An apparatus is provided for gripping nano-scale objects, wherein the apparatus includes a probe including a base portion and a terminal portion. First and second nanotubes are secured to the base portion of the probe, wherein each of the first and second nanotubes include a protruding portion which extends past the base portion and the terminal portion of the probe. First and second electrodes are formed on the base portion of the probe and electrically connected to the first and second nanotubes. A third electrode is disposed on the terminal portion of the probe. A control circuit applies a voltage to the first, second and third electrodes to close the protruding portions of the first and second nanotubes by charging the first and second nanotubes to a first polarity and charging the third electrode to a second polarity opposite to the first polarity.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for gripping nano-size objects, and more particularly to a gripping apparatus which utilizes electrostatically-driven carbon nanotubes for gripping nano-size objects.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The development of new tools for manipulating and probing matter at a nanometer length scale is critical to advances in nanomechanics, nanoscale physics, and nanotechnology. Atomic force microscopes, scanning probe microscopes and scanning tunneling microscopes are currently used for these purposes because these microscopes are capable of working at length scales as small as a single atom. However, conventional atomic force microscopes, scanning probe microscopes and scanning tunneling microscopes are provided with a single probe tip which limits the ability to manipulate nano-objects. That is, the single probe tip cannot grab an object and, therefore, cannot provide for secure and accurate movement of the nano-object to a desired destination or position.
Nanotweezers have been developed to grip and manipulate nano-objects in view of the limitations of the above-mentioned microscopes having the single probe tip. The nanotweezers can grip and release objects, thereby facilitating new kinds of operations and assembly of nano-scale particles and structures.
For example, as shown in FIG. 1, a pair of nanotweezers 88, developed Phillip Kim and Charles M. Lieber ("Nanotube Nanotweezers", Journal of Science, volume 286, pp. 2148-2150, Dec. 10, 1999), includes metal electrode films 84a and 84b which are respectively formed on circumferential surfaces of a tapered glass tube 80 with an insulating section 82 interposed therebetween. Carbon nanotubes 86a and 86b are respectively fastened to the metal electrode films 84a and 84b so that the carbon nanotubes 86a and 86b protrude to form the nanotweezers 88.
As shown in FIG. 2, when a voltage is applied from a direct-current power supply 94 to the nanotweezers 88 via lead wires 92a and 92b connected to contact points 90a and 90b on the metal electrode films 84a and 84b, the carbon nanotube 86a is charged to a positive polarity, while the carbon nanotube 86b is charged to a negative polarity. As a result of the electrostatic attractive force of these positive and negative charges, the tip ends of the carbon nanotubes 86a and 86b close inward, so that a nano-substance 96 can be gripped between the tip ends. If the voltage is reduced to zero, the electrostatic attractive force is eliminated, so that the carbon nanotubes 86a and 86b are caused to return to the state shown in FIG. 1 by the elastic recovery force of the carbon nanotubes 86a and 86b and the nano-substance 96 is thereby released. Thus, opening-and-closing control of the nanotweezers 88 can be accomplished by controlling the magnitude of the voltage, e.g., 0 to 10 V, applied to the metal electrode films 84a and 84b.
However, the nanotweezers 88 have several drawbacks. More specifically, a first drawback is that since the tip ends of the glass tubes 80 are finely worked to 100 nm in a tapered form, the nanotweezers 88 are relatively weak and brittle.
A second drawback results from the metal electrode films 84a and 84b being formed along the entire length of the glass tube 80, and the contact points 90a and 90b being disposed on the large-diameter rear portion of the glass tube and connected to the power supply 94 via the lead wires 92a and 92b. In particular, since the lead wires 92a and 92b have a considerable thickness, the electrical contact points 90a and 90b must be disposed on the rear end portion of the glass tube which has an expanded diameter. This results in the difficulty of forming the metal electrode films along the entire length of the glass tube and in poor efficiency.
A third drawback arises from the fact that the nanotweezers are operated by electrostatic action between the carbon nanotubes 86a and 86b. That is, positive and negative electrical charges are accumulated in the carbon nanotubes 86a and 86b, and the opening and closing of the carbon nanotubes 86a and 86b is controlled by the electrostatic attractive force of these electrical charges. In the case where the nano-substance 96 is an electrical insulator or a semiconductor, such an electrostatic attractive force can be effectively utilized. However, in the case where the nano-substance 96 is a conductor, the ends of the carbon nanotubes 86a and 86b are electrically short-circuited, so that the electrostatic attractive force ceases to operate. Furthermore, there is also a danger that the nano-substance 96 will be electrically destroyed in the case of short-circuiting. Accordingly, the use of the nanotweezers 88 is limited to semiconductor nano-substances and insulating nano-substances, and constant care must be taken during use.
A fourth drawback is that-since the nanotweezers 88 are constructed from only two carbon nanotubes, there are various shaped nano-substances that cannot be securely gripped. For example, although flattened nano-substances can be stably gripped by the two carbon nanotubes 86a and 86b, the gripping hold on a spherical nano-substance or rod-like nano-substance may be unstable such that there is a risk that the nano-substance will fall out of the nanotweezers.
With reference to FIG. 3, U.S. Pat. No. 6,669,256 to Nakayama et al. discloses nanotweezers 50 including three nanotubes 54 whose base end portions are fastened to a holder 51 such that the nanotubes protrude from the holder 51. The nanotubes 54 are coated with a coating film which insulates and covers the surfaces of the nanotubes 54. Lead wires 52 are connected to the nanotubes 54 via electrode films 53. The tip ends of the nanotubes 54 are freely opened and closed by means of an electrostatic attractive force generated by applying a voltage across the lead wires 52 such that two of the nanotubes 54 are negatively charged while the third nanotube 54 is positively charged.
The coating film on the nanotubes 54 is made of an insulative material in order to prevent short-circuiting between the nanotubes 54 and a nanosubstance to be gripped. For example, the coating film may be a hydrocarbon film formed on the surfaces of the conductive nanotubes by electron beam irradiation. However, the method for forming the coating film is quite complicated in case of nano-scale objects such as carbon nanotubes. Further, the thickness of the carbon nanotube shell is equal to one carbon atomic layer. Hence, the layer of any new material can be expected to sufficiently change the electrical and mechanical properties of the carbon nanotubes.
Even though the nanotubes are covered with the insulative coating layer, the risk of short-circuiting still exists in the case where a higher voltage is applied, accidentally or intentionally to generate a stronger attractive force, or in the case of a defect (cracking, thinning, breakage, etc.) of the coating film, e.g., due to material fatigue. The likelihood of a defect occurring in the coating film is increased as the coating film covering the nanotubes is repeatedly exposed to large deformations, and hence, very strong stresses originate in the material causing cracks and film destruction.
Further, despite the insulative coating film, an electro-magnetic field exists between charged nanotubes which can adversely effect some types of objects in an harmful and unpredictable manner, especially biological living substances such as cells, genes, DNA, etc.
Lastly, while the use three or more nanotube arms provides for more secure gripping of a nanosubstance, this results in complex interaction among the positively and negatively charged nanotubes.

