
If the authentication information is not stored in the memory, the mobile switching system transmits a request for the authentication information to a service provider server. The mobile switching system then receives the authentication information from the service provider service in response to a transmission of the request for the service information. When the mobile switching system receives the authentication information, the mobile switching system may store the authentication information in the memory of the mobile switching system for future use.

Method and system for transmitting feature and authentication information for wireless communication services


Disclosed is a vehicle which includes an electrical system monitoring system which results in detecting arcing in the electrical distribution system of the vehicle and the ability to provide notification and protection for such arcing. The system functions to monitor the electrical distribution system of the vehicle to sense the frequencies of signals in the system using appropriate filtering. One type of filtering which may be used is based upon a heterodyning circuit which provides variable frequency filtering for filtering a signal representative of the current in at least one electrical circuit of the vehicle. The heterodyning circuit output is configured to produce a signal which may be logarithmically related to the filtered signal. If the output signal exceeds a predetermined limit (representative of noise) for a predetermined period (representative of a typical arc duration), the system generates an arc signal. The arc signal may then be used to operate a circuit interrupter or an indicator in a circuit protection system or both.

The present invention relates, in general, to arc fault detection and, more specifically, to arc fault detection in vehicles.
There are various conditions that may cause an arc fault. Corroded, worn or aged wiring or insulation, insufficient contact pressure, electrical stress from repeated overloading, etc., may result in an arc fault. These conditions may damage the insulation of the wiring and create excessive heating temperatures. In general, these conditions have been found to occur in applications where vibrations and relatively high temperatures are normally present. More specifically, vehicles (e.g. automobiles, airplanes, trucks, off-road equipment, etc.) and other moving or vibrating equipment provide a harsh environment for electronics and electrical systems (direct current (D.C.) or alternating current (A.C.)).
The development of electronics and electrically powered accessories has resulted in an increase in the use of electronics and electrical power in vehicles. Examples of electronics and electrically powered accessories used in vehicles include:
electronic fuel injection or fuel control;
electronic timing control;
electronic transmission shift control;
electronic HVAC control;
electronic lighting control;
electronic braking control (e.g. anti-lock braking, traction control, slip control, etc.);
power convenience accessories (e.g. power seats, power windows, heated seats, personal lighting, heated steering wheels, power sun roof, power steering wheel tilt, power mirrors, tire inflation control, etc.);
electronic cruise control;
on-aboard navigation systems; and
air bags.
Many of the electronics and power accessories listed above are also used in aircraft and off-road vehicles (e.g. tractors, tracked vehicles, excavators, etc.). With hybrid and pure electric vehicles, the use and transmission of electrical power is multiples greater than with conventional vehicles due to the use of electricity to power the motors which propel the vehicles.
As a result of the substantial increase in use of electronics and electrical power accessories in vehicles, and the use of electric motors to propel vehicles, the potential for arc faults in the electrical systems of vehicles has also increased. As discussed above, such arcing can damage wiring and electronics or, cause unwanted heating. Thus, it would be desirable to provide a system for detecting and controlling arc faults in vehicle electrical systems.
Detection and control of arc faults is relatively complicated. For example, the occurrence of an arc fault in one branch circuit of a power distribution system of a vehicle may generate a false arc detection signal in another branch circuit. As a result, circuit breakers or interrupters in more than one branch circuit may erroneously trip. Relatively noisy loads within the vehicle, such as electric motors (engine fan, heater fan, power seat motors, etc.) can create high frequency disturbances, which may appear to be arc faults and cause unwanted circuit breaker tripping. Similarly, external high frequency disturbances within the vehicle""s operative environment also may appear to be arc vaults and cause unwarranted circuit tripping.
There are two types of arc faults that may occur in a vehicle. A first type is a high-energy arc that may be related to high current faults; a second type is a low current arc that may be related to the formation of a carbonized path between conductors. The first type may result from an inadvertent connection between a line conductor and neutral conductor or a line conductor and ground. The first type may draw current that is above the rated capacity of the circuit, arcing as the conductors are physically joined.
The other type of arc fault, the carbonization between electrical conductors, may be considered more problematic. Since the current in the arc may be limited to less than the trip rating of an associated circuit breaker or interrupter, such arcs may become persistent without observation and may result in certain conditions. Contact arcs may be caused by springs in switches that become worn which, in turn, may reduce the forces that hold electrical contacts together. As the electrical contacts heat and cool down, the conductors may touch and separate repeatedly, thereby possibly creating arcs known as xe2x80x9csputtering arcs.xe2x80x9d Such sputtering arcs can create carbonized paths resulting in persistent low current arcs in the electrical system.
Contact arcs or sputtering arcs may also be observed in contacts which are made from different materials. For example, aluminum wiring which contacts copper wiring may oxidize at the contact points. In this case a non-conductive layer may build up over time between the contact points and arcing may result.
In view of the potential for arc faults in vehicles, it would be desirable to provide vehicles with arc fault detection.
One embodiment of the present invention provides a motor vehicle comprising an engine, a transmission coupled to the engine for transferring mechanical energy to at least one wheel of the vehicle and an electric power source coupled to the engine to generate electrical energy. An electrical energy storage device is coupled to the electrical power source to store generated electrical energy. At least one electrical load having a function, wherein the load requires electrical energy to accomplish the function and an electrical distribution system configured to couple the electrical load to at least one of the electrical energy storage devices and the electric power source. A circuit protection system is coupled to the electrical distribution system and an electrical arc detection circuit is coupled to the circuit protection system and configured to monitor the electrical energy and generate an arc signal representative of an electrical arc when the detection circuit detects an electrical arc. The electrical detection system includes a superheterodyne circuit configured to monitor the electrical system. An oscillator circuit is configured to generate an oscillator frequency which cycles between a low frequency and a high frequency, with the oscillator circuit coupled to the superheterodyne circuit. A comparator circuit configured to eliminate background and sperious noise, the comparator circuit is coupled to the superheterodyne circuit and a referenced voltage terminal. An arc timing monitor circuit is configured to monitor time of the arcing fault based on a signal from the comparator circuit. A compensating circuit is configured to compensate for arcing drop-outs when the signal from the arc timings monitor circuit is received by the compensating circuit. An accumulating circuit is configured to receive the signal from the compensating circuit and generate a further signal indicative of the arc fault if a predetermined time period is exceeded. A trip signal generation circuit is configured to receive the further signal from the cumulating circuit and generate an arc signal to operate the circuit protection system.
Another embodiment of the present invention provides a vehicle having a propulsion device for propelling the vehicle, at least one of a motor and engine coupled to the propulsion device to provide power thereto, at least one electrical storage device and at least one electrical load having a function, wherein, the load requires electrical energy to accomplish the function. A D.C. electrical distribution system configured to couple the electrical load to the electrical storage device is also provided in the vehicle. The circuit protection system coupled to the electrical distribution system is provided and an electrical arc detection circuit coupled to the circuit protection system and configured to monitor the electrical energy and generate an arc signal when the electrical energy generates a signal representative of an electrical arc. The electrical detection system includes a superheterodyne circuit configured to monitor the electrical system. An oscillator circuit is configured to generate an oscillator frequency which cycles between a low frequency and a high frequency, with the oscillator circuit coupled to the superheterodyne circuit. A comparator circuit configured to eliminate background and spurious noise, the comparator circuit is coupled to the superheterodyne circuit and a referenced voltage terminal. An arc timing monitor circuit is configured to monitor time of the arcing fault based on a signal from the comparator circuit. A compensating circuit is configured to compensate for arcing drop-outs when the signal from the arc timings monitor circuit is received by the compensating circuit. An accumulating circuit is configured to receive the signal from the compensating circuit and generate a further signal indicative of the arc fault if a predetermined time period is exceeded. A trip signal generation circuit is configured to receive the further signal from the cumulating circuit and generate an arc signal to operate the circuit protection system. Another embodiment provides a circuit protection system that includes one of a circuit interrupter and an indicator.

