A light engine including a lamp casing having a tubular light pipe receptacle. A large core optic light pipe extends from outside the light engine into the tubular receptacle. The light pipe has an inner end supported in the tubular receptacle. Two half-ellipsoidal reflector dishes are joined to form a single ellipsoidal reflector within the casing. A lamp is supported within the casing adjacent a first focal point of the ellipsoidal reflector. The reflector is positioned to focus light energy from the lamp onto a second focal point of the ellipsoidal reflector. A quartz thermal barrier is disposed in the tubular receptacle between the lamp and the light pipe inner end. The thermal barrier has an outer end surface optically coupled to the light pipe and an inner end surface disposed adjacent the second focal point of the reflector to receive convergent light emitted from the lamp and reflected from the reflector.

Current light engines sometimes include reflective surfaces that collect and focus light onto end surfaces of large core optic or fiber optic light pipes. Some current systems also include means for dissipating heat and protecting light pipes from heat-related damage that might otherwise result from the intense heat typically associated with high-intensity illuminators and convergent light beams.
One method of focusing at least a portion of light from an illuminator onto a light pipe end surface is to incorporate a hollow half-ellipsoid reflector shell into a light engine. According to this method, an illuminator is disposed at a first focal point of the reflector shell and a light pipe end surface is disposed at a second focal point of the reflector shell.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,099,399 to Miller et al. (the Miller patent) discloses a light engine that uses a half-ellipsoid reflector dish to focus light energy from an illuminator onto the end of a large core optic light pipe. The light engine includes a lamp casing and a tubular receptacle for receiving one end of the light pipe. The illuminator is included in a lamp disposed inside the lamp casing. A glass thermal barrier is disposed in the tubular receptacle between the lamp and the large core optic light pipe. The illuminator is disposed at a first focal point of the half-ellipsoid reflector dish. An inner surface of the thermal barrier is disposed at a second focal point of the reflector dish. The reflector dish focuses light emitted from the illuminator onto the thermal barrier inner surface.
The Miller patent also discloses a radiation heat dissipation system comprising fins and a convective heat dissipation system comprising an electric fan and a series of air channels passing through the tubular receptacle and the lamp casing. The inclusion of these various heat dissipation systems gives the Miller light engine a complex structure that is difficult to fabricate and assemble and that includes moving parts that require additional electrical energy to operate and are inherently maintenance-prone, e.g., the electric fan motor. In addition, the Miller patent discloses no provision for recovering light energy that is lost when the light energy radiates from the light source and reflects from or is absorbed by an inner surface of the lamp casing rather than reflecting off the half-ellipsoid reflector.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,883,333 to Yanez (the Yanez patent) discloses a full-ellipsoid reflector. An illuminator is disposed at a first focal point within the ellipsoid reflector. The reflector focuses light from the illuminator onto a second focal point within the ellipsoid reflector. The Yanez reflector comprises a reflective coating on a solid ellipsoid formed from optical material. The Yanez light source is embedded within the optical material.
The Yanez reflector focuses light on a lens integrally formed with a cone channel condenser. The Yanez patent discloses no provision for dissipating heat generated by the light source or for replacing the light source when it burns out. The Yanez patent also discloses no provision for protecting the light pipes from heat energy that the illuminator might generate.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,416,669 to Kato et al. (the Kato patent) discloses a light engine having two intersecting, outwardly facing half-ellipsoidal reflector dishes. A single illuminator is disposed at a point that is the first focal point of both reflector dishes. Two light pipes extend inward, from outside the light engine, through a pair of tubular receptacles to the second focal point of each reflector dish.
Glass thermal barriers are disposed in the tubular receptacles between the lamp and the large core optic light pipes. Because the reflectors are only half-ellipsoidal, much of the light from the illuminator does not impinge upon the reflectors. Therefore, the Kato light engine includes a second set of annular mirrored surfaces that re-direct light that does not impinge upon the half-ellipsoid reflector dishes. The resulting structure includes complex contours that are difficult to machine.
It is desirable for light engines that condense light onto end surfaces of large core optic light pipes to include reflective surfaces and heat dissipation systems that are both effective and relatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture and operate.


An achromatic fiber optic coupler of the type wherein three single-mode optical fibers are fused together along a portion of the lengths thereof to form a coupling region. Each fiber includes a core and a cladding, the lowest refractive index of the fiber claddings being n.sub.2. The fibers are disposed in a triangular array in the coupling region. A matrix glass body of refractive index n.sub.3 surrounds the coupling region, n.sub.3 being lower than n.sub.2 by such an amount that the value of .DELTA..sub.2-3 is less than 0.125%, wherein .DELTA..sub.2-3 equals (n.sub.2.sup.2' -n.sub.3.sup.2)/2n.sub.2.sup.2.

This invention relates to single-mode fiber optic couplers that are capable of effecting a relatively uniform coupling of light between fibers over a relatively broad band of wavelengths.
Fused fiber couplers have been formed by positioning a plurality of fibers in a side-by-side relationship along a suitable length thereof and fusing the claddings together to secure the fibers and reduce the spacings between the cores. Various coupler properties can be improved by inserting the fibers into a capillary tube prior to heating and stretching the fibers, thereby resulting in the formation of an "overclad coupler". To form an overclad coupler, the fibers are inserted into a tube, the tube is evacuated, and its midregion is heated and collapsed onto the fibers. The central portion of the midregion is thereafter drawn down to that diameter and coupling length which is necessary to obtain the desired coupling.
The cores become so small in the coupling region that their effect on propagation becomes very small. When the fiber cladding diameter becomes sufficiently small, the composite of the core and cladding functions as the light guiding portion of the waveguide in the coupling region, and the surrounding low index matrix material functions as the cladding. Power therefore transfers between the adjacent fiber claddings in the coupling region. The fundamental mode of that portion of the fiber that is in the coupling region (the core/clad/overclad waveguide) has a propagation constant different from the fundamental mode propagating in the fiber outside the coupling region. The term .beta..sub.CR will be used herein to refer to the propagation constant of the fundamental mode propagating in that portion of a coupler fiber that is in the coupling region. The propagation constant of the fundamental mode in the coupling region actually changes continuously with geometry. It is useful in order to obtain a qualitative understanding of the behavior of these couplers to consider a coupler having constant geometry in the coupling region with a lossless connection to input and output fibers.
Identical optical fibers were heretofore used to make a standard coupler, the coupling ratio of which is very wavelength dependent, i.e. if it exhibits 3 dB coupling at 1310 nm it cannot function as a 3 dB coupler at 1550 nm because of that wavelength dependence. A "standard coupler" might be characterized in terms of its power transfer characteristics in a window centered about 1310 nm, which is referred to as the first window. For example, a standard coupler might exhibit a coupling ratio that does not vary more than about .+-.5% within a 60 nm window.
An "achromatic coupler" is one wherein the coupling ratio is less sensitive to wavelength than it is for a standard coupler. There is no widely accepted definition of an "achromatic coupler". The least stringent definition would merely require an achromatic coupler to exhibit better power transfer characteristics than the standard coupler in the first window. More realistically, the specification is tightened by requiring an achromatic coupler to perform much better than the standard coupler in that first window, or to require it to exhibit low power transfer slopes in two windows of specified widths. These windows might be specified, for example, as being 100 nm wide and centered around about 1310 nm and 1530 nm. These windows need not have the same width; their widths could be 80 nm and 60 nm, for example. An optimally performing achromatic coupler would be capable of exhibiting low values of coupled power slope over essentially the entire single-mode operating region. For silica-based optical fibers this operating region might be specified as being between 1260 nm and 1580 nm, for example.
One type of achromatic coupler has been formed by employing fibers having different propagation constants for the fundamental mode in the coupling region, i.e. by using fibers of different diameter and/or fibers of different refractive index profile or by tapering or etching one of two identical fibers more than the other.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,011,251 teaches overclad achromatic fiber optic couplers wherein the coupled fibers are surrounded by matrix glass having a refractive index n.sub.3 that is lower than that of the fiber cladding material. The .beta..sub.CR of the two waveguides are different in the coupling region since the fibers have different cladding refractive indices. The difference between the refractive index n.sub.2 of the cladding of the first fiber and the refractive index n.sub.2 ' of the cladding of the second fiber is such that the coupler exhibits very little change in coupling ratio with wavelength over a relatively wide band of wavelengths. FIG. 1 shows the spectrum of a typical .DELTA..beta. achromatic coupler, made in accordance with U.S. Pat. No. 5,011,251. Whereas the insertion loss curves of the two outputs intersect near the centers of the two telecommunications windows, they diverge near the edges of those windows, and the separation between those curves at the edges of the windows is typically about 1 dB. This separation is referred to as "uniformity", and one key standards body, Bellcore, calls out in its document referred to as TA1209 a required uniformity of 1.0 dB and an objective of 0.5 dB.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,011,251 characterizes the tube refractive index n.sub.3 by the symbol .DELTA..sub.2-3, the value of which is obtained from the equation, .DELTA..sub.2-3 =(n.sub.2.sup.2 -n.sub.3.sup.2)/n.sub.2.sup.2'. The term .DELTA. is often expressed in percent, i.e. one hundred times .DELTA.. Commercially available single-mode optical fibers usually have a value of n.sub.2 that is equal to or near that of silica. If silica is employed as the base glass for the tube, a dopant such as B.sub.2 O.sub.3, and optionally fluorine, is added thereto for the purpose of decreasing the tube refractive index n.sub.3 to a value lower than n.sub.2. In addition to lowering the refractive index of the tube, B.sub.2 O.sub.3 also advantageously lowers the softening point temperature thereof to a value lower than that of the fibers. That patent teaches that when .DELTA..sub.2-3 is below about 0.2%, the amount of B.sub.2 O.sub.3 in a silica tube is insufficient to soften the tube glass in a 1.times.2 or a 2.times.2 coupler, whereby it excessively deforms the fibers during the collapse step. The value of .DELTA..sub.2-3 for standard couplers has therefore usually been between 0.26% and 0.35%, and to improve the reproducibility of the process of making achromatic overclad couplers of the type disclosed in that patent, .DELTA..sub.2-3 is preferably greater than 0.4%.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/913,390 (D. L. Weidman-6) filed Jul. 15, 1992 teaches an overclad achromatic fiber optic coupler of the type wherein a plurality of single-mode optical fibers are fused together along a portion of their lengths to form a coupling region that is surrounded by a matrix glass body of refractive index n.sub.3. The coupler taper and n.sub.3 are such that the coupling constants of the coupler at two widely separated wavelengths are identical, thus giving achromatic performance. To achieve such achromatic performance, n.sub.3 must be lower than n.sub.2 by such an amount that the value of .DELTA..sub.2-3 is less than 0.125%, n.sub.2 being the fiber cladding refractive index. The value of .DELTA..sub.2-3 is preferably chosen so that nonadiabatic taper excess loss is kept below 0.5 dB. A discussion of nonadiabatic taper devices appears in the publication, W. J. Stewart et al., "Design Limitation on Tapers and Couplers in Single-Mode Fibers", Proc. IOPOC, 1985, pages 559-562. In order to meet this requirement, it appears that .DELTA..sub.2-3 must be lower than 0.125% and preferably lower than about 0.02%. As .DELTA..sub.2-3 becomes smaller, less refractive index-decreasing dopant is present in the silica-based matrix glass tube. The relatively hard matrix glass tube therefore deforms the fibers therein during the tube collapse step of the coupler forming process. Such fiber deformation may increase coupler excess loss, offsetting that decrease in the excess loss that is due to the decreasing of the taper steepness.