Electrostatically driven carbon nanotube gripping device


A method of treating fibers to improve resistance to high temperatures and relative humidity includes providing poly(p-phenylene-2,6-benzobisoxazole) (PBO) fibers, exposing the PBO fibers to an atmosphere of supercritical CO2 saturated with an epoxy silane, i.e. 3-glycidoxypropyl methyldimethoxysilane. The PBO fibers are subjected to a first pressurizing and heating stage at a first temperature (50° C.) for a first period of time. The PBO fibers are then subjected to a second pressurizing and heating stage including increasing the temperature to a second temperature (110° C.) and holding at the second temperature for an additional period of time. The PBO fibers include 2-5 wt % of 3-glycidoxypropyl methyldimethoxysilane after diffusing the CO2 out of the PBO fibers. The fibers are particularly useful in making lightweight body armor system components.

The present invention relates to a method of treating Poly(p-phenylene-2,6-benzobisoxazole) (PBO) fiber to reduce the effects of heat and moisture on the fiber.
Poly(p-phenylene-2,6-benzobisoxazole) (PBO) fiber is a high strength and high modulus fiber. However, PBO fiber degrades rapidly when exposed to moisture and heat. Methods of modifying the surface of PBO fibers have previously been developed. For example, Chinese Patent Document No. CN 101235590 discloses dipping the PBO fiber into a chemical solution and then ultrasonically treating the fiber to modify the surface of the fiber. However, there is a further need for a method of reducing the detrimental effects of moisture and heat on PBO fibers.
Elimination or reduction of the detrimental effects on PBO fiber caused by exposure to moisture and heat would provide a stable high performance fiber that may be used in lightweight armor systems. Improvements in the mechanical properties of PBO fibers through secondary chemical process modifications of base level fibers, would allow for a treated and improved PBO fiber that can be incorporated into lightweight soft armor systems and Fiber Reinforced Plastics (FRPs) for combat helmets and backings to ceramic for small arms protection.

PBO fibers with improved mechanical properties when exposed to high temperatures and high relative humidity


The present invention provides a magnetic sensor suitable for high resolution and having high reliability by achieving stable output even at the occurrence of variations in a gap between a magnetic medium and the magnetic sensor, and a magnetic encoder using the magnetic sensor. The present invention uses a magnetoresistive element having magnetoresistive properties that satisfy the inequation, H10−50<H50−90, where H10−50 represents a magnetic field required for a resistance change from ΔR×10% to ΔR×50% with respect to a maximum amount of resistance change ΔR on a magnetoresitance effect curve, and H50−90 represents a magnetic field required for a resistance change from ΔR×50% to ΔR×90%.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a magnetic sensor having a Spin-valve type giant magnetoresistive element and a magnetic encoder using the same.
2. Background Art
Recently, there have been strong demands that a magnetic encoder for use in consumer electronics equipment such as a digital still camera and an ink jet printer achieves high resolution and low power consumption in addition to small size and low price.
Heretofore, an anisotropic magnetoresitance effect (hereinafter referred to simply as "AMR") film made of a NiFe (nickel-iron) alloy film or the like has been used for a magnetic sensor to be mounted to the magnetic encoder. The AMR effect is a phenomenon in which electrical resistance changes according to a relative angle between the direction of current passing through a ferromagnetic film of a NiFe alloy or the like and the direction of magnetization of the ferromagnetic film. By utilizing the phenomenon, a change in resistance of an element according to an externally applied signal magnetic field can be outputted through a change in voltage or current. Specifically, when an AMR element is disposed as separated by a predetermined gap from a magnetic medium magnetized in alternating multipolar form as illustrated schematically in FIG. 1, a change in output according to a periodic signal magnetic field originating from the magnetic medium can be detected.