Vehicle electrical system arc detection apparatus and method


A writing instrument according to an embodiment of the invention including, a chuck that chucks a writing lead, wherein the chuck includes a first chuck pawl which comes into point contact or line contact with the writing lead to press the writing lead so as to apply first contact stress to the writing lead; and a second chuck pawl which presses the writing lead so as to apply, to the writing lead, second contact stress that is lower than the first contact stress, and the first contact stress is configured such that, when a prescribed impact is applied to the writing lead, a contact portion of the writing lead subjected to the first contact stress fractures and absorbs the prescribed impact.

Conventionally, writing instruments used at construction sites or the like of electrical construction, building construction, and the like are known (for example, refer to Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2007-307798). In a writing instrument disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2007-307798, an elastic cylinder body is arranged in a tip part of a tip pipe extending forward from an outer cylinder. The elastic cylinder body is in elastic contact with a writing lead for a writing instrument fed out from a tip of the tip pipe.
According to such a writing instrument, even when some kind of impact acts on the tip pipe in a state where, for example, the tip pipe is inserted into a small groove or the like cut into wood that is a writing object, the impact is absorbed by the elastic cylinder body. Therefore, occurrences of a failure such as breakage of the writing lead for a writing instrument are suppressed.
However, even with the writing instrument including the elastic cylinder body disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2007-307798, impact applied to the writing instrument from the outside cannot be completely absorbed by the elastic cylinder body. For this reason, conventionally, there is a need for a writing instrument capable of reducing impact transmitted to a writing lead for a writing instrument from the outside.


The present invention is a method for performing a percutaneous laminoplasty that includes entering a first introducer needle introducing a first tool wire into an epidural space above a selected lamina, entering a first catcher exit needle that that is caught with the first introducer needle and pulled through a patient body and entering a second introducer needle introducing a second tool wire into the epidural space below the selected lamina. The method also includes entering a second catcher exit needle that is caught within the epidural space and pulled through the patient body, moving the caught first introducer needle and the first catcher exit needle back and forth to cut the lamina and moving the caught second introducer needle and the second catcher exit needle back and forth to cut the lamina. There is also a method for performing a percutaneous foraminoplasty.