Optical waveguide fiber achromatic coupler


Methods for thermochemically augmenting hydrocarbon inflow from a production formation increases the treatment efficacy in the oil and gas producing industry. A combustible oxidizing compound (COC) is pumped into the formation treatment zone and a combustion initiator is then introduced into the treatment zone. The combustion initiator is a solid or liquid compound on the base of a metal and/or metalloid hydride. In particular, salt hydrides such as alkaline metal boranes can be used.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention group relates to methods of the thermochemically augmenting hydrocarbon inflow from a production formation while producing oil, gas and gas condensate in the oil industry.
2. Background of the Invention
Russian Patent No. RU 2064576 describes a well-known method of thermochemical treatment of production formation that includes pumping combustible-oxidizing compound (COC) into the formation treatment zone, where the COC contains ammonium nitrate, water, sal ammonia and/or dibasic ammonium phosphate, and introducing a combustion initiator into the COC zone, with the combustion initiator being a powder explosive charge. The prolonged treatment time, usage of the explosive and the rather complicated realization of the method restrict its applicability.
Another method described in Russian Patent No. RU 2126084 involves thermochemical treatment of the production formation that includes pumping-down the COC into the formation treatment zone and delivering the combustion initiator comprising a blend of metal aluminum and green rough into the treatment zone.
To implement this method, a COC is used that contains a complex compound of an amide such as carbamide and nitric acid, a compound with an acetate group such as acetic acid, potassium permanganate, fluid isopropylcarborane, water and ammonium nitrate.
The present invention proposes to provide a method of thermochemically treating a producing formation that increases treatment efficiency due to a fast forming of a large amount of hydrogen of high penetrability and to the increased energy-conversion efficiency of the process.
The invention comprises a thermochemical treatment of the producing formation, which includes pumping the combustible-oxidizing compound (COC) into the formation treatment zone and introducing the combustion initiator into the treatment zone. The combustion initiator comprises a solid or liquid composition on the base of a metal and/or metalloid hydride.
The liquid composition of the combustion initiator on the base of a metalloid hydride may be a suspension solution of a borane on the base of an organic dissolvent such as diethyl ether or methyl alcohol, at the following blending ratio, percent of total mass:
If the combustion initiator is on the base of metalloid hydride and has a solid composition, it may be a blend of a borane with alkali and/or solid isopropylcarborane at the following blending ratio, per cent of total mass:
The combustion initiator can be introduced by descending a hermetic container containing the combustion initiator into the tubing pipe string via an industrial hoist and then demolishing the container by detonating a backoff shot mounted along the entire container length after the terminations of the cord hoist contact the power source at the shoe of the tubing pipe string.
The fluid composition of the combustion initiator could be delivered to the treatment zone by pumping-down, in the following method:
First, the bottom of the tubing pipe string is sunk into the formation treatment zone;
Next, the consecutive pumping-down of the following chemicals occurs: combustion-oxidizing compound, dehydrated hydrocarbonaceous fluid, combustion initiator and extrusion liquid;
Then, the COC is pumped into the treatment zone by extrusion from the specified string and lifting the pipe string up to the top level of the COC;
The dehydrated hydrocarbonaceous fluid is pumped out;
The pipe string is sunk up to the middle of the work formation zone; and
The combustion initiator is pumped out of the specified pipe string directly to the COC.
If the bedding depth of the formation is less than 1200 m, the treatment zone is isolated by setting up packers at a distance of 45-55 m over the perforation zone of the casting tube.
The COC preferably contains a complex compound of an amide and nitric acid, a compound with an acetate group, potassium permanganate, isopropylcarborane, water and ammonium nitrate. The COC preferably contains an oxalic acid diamide as the amide and acetic ether of salicylic acid as the compound with acetate group, at the following blending ratio, percent of total mass:
The COC can also contain calcium salicylate (0.05-1.5 percent of total mass) as a reaction retarder, and potassium chloride (0.001-0.005 percent of total mass), saccharose or glucose (0.05-3 percent of total mass) as a combustion stabilizer.
The metal hydrides in the combustion initiator contact water in the coc composition and immediately release a large amount of hydrogen of high penetrability, which penetrates at high speed into pores and cracks of the well, cleanses them by cracking and pyrolysis of asphaltic-gumming paraffin-hydrate compounds, and contributes to increasing old cracks and creating new ones. The posterior penetration of oxidizing gas into these pores results in the combustion process there. Therefore, the majority of the energy release occurs in pores and cracks of the formation, not in the very borehole, which greatly increases the efficiency of the thermochemical treatment.
Using the complex compound of oxalic acid diamide and nitric acid in the COC composition increases the energy-conversion efficiency of the COC due to the substitution of ammonium carbamide, (urea) for ammonium oxamide (oxalic acid diamide), and increases labor safety, as long as the ammonium carbamide binds the nitric acid to the more durable compound in the preparatory process.
Using an acetic ether of salicylic acid instead of acetic acid more effectively eliminates the detonation processes in the combustion.
The addition of solid isopropylcarborane to the COC composition homogenizes the combustion initiator composition and provides for an even energy emission directly in the work producing formation, and essentially augments the energetic potential of the initiating compound, including the energy share being consumed for hydrocarbon cracking.

Method of thermochemical treatment of a producing formation and combustible-oxidizing compound (COC) for realizing the same


Accuracy information for an ionosphere model is generated. Phase residual information of a parameter estimation procedure is obtained and coordinates of pierce points are computed on a sphere around the earth. The coordinates indicate where signals pierce the sphere. Phase residual information is mapped for each pierce point. A grid of equidistant points is put on the sphere and the pierce points are identified. For each selected grid point, vertical accuracy information is computed based on vertical residual information, and a scale factor is computed based on the vertical accuracy information. The accuracy information for the ionosphere model is generated based on the vertical accuracy information computed for the selected grid points and an overall scale factor computed based on computed scale factors.

Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) include for example the Global Positioning System (GPS), the GLONASS system, the Galileo system, the COMPASS system, and others.
In the context of GPS for example, each satellite transmits continuously using two radio frequencies in the L-band, referred to as L1 and L2, at respective frequencies of 1575.42 MHz and 1227.60 MHz. With the ongoing modernization of the GPS, it is currently planned to use a third frequency referred to as L5 frequency at 1176.45 MHz. Two signals are transmitted on L1, one for civil users and the other for users authorized by the United States Department of Defense (DoD). One signal is transmitted on L2, intended only for DoD-authorized users, but which can be received by civil users with suitably equipped receivers. More recent GPS satellites also transmit a second signal on L2 for civil users. Each GPS signal has a carrier at the L1 and L2 frequency, a pseudo-random number (PRN) code, and a navigation message containing information about the satellite orbit, the satellite health status, various correction data, status messages and other data messages. Two different PRN codes are transmitted by each satellite: a coarse acquisition (C/A) code and a precision (P/Y) code which is encrypted for DoD-authorized users. Each C/A code is a unique sequence of 1023 bits, which is repeated each millisecond.
Other GNSS systems likewise have satellites which transmit multiple signals on multiple carrier frequencies.
FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a prior-art GNSS scenario 100. Receiver 110 receives GNSS signals from any number of satellites in view, such as from satellites 120, 130 and 140. The signals pass through the earth's ionosphere 150 and through the earth's troposphere 160. Each signal has multiple carrier frequencies, such as for example frequencies L1 and L2. Receiver 110 determines from the signals respective approximate (apparent) distances to the satellites (so called pseudo-ranges, PR1, PR2, . . . , PRm). Pseudo-range determinations are distorted by signal-path variations resulting from passage of the signals through the ionosphere 150 and the troposphere 160, and from multipath effects, as schematically illustrated by reference 170 on FIG. 1. Pseudo-ranges can be determined using the C/A code with an error of about one meter. However, the phases of the L1 and L2 carriers can be measured with an accuracy of 0.01-0.05 cycles (corresponding to pseudo-range errors of 2 mm to 1 cm). Phase measurements of the carriers are influenced by the dispersive effects of the ionosphere, which vary over time.
Due to the much higher accuracy, the processing of the phase observations is advantageous for precise GNSS positioning. However, a complication arises in that the exact number of cycles between the receiver and the satellite is a priori unknown. More specifically, the phase observations are ambiguous by an ambiguity term which is a product of an unknown integer number and the wavelength of the carrier signal. To handle these unknown integers, they can simply be estimated as floating-point numbers within the GNSS parameter estimation. The corresponding position result is called a float solution. The float solution can be improved by fixing the estimated floating-point numbers to integer values by corresponding known methods (e.g. the LAMBDA method). The GNSS parameter estimation can afterwards be recomputed with the fixed integer values for the integer ambiguities. By doing so, the number of unknowns is reduced drastically and the accuracy of the positioning result with the fixed solution is better than with the float solution (see Peter Joosten and Christian Tiberius, "Fixing the ambiguities—are you sure they are right?", in GPS World (2000), Vol. 11, No. 5, pp. 46-51).
For certain applications, artificial observations can be computed from the original ones by forming linear combinations from the observations. This is true both for the code and the phase observations. Such linear combinations have different properties compared to the original observations. Popular linear combinations are the Melbourne-Wuebbena (MW) linear combination, the widelane linear combination, the geometric-free linear combination (also called ionospheric linear combination) and the ionospheric-free linear combination (also called geometric linear combination). Their properties are beneficial with respect to dedicated applications (see for example WO2011/034614 A2). For example, the MW linear combination eliminates the effect of the ionosphere, of the geometry, of the clocks, and of the troposphere, the geometric-free linear combination is independent of receiver clocks and geometry (orbits, station coordinates), and the ionospheric-free linear combination eliminates the first-order effect of the ionospheric path delay.
GNSS positioning accuracy is generally limited by measurement errors that can be classified as either common mode or noncommon mode. Common-mode errors have nearly identical effects on all receivers operating in a limited geographic area (e.g. 50 km). Noncommon-mode errors are distinct even for two receivers with minimal antenna separation. Relative positioning allows common-mode errors to be mitigated by differencing the observations of the rover with observations of a reference station at a known location near the rover, e.g., within 50-100 km. The reference station observations can be collected at a physical base station or estimated from observations of a network of reference stations (see for example U.S. Pat. No. 5,477,458 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,899,957).
Another way to obtain accurate positioning results is to use a technique is known as precise point positioning (PPP), also called absolute positioning, which uses a single GNSS receiver together with precise satellite orbit and clock data to reduce satellite-related error sources. A dual-frequency receiver can remove the first-order effect of the ionosphere by using the ionospheric-free linear combination. Afterwards, position solutions are accurate in a range of centimeters to decimeters. The utility of PPP is limited by the need to wait longer than desired for the float position solution to converge to centimeter accuracy. This waiting time is called convergence time. In contrast to relative positioning techniques in which common-mode errors are eliminated by differencing of observations using reference stations, PPP processing uses undifferenced carrier-phase observations so that the ambiguity terms are corrupted by satellite and receiver phase biases. Methods have been proposed in the prior art for integer ambiguity resolution in PPP processing (see for example WO2011/034614 A2 and Yang Gao, "Precise Point Positioning and Its Challenges", Inside GNSS (2006), Vol. 1, No. 8, pp. 16-18).
A conventional way to deal with the problems of PPP is described in international application WO 2011/034614 A2. This involves generating synthetic base station data which preserves the integer nature of carrier phase data. A set of corrections is computed per satellite (a MW-bias, a code leveled clock error and a phase leveled clock error) from global network data. Using these corrections, a rover can use the MW-combination to solve widelane ambiguities and use ionospheric-free code/phase observations to solve the N1 (narrowlane) ambiguities. With fixed ambiguities, the rover can achieve cm-level accuracy positioning in real-time, meaning that there is an action (e.g., data is processed, results are computed) as soon as the required information for that action is available. The advantage of this approach is that it is insensitive to ionospheric activity, the disadvantage is that the convergence time is longer than desired.
In order to improve the convergence time, US patent publication No. 2013/0044026, filed Feb. 13, 2012 (and incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all purposes), describes a method to make use of an ionosphere model and further derive an ionospheric phase bias per satellite in addition to other corrections (a MW-bias, a code leveled clock error and a phase leveled clock error) to generate synthetic base station data. The synthetic base station data generated with this approach preserves the integer nature of carrier phase data, and it can be used for both single and dual frequency rovers. This approach requires an ionosphere model in general, and the rover convergence time depends heavily on the accuracy of the ionosphere model provided. Therefore, it is necessary to provide not only the ionosphere model itself but also its accuracy to the methods and apparatus for the GNSS data processing.
One way to provide a rover with an ionosphere model and information on the accuracy of the ionosphere model is a satellite based augmentation system (SBAS). A SBAS is a system that supports wide-area or regional augmentation through the use of additional satellite-broadcast messages. Such systems are commonly composed of multiple ground stations, located at accurately-surveyed points. The ground stations take measurements of one or more of the GNSS satellite signals and other environmental factors which may impact the signals received by the users. Using these measurements, information messages are created and sent to one or more satellites for broadcast to the end users. Especially, a SBAS provides correction data to increase the integrity and accuracy of a single frequency, code based positioning with GNSS whereas the correction data are broadcasted by communication satellites and can be received directly with the GNSS receiver. There are several SBAS running, such as e.g. WAAS (Wide Area Augmentation System) in North America and EGNOS (European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service) in Europe.
The main application of SBAS is precise and reliable GNSS-based aircraft navigation. Single frequency, code based positioning devices can benefit from SBAS. After applying SBAS corrections, the positioning accuracy is in the meter range. Within the SBAS framework, ionospheric vertical delays (i.e. the ionospheric delay for a signal travelling vertically through the ionosphere) at geographically fixed ionospheric grid points (IGPs) are provided. In addition to these vertical delays, the SBAS message contains grid ionospheric vertical errors (GIVEs) for the IGPs (see for example Ahmadi, R., G. S. Becker, S. R. Peck, F. Choquette, T. F. Garard, A. J. Mannucci, B. A. Iijima, and A. W. Moore (1997): "Validation analysis of the WAAS GIVE and UIVE Algorithms". Proceedings of the 53rd Annual Meeting, Inst. Of Navigation, Alexandria, Va.).
U.S. Pat. No. 5,828,336 presents a method and a device for providing real-time wide-area differential GPS signals to allow users with a GPS receiver to obtain improved GPS positioning. The ionosphere correction system in this document uses a real-time Kalman filter to compute sun-fixed ionospheric delay maps and the associated formal error maps. The formal error map can be used to evaluate the quality of the ionospheric correction broadcast to the user, and to block the broadcast of suspect data. The formal error is determined by the total electron content (TEC) data weights, the observation geometry, the data equation, and the random-walk standard deviation (see Mannucci, A. J., Wilson, B. D, Edwards, C. D. (1993): "A New Method for Monitoring the Earth's Ionospheric Total Electron Content Using the GPS Global Network". Proceedings of ION GPS-93, pp. 1323-1332).
Harris, I. L., A. J. Mannucci, B. A. Iijima, U. J. Lindqwister, D. Muna, X. Pi and B. D. Wilson (2001): "Ionospheric specification algorithms for precise GPS-based aircraft navigation", Radio Science, Volume 36, Number 2, pp. 287-298, March/April 2001 discloses a method of grid ionospheric vertical error (GIVE) computation. It is a combination of a Kalman-filter based statistical error derived solely from the measurement system (which is the formal error map described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,828,336 times several scale factors), and error due to the spatial decorrelation of the ionosphere and error from converting the vertical corrections to slant paths. GIVE values are required to bound the actual error with 99.9% confidence to meet the requirement of integrity and accuracy. The scaling factors and the two additional error contributions considered in the GIVE values improve the agreement between the provided error indicator and the true error (compared to the previous approach in Mannucci, A. J., Wilson, B. D, Edwards, C. D. (1993): "A New Method for Monitoring the Earth's Ionospheric Total Electron Content Using the GPS Global Network". Proceedings of ION GPS-93, pp. 1323-1332). Nevertheless, the GIVE is mainly based on the formal errors and therefore a direct reference to the true error of the provided delay is not given.
In view of the above, the present invention aims at providing improved accuracy information of an ionosphere model in real-time, so that the accuracy information can be efficiently used for GNSS positioning applications.