High resolution of the magnetic encoder can be achieved by narrowing a magnetized pitch (or a length of a pair of the north and south poles) of the magnetic medium and correspondingly narrowing a pattern width of the magnetic sensor. However, it is required that the magnetic sensor be of high sensitivity because the narrowing of the magnetized pitch of the magnetic medium leads to a decrease in the signal magnetic field from the surface of the magnetic medium. Although an AMR film of NiFe or the like undergoes a change in electrical resistance under a signal magnetic field of relatively small magnitude, magnetoresistive ratio (hereinafter referred to simply as "MR ratio") is of the order of a few percent, which is not necessarily high. Thus, the sensitivity can possibly be insufficient for the magnetic encoder to achieve high resolution. Generally, the AMR film has a thickness of about 20 nm. Thus, the narrowing of the pattern width of the magnetic sensor corresponding to the magnetized pitch of the magnetic medium leads to shape anisotropy, which can possibly cause an increase in an anisotropy field and hence a reduction in the sensitivity to magnetic field. Moreover, the thick AMR film means that the resistance of the element is relatively low, and therefore the AMR film has a problem also from the viewpoint of power consumption.
Other magnetic sensors include an element utilizing an antiferro-coupled giant magnetoresistive (hereinafter referred to simply as "coupled GMR") film, as disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 2812042. The coupled GMR film is formed of a multilayer superlattice film having ferromagnetic layers and non-magnetic layers alternating with each other, which are stacked one on top of another in a few layers to a few tens of layers. Antiferromagnetic interlayer coupling (or interaction such that the magnetization directions of adjacent ferromagnetic layers are antiparallel to each other) occurs between the adjacent ferromagnetic layers with the non-magnetic layer in between. In the GMR film, an electrical resistance changes according to a relative angle between the magnetization directions of the adjacent ferromagnetic layers with the non-magnetic layer in between. More specifically, under no external magnetic field, the magnetizations of the adjacent ferromagnetic layers are antiparallel to each other, and the resistance is maximized. On the other hand, under an external magnetic field, the magnetizations of the adjacent ferromagnetic layers are parallel to each other, and the resistance is minimized. The MR ratio of the coupled GMR film is a few times higher than that of the AMR film, and therefore the coupled GMR film is advantageous in terms of high output. However, a transition of the magnetizations of the adjacent ferromagnetic layers from an antiparallel state to a parallel state requires a magnetic field of such great magnitude that overcomes the antiferromagnetic interlayer coupling between the ferromagnetic layers with the non-magnetic layer in between. The coupled GMR film, in an aspect, cannot be said to be suitable for use in the magnetic encoder for detection of a signal magnetic field of relatively small magnitude. Moreover, the coupled GMR film has difficulty in achieving low power consumption because of having a thick sensor film and hence a low element resistance, as in the case of the AMR film.
Japanese Patent No. 3040750 discloses a Spin-valve type GMR film in use as a magnetic read head for a hard disk drive, as a magnetic sensor film that responds to a signal magnetic field of relatively small magnitude and exhibits a high MR ratio which is about the same as that of the coupled GMR film. The Spin-valve type GMR film is configured basically of a ferromagnetic pinned layer, a non-magnetic intermediate layer, and a ferromagnetic free layer. The direction of magnetization of the ferromagnetic pinned layer is unidirectionally pinned by an antiferromagnetic layer, which is formed adjacent to the ferromagnetic pinned layer to impart unidirectional magnetic anisotropy to the ferromagnetic pinned layer and do the like. On the other hand, the ferromagnetic free layer changes the direction of magnetization according to an external magnetic field. Thus, the Spin-valve type GMR film enables the transition of the magnetizations of the two ferromagnetic layers with the non-magnetic intermediate layer in between from the antiparallel state to the parallel state, under a magnetic field of relatively small magnitude. Moreover, the Spin-valve type GMR film has electrical resistance a few times higher than that of the coupled GMR film, and therefore the Spin-valve type GMR film is advantageous also in terms of low power consumption. A bridge circuit magnetic sensor using a Spin-valve type GMR element is disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 3017061.

