A mold frame is formed with two collision sections opposed to a back face of a movable iron core with a movable contact support therebetween. One collision section is higher than the other. The movable contact support includes an inclined plane on the base bottom face thereof and near the higher collision section. The base bottom face abuts the back face of the movable core. When this contactor is attached with the higher collision section provided at the lower side, the support having collided in the “released” condition is rotated around the collision section, thereby reducing the impact. When this contactor is attached with the lower section at the lower side, the support attracted toward the core by a plate spring is allowed to collide, at the bounce of the support, with the back face of the core via the inclined plane, thereby canceling the inertia by the bounce.

1. Technical Field
The invention relates to an electromagnetic contactor that utilizes an electromagnet device to open or close a contact point, and more specifically, to a mechanism for preventing the bounce of a movable contact support when a movable iron core is released.
2. Prior Art
An electromagnetic contactor generally has a structure in which a movable contact support connected to a movable iron core of an electromagnet device retains a movable contact for each phase. In such a contactor, a mold frame for guiding the movable contact support in a slidable manner is fixed with a pair of front and rear fixed contacts for respective phases. In this structure, when an electromagnetic coil is excited to attract a movable iron core, the movable contact bridges the fixed contact to close the cable run, and when the electromagnetic coil is demagnetized, the released movable iron core is driven by the spring force of a return spring and the movable contact is separated from the fixed contact to open the cable run. In this case, the released movable iron core collides with the mold frame, and stops. This poses a risk in which the bounce of the movable contact support causes the once-separated movable contact to abut with the fixed contact, thus closing the cable run again.
A known electromagnetic contactor for preventing this is disclosed in Japanese Laid Open Utility Model Publication No. 64-16043, and is configured such that the base bottom face of the movable contact support abutted with the back face of a movable iron core has a step (different height) so that the movable iron core is inclined by this difference in height when the movable iron core collides with the mold frame, thereby preventing the movable contact support to bounce.
FIG. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view of an electromagnetic contactor illustrating another conventional example that is similar to the above-described one shown in Japanese Laid Open Utility Model Publication No. 64-16043. Hereinafter, the electromagnetic contactor will be newly described based on this. In FIG. 7, an electromagnet device consists of: a fixed iron core 2 having an electromagnetic coil 1; and a movable iron core 4 that is attracted toward the fixed iron core 2 by activation of the coil against the elastic force of a return spring 3. The back face of the movable iron core 4 is connected with a movable contact support 6 via a plate spring 5 and the movable contact support 6 retains a movable contact 7 having each phase. The movable contact support 6 is slidably guided by a mold frame 8 in the left-and-right direction of FIG. 7. The mold frame 8 is fixed with a pair of front and rear fixed contacts 9 for each phase.
In the "released" condition of the contactor of FIG. 7, a base section 6a of the movable contact support 6 abutting the back face of the movable iron core 4 faces a mold frame 8, while one end thereof (shown at the lower end portion of FIG. 7) abuts with the mold frame 8. On the other hand, the other end of the base section 6a (shown at the upper end portion of FIG. 7) is spaced from the mold frame 8 by a step S provided at the lower end section (See FIGS. 8A and 8B). Each fixed contact 9 is integrally formed with a respective one of the two main terminals 10 and is attached with a terminal screw 11. The upper part of the mold frame 8 of FIG. 7 is also attached with a coil terminal 12 for supplying power to the electromagnetic coil 1 and is attached with a terminal screw 13.
FIGS. 8A and 8B show how the electromagnetic contactor of FIG. 7 operates, FIG. 8A showing the "linked" condition and FIG. 8B showing the "released" condition. When the electromagnetic coil 1 (FIG. 7) is excited in FIGS. 8A and 8B, the movable iron core 4 is attracted toward the fixed iron core 2, and the movable contact 7, retained by the movable contact support 6, moves left to bridge the space between the fixed contacts [[9,]] 9 as shown in FIG. 8A, resulting in the cable run between the main terminals 10 being closed. Thereafter, when the electromagnetic coil 1 is demagnetized to release the movable iron core 4, the spring force of the return spring 3 (FIG. 7) separates the movable iron core 4 from the fixed iron core 2 tb cause the movable contact 7 to be separated from the fixed contact 9, thereby opening the cable run.
Then, the movable iron core 4 driven by the return spring 3 collides with the mold frame 8 as shown in FIG. 8(B) via the lower end section of the base section 6a of the movable contact support 6 so that the stop position thereof is regulated. When the movable iron core 4 is stopped, a movable section consisting of the movable iron core 4 and the movable contact support 6 is rotated clockwise due to the presence of the space between the upper end section of the base section 6a and the mold frame 8, and due to this rotation, the kinetic energy of the movable sections 4 and 6 is consumed as a moment of rotational inertia to reduce the impact by the collision between the movable iron core 4 and the mold frame 8, thereby preventing reclosure of the cable run due to the bounce of the movable contact support 6.
The electromagnetic contactor is generally attached to a panel as shown in FIG. 7 such that the side to which the coil terminal 12 is provided (power source side) is at the top, and the body lies in a lateral direction. The electromagnetic contactor shown in Japanese Laid Open Utility Model Publication No. 64-16043 or in FIG. 7 is manufactured with such a step arrangement, provided at the top of the movable contact support.
In this case, the movable iron core 4 in the "released" condition in FIG. 7 supported by the mold frame 8 in a cantilever manner via the movable contact support 6 is inclined in a slightly anticlockwise direction due to the weight thereof, with the lower part of the movable iron core 4 abutted with the mold frame 8 via the movable contact support 6. Due to this, the movable iron core 4 in the "released" condition always collides with the mold frame 8 at the lower side to enable the upper side step to work effectively, and the movable iron core 4 rotates around the lower side to reduce the impact. This also applies to the electromagnetic contactor shown in Japanese Laid Open Utility Model Publication No. 64-16043. The movable contact support and the guide face of the mold frame have therebetween a gap by which the above-described inclination of the movable iron core is caused.
On the other hand, when a conventional electromagnetic contactor is attached such that the coil terminal 12 is provided at the lower side (i.e., the step of the movable contact support 6 is provided at the lower side), then the above-described inclination of the movable iron core 4 deprives the movable contact support 6 of the function of the step. As a result, the rotation of the movable iron core 4 in the "released" condition is not caused, and thus the effect for reducing the impact is not obtained. To prevent this, the conventional electromagnetic contactor has been fixed in one predetermined direction so that the coil terminal 12 is provided at the upper side.
However, the recent diversification of device layouts has created a need for an arrangement in which the electromagnetic contactor is attached such that the coil terminal 12 is provided at the lower side, but this style of attachment cannot provide the buffering effect at the release, as described above. In view of the above, it is an objective of the invention to provide such an electromagnetic contactor for reducing the impact by rotating the movable iron core at the release, by which the buffering effect can be obtained regardless of the whether the coil terminal is attached at the upper or lower side.

Fuji Electric FA Components & Systems Co., Ltd


A medical diagnostic imager (10) reconstructs (96) raw scan data into digital image representations which are stored in a mass storage memory (46) such as DRAM or disk. As the scanner reconstructs the series of images, each digital representation image is transferred to an image VRAM (100) into one of a plurality of selected image areas. A video monitor (24) displays the electronic image representations from the image VRAM in the selected pattern of images, e.g. a 4.times.3 grid of images. The digital image representations are transferred to the image VRAM and displayed on the video monitor as they are generated such that the monitor displays the previously generated images and the most recently generated image as it develops during the reconstruction process. The diagnosing physician selects (104) one of the images and selectively adjusts (110) the window and level of its gray scale. After each of the images has been independently designated and its gray scale independently adjusted, one or more of the adjusted electronic image representations are transferred to a film printer (32) which makes a hard copy film print of the selected image(s). A graphics control (122) and a keyboard (132) enter data into a graphics VRAM (120) and a text VRAM (130), respectively. The electronic diagnostic image, graphics, and text data are merged (138) such that the graphics and text are superimposed on selected portions of the displayed video images.