Spinal canal stenosis and foraminal stenosis are very common diseases of the spine affecting a relatively significant number of people involving all age groups. Spinal stenosis is a disease of the spinal column that is caused by a progressive narrowing of the spinal canal and/or neuroforaminal space thus limiting and restricting the space or room for neural elements. Canal stenosis can be due to the hypertrophy of both posterior elements and or anterior elements within the spinal canal. Canal stenosis can also occur due to overgrowth of bone tissue, ligamentum flavum, soft tissue or tumor inside the canal. Mostly a disease of the elderly, as life expectancy increases so does the incidence of spinal canal stenosis. In younger populations it can be seen with congenital anomalies such as associated canal stenosis secondary to short pedicles, trauma or other factors. As symptoms and disease progress the neural elements are compressed further typically resulting in pain, weakness, numbness, burning sensations, tingling and/or in severe cases can cause bladder and bowel instability, bladder or bowel failure and/or paralysis of the upper body and/or lower body depending on which levels of the spine are affected. Additionally, foraminal stenosis is a narrowing of the spinal foramen that pathologically compresses a spinal nerve as it exits the spine. Additionally, foraminal stenosis can be associated with central canal stenosis or can be an independent pathology.
The intervertebral foramen provides a protective exit tunnel for the spinal nerve to leave the spinal canal. The intervertebral foramen is formed posteriorly by the superior articular process of the vertebra below and the inferior articular process of the vertebra above, anteriorly by the vertebral bodies and the intervening intervertebral disc, and superiorly and inferiorly by the respective vertebral pedicles. Foraminal stenosis refers to narrowing of the intervertebral foramina. It is commonly caused by a degenerative articular process enlargement posteriorly, anteriorly by posterolateral intervertebral disc bulging and posterolateral vertebral body lipping (osteophytes), and superiorly by the vertebral pedicle that moves inferiorly with intervertebral disc dehydration and collapse during degenerative disc disease.
As the result of canal and or foraminal stenosis, nerves and/or spinal cord are compressed resulting in pain, tingling, numbness and weakness in the muscles of the affected area. Current medical practice regarding central stenosis and foraminal stenosis has afforded limited viable minimally invasive choices to both practitioners and patients. In mild cases, canal stenosis and foraminal stenosis can be treated with rest, rehabilitation, strengthening, oral analgesics, anti-inflammatory drugs and/or other conservative measures. Moderate cases can be treated temporarily with corticosteroids generally in the form of epidural steroid injections for canal stenosis or transforaminal epidural steroid injections for foraminal stenosis in combination with conservative measures typically with limited or mixed results. Open surgeries are reserved for progressive cases of foraminal stenosis and canal stenosis with variable results. Results depend on the cause of the patient's lower back pain and most patients can expect considerable relief from pain and some improvement in functioning. However there is some disagreement among surgeons about the success rate of open spine surgeries, which appears to be due to the several factors most notably failed back syndrome (scar tissue from post open surgery). Minimally invasive surgical procedures and devices have been developed over the years to treat spinal stenosis but with limited success. Typically these devices have only treated these symptoms by restricting movement and according to some reports with less than 50% of patients reporting some pain relief.
As surgical techniques, procedures and devices have progressed and improved the trend for less invasive and minimally invasive procedures and devices has become desired by both practitioners and patients. There are many benefits associated with minimally invasive procedures as seen in many surgical specialties and subspecialties including less invasive arthroscopic procedures, laparoscopic procedures and minimally invasive spinal procedures. Several newer spinal related surgical procedures claim to be minimally invasive but in actuality are open or partial open techniques and require general anesthesia and carry the same or similar intraoperative risks in regards to general anesthesia as general open procedures. This has been a major problem affecting both practitioners and patients in respect to the void of truly viable minimally invasive approaches to spinal stenosis and foraminal stenosis.