Methods for generating accuracy information on an ionosphere model for satellite navigation applications


Methods of treating cancer employing isoxazole derivatives are described. Compounds and methods of using these compounds for isolating and/or detecting binding proteins, which may be indicative of a disease, are also described.

Leflunomide, N-(4-trifluoromethylphenyl)-4-carboxamidyl-5-methylisoxazole, is an isoxazole derivative developed by Aventis Pharmaceuticals for treating Rheumatoid Arthritis that was recently introduced on the market:

Recently, leflunomide and some of its analogs were tested for several cancer cell lines as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,977,151. This work claims that certain leflunomide analogs can be used to treat lung cancer, leukemia, Kaposi's sarcoma, ovarian cancer, sarcoma, meningioma, intestinal cancer, cancer of the lymph nodes, brain tumors, breast cancer, stomach cancer, cancer of the pancreas, cancer of the prostate, and skin cancer.
However, leflunomide is known for its toxic side effects, such as hepatoxicity and lymphoma. For example, leflunomide has caused 12 deaths by liver failure in the U.S. and 5 deaths by intestinal pneumonia in Japan. Thus, as a therapeutic agent for cancer treatment, leflunomide could be significantly improved.

Methods, compounds, and diagnostics for cancer treatment


An air-conditioning apparatus includes a heat medium side device with plural pumps for circulating the heat medium related to the heating or the cooling of plural intermediate heat exchangers. Plural use side heat exchangers exchange heat between the heat medium and air. Plural flow path switching valves switch the flow path for supplying the heat medium related to a selected system among the heating media circulating in plural systems to each use side heat exchanger. A relay unit side control device controls the flow path switching valves so as to circulate the heat medium between the use side heat exchanger causing the heat medium to absorb the heat and the use side heat exchanger causing the heat medium to emit the preferentially set heat, when it is determined that it is impossible to perform the heating or the cooling of the heat medium by the intermediate heat exchanger.

In the related art, an air-conditioning apparatus exists which transports a cooling energy or a heating energy to an air conditioning target area such as an indoor area by circulating refrigerant between outdoor unit as heat source unit disposed in an outdoor area and indoor unit disposed in an indoor area, thereby executing a cooling operation or a heating operation. For example, for structural use in buildings or the like, there is a building multi-air conditioner in which one or plural outdoor unit and plural indoor unit are connected to each other via pipes to circulate the refrigerant (for example, see Patent Literature 1). As the refrigerant used in the air-conditioning apparatus, for example, an HFC-based refrigerant is widely used. Furthermore, in recent years, a natural refrigerant such as carbon dioxide (CO2) has also been used.
Furthermore, an air-conditioning apparatus of another configuration represented by a chiller system also exists. In the air-conditioning apparatus, the cooling energy or the heating energy is created in the heat source unit disposed in an outdoor area, the heating energy or the cooling energy is transmitted to water, anti-freezing fluid or the like by a heat exchanger disposed in the outdoor unit and is transported to a fan coil unit, a panel heater or the like which is the indoor unit disposed in the air conditioning target area, thereby executing the cooling operation or the heating operation (for example, see Patent Literature 2). In addition, there is also an air-conditioning apparatus in which four water pipes are connected to heat source unit called a waste heat recovery type chiller to supply the cooling energy and the heating energy.


A process for preparation of milled cocoa shell including grinding cocoa shell in a single unit operation in a short-duration manner without the need for moving mechanical parts. The milled cocoa shell product obtained from the grinding treatment has reduced heat degradation and avoids equipment maintenance concerns otherwise associated with mechanical milling of the cocoa shells while providing an edible granular product useful for food manufacture such as chocolate food production.

Cocoa beans or seeds of the cocoa tree fruit have an inner portion or nib which is covered by a naturally affixed shell. After being harvested, raw cocoa beans may be fermented for a few days so that biochemical changes may take place which aid in developing flavor, reduce bitterness, and darken the seeds. The beans then are dried and polished (cleaned). The shells are cracked (e.g., mechanically, via intense infrared heat treatment, etc.), and then are removed and separated ("winnowed") from the nibs. Typically, a small yet discernible portion of fractured nibs remain with the shell fraction after winnowing, as either attached to and/or loosely associated with the shell fragments. The cocoa beans may be preroasted before cracking and winnowing. Alternatively, the cocoa nibs may be separately roasted after winnowing. Roasting aids in developing flavor, aroma, and color in chocolate.
The cocoa nibs are a well-known source of cocoa butter and cake, and are processed in known manners to extract these and other nib components. The cocoa shells, however, also are a potentially valuable source of edible nutrients and dietary materials and contain cocoa nibs as the separation is not 100%. Cocoa shells contain, e.g., polyphenols (˜1-2%), alkaloids such as theobromine (˜1-2%), vitamins such as Vitamin D, minerals such as calcium and phosphorus, amino acids, as well as soluble and insoluble dietary fibers (˜25-30%), etc. The cocoa shells themselves also include approximately 6% shell fat, as well as the cocoa fat content and other compounds associated with any small portion of nibs still attached to and/or otherwise accompanying the shell fraction after winnowing. Roasted shells have also been used for aroma extraction. Cocoa shells have been used in flavored beverages, cocoa and chocolate production, mulch and fertilizer, and in ruminant livestock feed, etc. The cocoa shell portion of the cocoa beans may comprise approximately twelve to fifteen percent of the overall bean weight. Thus, aggregate amounts of the shells in high volume cocoa bean processing facilities can become substantial.
The cocoa shells, after separation from the nibs, have been converted into particulated forms to aid further handling, storage, and re-use of the shell material. Conventional mechanical milling of cocoa shells generally employs moving parts to effect attrition of the cocoa shells. Currently applied shell milling systems, include, e.g., beater blade mills, pin mills, differential mills, etc. Cocoa shells are extremely abrasive, which makes them difficult to mill and increases wear on equipment parts that contact them. As a result, mechanical milling of the shells is extremely costly in terms of machine maintenance. Mechanical milling also tends to generate localized heat and uncontrolled "hot spots," as well as overall temperature increases, in the ground shell product. Intense or unduly elevated heat generated in the shells during mechanical milling destroys or degrades nutrients and other desirable components present in the cocoa shells. The localized and general heating in cocoa shells induced by mechanical milling thereof is generally uncontrollable. Also, as indicated, a small portion of the nibs clings to and/or otherwise remains loosely associated with the shell fragment fraction generated by the winnowing operation. The melted fat of this nib portion retained on the shells, together with the shells themselves, may block a conventional mechanical milling system. Therefore, product flavor management for mechanical-milled cocoa shells generally is not feasible. Substantial amounts of cocoa shells are left unmilled and are not re-used, and instead are handled as waste by-product.
Improved and new arrangements are needed for grinding cocoa shells on a commercial scale which reduces heat degradation effects on product and equipment maintenance costs. The invention addresses the above and other needs in an efficient and economically feasible manner.


An apparatus for generating a diagnosis image includes a local contrast characteristic calculator configured to calculate local contrast characteristics of radiation image data of a low-energy sub-band from radiation image data generated by radiation having at least two energy bands passing through a subject; a local contrast characteristic applier configured to apply the calculated local contrast characteristics to radiation image data of a full-energy band generated by the radiation having at least two energy bands passing through the subject; and a diagnosis image generator configured to generate a diagnosis image of the subject based on the radiation image data of the full-energy band to which the local contrast characteristics have been applied.

1. Field
This disclosure relates to an apparatus for generating a diagnosis image, a medical imaging system, and a method of processing an image.
2. Description of the Related Art
A medical imaging system using radiation, such as an x-ray, obtains a radiation image by radiating and penetrating a subject, such as a human body, with an x-ray. The medical imaging system may generate a diagnosis image of the subject based on a difference between attenuation characteristics according to energy bands of different tissues of the subject.