The present invention relates to the display of diagnostic images. It finds particular application in conjunction with the display of real time CT images and will be described with reference thereto. However, it is to be appreciated that the invention will find application in conjunction with the display of other video images including video images from other medical diagnostic modalities.
Traditionally, a CT scanner generates digital images that are later retrieved and displayed on a CRT monitor. A CT operator controls the scanning process and reviews the images as they are generated. The CT operator monitors each image for quality control purposes. That is, the CT operator reviews the images to be sure that they are good quality pictures that are complete with balanced gray scale. If the images have notable quality defects, the operator adjusts the scan parameters for subsequent scans and rescans any areas corresponding to unacceptable images. In the past, a new image was generated every 20 to 25 seconds. During this time, the operator could bring up previously generated images for further review, gray scale enhancement, or other cosmetic adjustments.
Typically, the diagnosing physician views the images offline at some later time. The images, which are stored on disk, are retrieved and displayed in a physician viewing room. Film copies of physician designated images are often made for the patient records. In other instances, film copies of the generated images are made first and the physician reviews the film copies rather than video monitor displays.
This delay in presenting the images to the diagnosing physician can be detrimental, particularly in trauma cases. In some instances, the diagnosing physician will stand behind the operator and watch the images as they are generated. However, this procedure has proven relatively unsatisfactory for diagnostic purposes. Diagnosing physicians normally do not diagnose from a single image. Rather, physicians normally compare a plurality of images. The images may represent healthy and affected tissue. The healthy image could be from a CT slice displaced from but close to the affected area or could come from the patient's file. Commonly, a multiplicity of images representing the affected area and tissue surrounding it are reviewed.
The CT operator and the physician often have conflicting adjustments to the displayed CT image. The CT operator makes adjustments for a cosmetically good image with a full range of gray scale. For diagnostic purposes, it is sometimes convenient for the physician to make a radical adjustment in the gray scale to emphasize some feature of the affected area, possibly at the expense of destroying the diagnostic value of the other portions of the image. When the physician is only adjusting the display of an image recorded on disk, such adjustments are no problem. However, making such adjustments to images being reviewed in a quality control fashion could adversely affect the diagnostic value of the stored and subsequent images.
The present invention provides a new and improved physician viewing arrangement which overcomes the above-referenced problems and others.


An encoder can convert a stream of data into three or four synchronized 4-PSK signals, for 64-QAM and 256-QAM, respectively. Three or four mixers can combine the three or four synchronized PSK signals with a common local oscillator signal to form three or four respective amplifiable signals, which can all have the same amplitude. One amplifier receives a first of the amplifiable signals and powers one radiator. Two amplifiers both receive a second of amplifiable signals and power two respective radiators. Four amplifiers receive a third of the amplifiable signals and power four respective radiators. The amplifiers can all operate in near or full saturation. Each radiator radiates in one of a plurality of discrete, specified states. The radiated states from the radiators combine through far-field electromagnetic propagation and effectively sum at the receiver to mimic transmission from a single amplifier.

For military and commercial mm-wave communications, including frequencies between 70 GHz and 120 GHz and data rates that can exceed 1 Gb/sec, it is generally difficult to amplify a signal to a sufficiently high power to transmit more than a few kilometers. Typical solid state amplifiers at these frequencies and data rates are difficult to drive in their linear regime.

System and method for transmitting a quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) waveform to a receiver


An SiC single crystal having at least one orientation region where a basal plane dislocation has a high linearity and is oriented to three crystallographically-equivalent <11-20> directions, and an SiC wafer and a semiconductor device which are manufactured from the SiC single crystal. The SiC single crystal can be manufactured by using a seed crystal in which the offset angle on a {0001} plane uppermost part side is small and the offset angle on an offset direction downstream side is large and growing another crystal on the seed crystal.

In SiC (silicon carbide), a high-temperature type (α-type) having a hexagonal crystal structure and a low-temperature type (β-type) having a cubic crystal structure are known. SiC is characterized, in comparison with Si, by having a high thermal resistance, a broad band gap, and a high dielectric breakdown electric field strength. For that reason, a semiconductor including an SiC single crystal is expected as a candidate material of a next-generation power device substituting for an Si semiconductor. In particular, α-type SiC has a band gap broader than β-type SiC and hence the α-type SiC attracts attention as a semiconductor material of an ultralow power-loss power device.
α-type SiC has a {0001} plane (hereunder referred to also as "c-plane") as the principal crystal plane and a {1-100} plane and a {11-20} plane (hereunder referred to also as "a-plane" collectively) perpendicular to the {0001} plane.
A c-plane growth method has heretofore been known as a method of obtaining an α-type SiC single crystal. The "c-plane growth method" cited here means a method of using as a seed crystal an SiC single crystal in which a c-plane or a plane having an offset angle to the c-plane in a prescribed range is exposed as a growth plane and growing an SiC single crystal over the growth plane by a sublimation reprecipitation method or the like.
The problem has, however, been that, in a single crystal obtained by the c-plane growth method, a large number of defects such as micro pipe defects (tubular voids about several μm to 100 μm in diameter) and threading screw dislocations (hereunder referred to also merely as "screw dislocations") are generated in the direction parallel to the <0001> direction. Meanwhile, in a c-plane grown crystal, many basal plane dislocations exist in the c-plane and they are complexly intertwined with the screw dislocations in the c-axis direction (Non-patent Literature 1).
In particular, a basal plane dislocation curves largely in a {0001} plane by intertwinement between dislocations. In the case where a basal plane dislocation curves in this way, when a substrate (usually sliced so as to form an offset angle of 4° to 8° to a {0001} plane in order to form an epitaxial film) for manufacturing a device is taken from a single crystal, it sometimes happens that one basal plane dislocation may be exposed at plural sites on the surface of the substrate (refer to FIG. 15). As a result, the dislocation is succeeded from the plural sites when the epitaxial film is formed (Non-patent Literatures 2 and 3).
Further, in the case where a basal plane dislocation curves, the basal plane dislocation is oriented to various directions crystallographically. When a device is manufactured with such a single crystal and the device is operated, a stacking fault is formed by the decomposition of the basal plane dislocation into partial dislocations oriented to a crystallographically stable direction (<11-20> direction) during the operation (refer to FIG. 16) and the degradation of the device characteristics (a forward degradation phenomenon in a bipolar device) may sometimes be caused (Non-patent Literature 4).
A line must not be a straight line in order that the line intersects with a plane at plural sites. It would be better for a line to be rectilinear in order to reduce the number of the intersection sites. Consequently, it is geometrically obvious that it is better to reduce the number density and the total length of a basal plane dislocation and make it rectilinear in order to prevent the basal plane dislocation from being exposed at plural sites on a substrate surface (refer to FIG. 17). Further, in the case where a basal plane dislocation is oriented to a crystallographically stable direction, the basal plane dislocation hardly decomposes into partial dislocations and hence it is desirable to orient the basal plane dislocation to such a crystallographically stable direction (refer to FIG. 18). It is estimated that influence on the characteristics of a device may be reduced by so doing.
Meanwhile, as described in Patent Literature 1, it is possible to reduce a dislocation density in a crystal by using a method (RAF method) in which a c-plane growth is performed after a repeated a-plane growth. Further, in Non-patent Literature 5, it is described that a basal plane dislocation tends to be oriented by the RAF method. In the literature, however, a measure for judging the existence of orientation and linearity is not obvious. Further, a dislocation density is still high, intertwinement with a threading defect occurs frequently. Although the tendency of orientation is recognized partially in each of dislocations, the linearity is not strong and many curved parts exist. Furthermore, such a region is limited to a region of the order of submillimeters.

SiC single crystal, SiC wafer, and semiconductor device


A method for preparing a printed circuit board and an apparatus are provided to decrease losses associated with high speed signal propagation. The printed circuit board has at least two conductive layers separated by an dielectric layer formed of a dielectric material. A conductive path is formed in one of the conductive layers for propagation of the high speed signal. At least a portion of the dielectric layer is removed on both sides of and adjacent to the conductive path. The removed portion extends in the dielectric layer between the conductive layers from one to the other and includes a hole shaped portion and a trough shaped portion. The removed portion does not extend beyond the dielectric layer.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to high frequency signal propagation using printed circuit boards (PCBs). In particular the present invention relates to a PCB with a removal portion of a layer alongside a signal transmission strip such as a microstrip on the PCB in order to reduce signal attenuation along the propagation path of a high frequency signal.
2. Brief Description of the Related Art
As the speed of signals propagating on PCBs made of certain dielectric materials increases, the ability for conventional signal traces to carry such signals is limited. Current manufacturing techniques involve microstrips with dielectric material surrounding the microstrip. The use of dielectric material surrounding the microstrip causes undesirable attenuation of high frequency signals propagating via the microstrip referred to as dielectric loss. It is appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that the effective frequency of a central processing unit (CPU) on a PCB is limited by the dielectric loss of the microstrip.
Many systems are available for affecting signal propagation. In U.S. Pat. No. 6,441,313 B1 issued on Aug. 27, 2002 to Novak, a layered circuit board is described where the thickness of a dielectric layer can be reduced to reduce high frequency losses between power and ground planes and signal traces. In U.S. Pat. No. 6,137,383 issued on Oct. 24, 2000 to De Lillo, for example, evanescent mode waveguide filters can be constructed using via holes conductively connected to capacitors to form narrow band filters. De Lillo suffers from the need to engage in complicated plating and processing of via holes to achieve filtering and is effective only to provide a narrow band filter within a limited physical space dedicated to filter construction and thus fails to describe reducing propagation losses due to the dielectric characteristics of, for example, an insulative layer or dielectric layer.
Thus it would be desirable in the art for a simple solution to reducing propagation losses for signals traveling on a microstrip on a PCB. An exemplary solution would be simple to construct and reduce losses over a wide range of high frequencies capable of being generated in a modem high speed processor.