The present invention generally relates to a plurality of methods for treating one or more spinal conditions particularly for spinal stenosis, spinal compression, foraminal compression and foraminal stenosis that utilizes a plurality of exclusively percutaneous methods using a plurality of T-techniques. The T-techniques are minimally invasive techniques to treat spinal stenosis and foraminal stenosis. The present invention achieves decompression of the spinal canal and the neuroforamen through percutaneous techniques and methods where a cutting instrument or tissue modifying tool are in the form of a wire tool which is made to pass through an epidural needle tool (introducer needle) and made to exit through another epidural needle tool (exit needle) with the help of a grasper like tool such that the tissue modifying wire tool remains behind (inferior to) the target lamina or roof of the foramen while the two ends (a proximal and distal portion) of the tissue modifying wire tool remain outside the patient's skin. In carrying out the objectives of the T-techniques, several additional benefits will accompany these methods which include the use of a minimally invasive procedure and experience, minimal or no scar post-op, minimal or no bleeding during or post-op, minimal or no failed back surgery syndrome, minimal or no scar tissue, using a procedure being performed under local anesthesia with no added potential complications from general anesthesia, less pain following the procedure, less time in the operating room and less time spent in a recovery phase. Patients will be awake during the procedure and will be able to feel an immediate relief. As only a minimally invasive modification is used, mainly the diseased anatomy is manipulated and/or maneuvered thus allowing for a quicker and more natural healing.
The present invention results in less time spent in the hospital as compared to more invasive procedures especially for elderly or relatively more complicated cases and can be performed in an outpatient setting in younger patients or on a case by case basis. Unfortunately, as a person ages the risk of complications increase during prolonged intraoperative procedures under general anesthesia. The complications associated with general anesthesia are well known and documented. The present invention is unlike other procedures, techniques or devices that have preceded it in respect to spinal stenosis and foraminal stenosis in that it is the only procedure that provides a truly minimally invasive percutaneous laminoplasty or foraminoplasty that manipulates and corrects the diseased anatomy while the patient is awake and not under general anesthesia. Thus the complications inherent of general anesthesia are avoided. Furthermore, as the patient is awake during the procedure the possibility of getting a nerve injury is lessened and almost negligible as the patient will get paresthesia even with a slight touch of the wire tool with the spinal cord or a nerve root. The paresthesia is accepted as an initial safety gauge in many performed minimally invasive percutaneous spinal procedures today such as lumbar epidural injections, transforaminal epidural steroid injections and other similar procedures. The paresthesia allows a practitioner to know that he is in a sensitive area and to modify his or her approach. This is only possible if the patient is awake as in the present invention. Open techniques and/or partially open techniques do not have this level of safety because patients are under general anesthesia. Added measures of safety can be provided that also include patient feedback devices such as nerve stimulators, electromyography (EMG), evoked muscle action potentials, epiduroscopes and other commonly accepted methods for determining early injury to nerve or dura.
The present invention at its most basic description is the simple idea of passing a wire tool through two needle tools as described herein as the T-technique and method. The T-technique is a minimally invasive method for the treatment of spinal stenosis and foraminal stenosis. In the scope of medical practice there have been limited choices for both patients and physicians in regards to minimally invasive procedures for treatment of spinal stenosis and foraminal stenosis. The traditional methods of laminoplasty, laminectomy, foraminoplasty and other suitable methods of treatment are open procedures and carry the inherent risks of general anesthesia, prolonged operating time and other well-documented complications. An X-STOP™ titanium implant made by Medtronic Inc. is an implanted device that only treats symptomology mainly by restricting extension of the stenotic segment of the lumbar spine. The Baxano® technique or iO-FLEX™ system is described as a system that utilizes thin, flexible instruments to provide precision lumbar decompression from the "inside out". The Baxano® technique in practicality is an open or partially open technique that requires full general anesthesia and thus when examining the safety profile of the Baxano® technique the complications associated with general anesthesia must be included. In contrast, the present invention known as the T-technique is a truly percutaneous minimally invasive method for treating spinal stenosis and foraminal stenosis that is performed under local anesthesia that corrects and treats both pathology and symptomology.
The present invention described herein as the T-Technique is completely percutaneous and does not utilize open technique. This is unlike other techniques such as the Baxano Corporation technique where the exit of a surgical tool-like wire is not clear and/or is continuously pushed through tissue dangerously and is practically not possible and/or where exit cannot be possible without an open technique. The present invention utilizes the idea of percutaneously being able to connect one epidural space to another epidural space by passing any conjoining tool including a guide wire tool, a cutting tool, a hollow tube with a lumen capable of allowing additional guide wire tools to be passed through it, or any other suitable tissue modifying device or wire by using any tool or tools including a pair of epidural needles. Furthermore the T-Technique may be used in this method as described herein to connect one or multiple epidural interlaminar spaces with one or multiple other epidural interlaminar spaces at the same level and/or different levels of the spine.