Magnetic encoder having a stable output property with unsaturated magnetic sensor


A device for holding a workpiece or part in a desired position. The device has a platen with a stop, a threaded shank actuator and a sliding clamping member. The actuator has a tapered head which engages a conical bore of the sliding clamping member simultaneously to apply clamping forces against a workpiece and securing forces to anchor the sliding clamp member to the platen.

The present invention relates to a device for securely holding a workpiece or a part, like a fastener. More particularly, the present invention relates to a device having a clamping action provided by a sliding member which engages and urges the workpiece against a stop.
Many mechanical operations require that one or more workpieces be held stationary for a period of time. Various types of clamps and other devices are known in the art for securing a workpiece in a desired position to facilitate an operation on the workpiece.
An apparatus for securing one or more workpieces is shown in Bishop U.S. Pat. No. 4,805,888, issued Feb. 21, 1989. The Bishop patent describes an orbital action clamp comprised of a bolt-like member, a sliding clamp member and a mounting platen. The bolt-like member is formed of a threaded shaft and an eccentric head. The sliding clamp member has a centered through bore adapted to receive the shaft of the bolt-like member. A larger bore, concentric with the through bore, accepts the head and provides a shoulder such that the head will nest within the larger bore. The threaded section of the bolt-like member engages a threaded bore in the mounting platen.
Rotation of the Bishop bolt-like member results in an orbital action by the head. That is, rotation of the eccentric head within the clamp member produces a camming action against a wall of the large bore of the clamp member. This camming action produces a sliding motion in the clamp member which engages the workpiece against the stop.
In most cases, the Bishop clamp member will be fully engaged with the workpiece without being securely anchored to the platen. In some cases, the head will tighten against the shoulder of the clamp member before the workpiece is fully engaged. Rarely will the workpiece be fully engaged and the clamp member be securely anchored to the platen.


A method for ink-jet textile printing including the steps of: (a) ejecting a pigment ink from a recording head onto a fabric, wherein the pigment ink contains at least water, a pigment and a polymer, wherein the polymer has a plurality of said chains in a hydrophilic main chain and is capable of cross-linking between the side chains by irradiation of active energy rays, and (b) forming an image by irradiation of active energy rays onto the ink ejected areas.