High speed bus with radio frequency microstrip


Laparoscopic device for anchoring an internal organ to the thoracic diaphragm or abdominal wall of a patient having an introducer sheath; washer with two openings; T-fastener assembly having T-fastener with anchor having a shank with a crown and at least one fluke. The anchor is connected to the T-fastener by a flexible string. A thread is attached to the crown. An introducer needle introduces the T-fastener into a lumen of the internal organ of the patient The device further has a T-fastener pusher inside the introducer needle and locking arrangements for locking the introducer needle and the T-fastener pusher. A blocker blocks the first washer opening and a grasper, inserted through the second washer opening, grasps the shank inside the introducer sheath in a predefined orientation Finally, a holding mechanism on the introducer sheath is provided for holding the grasper in a predetermined position inside the introducer sheath.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a laparoscopic device for anchoring the internal organs to the thoracic diaphragm or abdominal wall of a patient.
Description of Related Art
The art of laparoscopy has been known to mankind for more than 100 years. However, the rapid growth has occurred in this field only after 1986, when the first laparoscopic cholecystectomy was reported by a surgeon from France. Laparoscopic surgery is one form of surgery carried out by making small incisions on the abdominal wall, instead of the conventional large incisions. It requires using special tubes (called trocars), hand instruments, telescope and camera.
Laparoscopic surgery is performed by making small incisions on the abdominal wall and then inserting several trocars through these small incisions. Thereafter, a telescope is inserted through one of these trocars in order to observe the inside view of the abdominal cavity. Subsequently, through these trocars laparoscopic hand instruments are introduced to be used to manipulate the abdominal viscera in the form of various activities such as—retraction, dissection, cutting, suturing etc. to carry out the laparoscopic surgery. Presently, many laparoscopic surgeries are being performed using this technique. One of the most common surgeries being performed by the laparoscopic technique is cholecystectomy (i.e. removal of the gallbladder for treating symptomatic gallstones).
Normally, laparoscopic cholecystectomy is performed using four trocars. The first trocar is inserted at the umbilicus and the abdomen is filled up with carbon dioxide gas which is pumped in with the help of a pump (called the insufflator). This creates adequate space inside the abdominal cavity for facilitating the surgeon to work inside the abdomen during the laparoscopic surgery. Through this trocar, a telescope is passed which is connected to small camera (called endocamera). This telescope picks-up the image of the inside of the abdominal cavity and displays it on television monitor. Three more trocars are inserted in the abdomen for introducing various laparoscopic hand instruments. The surgeon carries out various surgical steps with these instruments. The position of these trocars varies from surgeon to surgeon and from patient to patient.
The first step of laparoscopic cholecystectomy is passing a grasping forceps through a port on the right side of the abdomen to grasp the fundus (upper part) of the gallbladder and push it towards the thoracic diaphragm. This step exposes an area called "Calot's triangle" region below the liver which carries the cystic artery and the cystic duct entering the gallbladder. Then, the surgeon introduces two more instruments from other two trocars to dissect out the cystic artery and the cystic duct before they are clipped and divided. Dissection of the gallbladder from the liver and its extraction follows to complete the surgical procedure.
A recent modification to the technique of laparoscopic cholecystectomy has been the single incision laparoscopic cholecystectomy. In this form of surgery only one incision is made near the umbilicus and the laparoscope as well as all the instruments are introduced through various trocars placed side by side or a specialized device that accommodates up to three or four instruments. However, one of the instruments is exclusively tied up for the retraction of the gallbladder.
However, in such laparoscopic surgeries, an assistant is continuously required to keep a grasp on the grasping instrument used for retraction of a particular organ, such as gall bladder. At least four trocars are needed to perform such laparoscopic cholecystectomy or any such surgery involving grasping of various internal organs, for operating on them by laparoscopic procedure. Even if the laparoscopic surgery is performed through a single incision, actually there is a shortage of space for inserting multiple devices or tubes for carrying out this surgery. In addition, sometimes a needle-hole grasper is also required to be used in such single incision laparoscopic surgery.

Laparoscopic device for anchoring an organ to thoracic diaphragm


An object of the present invention is to assuredly provide image data with the position of a region of interest in an image represented by the image data. In order to achieve this object, position information for specifying a region of interest within the image is embedded so as not to be recognized by human eyes, using a digital-watermark technique.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for embedding information in a digital image in the form of a digital watermark or the like and reproducing the embedded information, a method for controlling the apparatus, and a storage medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, in accordance with rapid development and diffusion of computers and computer networks, various types of information, such as character data, image data, sound data and the like, are digitized.
Digital information is not degraded, for example, with the lapse of time, can always be preserved in a complete state, can easily be copied using a computer, and can easily be distributed via a network. However, such convenient properties make it difficult to assure the security of digital information.
A digital watermark is one security technique of digital information. According to this technique, by embedding the name of the owner of a copyright, the ID of a vender and other similar identification information by processing digital image data, sound data, character data and the like so as not to be perceptible by a human being, illegal copying can be traced.
Accordingly, the digital watermark also has the features that main data and subdata embedded therein is difficult to separate, and therefore can always be recognized and used as single data.
Recently, in medical fields, management of patient information in which various sets of information are efficiently linked by digitizing medical records and diagnostic images and utilizing a computer is in progress. In such fields, there is a request to inseparably hold digital medical data, such as digital X-ray images and the like, and additional information thereof (such as patient/diagnosis information).
Providing digital medical data and additional information thereof (such as patient/diagnosis information) in an inseparable state has the following two advantages.
The first advantage is that it is unnecessary to separately manage the above-described two types of information. The second advantage is that by holding information for identifying a patient in a state of being inseparable from digital medical information, the digital medical information can be used as evidence.
Conventionally, after embedding subdata by slightly changing main data using the digital watermark technique, the subdata is detected/extracted from the main data after the change. At that time, it is difficult to restore the main data before the change.
It is unsuitable to apply the above-described conventional technique to actual medical fields in which, for example, main data is sometimes a diagnostic image of a patient, because examination of data changed from the original main data may result in an inaccurate diagnosis.
Accordingly, it is necessary at the time of diagnosis to restore digital medical data which is not degraded.
In medical fields, a clear indication of a region of interest in main data (image) is sometimes used as reference information at a diagnosis or reference information for other functions. This information indicating the region of interest desirably belongs to the main data (image). If such data is present as data separate from the main data, the information indicating the region of interest can be easily changed by anybody, whereby an appropriate diagnosis may not be performed.

Information processing apparatus, method for controlling the same, and storage medium


The present invention relates to an ear cap intended for use as hearing, the ear cap having a sound-reflecting outer shell and a liner of sound absorption materials. The ear cap is characterized by at least one sound-reflecting and vibration-damping weight element arranged on or within the sound absorption liner to at least partly block an audio mode of vibration that would have existed in the cap in the absence of the weight element.

The present invention relates to devices for covering an ear, and more particularly to such devices that include a vibration damper for sound optimization such as noise reduction.
Hearing protection is essential for workers in high or repetitive noise environments. If a person works in more than one area, perhaps a warehouse and a manufacturing floor, two different levels of hearing protection may be needed. For example, on a relatively high-noise manufacturing floor, a heavy set of ear caps (also known as "ear muffs") are most suitable. In the warehouse environment, a much lighter set of ear caps may be adequate. However, comfort is affected by the size and weight of a cap-style hearing protection device. Typically, the bulkier the ear caps, the less comfortable they are for the wearer. When a person is only provided with the heavier set of ear caps, he or she may forego wearing them in the warehouse or other environment where the noise level is not as high. Over time, this can lead to hearing damage or loss. Of course, when the person is provided with two sets of ear caps, each customized for a particular noise level, the person is more likely to wear ear caps in each setting. Unfortunately, this means that a person or company needs to spend more money for the additional ear caps.
To keep costs as low as possible, it is desirable to use a previously tooled design in the manufacture of ear caps, and where possible, use an ear cap that has the same outer shell or housing for each different level of sound attenuation desired. However, there remains the problem of cost-effectively customizing a previously tooled ear cap design.
Accordingly, while various types of ear protection devices exist, there remains a clear need for an ear protection device that can be customized, yet provided at a relatively low cost to a consumer. In particular, there remains a need for a product that is improved with respect to the sound attenuation performance of a previously tooled ear cap.


Systems and methods are disclosed herein for a pressure tolerant energy system. According to one aspect, an underwater vehicle may comprise one or more buoyancy elements, a pressure tolerant cavity, and an energy system enclosed in the pressure tolerant cavity configured to provide electrical power to the vehicle. The energy system may include one or more neutrally buoyant battery cells. In some aspects, the battery cells may have an average density that is about equal to the density of the fluid in which the vehicle is immersed. The vehicle may also comprise a pressure tolerant, programmable management circuit.

The past several decades have seen a steady increase in the number of unmanned underwater robotic systems deployed for use in the ocean. All of these systems are equipped with energy systems including batteries to accomplish their respective mission. These systems are also referred to as autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs). The primary factors that affect mission duration and sensor payload capability include the overall energy density of a battery module, measured in Watt-hours per kilogram of module mass (Wh/kg); equally important for certain cell chemistries (e.g., Lithium Ion) is circuitry used in the management of the battery components. Underwater robotic systems, especially flooded-hull type systems, require a ruggedized, pressure tolerant energy system capable of operating at all ocean depths. One problem with pressure tolerant components of underwater robotic systems is that housing of such pressure tolerant components can be deformed by the extreme pressures that the components are subjected to during a mission.