The present invention utilizes the idea of percutaneously being able to connect one epidural space to an intervertebral foraminal space through passing any conjoining tool including a guide wire tool, a cutting tool, a hollow tube with a lumen capable of allowing additional guide wire tools to be passed through it, or any other suitable tissue modifying device or wire by using any tool or tools including a pair of epidural needles. Furthermore the T-Technique may be used in this method as described herein to connect one or multiple epidural interlaminar spaces with one or multiple other intervertebral foraminal spaces at the same level and/or different levels of the spine.
The present invention also utilizes the idea of percutaneously being able to connect from one intervertebral foraminal space to an other intervertebral foraminal space by passing any conjoining tool including a guide wire tool, a cutting tool, a hollow tube with a lumen capable of allowing additional guide wire tools to be passed through it, or any other suitable tissue modifying device or wire by using any tool or tools including a pair of epidural needles. Furthermore the T-Technique may be used in this method as described herein to connect one or multiple intervertebral foraminal spaces with one or multiple other intervertebral foraminal spaces at the same level and/or different levels of the spine.
The present invention can be performed for any combination of percutaneous laminoplasty and percutaneous foraminoplasty. The idea of a third needle tool, a fourth needle tool, a fifth needle tool and additional consecutive needle tools can be added on such that instead of using just (two) 2 epidural needle tools where the first would be an introducer needle tool and the second an exit needle tool, that some other combination of similar needle tools could perform the same function as utilized with the previously mentioned methods described herein. In regards to the term needle, it is defined as any tool or tools that are used to puncture or enter an epidural space or a neuroforaminal space through a percutaneous technique in contrast to open technique and as described for purposes and intentions herein described as the T-Technique. The T-Technique can include in its description the passing of any conjoining tool including a guide wire tool, a cutting tool, a hollow tube with a lumen capable of allowing additional guide wire tools to be passed through its lumen, or any other suitable tissue modifying device that can transport similar tools to connect interlaminar epidural spaces with other interlaminar epidural spaces and/or to connect interlaminar epidural spaces with intervertebral foraminal spaces and/or to connect intervertebral foraminal spaces with other intervertebral foraminal spaces using any suitable tool or tools including a pair of epidural needles. These needle tools will include an introducer and exit needle tool and can allow other medical tools such as forceps, graspers, wires and other medical tools to pass through the needle tools and be able to function and perform as a medical instrument, tool or device inside the patient's body in the epidural space or neuroforaminal space. A medical tool for example like a grasper tool can be used functionally to catch a guide wire tool that is passed through the introducer needle tool. Furthermore, other functions of the medical tools passed through the introducer or exit epidural needle tools inside the patient's body can include the ability to deliver medicines, irrigate fluids and suction fluids as well as the ability to maneuver and place other medical surgical tools and devices including surgical cutting wire and abrasive tissue modifying tools in desired target areas.
The present invention is a method performed percutaneously which will increase the anteroposterior (AP) diameter of the spinal canal for canal stenosis as well create increased foraminal space to relieve pressure on compressed exiting spinal nerves in foraminal stenosis. This resultant space creation and pressure relief of neural elements will be resultant of the abrasive and cutting nature of the percutaneous T-techniques and methods described herein. The T-technique's abrasive and cutting action applied to target segments of vertebral bone including lamina, spinous process, superior articular process, inferior articular process, pedicle and other desired target tissue will heal with or without percutaneous fusion though a natural healing process. A major benefit for a patient who experiences the percutaneous T-Technique for spinal stenosis or foraminal stenosis is decreased healing time as the adjacent structures will remain intact as compared to open and partially open techniques that require substantial tissue modification and dissection and thus prolonged healing times.