Apparatus for generating diagnosis image, medical imaging system, and method for processing image


A modular prosthesis is disclosed that includes a neck member having a tapered neck body. The modular prosthesis further includes a sleeve component having a first elongated tapered bore. The tapered neck body is received within the first elongated tapered bore so as to taper lock the sleeve component to the neck member. The modular prosthesis also includes a stem member configured to be implanted into a medullary canal of a bone. One of the neck member and the stem member includes a second elongated tapered bore. The other of the neck member and the stem member includes a tapered post that is received within the second tapered bore so as to taper lock the neck member to the stem member.

During the lifetime of a patient, it may be necessary to perform a joint replacement procedure on the patient as a result of, for example, disease or trauma. The joint replacement procedure may involve the use of a prosthesis which is implanted into one of the patient's bones. In the case of a hip replacement procedure, a femoral prosthesis is implanted into the patient's thigh bone or femur. The femoral prosthesis is typically constructed as a one-piece structure having an upper portion which includes a spherically-shaped head which bears against the patient's pelvis or acetabulum, along with an elongated intramedullary stem which is utilized to secure the femoral component to the patient's femur. In order to secure the prosthesis to the patient's femur, the medullary canal of the patient's femur is first surgically prepared (e.g. reamed and/or broached) such that the intramedullary stem of the femoral prosthesis may be subsequently implanted therein. The femoral prosthesis may be press fit into the medullary canal or, in the alternative, bone cement may be utilized to secure the femoral prosthesis within the medullary canal.
During performance of a joint replacement procedure, it is generally necessary to provide the surgeon with a certain degree of flexibility in the selection of a prosthesis. In particular, the anatomy of the bone into which the prosthesis is to be implanted may vary somewhat from patient to patient. For example, in the case of a femoral prosthesis, the patient's femur may be relatively long or relatively short thereby requiring use of a femoral prosthesis which includes a stem that is relatively long or short, respectively. Moreover, in certain cases, such as when use of a relatively long stem length is required, the stem must also be bowed in order to conform to the anatomy of the patient's femur.
Such a need for prostheses of varying shapes and sizes this creates a number of problems in regard to use of a one-piece prosthesis. For example, a hospital or surgery center must maintain a relatively large inventory of prostheses in order to have the requisite mix of prostheses needed for certain situations such as trauma situations and revision surgery. Moreover, since the bow of the stem must conform to the bow of the intramedullary canal of the patient's femur, rotational positioning of the upper portion (i.e. proximal end) of the prosthesis is limited thereby rendering precise locating of the upper portion and hence the head of the prosthesis very difficult. In addition, since corresponding bones of the left and right side of a patient's anatomy (e.g. left and right femur) may bow in opposite directions, it is necessary to produce "left" and "right" variations of the prosthesis in order to provide anteversion of the bowed stem thereby further increasing the inventory of prostheses which must be maintained.
As a result of these and other drawbacks, a number of modular prostheses have been designed. As its name implies, a modular prosthesis is constructed in modular form so that the individual elements or features of the prosthesis can be selected to fit the needs of a given patient's anatomy. For example, modular prosthesis have been designed which include a proximal neck component which can be assembled to any one of numerous distal stem components in order to create an assembly which fits the needs of a given patient's anatomy. Such a design allows the distal stem component to be selected and thereafter implanted in the patient's bone in a position which conforms to the patient's anatomy while also allowing for a limited degree of independent positioning of the proximal neck component relative to the patient's pelvis.
One issue that arises as a result of use of a modular prosthesis is the locking of the components relative to one another. In particular, firm locking of the proximal neck component to the distal stem component is critical to prevent separation of the two components subsequent to implantation thereof into the patient. As such, a number of locking mechanisms have heretofore been designed to lock the components of a modular prosthesis to one another. For example, a number of modular prostheses have heretofore been designed to include a distal stem component which has an upwardly extending post which is received into a bore defined in the distal neck component. A relatively long fastener, such as a screw or bolt, is utilized to secure the post within the bore.
However, such a design has a number of drawbacks associated therewith. Firstly, functional loading during use of the prosthesis may not provide a positive lock and may actually tend to urge the upwardly extending post of the distal stem component out of the bore defined in the proximal neck component. In such a case, the fastener (e.g. the screw or bolt) alone must absorb such loads. This creates a number of problems since many of such functional loads tend to be axial in nature. In particular, by the nature of its design, axial loads exerted on a fastener such as a screw or bolt bear on the threads of the fastener thereby undesirably exerting a relatively large load to a relatively small surface area. Over time, such loads may degrade or even breach the mechanical integrity of the threads thereby potentially allowing the components to separate from one another.
Secondly, manufacture of such modular prosthesis is relatively difficult and, as a result, expensive. In particular, in order to utilize a long screw or bolt to secure the two components to one another, a relatively long bore must be drilled or otherwise machined through the entire length of the proximal neck component and at least a portion of the length of the distal stem component. Such drilling, often referred to as "gun drilling", is relatively difficult to do since, amongst other things, it requires adherence to extremely strict tolerances thereby increasing costs associated with manufacture of the modular prosthesis.
What is needed therefore is a modular prosthesis which overcomes one or more of the above-mentioned drawbacks. What is particularly needed is a modular prosthesis which has enhanced locking characteristics relative to heretofore designed modular prostheses. What is further particularly needed is a modular prosthesis that is "self-locked" by the functional loads generated during use of the prosthesis.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A method for plasma ion implantation of a substrate includes providing a plasma ion implantation system having a process chamber, a source for producing a plasma in the process chamber, a platen for holding a substrate in the process chamber, an anode spaced from the platen, and a pulse source for generating implant pulses for accelerating ions from the plasma into the substrate. In one aspect, a parameter of an implant process is varied to at least partially compensate for undesired effects of interaction between ions being implanted and the substrate. For example, dose rate, ion energy, or both may be varied during the implant process. In another aspect, a pretreatment step includes accelerating ions from the plasma to the anode to cause emission of secondary electrons from the anode, and accelerating the secondary electrons from the anode to a substrate for pretreatment of the substrate.

Ion implantation is a standard technique for introducing conductivity-altering impurities into semiconductor wafers. In a conventional beamline ion implantation system, a desired impurity material is ionized in an ion source, the ions are accelerated to form an ion beam of prescribed energy, and the ion beam is directed at the surface of the wafer. Energetic ions in the beam penetrate into the bulk of the semiconductor material and are embedded into the crystalline lattice of the semiconductor material to form a region of desired conductivity.
A well-known trend in the semiconductor industry is toward smaller, higher speed devices. In particular, both the lateral dimensions and the depths of features in semiconductor devices are decreasing. The implanted depth of the dopant material is determined, at least in part, by the energy of the ions implanted into the semiconductor wafer. Beamline ion implanters are typically designed for efficient operation at relatively high implant energies and may not function efficiently at the low energies required for shallow junction implantation.
Plasma doping systems have been studied for forming shallow junctions in semiconductor wafers. In a plasma doping system, a semiconductor wafer is placed on a conductive platen, which functions as a cathode and is located in a process chamber. An ionizable process gas containing the desired dopant material is introduced into the chamber, and a voltage pulse is applied between the platen and an anode or the chamber walls, causing formation of a plasma having a plasma sheath in the vicinity of the wafer. The applied pulse causes ions in the plasma to cross the plasma sheath and to be implanted into the wafer. The depth of implantation is related to the voltage applied between the wafer and the anode. Very low implant energies can be achieved. Plasma doping systems are described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,354,381, issued Oct. 11, 1994 to Sheng; U.S. Pat. No. 6,020,592, issued Feb. 1, 2000 to Liebert et al.; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,182,604, issued Feb. 6, 2001 to Goeckner et al.
In the plasma doping systems described above, the applied voltage pulse generates a plasma and accelerates positive ions from the plasma toward the wafer. In other types of plasma systems, known as plasma immersion systems, continuous or pulsed RF energy is applied to the process chamber, thus producing a continuous or pulsed plasma. At intervals, negative voltage pulses, which may be synchronized with the RF pulses, are applied between the platen and the anode, causing positive ions in the plasma to be accelerated toward the wafer.
A surface to be implanted may interact with the ions being implanted in an undesired way. For example, ion implantation may produce charging of insulating or semi-insulating structures on the surface of a substrate. Films or layers, such as photoresist masks, on the substrate surface may release gases and change composition during implantation. The photoresist may be an insulator at the start of an implant and may become more conductive as the implant progresses. These effects may cause unstable and/or non-repeatable implant conditions.
Prior art approaches to dealing with these issues in plasma ion implantation include pretreating the photoresist with ultraviolet light or baking to reduce outgassing. Also, the photoresist can be pretreated by plasma ion implantation of an inert ion species or by plasma immersion, where the substrate is biased positive to extract electrons from the plasma and these extracted electrons pretreat the photoresist. These approaches require an additional process step prior to ion implantation of the dopant material and thus reduce throughput.
Beamline ion implantation systems have used lower initial beam current to reduce photoresist effects. This approach applies to beamline systems and has a disadvantage of changing the spatial charge distribution of the beam and thus impacting the implant uniformity and the implant defect generation that may be dependent upon instantaneous dose rate. The beamline approach can also lead to charge neutralization difficulties, as neutralization systems such as an electron flood gun may be optimized for a specific beam current condition.