System and apparatus for integrated pressure compensator


In an automated prescription dispensing and packing system, empty prescription bottles are labeled and loaded in assigned locations in carriers. Pills are automatically dispensed into the prescription bottles in the carriers. Ranks of carriers containing filled prescription bottles are assembled at stations where the bottles are unloaded and packed into shipping containers with literature printed by the system. Multiple bottles of an order are automatically packed in the same shipping container.

The use of mail service to fill prescriptions has been highly successful in lowering the costs of providing drugs to consumers. The filling of prescriptions and mailing the filled prescriptions to consumers is labor intensive and a pharmacy can significantly reduce its costs, improve quality, and reduce turn around time by automating the prescription filling and assembling procedures.
Semi-automated prescription dispensing machines which can automatically count the tablets or capsules of a unique prescription have had a significant impact in the drug industry. However, use of these machines still require many manual steps to complete a patient's order. For example, the positioning of the bottle under the proper chute is controlled by a technician or pharmacist and after filling the bottle, the prescription has to be further handled manually to effect mailing of the prescription to the patient.
Patients or families using mail services to fill prescriptions often receive multiple prescriptions. Data suggests that about 50 percent of mail service for prescription drugs involves orders for at least two separate prescriptions. The advantages of a system which automatically fills the respective separate prescriptions, combines the prescriptions of each order and prepares the orders for mailing are readily apparent. An automated system would produce great labor savings in what heretofore has been a highly labor intensive process and at the same time would reduce time required to process prescriptions.
While the advantages of such a system are apparent, there are a number of problems which have to be solved in order to automatically fill and combine multiple prescription orders into a single package. The multiple parts of an order have to be brought automatically into close proximity at a packaging location. There is a need to place literature about the prescriptions in each shipping container along with the prescription. Any system which automatically distributes drugs must have a number of controls and checks to insure that the correct prescription is filled into the correct bottle which has been labeled correctly and the correct bottle is placed in the correct shipping container. Any deviation from the correct operations and handling of the prescription could be expected to have serious consequences. Lastly, in order to be economical for its intended purpose, the system must operate a high volume throughput.

Automatic prescription filling, sorting and packaging system


A sharing infrastructure is directed at providing a framework for sharing resources between initiators and participants. The sharing infrastructure is designed to manage and direct various sharing providers, articulate information about sharing relationships, and to provide a framework for pluggable data sharing, data discovery, schema translation, and conflict resolution. The infrastructure allows for common sharing operations to be implemented in a more centralized fashion, and eases the cost of implementing new sharing providers. An extensible and pluggable provider model eases remote and local configuration; schema mapping; and protocol handling. A sharing protocol is defined that relates to establishing and managing a sharing relationship.

Electronic communication has become an integral part of an individual's life both at business and at home. Through the use of electronic communications, such as email, Instant Messaging, SMS, and the like, individuals are able to keep in touch, transact business and set up meetings. For example, some personal information manager (PIM) programs allow a user to select a time on their calendar, create an appointment, and select people to invite to the meeting. Once the details of the meeting are set, the user may email a meeting notice to each of the requested participants. Each of the requested participants then receives an email in their inbox. When the user opens the meeting request, their PIM may determine if the requested meeting conflicts with an existing item in their calendar, and they can either accept, tentatively accept, or decline the meeting. The organizer can track who has accepted, declined, or counter-proposed times, simply by opening the meeting within the PIM program.
Sharing other resources with a user, however, is not as simple. While it is possible to share files, folders, and calendars with other users, initiating and setting up this sharing can be cumbersome and difficult.


A liquid ejecting head includes a pressure element that applies a pressure to a pressure chamber which communicates with a nozzle which ejects a liquid, and a lead electrode that is joined to a wiring substrate which supplies a driving signal which drives the piezoelectric element, and the pressure element, in which a surface of the lead electrode on the wiring substrate side in a connection region between the lead electrode and the wiring substrate becomes a concavo-convex surface, in which the lead electrode and the wiring substrate are fixed to each other at a periphery of the connection region and at least one portion of a concave portion of the concavo-convex surface of the lead electrode with a non-conductive paste, and in which the lead electrode and the wiring substrate are electrically connected to each other at a convex portion of the concavo-convex surface of the lead electrode on which the non-conductive paste is not present.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a liquid ejecting head and a liquid ejecting apparatus.
2. Related Art
As a liquid ejecting head that ejects a liquid, an ink jet type recording head is known in which a piezoelectric element (actuator device) is provided on one surface of a flow channel formation substrate in which a pressure chamber communicating with a nozzle is provided and in which an ink droplet is discharged from the nozzles by performing pressure fluctuation in the pressure chamber by displacement of the piezoelectric element.
As the ink jet type recording head, there is a head in which a COF substrate (wiring substrate) that supplies a drive signal is inserted to a through-hole by attaching a protective substrate having the through-hole in which the piezoelectric element is exposed, to the flow channel formation substrate, and the COF substrate is connected to the piezoelectric element via a lead electrode (for example, refer to JP-A-2011-025493). The COF substrate and the lead electrode are connected to each other in the through-hole by an anisotropic conductive paste (ACP). The ACP is configured to have conductive particles and a paste, and there is a case where insulation is applied to the paste.
Performing a highly dense formation of nozzles by narrowing a pitch of the nozzles more has been sought in recent years, but if the COF substrate and the lead electrode are connected to each other by the ACP described in JP-A-2011-025493, there is a case of being deviated from a wiring portion since conductive particles contained in the ACP are bigger than a wiring width. Accordingly, there is a problem in that it is difficult to proceed with the highly dense formation of the nozzles.

Liquid ejecting head and liquid ejecting apparatus


A catalyst carrier including a ceramic block having two open faces, an outer peripheral surface, and multiple cells divided by a cell wall and extending between the open faces. The ceramic block has multiple honeycomb units combined by interposing an adhesive layer, where the honeycomb units include an outer-peripheral-side honeycomb unit and a center-side honeycomb unit combined to form the outer peripheral part and the center part, respectively, of the block. The outer-peripheral-side honeycomb unit has an outer peripheral cell wall forming the outer peripheral surface of the outer-peripheral-side honeycomb unit. The outer peripheral cell wall includes an outermost peripheral cell wall forming part of the outer peripheral surface of the block. A cell of the outer-peripheral-side honeycomb unit in contact with the outermost peripheral cell wall thereof has a corner part having a curved surface, where the corner part is on the side contacting the outermost peripheral cell wall.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a catalyst carrier and an exhaust gas treatment apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
There have been proposed a variety of exhaust gas treatment apparatuses that convert harmful gases contained in exhaust gas discharged from the internal combustion engines of vehicles such as automobiles, buses, and trucks, construction machines, and the like.
Common exhaust gas treatment apparatuses generally have a structure where, for example, a metal casing is provided in an exhaust pipe connected to the exhaust gas manifold of an engine and a catalyst carrier having a honeycomb structure is placed in the casing.
This catalyst carrier is formed of, for example, a ceramic block having two end faces and a coat layer provided on the outer peripheral surface of the ceramic block, excluding its end faces, as described in JP2005-349378A. Further, the ceramic block is formed by combining multiple porous ceramic units made of γ alumina or the like by interposing an adhesive layer. Each porous ceramic unit has multiple cells separated by a cell wall and extending in a longitudinal direction. A catalyst such as Pt is provided on the cell wall. When exhaust gas is caused to flow through such a catalyst carrier, harmful gases contained in the exhaust gas, such as CO, HC, and NOx, are converted by the catalyst provided on the cell wall by catalytic reaction, so that the exhaust gas can be converted.
In the case of manufacturing such a catalyst carrier, first, a predetermined number of porous ceramic units are combined by interposing an adhesive layer, and thereafter, this united body is cut into a desired shape, so that a ceramic block is manufactured. Thereafter, a coat layer is provided on the outer peripheral surface (that is, cut surface) of the ceramic block. According to such a method, however, the porous ceramic units have considerable portions thereof cut, removed, and discarded at the time of manufacturing the ceramic block, which causes the problem of increased manufacturing costs. Further, the number of processes increases because of the above-described process of cutting the united body, which causes the problem of reduced productivity.
In order to deal with such problems, there has been proposed, although in the field of DPFs (Diesel Particulate Filters), the technique of manufacturing a ceramic block of a desired shape directly without going through a cutting process by preparing multiple porous ceramic units of various shapes and combining them by interposing an adhesive layer (JP2004-154718A). Such a DPF manufacturing method can also be applied to the manufacture of a catalyst carrier. The entire contents of JP2005-349378A and JP2004-154718A are hereby incorporated by reference.