The present invention utilizes a plurality of T-technique methods that are percutaneous minimally invasive techniques that provide anatomical change in context to laminoplasty and foraminoplasty. The T-techniques do not require open technique or partially open technique as required by traditional laminoplasty or foraminoplasty. The T-technique for percutaneous laminoplasty will potentially replace a large portion of the open surgical methods in current practice by a simple percutaneous procedure for cutting lamina and other desired bones. Additionally the T-technique for percutaneous foraminoplasty will also potentially replace a large portion of the open surgical methods in current practice by a simple percutaneous procedure that allows for partial cutting through one or more superior and/or inferior articular processes and/or pedicle. This relief of pressure and space creating will cause the patient to feel a reduction of pain immediately following T-Technique. The present invention also includes a T-technique percutaneous laminoplasty with percutaneous foraminoplasty that is a combination of both previously described techniques herein. The T-techniques do not require any general anesthesia and can be completely done under local and or segmental regional anesthesia avoiding the risk of general anesthesia especially in an elderly population. The T-techniques can be used to treat radiculopathy and can be used to achieve decompression due to cord (neural ailment) compression, where the compression is due to one or more posterior overgrown structures. The T-techniques can be a procedure of choice for one or more syndromes where younger patients develop canal stenosis due to short pedicles and other congenital anomalies. Because of its simplicity and ease, the T-technique can give practitioners the ability to treat developing cases and earlier staged cases in canal and foraminal stenosis to avoid the complications of chronic disease. The T-technique will be used for central canal stenosis and for lateral canal stenosis (foraminal stenosis). The T-techniques may be a procedure of choice for all ages especially patients categorized as high risk for intraoperative procedures. The technical aspects of performing the described T-technique will be no more difficult than that of procedures performed in common pain management practice today. The percutaneous T-Technique will provide a patient with desired modification of the diseased anatomical structures including ligamentum flavum, pedicle, lamina and articular processes. This will occur by application of the present invention's cutting and abrasive properties, and subsequent stretching, pulling and mobilizing of loose bone followed by stabilization and natural boney healing with fusion resulting in an increase of space for neural elements and pain relief.
The present invention will increase AP diameter of the spinal canal by a percutaneous (through the skin) procedure that does not require vertical or horizontal incisions as do traditional open surgeries such as laminectomy, laminoplasty, foraminoplasty and foraminotomy. This incision for traditional open surgeries has to be made through many layers of tissue including skin, fat and muscle that must be dissected and retracted. The trauma inflicted to the muscle and surrounding tissue requires significant time to heal after surgery. Because this is a percutaneous technique there are no long incisions during T-technique. Practitioners do not have to cut through muscle or surrounding tissue to complete the procedure, leading to less tissue damage and quicker recovery. The present invention is a percutaneous technique described for laminoplasty and foraminoplasty patients that will experience minimal or no scarring of skin as well as less or negligible scar tissue and surgical adhesions which is a common cause of failed back syndrome related to open techniques.
The T-techniques can be performed in a more efficient and safer manner when compared to open procedures resulting in less time in the operating room for the patient. The patient will not have to undergo general anesthesia as the T-technique is performed under local anesthesia, thus avoiding the risks and complications that accompany general anesthesia. Under the T-techniques there will be less blood loss as compared to traditional open techniques. The patient will suffer less pain with the T-techniques when compared to traditional open surgeries. The T-techniques can reduce the overall hospital stay and T-technique patients will be able to start mobilization earlier than patients that have traditional open technique methods. The present invention is a minimally invasive procedure with minimal or no bleeding during procedure or post-op, minimal or no failed back surgery incidence (scar tissue) and is performed under local anesthesia without added complications from general anesthesia. The present invention involves less pain following the procedure, less time in an operating room, less time spent in the recovery phase and patients will be awake during the procedure and will be able to feel relative immediate relief. As only a minimally invasive modification is used, mainly the diseased anatomy is maneuvered thus allowing for a relative quicker and more natural healing process. The present invention also allows for less time spent in the hospital and can be performed in an outpatient setting on relatively younger patients or on a case by case basis.