Methods for stable and repeatable ion implantation

Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates, Inc.


Method and apparatus for monitoring eating behavior are disclosed. A wearable device including an imaging sensor, an electromyography (EMG) sensor, and a processing unit is configured to collect EMG data via the EMG sensor, transmit the EMG data to a computing device, receive a control signal to capture one or more images via the imaging sensor, capture, one or more images, and transmit the one or more images. A computing device is disclosed including a processor and a memory containing a machine learning model and computer program code that, when executed, performs an operation. The operation includes receiving EMG data, processing the EMG data as input to a trained machine learning model, transmitting the control signal to capture one or more images via the imaging sensor, receiving the one or more images, and determining nutritional content of the food or beverage using the one or more images.

The present invention relates to wearable devices, and more specifically, to utilizing machine learning in conjunction with wearable devices to monitor eating habits of a user.
Wearable devices have become extremely popular, and a wide variety of wearable devices now exist, including smart watches or wristbands, smart glasses, and the like. Ingestible and implantable devices can often be used in many similar applications. Depending on the desired use, wearable devices can monitor and record various types of data about the user. This data can include fitness information, such as a number of steps taken. Additionally, the monitored data can include biometric data of the user, such as the heartrate, in order to facilitate the use of wearable devices in health-related settings. For example, wearables can be used to aide with weight loss, treat weight disorders, stimulate the gastrointestinal tract of the user, observe sleep patterns, and track physical exercise activities of the user.
In order to control their weight, many people monitor their eating habits to ensure they do not consume excessive food or beverages. However, these approaches require the user to manually track their consumption, which is time consuming and easy to forget. Further, existing methods are prone to inaccuracy, as users do not know the nutritional content of most foods, and tend to underestimate how much they have consumed. There is a need for an integrated device that allows for improved monitoring of eating habits.

System for monitoring eating habit using a wearable device

International Business Machines Corporation


Technologies are described for reducing distortion in amplified signals in well logging tools based on spectral analyses of the amplified signals. For example, a system includes a well logging tool. The well logging tool includes an excitation source to direct an excitation signal towards an environment adjacent a wellbore and a receiver to amplify a probe signal received from the environment adjacent the wellbore in response to the excitation signal. The system also includes a feedback module to receive the amplified signal. The feedback module includes a spectrum analyzer module to spectrally analyze the amplified signal to generate spectral information of the amplified signal; and a controller module to determine, from the spectral information, whether the amplified signal includes distortion, and if so, to issue a feedback signal to the excitation source or the receiver to cause at least a reduction of the distortion in the amplified signal.

The subject matter of this disclosure is generally related to techniques and tools used in well logging, particularly in oil and natural gas exploration and production. Well logging tools probe geologic formations using probe signals, and determine characteristics of the formations based on interaction between the probe signals and the formations. More specifically, the present technologies relate to amplifying the probe signals and to reducing distortion in the amplified signals.
Well logging refers to the practice of recording information about geological formations penetrated by a wellbore and/or about fluids found within the wellbore. Wireline logging refers to well logging that is performed by lowering a well logging tool on the end of a wireline into the wellbore and recording petrophysical properties using a variety of sensors. Well logging can be performed after the wellbore has been completed or during the drilling process (referred to as "logging while drilling").
Information obtained from wireline logging may be used for a variety of purposes including, for example, deciding whether to continue at a current drilling location or to choose a subsequent drilling location, or to determine the location of a drill bit (e.g., a depth under the earth surface) and the direction that drilling should follow.
Logging tools can be used to probe a variety of characteristics of the geological formations penetrated by a well. A logging tool can be a resistivity tool, a density tool, a sonic or acoustic tool, or an imaging tool respectively operated with audio frequency, gamma, sound or radar frequency signals. The information generated by the logging tool about a geological formation is derived through the interaction of probe signals with that formation. Typically, a probe signal is launched by an excitation source of the logging tool into a wellbore fluid, a geological formation or both, and a receiver of the logging tool is used to measure a characteristic of the probe signal such as, for example, an amount of time required by the probe signal to travel a given distance into the fluid and/or formation, or an attenuation of the probe signal over the traveled distance.
When a linear amplifier of a logging tool is operated in a linear amplification range, an amplified signal is a direct, linear function of the probe signal that is input to the linear amplifier: amplified signal=(amplifier gain)×(input probe signal). Linearity refers to the ability of the amplifier to produce amplified signals that are accurate copies of the input probe signal, generally at increased powers. Neither clipping nor distortion (harmonic distortion or intermodulation distortion) occurs when the linear amplifier is operated in the linear amplification range (although random noise may still be introduced).
Like reference symbols in the various drawings indicate like elements.

Reducing distortion in amplified signals in well logging tools


Tools and methods are provided for use in a process for sintering a metal injection molded body where the body comprises a material and having a first end, a second end, and a flowpath extending therebetween, the flowpath having a diameter. The tool assembly comprises an insert and an endcap. The insert is configured to be disposed in the body flowpath and has an inner surface, an outer surface, a first end, a second end, a channel, a slot having a width, an inner diameter and an outer diameter. The endcap is configured to be inserted at least partially into the channel at the insert first end when the slot width is increased, and at least a portion of the endcap has an outer diameter that is substantially equal to or larger than the insert inner diameter.

Metal injection molding is a simple, cost-effective method that has widely been used to mold parts weighing less than 250 grams. This process has been used to inexpensively manufacture a myriad of components used in many different industries, such as automotive, firearms, and medical industries. Generally, metal injection molding includes four basic steps, namely, mixing fine metal powders with a binder to formulate a feedstock, molding the feedstock in an injection molding machine to form a green part, debinding the binder from the green part to produce a brown part, and sintering the brown part to form the component.
During sintering, the brown part is subjected to temperatures of at least about 2200° F. and may be as high as about 2800° F. for some iron-based alloy parts. When the brown part is exposed to such temperatures, it may become soft and susceptible to deformation. For small parts, such as those weighing less than 250 grams, the gravitational forces exerted on the part are relatively small and thus, do not cause the part to become structurally distorted. Thus, metal injection molding is an ideal manner by which to inexpensively produce small parts. However, when large parts, e.g. parts larger than 250 grams, are subjected to sintering temperatures, portions of the part may sag under its own weight. This may be particularly true when the large part includes walls that form a cylindrical section, such as in a flowbody. In such a case, the walls may cave inward or one part of the wall may, due to gravity, pull downward more than another part of the wall. In other cases, the large part may, in addition to having a cylindrical section, include side pieces formed thereon which, during sintering, may draw the wall downward as well. As a result, metal injection molding conventionally has not been used to produce large parts.
Thus, there is a need for a methods and tools that may be used for metal injection molding of parts of all sizes, including parts larger than 250 grams. It is also desirable for the methods and tools to be relatively inexpensive to use and produce. Moreover, it is desirable for the tools to be reusable. The present invention addresses one or more of these needs.

Advanced sintering process and tools for use in metal injection molding of large parts


An anti-glare light source including a linear light source, at least one sleeve and a light adjusting element is provided. The linear light source is suitable for providing a light. The sleeve covers at least one end of the linear light source. The light adjusting element is disposed between the sleeve and the linear light source, wherein the light adjusting element includes a plurality of prism portions. The prism portions cover a portion of the linear light source and arrange along the extension direction of the linear light source, such that the distribution of the light converges along the extension direction of the linear light source.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a light source. More particularly, the present invention relates to an anti-glare light source.
2. Description of Related Art
Since Edison invented the lamp, the people continually devotes to develop many kinds of light sources to meet many kinds of demands, and the invention of the light emitting diode (LED) realizes a light source having a smaller volume and a high luminous efficiency. Hence, the light emitting diode is already applied in many kinds of illumination apparatuses. However, the volume of the light emitting diode is smaller than a conventional lamp and a fluorescence lamp relatively, and the diverging angle of the light emitting diode is usually smaller than the diverging angles of the conventional lamp and the fluorescence lamp, too. Hence, the light emitting diode usually collocates with other optical elements to change the lighting pattern of the light emitting diode. Because the light emitting diodes are disposed in two ends of the light guide bar, the lamp using the light emitting diodes tends to cause a user observing the side-view light leakage (namely, a glare) of the light emitting diode lamp. As a result, the user suffers discomfort, and the vision of the user is even influenced. Generally speaking, the harsh glare obviously damages health of the vision of the eye in 30˜60 seconds. Therefore, it is a problem to be urgently solved how to develop the light emitting diode lamp saving electric power and emitting a low glare simultaneously.