Catalyst carrier and exhaust gas treatment apparatus


A hinge including a first hinge member and a second hinge member that is rotatably coupled to the first hinge member. The hinge has a torsion spring with a first end of the spring secured relative to the first hinge member and a second end adjustably securable relative to the second hinge member. An adjustment mechanism is included and is capable of disengaging the second end of the spring relative to the second hinge member and into engagement relative to the first hinge member to allow rotation of the second hinge member relative to the second end of the spring, and then re-engage the second end of the spring relative to the second hinge member, thereby changing engagement position of the second end of the spring relative to the second hinge member and adjusting the torsional spring tension.

Some doors and gates have spring loaded hinges for assisting with opening or closing the door or gate. A common design for such a hinge is to employ a torsion spring within the hinge to provide spring loading. Tension of the torsional spring in some designs is adjusted by rotating or twisting one end of the torsional spring with a tool, such as a screwdriver. Typically, the blade of the screwdriver is inserted into a screwdriver slot in a rotatable member that is fixed to the end of the torsional spring. The rotatable member is then secured in the desired rotational position by a locking arrangement, such as interlocking surfaces, pins, etc. A drawback of such a method of adjustment is that the user must have a tool on hand to perform the adjustment. In addition, adjustment can become difficult to perform when attempting to adjust a spring to a level that requires a lot of torque to twist the spring.


Apparatus, and a related method for its operation, for integrating selected multiple assembly and repair operations of electronic component packages, such as printed wiring board assemblies (PWBAs), at a single multi-function workstation. Each PWBA product is uniquely identified by a bar code or similar inscription, and the identification permits product data to be retrieved from a factory or depot database. The retrieved product data controls the various operations to be performed, such as positioning and soldering of surface-mounted components, inspection for defects, desoldering of defective components, and reinstallation of replacement components.

This invention relates generally to techniques for manufacturing electronic components and, more particularly, to techniques for assembling, testing and repairing printed wiring board assemblies (PWBAs) and modules using surface mount technology (SMT), and modules of multiple PWBAs. Packaging technologies for electronic components used in advanced avionics systems require the placement and installation of components such as surface-mounted chip resistors and capacitors, ceramic leadless chip carriers, and fine-pitch devices with more than 100 leads on 25-mil (0.025 inch or approximately 0.1 mm), on printed wiring boards. Anticipated developments include devices with hundreds of pins and even closer pin spacings. In this environment, manufacturing operations such as stencil printing solder paste, and placing the components, are very exacting. "Reworking," i e. removing and replacing components, is difficult and costly, and subjects the entire assembly to risk of damage.
Manufacturing tools have been developed to handle various aspects of the difficulties associated with this demanding environment. Among the available tools are microscope-aided visual inspection stations, solder reflow machines for installing and removing fine-pitch devices, and a material dot dispenser for accurately placing solder pastes, thermal adhesives and component stand-offs. Even with the availability of these tools, the assembly, rework and repair of printed wiring board assemblies require significant manual intervention and depend heavily on operator skill. In this manual manufacturing or reworking environment, it is not possible to obtain the degree of process control needed to ensure consistently high productivity quality. In addition, the absence of computer integration in this environment requires manual compilation of design data, work instructions, test results, and product configuration data. This adds significant time, cost, and error potential to the assembly and repair cycle. The present invention is directed to a solution to these problems.

Multi-function workstation for assembly and repair of printed wiring board assemblies


A frequency dependent optical isolator is provided which allows two signals transmitted on a single optical fiber to be isolated in dependence upon their frequencies. A signal having a frequency f1 propagates through the isolator in one direction from a first input/output port to a second input/output port and is prevented from propagating in the reverse direction. A signal having a frequency f2 propagates through the isolator from the second input port to the first input port and is prevented from propagating in the reverse direction. After either of the signals propagates through the isolator from one input/output port to the other, the isolator prevents the respective signal from traveling backwards in a reverse direction through the isolator. The frequency dependent isolator may be used with an amplifier or may amplify one or more of the signals propagating through.

In long distance optical fiber communication systems, repeaters are often required between a transmitter in the form of a light source and a photodetector receiver. Repeaters compensate for signal power attenuation in an optical fiber and reshape signals. In the past, repeaters have often included an optical to electrical converter in the form of a photodetector, electronic amplifiers to amplify a converted electrical signal, a signal processor, and an electrical to optical converter in the form of a laser or light emitting diode (LED). Currently, electrical repeaters are being replaced by various types of direct optical amplifiers. Advantageously, these direct optical amplifiers provide large gain (>40 dB), high bandwidth (>1 THz), transparency to bit rate, and the ability to simultaneously amplify multiplexed and bi-directional signals. In addition to replacing repeaters, direct optical amplifiers have other applications such as power amplifiers for boosting transmitted power, compensating for losses due to signal splitting, and as optical preamplifiers for improving receiver sensitivity.
Two types of direct optical amplifiers that perform well are rare earth doped fiber amplifiers and traveling wave semiconductor laser amplifiers. In a semiconductor optical amplifier, electrons and holes are injected into a semiconductor optical waveguide by means of an electrical current. Amplification of a signal occurs as it propagates through the waveguide by the process of stimulated emission in which photons are generated by electron-hole recombination. In rare earth doped fiber amplifier a pump laser at a shorter wavelength than the signal wavelength excites the rare earth ions to a metastable level. Amplification of the signal then occurs by the process of stimulated emission in which the excited ions fall back to the ground state, giving up their energy in the form of a photon that is coherent with the stimulating photon. The signal and pump light are coupled into the doped fiber by a wavelength division multiplexor which typically consists of two fibers melted or polished together.
In an optical fiber transmission line having direct optical amplifiers, optical isolators may be used to prevent reflected light and amplified spontaneous emission noise generated by the amplifiers from damaging the lasers and to prevent multiple reflections that can limit the receiver sensitivity. Multiple reflection induced relative intensity noise at the receiver can reduce an optical amplifier gain to less than 20 dB. Even if there are no reflections present, Rayleigh backscattering (RBS) can limit the amplifier gain to less than 20 dB. An optical isolator is a device that transmits light in one direction while strongly attenuating light in the reverse direction.
However, certain applications require that an optical fiber transmission line support bi-directional signal propagation. Optical time domain reflectometry (OTDR). the standard method used for fault location of fiber networks, transmits pulses into the fiber from one end of an optical fiber transmission line and detects faults by monitoring backscattered and backreflected light at the same end. Bi-directional propagation is also required for applications that transmit light in both directions along the same fiber.
Since optical isolators only allow unidirectional signal propagation they do not allow bi-directional signaling.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,899,043 in the name of Moschizuki et al. issued Feb. 6, 1990, entitled Fault Monitoring System For Optical Fiber Communication Systems discloses a fault monitoring system in a bi-directional optical fiber communication system. The system provides a bi-directional amplifier disposed between first and second optical transmission lines. A first optical signal is transmitted from one side of the transmission line, is amplified by a bi-directional amplifier and directed back to the transmission side, and is monitored. A second optical signal is transmitted from another side, is amplified by a bi-directional amplifier, and is transmitted back to the other side. The system further allows transmission of another signal of a different frequency from one side to the other amplified by the bi-directional amplifier.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,933,990 in the name of Mochizuki et al issued Jun. 12, 1990 disclose an optical privacy communication system in optical fiber communications between many points. Each station is provided with a privacy circuit the privacy circuit comprising a first and second optical branch. An isolator is inserted on the first optical branch, for passing only a signal of a direction from the first optical branch to the second optical branch, and an optical filter inserted in the second optical branch, for passing only an optical signal of a frequency assigned to the station, so that an optical privacy communication is carried out between stations.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,972,513 in the name of Mochizuki et al. issued Nov. 20, 1990, a mulit-point amplification repeating system is disclosed in which an output of a unidirectional amplifier inserted in a unidirectional repeating optical transmission system is branched and coupled to an input of a unidirectional amplifier inserted in another unidirectional repeating optical transmission system, so that bi-directional optical communication can be performed between many points connected to a plurality of first optical transmission lines.
Although Mochizuki's inventions appear to perform their intended functions, they do not provide isolation of two bi-directional signals being amplified and transmitted on the same optical fiber from one end to the other.


An image forming apparatus is provided with a casing, a drum unit including a photoconductive drum having a central axis extending in a first direction, and a charging device configured to charge the photoconductive drum, a fixing unit configured to fix an image on a printing medium, a fan configured to generate an air flow inside the casing, a filter configured to remove ozone included in the air, a first channel defined in the casing, the air directed from the fixing unit toward the fan flowing in the first channel, a second channel defined in the casing, the air directed from the charging device toward the fan flowing in the second channel, the filter being provided in the second channel, the second channel being arranged next to the first channel, and a blocking member configured to block communication between the first channel and the second channel.

1. Technical Field
Aspects of the present invention relate to an image forming apparatus employing an electrophotographic image forming method.
2. Prior Art
Conventionally, an image forming apparatus employing an electrophotographic image forming method has been known. Such an apparatus is generally configured such that a charged surface of a photoconductive drum is exposed to light which is modified based on image information to form an electrostatic latent image, toner is applied on the latent image to develop an image, the developed image is transferred on a recording sheet, and the transferred image is fixed by applying heat and pressure.
Such an apparatus has a fixing unit to fix the image on the sheet. The fixing unit typically has a heat roller and a pressure roller. The sheet on which the toner image has been transferred is caused to pass through a nip between the heat roller and the pressure roller, the heat and pressure are applied to the image, thereby the toner image is fixed on the sheet.