Percutaneous methods for spinal stenosis and foraminal stenosis


The present disclosure relates to the biosynthesis of indigoid dye precursors and their conversion to indigoid dyes. Specifically, the present disclosure relates to methods of using polypeptides to produce indigoid dye precursors from indole feed compounds, and the use of the indigoid dye precursors to produce indigoid dyes.

The blue dye indigo, produced by some plants, is one of the oldest dyes in the world. It is still a widely used textile dye, particularly in the denim clothing industry. Modern indigo is no longer sourced from plants, but is produced synthetically, mostly from petroleum. Indigo itself is a water-insoluble compound. In order to dye denim, indigo must be treated with a reducing agent to produce an unstable, water-soluble intermediate. After application of this intermediate to the fabric, the fabric is exposed to air and the intermediate oxidizes back to indigo, crystallizing within the fabric fibers. The most common reducing agent used for this process is sodium dithionite, which has many limitations. Sodium dithionite is unstable; can over-reduce the indigo, destroying the dye; is required in excess quantities; and its use produces large amounts of sulfate and sulfite which are detrimental to the environment. Because of these shortcomings, substantial amounts of sodium dithionite are lost to byproducts and degradation during the dyeing process.
The biosynthesis of natural indigo in plants proceeds through a different synthetic pathway. An indigo precursor compound is produced and stored in the plant, then converted to indoxyl, which spontaneously dimerizes to form indigo. However, the quantity and variety of indigo precursors that can be produced through current natural biological pathways is limited.
Thus, there exists a need for new methods to produce indigoid dye precursors with greater structural variety and which can be used to produce indigoid dyes without a harsh reductant chemical.

Protecting group chemistry for clean, reductant-free dyeing

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