This pressure measuring arrangement (10), which is both proof against the coupling-in of interference signals and satisfies the specifications relating to explosion protection, comprises a capacitive, ceramic pressure sensor (11) which has a substrate (12) having at least one electrode applied thereto and an associated diaphragm (13) having a counter-electrode applied thereto. Electrical contact can be made with the electrode and counter-electrode at the rear side (121) of the substrate, on which rear side is arranged a converter circuit (14) for capacitance changes which are caused by pressure changes. A current output circuit (17) is arranged inside the metallic housing (15) having a wall (151), a bottom (152) and an opening (153) which is situated opposite to the latter and into which the pressure sensor (11) is inserted in a pressure-tight manner, which current output circuit converts an output signal of the converter circuit (14) into a direct current which is proportional to the capacitance change and flows in two output lines (18, 19) which pass in an insulated manner through the bottom (152). A shielding electrode (20) which is arranged inside the housing (15) in an insulated manner with respect to the wall (151) is coupled at low impedance to one of the two output lines. The interior of the housing (15) is completely filled with a potting compound (25).

A brochure from the company Endress+Hauser "Pressure Transmitter cerabar PMC 133", Maulburg, Germany, TI 105P/00/e/02.94 describes a pressure measuring arrangement comprising:
a capacitive, ceramic pressure sensor, which has a substrate having at least one electrode applied thereto and an associated diaphragm having a counter-electrode applied thereto, PA1 a metallic housing having a wall, a removable cover, an intermediate bottom and an opening situated opposite to the latter, PA1 a current output circuit arranged inside the housing, between the intermediate bottom and the pressure sensor, PA1 a cable bushing for a cable leading to the pair of terminals. PA1 a capacitive, ceramic pressure sensor, which has a substrate having at least one electrode applied thereto and an associated diaphragm having a counterelectrode applied thereto, PA1 a pot-shaped metallic housing having a wall, a bottom and an opening situated opposite to the latter, PA1 a current output circuit arranged inside the housing, PA1 a shielding electrode which is arranged inside the housing in an insulated manner with respect to the wall and PA1 a potting compound, with which the interior of the housing is completely filled.
it being possible to make electrical contact with said electrode and said counter-electrode at a rear side of the substrate, PA2 into which opening the pressure sensor is inserted in a pressure-tight manner, PA2 which current output circuit converts an output signal of the converter circuit into a direct current which is proportional to the capacitance change, flows in two output lines leading to a pair of terminals arranged in the intermediate bottom and has a current intensity of between 4 mA and 20 mA, and PA2 it being possible to make electrical contact with said electrode and said counter-electrode at a rear side of the substrate, PA2 into which opening the pressure sensor is inserted in a pressure-tight manner, PA2 which current output circuit converts an output signal of the converter circuit into a direct current which is proportional to the capacitance change and flows in two output lines which pass in an insulated manner through the bottom of the housing, PA2 is coupled at low impedance to one of the two output lines and PA2 to the counter-electrode, and
on which rear side is arranged a converter circuit for capacitance changes between the electrode and counter-electrode which are caused by pressure changes, PA3 on which rear side is arranged a converter circuit for capacitance changes between the electrode and counter-electrode which are caused by pressure changes,
With respect to this previously described pressure measuring arrangement, one object of the invention is to further improve the protection against the coupling-in of interference signals, in other words the so-called electromagnetic compatibility, and furthermore to facilitate compliance with standards which ensure explosion protection.
In order to achieve this object, the invention consists in a pressure measuring arrangement comprising:
According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, a metal-coated plastic film serves as shielding electrode. In another preferred embodiment, the current output circuit generates a direct current having a current intensity of between 4 mA and 20 mA.
In a further preferred embodiment, the one output line and the counter-electrode are each electrically conductively connected to the shielding electrode.
In a further preferred embodiment, the one output line is electrically conductively connected to the shielding electrode and the counter-electrode is capacitively connected to the shielding electrode via a capacitor which is dimensioned in such a way that its capacitance represents the best possible short circuit for frequencies occurring in interference signals.
In a further preferred embodiment, the counter-electrode is electrically conductively connected to the shielding electrode and the one output line is capacitively connected to the shielding electrode via a capacitor which is dimensioned in such a way that its capacitance represents the best possible short circuit for frequencies occurring in interference signals.
Finally, in a further embodiment, the one output line and the counter-electrode are connected to the shielding electrode via a respective capacitor which is dimensioned in such a way that its respective capacitance represents the best possible short circuit for frequencies occurring in interference signals.
A first advantage of the invention consists in the fact that interference signals which are coupled in during the operation of the pressure measuring arrangement via two external connection lines, which are respectively connected to an output line, of a cable, in other words cable-conducted interference, are diverted to the housing by means of the low-impedance coupling, in particular electrically conductive or capacitive connection, of the one output line to the shielding electrode via the capacitor which is formed by the latter and the wall of the housing and has the potting compound as a dielectric, without it being possible for interference fields belonging to the interference signals to penetrate into the interior of the housing from the bottom.
A second advantage of the invention consists in the fact that interference signals which are captured by the counter-electrode are likewise diverted to the wall of the housing by means of the low-impedance coupling, in particular electrically conductive or capacitive connection, between the counter-electrode on the diaphragm of the pressure sensor and the shielding electrode, and, consequently, it is also not possible for any interference fields to penetrate into the interior of the housing from the opening in the latter.
A further advantage of the invention is to be seen in the fact that the potting compound makes it possible to comply with minimum lengths, prescribed in explosion protection standards, of creepage paths between parts which are at different potentials in the operating state. This relates particularly to those points where there is only a small distance between the counter-electrode of the diaphragm and the housing.

Capacitive pressure measuring arrangement having protection against interference signals


A method for preparing a high-quality epoxidized fatty acid ester with a micro-reaction device, including: respectively pumping an aqueous hydrogen peroxide solution and a carboxylic acid at the same time into a first micro-mixer; after the reaction in the first micro-reactor, respectively pumping the output material and an unsaturated fatty acid ester into a second micro-mixer;