Image forming apparatus ensuring filtration of ozonated air


Iron phosphate conversion coatings that are well adapted to serve as carriers for metal cold working lubricants, particularly such lubricants that contain polyoxyethylene adducts of long chain primary alcohols as a major lubricating component, can be formed on ferriferous surfaces within practical times such as 5 to 10 minutes by contact with an aqueous solution of almost neutralized phosphoric acid that has sufficient Free Acid and/or Total Acid content to form a heavier phosphate conversion coating than do conventional iron phosphating compositions. The phosphate conversion coating forming aqueous liquid composition advantageously also contains an accelerator component such as chlorate or hydroxylamine.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to forming iron phosphate conversion coatings, with substantially higher coating weights than are normal for iron phosphating, on ferriferous substrates, to compositions suitable for forming such coatings by contact with ferriferous metal substrates, and to use of the coatings formed as a carrier for lubricants during drawing and/or other forms of cold working of the coated substrates.
2. Discussion of Related Art
Iron phosphating is well established as a pre-painting treatment. For this purpose, phosphating compositions with a pH value higher than 3.8 are generally used, and the coating weights of the phosphate coatings formed are generally from 0.3 to 1.5 grams per square meter (hereinafter usually abbreviated as "g/m.sup.2 "). Phosphating is also well established as a process for forming a base surface on which to apply a lubricant, conventionally a soap such as zinc and/or sodium stearate, to prevent mechanical damage during cold working, especially tube drawing. For this purpose, however, much heavier coating weights of at least 2 g/m.sup.2 and normally 6-9 g/m.sup.2 are usually used. In the past, such coating weights have normally been achieved by using zinc containing phosphating compositions. Zinc phosphating compositions are highly effective for this purpose, but zinc and other "heavy" metals such as nickel and manganese that are often contained in zinc phosphating compositions are being increasingly regarded as pollutants, so that their elimination would be advantageous, if adequate lubricant carrier conversion coatings could be produced without them.

High coating weight iron phosphating, compositions therefor, and use of the coating formed as a lubricant carrier


The present invention is generally directed to one or more devices and a method for improving quantitative coronary artery analysis. The devices which may be used with the present invention include an improved angiographic image quality phantom, an improved arterial phantom and the initial imaging of the procedure catheter. One or all of these devices may be used to increase the accuracy and quality of the arterial measurements provided by an edge detection analysis program. The method includes the initial imaging of the image quality phantom to allow for the correction of various geometric distortions present in an imaging system. Next, the tip of the procedure catheter and the arterial phantom are imaged to create an improved regression curve for the imaging system an to allow for increased accuracy in the use of the procedure catheter as a basis for the determination of the calculated artery diameters.

During angiographic or other diagnostic procedures which use X-Rays, a system similar to that shown generally in FIG. 1 is used. The system generally includes an X-Ray tube 10 which emits X-Rays from a general point source. The X-Ray tube is positioned under a table 12 on which the patient or other object of interest is positioned. In order to provide for X-Ray photography, cinegraphic recording and/or viewing of the subject, and image intensifier 14 is positioned above the subject.
The bottom surface of the image intensifier 14 includes a grid 16 having a plurality of narrowly spaced strips thereon in order to attenuate scattered X-Rays so that only the X-Rays which pass through the subject directly from the X-Ray tube are recorded by the recording medium 20. The top of the image intensifier includes a TV or similar camera 18 to allow the physician to dynamically view the subject of the study. For example, the heart or other organ of a patient may be viewed through the camera to allow the physician the ensure the proper positioning and observe the operation heart or other organ. Additionally, the top portion of the image intensifier 14 also typically includes a recording medium 20 such as a film camera or digital recording medium to record the study for later review and analysis. The image intensifier incorporates a phosphorous screen 22 and a series of focusing coils 24 which tend to cause the X-Ray beams to be directed toward a phosphorous output lens 26. The beam from the output lens is split by a beam splitter 28 to provide output to the TV camera 18 and recording medium 20.
Current systems which are used to analyze coronary arteries during diagnostic angiographic procedures include automatic analysis programs to calculate the dimensions of the arteries of a patient. While these programs have been used for many years, the programs suffer from certain inaccuracies which result from distortions that occur during the image acquisition process as well as limitations in the sharpness of the pixels of the acquired image. For example, various studies have shown that the accuracy of the analysis programs decreases as the size of the artery of interest decreases and it is the arteries having the reduced sizes that are of particular interest to the cardiologist.
One of the major sources of image distortion with the current systems is geometric distortion. Geometric distortion results in pincushion or barrel distortion of the image and may result from the lenses and focusing coils in the imaging system as well as passage of the X-Rays from the conical or point source of the X-Ray tube to the generally planar grid 16 and image intensifier 14. This type of distortion may result in an image which is concave (pincushion) or convex (barrel) shaped near the edges of the image. Attempts to overcome this type of distortion include calibration of the imaging system when it is installed using a platform phantom having a plurality of lead lines. The lead lines are aligned in a grid shape horizontally and vertically along the platform with a known distance of 1 cm between each other. Although this procedure provides the program with the ability to correct for the calibrated geometric distortion of the system, geometric distortion also arises as the components of the system age or are replaced. Additionally, because there is a strong desire to minimize the dose of X-Rays that the patients are exposed to, the images include noise distortion and the images of the lead lines lose their sharpness around their edges. Additionally, the use of the lead lines does not present an accurate depiction of the absorption of the X-Rays for the organs of interest in a patient because the lead lines distort the X-Rays of the image system in different proportions than the organs of interest of the patient. As a result of the foregoing, the calibration analysis may include a certain amount of error which is then passed on to the calibrated images of the analysis program. Despite these difficulties, it is still desirable to provide an initial or partial correction for geometric distortion.
A further approach to improving image quality and analysis of the artery sizes involves the calibration of the analysis program using the procedure catheter. In the current approach, the outer diameter of the procedure catheter is assigned as a known distance and the areas of interest are then comparatively analyzed based on this distance. Difficulties in this approach arise from the lack of image sharpness inherent in the X-Ray type of imaging system as well as from the many different manufacturers and varieties of catheters which are available today. Further complicating the attempts to calibrate the analysis programs based on the catheter diameter is the fact that the catheters are made of various materials, each of which absorb and scatter the X-Rays differently. Each of these difficulties is then exacerbated by the magnification of the image for use in the analysis program. Despite this, the use of a procedure catheter to calibrate the analysis program is beneficial because the procedure catheter is useful as a reference to compare to the arteries because the absorption characteristics of the X-Rays for the catheters and arteries have greater similarities between each other than the lead lines and arteries. Additionally, the similarity in object size, dimension and object contrast between the procedure catheter and the nearby artery provides a useful reference for identifying the walls of the arteries.
Based on the foregoing, there remains a need for improved calibration or error correction devices and a method of their use to improve the quality of existing analysis programs for imaging systems.
Furthermore, there remains a need for a reliable and consistent calibration or error correction system which may be used to compare the relative differences between imaging systems to allow the images to be analyzed by a common analysis system without introducing additional errors.

Device and method for improved quantitative coronary artery analysis


The present invention relates to a current supply control apparatus capable of actuating a large inductance load at a low electric power source voltage and also capable of improving a responsibility in a current supply control of the inductance load. When a detecting voltage of an absolute value circuit (10) representing a current value flowing in an exiting coil (1), provided as an inductance load, exceeds a standard voltage, transistors (3a, 3b) interposed between a DC electric power source (2a, 2b) and the exciting coil are turned off, and a magnetic energy stored in the exciting coil is utilized to charge a capacitor (5) up to a high voltage so that a current flowing after the transistors have been turned off is quickly reduced. Furthermore, when the detecting voltage decreases down to a predetermined value, the transistors are turned on, and then both a voltage charged in the capacitor and a voltage of the DC electric power source are applied to the exciting coil to cause the exciting current to be sharply increased. With this arrangement, the exciting current can be made to respond sharply to the standard voltage without specially applying a high voltage from the DC electric power source to the inductance load.

Conventionally, in the case where a large inductance load has to be actuated, a current supply control circuit is interposed between the inductance load and a high-voltage electrical power source so that an application of high voltage can be controlled by the current supply control circuit. For example, in order to realize a magnetic levitation of a rotor member in a magnetic bearing (i.e. a linear motor) using an electromagnet associated with a large inductance exciting coil, a high voltage is applied to the exciting coil so as to steeply build up an exciting current.
Furthermore, in a reluctance type motor with an exciting coil having a fairly large inductance for its armature, a voltage 5.about.10 times as large as a normal voltage for obtaining a normal motor output torque is applied to a current supply circuit during a building-up period of an exciting current in order to promptly build up the exciting current for preventing the motor output torque from being undesirably reduced. Also, a magnetic energy stored in the exciting coil is returned to an electric power source during a trailing-edge period of the exciting current, thereby quickly decreasing the exciting current to prevent a counter torque from being generated.
However, a voltage required for realizing a magnetic levitation of a rotor member in a magnetic bearing or a voltage applied to an exciting coil of a reluctance motor for building up an exciting coil are so large that a voltage of the electric power source becomes excessively large.
Furthermore, if an applied voltage to a reluctance motor is not sufficient, a building-up and a trailing-edge of an exciting current become so dull that not only a torque reduction appears in its building-up period but a counter-torque occurs in its trailing-edge period. This means that the motor cannot be driven at a high speed.
For example, in the case where a conventional reluctance type motor is driven by a battery as a driving source of an automotive vehicle, the rotational speed of the motor cannot be increased more than several hundreds rpm. Thus, the motor will not have any practical use. A stepping motor also has similar problems.