As the plastic article is increasingly widely applied, a plasticizer product is introduced into many industries of national economy, especially for the application thereof in industries of food, medicine, toys, hygienic products and the like directly related to human health, which brings about higher health and safety requirements to the plasticizer industry. Detoxifying of the plasticizer industry has become a major livelihood issue concerned by the public, and transformation and upgrading of industry from the petrochemical plasticizer to a biological and non-toxic plasticizer have become imperative. In European countries, American, Japan and South Korea and the like, the traditional petrochemical plasticizer has been prohibited in many industries by office order, and instead related green and nontoxic plasticizer species such as citrates, dihydroxy alcohol esters and epoxidized plant oils are used. The European Union provided temporary regulations in 1999 to limit the application of the phthalate plasticizer in children's toys, and after multiple revisions the new European Toy Safety Directive (No. EC765/2008) was officially put into implementation by the European Union in 2011, which expressly stipulated that no petrochemical phthalate plasticizer should be added into toys and other articles for children; the REACH regulations promulgated by the European Union in 2007 explicitly prohibited the application of the phthalate plasticizer in industries closely related to human health; and in early 1990s, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) had already limited the application of many kinds of phthalate plasticizers in industry fields with high requirements to environment protection and hygiene, such as medical plastic articles, food packages, children's toys and the like; in 2008, President Bush officially signed the CPSIA Act to explicitly limit the application of 6 kinds of phthalate plasticizers in fields of food packages, children's toys, and medicine; and Australia, Japan, South Korea, Argentina and the like have successively promulgated multiple restrictive orders for the application of phthalate plasticizers.
A petrochemical phthalate plasticizer is dominated in the plasticizers produced in China (over 80% market shares). However, the phthalate material is an environmental hormone, which has relatively strong reproductive toxicity and certain carcinogenicity. In China, various health and safety problems have been induced by excessive and improper use of the traditional petrochemical plasticizer. For example, in 2005, the safety problem of fresh-keeping film occurred in Japan induced great attention of Chinese people to safety of plasticizers; in 2008, the European Union promulgated import restriction to toys from China; in 2011, the plasticizer scandal happened in Taiwan; in 2012, the plasticizer crisis of white spirit occurred in China; etc. With ever-increasing pressure of petrochemical resources and improvement of the living standard of people, a variety of problems caused by the plasticizer gain broad attention from people, and related laws and regulations are being perfected day by day; the "Hygienic Standard for Cosmetics" promulgated in 2007 added 3 kinds of phthalate plasticizers into the prohibited group; the Hygienic Standards for Uses of Additives in Food Containers and Packaging Materials promulgated in 2008 limited the application of 7 kinds of phthalate plasticizers; and in 2011, the Ministry of Health in China added phthalate substances into the list of illegal additives in food.
With respect to catalyzing technology, the catalyzing technology of relevant foreign production enterprises still is still highly confidential, while Chinese enterprises still use in production sulfuric acid as the main catalyst, which causes serious pollution and poor product quality, showing a significant disparity from the foreign catalyzing technology. New catalysts such as sulfonic acids, solid superacids, heteropoly acids have been developed in scientific researches, and there are some researches related to enzyme catalyzing technology. These enzymes have overcome the disadvantages of strong corrosivity, many side reactions, unmanageable reaction waste liquids of traditional concentrated sulphuric acids, but there are still disadvantages of high cost, harsh reaction conditions, high power consumption and raw material consumption, complex post-processing, poor product quality and the like in different degrees, which greatly blocks the industrialized application of the catalyst. With respect to engineering technology, Chinese enterprises still mainly use the batch production process, and the relevant enterprises are of small scales, and have unstable production, high power consumption and high discharge, which greatly blocks large-scale industry development and the relevant application of biological plasticizers.
CN1204970C discloses a reaction-controlled phase transfer catalyst used for oxidation and an oxidation process for catalyzing epoxidation of a double bond by using the specifically designed catalyst, wherein the catalysts of said catalyzing system can react in the presence of hydrogen peroxide to obtain an active substance dissolved in the reaction system, thereby catalyzing the epoxidation reaction; however, when the hydrogen peroxide is completely consumed, the catalyst is reverted to the original structure and thus precipitated out, thereby realizing recycling of the catalyst. Currently, said catalyst system has been successfully used in preparation of propylene epoxide and epoxy cyclohexane. However, there are a series of problems of said catalyst system, such as the need of using a large amount of organic solutions, which causes that the successive processing is complex and consumes power. CN102875492 A provides a novel method for preparing an epoxidized fatty acid ester from an unsaturated fatty acid ester. The epoxidized fatty acid ester is generated by epoxidizing the unsaturated fatty acid ester using a metal-substituted polyoxometalate compound as the catalyst and using hydrogen peroxide as the oxygen source in the presence of neither other organic solvents nor organic peroxy acids. However, this method needs to prepare metal-substituted polyoxometalate as the catalyst, and thus is complex in the process. CN102876462 B discloses a method for preparing high-quality epoxidized soybean oil, including mixing an aqueous hydrogen peroxide solution with an aqueous formic acid solution; then adding a catalyst and a stabilizer; pumping soybean oil and the aforementioned mixture into a micro-channel modularization reaction device and maintaining a reaction residence time of 2-12 min; reacting at 65-95° C.; introducing the reaction products into a separator, adding an aqueous NaCO3 solution and standing for layering; removing the lower aqueous solution and water rinsing the upper organic phase; and removing the moisture via rotary evaporation so as to obtain the high-quality epoxidized soybean oil. However, this method needs the addition of a stabilizer and has a high raw material cost; meanwhile, it also needs the addition of sulfuric acid as a catalyst, which results in the occurrence of a ring-opening reaction as a side reaction and the increase of three wastes. CN 102993133 B discloses a method for preparing an epoxidized fatty acid methyl ester with a micro-reactor in one step, wherein the addition of a stabilizer and the addition of sulfuric acid as a catalyst are also involved, and thus it may cause ring opening of an epoxy group, reduction of the epoxy value of the epoxy group, and inevitable increase of the three wastes.
CN104560407 A discloses a novel method for preparing an epoxy plasticizer, including mixing a highly-concentrated hydrogen peroxide and a highly-concentrated formic acid at room temperature to obtain a highly-concentrated peroxyformic acid mixture; then feeding soybean oil into the reaction equipment in one time to start an exothermic self-initiated reaction until the temperature is 60-70° C.; then reacting at a controlled reaction temperature of 70-90° C. for 3-4 hours; performing centrifugal separation to remove the aqueous phase; and dehydrating the crude oil phase, wherein the epoxy value of the resultant epoxidized fatty acid ester may up to over 7.0. This invention avoids the use of sulfuric acid as the catalyst, and thus avoids the large amount of three wastes. However, there are significant potential safety hazards in the early production of the highly-concentrated peroxyformic acid mixture and the safety level of the process flow is low, which easily causes an exploration.

Method for preparing high-quality epoxidized fatty acid ester with micro-reaction device

Abstract: completely mixing them and then introducing the mixture into a second micro-reactor; and after a complete reaction, water-rinsing the organic phase part of the resultant reaction liquid and drying the same to obtain the epoxidized fatty acid ester.


A washing machine and a method of controlling such, wherein the washing of laundry articles can be performed according to user preference. According to the invention, a plurality of washing factors, which are selected by the user, are stored in an accumulated manner in a memory during a manual washing operation of the washing machine. In an automatic washing operation of the washing machine, the washing factors stored in the memory when the manual washing operation was performed are analyzed for recognition of those factors which the user likes best. A plurality of washing factors are inferred from a plurality of washing information regarding conditions in the washing bath. Then, self-learning is performed based on the inferred washing factors and the recognized washing factors to determine a plurality of final washing factors. The automatic washing operation is performed according to the determined final washing factors.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to washing machines, and more particularly to a washing machine and a method of controlling such, wherein the washing of laundry articles can be performed according to a user's preference.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The whole operation of a washing machine is generally performed according to four washing factors. The washing factors include washing time, level of the washing water, the number of rinsing times, and dehydrating time, which are automatically or manually selected by the user. One example of this type of washing machine is schematically shown in block form in FIG. 1.
As shown in FIG. 1, the conventional washing machine comprises a key signal generator 1 for generating a washing mode signal to select either automatic or manual washing operation and the four washing factors to determine a washing pattern, according to a user's selection, a laundry amount sensor 2 for sensing an amount of laundry articles in a washing bath, a turbidity sensor 3 for sensing a turbidity of washing water in the washing bath, a level sensor 4 for sensing a level of the washing water in the washing bath, a microcomputer 5 for generating a plurality of control signals to perform the washing of the laundry articles according to the washing information from the key signal generator 1, the laundry amount sensor 2, the turbidity sensor 3 and the level sensor 4, a load section 6 including a washing motor, a hydrating motor, a display unit and valves, and a load driving circuit 7 for generating a plurality of drive signals necessary to the driving of the load section 6 in response to the control signals from the microcomputer 5.
The operation of controlling the washing machine of the construction in FIG. 1 is classified into the automatic and manual washing operations as mentioned above. Namely, the user operates the key signal generator 1 to generate the washing mode signal corresponding to either the manual or automatic washing operation. Then, the microcomputer 5 receives the washing mode signal and generates the control signals in accordance with the washing mode selected.
The automatic and manual washing operations of the conventional washing machine with the construction in FIG. 1 will hereinafter be described with reference to FIG. 2, which is a flowchart illustrating a method of controlling the conventional washing machine.

Washing machine and method of controlling such


A system for categorizing seeds of plants into hybrid and non-hybrid categories. Seeds sorted according to the disclosed system are also disclosed.

The present invention, in some embodiments thereof, relates to seed analysis and, more specifically, but not exclusively, to systems and methods for sorting of seeds.
Hybrid seeds are seeds that are generated by cross pollination of two parent plants. The produced offspring seed contains genetic material and thus traits coming from both parents. The parents plants are produced after a long R&D process and most of their DNA is homozygous, a process called stabilizing the parents. Because the parents are stabilized, the produced F1 offspring are genetically uniform and contain the desired traits. Many crops have the ability to self-pollinate, which will generate a fruit and seeds which contains only the maternal genetics, without the parental plant involved in the process. The self-pollinated seeds, which don't contain the required parental genetics, don't contain the required traits.
Separation of seeds according to desired seed properties has traditionally been performed manually, which is an error-prone, and time-consuming task.

Systems and methods for sorting of seeds


A hand screw clamp includes first and second jaws and a pair of threaded rods, each having a handle for manual rotation. Two first couplers are mounted to the first jaw and coupled to the threaded rods, and two releasable couplers are mounted to the second jaw and coupled to the threaded rods. The releasable couplers each include a threaded portion engageable with the threaded rods and a slidable portion sized to accommodate sliding movement of the threaded rods. A push plate is movably mounted to the second jaw and engaged with both of the releasable couplers. This push plate is movable between a first position, in which both of the threaded portions are engaged with the rods and manual rotation of the handles moves the second jaw along the threaded rods, and a second position, in which both of the threaded portions are disengaged from the threaded rods and the threaded rods are free to slide past the slidable portions without rotation of the threaded rods.

This invention relates to a hand screw clamp that can be moved quickly into clamping position without rotating the threaded rods of the hand screw.
Hand screw clamps have long been a preferred clamp for cabinet makers and other wood workers. Conventionally, such clamps include two jaws which are interconnected by two threaded rods. Threaded couplers are provided on each of the rods, rotatably mounted in each of the jaws. Typically, each threaded rod has two threaded portions which are threaded in opposite senses, and the threaded rods can be manually rotated to adjust the tilt angle between the first and second jaws, and to clamp a work piece between the jaws.
Conventional hand screw clamps suffer from the disadvantage that they require extensive rotation of the threaded rods (or of the jaws around the threaded rods) to move the jaws from a fully opened to a fully closed position.