Current supply control apparatus for inductance load


Installation for steeping grains of the type comprising a tank (1) provided with a cylindrical lateral wall (2), with a bottom (3) and with a perforated platform (11) disposed at a certain distance from the bottom (3) and on which the grain rests in a layer of suitable thickness, the upper surface of this layer of grains being able to be levelled by a rotary system with raking arms (6) carrying blades and associated with a first motor (9) capable of rotating them, a second motor (10) being coupled to the system in order to make it vertically movable. This installation comprises removable connection making it possible to connect, mechanically and temporarily, the perforated platform (11) to the system with raking arms (6) and blades or directly to the second motor (10).

It has hitherto been attempted to solve these problems in the following manner.
The most widespread cleaning technique consists in using a jet of pressurised water, with possibly the addition of appropriate cleaning products.
The upper face of the perforated platform is cleaned automatically, for example by booms or rotary sprays which are connected to the system with raking arms and blades and also ensure cleaning of the central shaft possibly provided in order to support and guide the raking system vertically, as well as of the walls of the tank. The most difficult part to clean is the space situated between the bottom and the perforated platform, in particular the lower face of the latter, as well as the elements of the carrying structure.
In order to solve this problem, the most widely used solution consists in positioning the perforated platform by construction, that is to say permanently, at the height of a man, and in having the cleaning performed by an operator using high-pressure equipment. This work is time-consuming, difficult and dangerous (slippery floor) and its quality depends on the operator. It must be added to this that the carrying structure of the platform rests on props in order to support the weight of the grain. The operator must therefore move among a multitude of props, which moreover hinders automatization using robotic means.
This solution has the additional drawback of requiring a very large volume of water in order to fill the space between the bottom and the perforated platform; the consumption of water is thus increased without any gain as regards the treatment of the grain.
Another solution has therefore been envisaged, consisting in providing a vertically movable perforated platform, and in raising it only at the time of cleaning, this platform thus having, during normal operation, its usual height above the bottom of the tank. Thus, the height beneath the perforated platform is reduced to its minimum, which, during steeping, allows the usual characteristics of the process to be retained, in particular the CO.sub.2 extraction rate (8 to 10 m.sup.3 /s) and the flowrate of compressed air (180 to 200 mm head of water). This solution requires however the introduction beneath the platform of actuation means for raising it; these actuation means are then submerged in the steeping water and may constitute zones of accumulation of contaminating material which are hard to clean. It is moreover necessary to introduce a fluid beneath the perforated platform (electricity, compressed air, hydraulic fluid, etc.) in order to supply the aforementioned actuation means, which constitutes an additional drawback.


A bi-directional system for actively deflecting the distal tip of a catheter includes a reconfigurable tube that is positioned proximal to the catheter's distal tip. The tube is formed with slits that are arranged to allow the tube to be transformed from a relaxed, cylindrical configuration to a plurality of deflected configurations. First and second pull wires are provided, with each wire having a respective distal end that is attached to the distal end of the tube. Each wire extends to a catheter handle where it is attached to a respective reel. The reels can be rotated, back and forth, to selectively deflect or relax the tube. To ensure a smooth recovery after a relatively large deflection, a mechanism is disclosed for delaying an application of tension on one of the pull wires until at least a portion of any tension on the other pull wire is released.

Atrial fibrillation is an irregular heart rhythm that adversely affects approximately 2.5 million people in the United States. It is believed that at least one-third of all atrial fibrillation originates near the ostium of the pulmonary veins. Anatomically, two pairs of pulmonary veins are connected to the left atrium of the heart with each pair delivering blood to the heart from one of the patient's lungs.
It is further believed that the optimal technique to treat atrial fibrillation is to create circumferential lesions around the ostia where a pulmonary vein connects with the left atrium. More specifically, the goal is to ablate tissue to form a conduction block to thereby prohibit the transmission of irregular electrical signals that can cause an arrhythmia. To be effective, the conduction block must completely block irregular signals and this often requires the ablation of a relatively deep, uniform lesion. In some cases, more than one pulmonary vein must be treated to cure an arrhythmia.
To create circumferential lesions around the ostia using cryoablation, a typical procedure involves contacting tissue around the periphery of an ostium with a cryo-element and then cooling the cryo-element to ablate the contacted tissue. In some cases, the cryo-element can be hoop shaped allowing for a single-contact cryoablation. In other cases, a cryo-element that is arcuate, partially hoop shaped or dome shaped can be used. For such cryo-elements, multiple, successive contacts between the cryo-element and tissue are typically required. More specifically, these procedures require the cryo-element to be successively moved around the ostia to create a continuous ablation band.
For all of these types of cryo-elements, it is necessary to articulate the distal end of the catheter with great accuracy to aim and direct the cryo-element into contact with the targeted tissue. Moreover, this manipulation typically must be performed within a relatively limited space (e.g. the left atrium). For this purpose, it is desirable to be able to deflect the distal end of the catheter in more than one direction. With bi-directional capability, the distal end of the catheter can be deflected in a first direction (e.g. upward) to treat a first pulmonary vein, for example, and subsequently deflected in a second direction (e.g. downward) to treat a second vein. Furthermore, the ability to deflect the distal end of the catheter at relatively large deflection angles can potentially simplify and quicken many procedures.
In a typical bi-directional deflection system, a first pull wire is used to deflect the distal catheter tip in a first direction and second pull wire is provided to deflect the distal catheter tip in a second direction, opposite the first direction. For these conventional systems, a change in deflection from one direction to another can be problematic. For instance, when the tip is deflected a relatively small amount in the first direction, the second pull wire can typically be retracted to first straighten the catheter tip, and then deflect the tip in the second direction. However, when the deflection of the distal tip in the first direction is relatively large (e.g. ninety to one hundred eighty degrees or more), retraction of the second pull wire does not necessarily operate to smoothly recover the deflection and straighten the tip. Instead, for conventional bi-directional systems, retraction of the second wire can actually cause further deflection in the first direction and may prevent a deflection recover when the tension in the first wire is released.
In light of the above, it is an object of the present invention to provide a bi-directional system for actively deflecting a distal portion of a catheter while the distal portion is positioned within a body conduit. It is another object of the present invention to provide a system for bi-directionally controlling the cryo-tip of a cryoablation catheter that transitions from one direction to another with the operation of a single control knob. It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a system for bi-directionally controlling the cryo-tip of a cryoablation catheter that actively controls the amount of tip deflection in both directions and can hold the deflected cryo-tip in place. Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a bi-direction control system which is easy to use, relatively simple to implement, and comparatively cost effective.

System for bi-directionally controlling the cryo-tip of a cryoablation catheter


A method of treating a fuser member surface to extend the life thereof includes applying to the fuser member surface an ethylene diamine tetraacetate. In addition, the fuser member may be subjected to a sonic treatment during the application of the ethylene diamine traacetrate in order to remove additional materials therefrom that are resistant to removal by the ethylene diamine traacetate.

Described herein are methods for extending the life of a fuser member, and materials for use in such methods. More in particular, described are methods and materials for removing potentially damaging materials from a fuser member surface.
Fuser members may be utilized in many different applications for fusing and/or fixing a toner image to an image receiving medium. For example, a fuser member may be used in electrophotographic and/or xerographic devices (e.g., copying machines), facsimile devices, printers, and the like.
In a typical electrophotographic or xerographic process, a photoconductive member is charged to a substantially uniform potential so as to sensitize the surface thereof. The charged portion of the photoconductive member is exposed to a light image of an original document being reproduced. Exposure of the charged photoconductive member selectively dissipates the charges thereon in the irradiated areas. This records an electrostatic latent image on the photoconductive member corresponding to the informational areas contained within the original document. After the electrostatic latent image is recorded on the photoconductive member, the latent image is developed by bringing a developer material into proximity therewith. Generally, the developer material comprises toner particles adhering triboelectrically to carrier granules. The toner particles are attracted from the carrier granules to the latent image forming a toner powder image on the photoconductive member. The toner powder image is then transferred from the photoconductive member to an image receiving substrate such as copy paper. The toner particles are heated at a fusing station to permanently affix the image to the copy sheet.
In order to fuse the image formed by the toner onto the paper, electrophotographic devices include a fuser. While the fuser may take many forms, heat or combination heat-pressure fusers are currently most common. One combination heat-pressure fuser includes a heat fusing roll in physical contact with a hard pressure roll. These rolls cooperate to form a fusing nip through which the copy sheet (the sheet on which the document is finally formed) passes.
Fuser rolls are typically in the form of a rotating cylinder, with an outer surface comprising a thin elastomeric layer that contacts the copy material. The outer surface may include a release agent, such as silicone oil, to prevent toner from adhering to the surface of the fuser roll itself. Fuser rolls commonly used have outer layers of a thickness on the order of 0.002–0.07 inches (2 to 70 mils), while typical pressures exerted on the outer layer of a fuser roll are on the order of 50 to 150 psi.
The life of a fuser member is limited by several failure mechanisms. The surface or bulk properties of the elastic material used for coating of the roll can, for instance, become degraded by prolonged exposure to high temperature. Another mechanism is the wear of the roll caused by paper abrasion. Still other mechanisms include the attachment of high molecular weight materials such as oligomers or other decomposition products of the silicone oil release agent commonly employed in fuser systems. The formation rate of these products may be increased by the presence of impurities (for example, toner components, paper components or environmental contaminants). Additionally, some of these contaminants may react in the fuser nip, forming a polar salt layer that covers the surface of the roll. When this occurs, toner from the image is more prone to offset to the fuser member surface and be re-deposited at another part of the print or copy. Such toner offset to the fuser member surface is undesirable and results in degraded image quality. This adhesion of toner to the roll is also believed to be a first step in the cascade leading to stripping failure, wherein the image receiving substrate adheres to the fuser member surface rather than being easily stripped therefrom, and ultimately to fuser member failure.

Method and materials for extending fuser member life


An electronic device may include a source memory device partitioned into N elementary source memories for storing a sequence of input data sets, and a processor clocked by a clock signal and having N outputs for producing, per cycle of the clock signal, N output data sets respectively associated with the N input data sets stored in the N elementary source memories at respective source addresses. The electronic device may also include N single port target memories, N interleaving tables including, for each relative source address, the number of a target memory and the respective target address thereof, N cells connected in a ring structure. Further, each cell may also be connected between an output of the processor, an interleaving table, and a target memory.

Turbo codes, which were introduced in 1993, are used in today's communication standards due to their outstanding forward error correction performance. They include concatenated component codes that work on the same block of information bits, which are separated by interleavers. The component codes are decoded individually.
One key to the performance of turbo codes is the iterative exchange of information between the component decoders. The information exchanged iteratively represents the likelihood of the received bit k to have been sent either as dk=0 or dk=1. The decision is represented by the sign of the log-likehood-ratio
      (                  LLR                          (                      d            k                    )                    =              log                                      P                                      (                                                d                  k                                -                1                            )                                            P                                      (                                                d                  k                                -                0                            )                                            )    ,and the confidence in this decision is represented by its magnitude.
Interleaving involves scrambling the processing order to break up neighborhood relations, and it is important for the performance of turbo codes. The LLR produced at position k, denoted as LLR(dk), is written to position interleaved(k) in the RAM:LLRprod(dk)LLRRAM(dinterleaved(k)).
The interleaver and deinterleaver tables include one-to-one mappings of source addresses to target addresses. Table 1 shows an example for reordering six LLRs to perform interleaving.
TABLE 1Interleaver/Deinterleaver Table for six LLRs.AddressInterleavedAddressDeinterleaved131626243531424554536162
Deinterleaving brings these items into the original sequence again (a 3GPP compliant table, for example, would include up to 5114 entries). One LLR has to be read for every LLR produced. If only one LLR is produced per time step, interleaving may be performed on the fly through indirect addressing. However, high-throughput applications require parallel architectures that produce more than one LLR per time step. Thus, multiple LLRs have to be read and written concurrently. The number of LLRs read and written will be denoted herein as N.
In a 0.20 μm technology, a single producer may achieve a maximum throughput of about 7 Mbit/s assuming 10 iterations. For 100 M bit/s, a reasonable assumption for future communication systems, N=16 producers would be necessary, requiring 16-port RAMs. Yet, the use of N-port RAMs to solve access conflicts is, in general, not feasible.
Read access conflicts may be avoided by using N individual memories. Write access conflicts may not be avoided that easily. That is, the positions where the produced LLRs have to be stored depend on the interleaver. For arbitrary interleavers, the target memory, i.e., the RAM to which each LLR has to go to, is not known at design time. At each time step and for each RAM, the number of LLRs to be stored may vary from 0 to N. The resulting concurrent accesses to the same single port memory are thus a significant bottleneck in high throughput turbo decoding.
The problem is perhaps best illustrated by taking the interleaver table of Table 1 for two concurrently produced LLRs and assigning its addresses to two individual RAMs. Table 2 shows the interleaver table entries together with the associated RAMs and relative addresses. It should be noted that only the interleaver will be mentioned hereafter, but the same concepts apply to the deinterleaver as well.
TABLE 2Interleaver Table with associated RAMs.SourceRelativeTargetRelativeRAMAddressAddressInterleavedRAMAddress=>111313122623133522=>214212225421236111
The number of write accesses may be determined from the interleaver tables and the producing scheme. Assuming that the two LLRs are produced in order of ascending relative addresses (i.e. in the first time step at the absolute addresses 1 and 4) and interleaving is performed according to Table 2, and Table 3 shows the resulting write accesses.
TABLE 3Write Accesses to LLR RAMSWrite Accesses toWrite Accesses toTime stepRAM 1RAM 2120202311
In the first time step, for example, one LLR is read from source RAM1 (Address 1) and written to target RAM1 (Address 3). The other one is read concurrently from source RAM2 (Address 1) and written to target RAM1 (Address 2), which results in two concurrent write accesses for target RAM1.
In A. Giuletti, L. Van Der Perre, M. Strum., Parallel turbo coding interleavers: avoiding collisions in accesses to storage elements, IEEE Electronics Letters Vol. 38, No. 5, February 2002, a dedicated interleaving scheme for each given architecture and block size is derived, circumventing the arising access problems. This approach does not, however, allow for pre-defined interleavers, as for example in a standard like 3GPP, nor for arbitrary block lengths or degrees of parallelization. Other prior art approaches use one fixed interleaver implemented through wired connections between component decoders.

Electronic device for reducing interleaving write access conflicts in optimized concurrent interleaving architecture for high throughput turbo decoding


A system for subatmospheric pressure therapy in connection with the healing of a surgical wound is disclosed. The system may be portable or semi-portable, thereby providing the subject with the ability to be partially or completely ambulatory through the course of the treatment. The system includes a wound dressing dimensioned for positioning relative to a wound bed of a subject and a portable subatmospheric pressure mechanism dimensioned to be carried or worn by the subject. The subatmospheric pressure mechanism includes a housing, a vacuum source at least partially disposed within the housing and in fluid communication with the fluid conduit, a filter in fluid communication with the vacuum source, and a collection canister for collecting exudates from the wound bed removed under subatmospheric pressure. An elevation member is mounted with respect to the housing. The elevation member is adapted to position the housing and canister at a predetermined orientation when positioned relative to a support surface to minimize a potential of at least one of spillage of the exudates from the canister, clogging of the filter or an inappropriate canister full indication.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to treating an open wound with subatmospheric pressure, and, more specifically, relates to a semi-portable or portable therapy system including a support mechanism for maintaining the subatmospheric mechanism at a predetermined orientation to minimize a potential of either spillage of the exudates from the exudates canister, clogging of the filter or an inappropriate canister full indication.
2. Description of Related Art
Wound closure involves the migration of epithelial and subcutaneous tissue adjacent the wound towards the center and away from the base of the wound until the wound closes. Unfortunately, closure is difficult with large wounds, chronic wounds or wounds that have become infected. In such wounds, a zone of stasis (i.e. an area in which localized swelling of tissue restricts the flow of blood to the tissues) forms near the surface of the wound. Without sufficient blood flow, the epithelial and subcutaneous tissues surrounding the wound not only receive diminished oxygen and nutrients, but, are also less able to successfully fight microbial infection and, thus, are less able to close the wound naturally. Such wounds have presented difficulties to medical personnel for many years.
Negative pressure therapy also known as suction or vacuum therapy has been used in treating and healing wounds. Application of negative pressure, e.g. reduced or subatmospheric pressure, to a localized reservoir over a wound has been found to assist in closing the wound by promoting blood flow to the area, stimulating the formation of granulation tissue, and encouraging the migration of healthy tissue over the wound. Negative pressure may also inhibit bacterial growth by drawing fluids from the wound such as exudates, which may tend to harbor bacteria. This technique has proven particularly effective for chronic or healing-resistant wounds, and is also used for other purposes such as post-operative wound care.
Generally, negative pressure therapy provides for a wound to be covered to facilitate suction at the wound area. A fluid conduit provides fluid communication between the interior of a wound covering and an external vacuum source. Atmospheric gas, wound exudates, or other fluids may be drawn from the reservoir through the fluid conduit to stimulate healing of the wound. Exudates drawn from the reservoir may be deposited in a collection canister.

Wound therapy system with housing and canister support