In recent years, technology development to expand ink-jet recording in the textile printing field has been improved. For the ink employed in such ink-jet textile printing, various characteristics are required. In a fabric as the recording medium, desired characteristics are, for example, no bleeding, no color mixing of adjacent colors in multi-color printing, good drying properties, and superior durability after image fixing.
In ink-jet textile printing recording, bleeding resistance (reproducibility of thin lines), color bleeding (color mixing of different colors), and rear surface penetration occur due to printed inks onto a fabric, effective pretreatment of the fabric is essential to prevent these problems. The pretreatment process is, for example, usually conducted by application of a pretreatment agent such as a paste, water-soluble salt, or inorganic micro-particles onto the fabric employing a pad method, a coating method, or a spray method. However, such pretreatment process is complex, and a manufacturing process (being a cleaning process) in which such a pretreatment agent is removed is obviously needed after ink-jet printing, and further such a pretreatment process demands major investigational effort as a manufacturing process.
An ink-jet textile printing ink using a dye which is dissolved or dispersed in an aqueous medium is printed onto the fabric, after which the ink is fixed by heat and/or steam as a post-treatment process (being a coloring process), and this post-treatment process is also essential. However, desired is an ink-jet textile printing method which eliminates a post-treatment process.
In a textile printing method employing a pigment ink, the post-treatment process (being a coloring process) is not necessary, differing from the method employing a dye, and has become the desired textile printing method. For example, by blending a polymer into an ink, proposed has been enhancement of bleeding resistance and scratch resistance after heat fixing. (Please refer, for example, to Patent Document 1.) However, it is difficult to prevent bleeding and color bleeding, even though a pigment ink is employed, resulting in difficulty to obtain sufficient image quality without a pretreatment of woven the fabric.
An ink, curable with ultraviolet rays, is known as an ink-jet ink in which bleeding and color bleeding may not occur on a recording medium. (Please refer, for example, to Patent Document 2). As a material curable with ultraviolet rays, acrylate of tri-functional or more functional has been disclosed. Although bleeding and color bleeding are reduced to some degree by faster viscosity increase of the ink with ultraviolet curing, the ink penetrates to the rear surface of the fabric (also known as rear surface penetration) due to a non-water based solvent, resulting for example in a drawback of a density decrease. Further, even in cases when the ink does not exhibit rear surface penetration, emboss occurs on the printed surface of the fabric, because the major portion of the ink is a curable component, resulting in a printed material with a feeling of stiffness.
[Patent Document 1] Unexamined Japanese Patent Application Publication No. (hereinafter, referred to as JP-A) 8-283636
[Patent Document 2] Examined Japanese Patent Application Publication No. (hereinafter, referred to as JP-B) 5-54667


A reverse cycle defrost or water defrost type ice-maker refrigeration system includes a programmable controller which initiates a freezing cycle in which water is pumped for application to the chilled surface of an evaporator for freezing. All water that fails to be frozen absorbs minerals from the frozen water and is returned to the sump. The programmable controller terminates replenishment of water removed from the sump substantially prior to completion of the freezing cycle so that the sump level falls and the mineral content of water in the sump increases substantially. The ice is harvested at the end of the freezing cycle by hot refrigerant gas from the compressor directed to the evaporator or warm water while the sump is being drained and subsequently refilled prior to the initiation of a subsequent cycle of operation. The operation is energy efficient since water is saved and a reduced amount of water is used and a reduced amount of previously refrigerated water is disposed of by drainage of the sump.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for making clear ice. More specifically, the invention relates to a method and apparatus for making clear ice using a minimum amount of water, particularly in connection with commercial and industrial ice making machines.
2. Related Art
One of the most desirable features of manufactured ice is that it be as clear as possible. Obtainment of highly clear ice is becoming increasingly more difficult to accomplish because of the deteriorating quality and the increasing hardness (as measured by mineral content) of the commercial water supply in all parts of the country.
The minerals and chemicals which are normally found in the commercial water supply will adversely affect its clarity, and will reduce the firmness of the ice. Water tends to freeze pure and clear and leave the minerals and chemicals concentrated behind in the remaining unfrozen water. Circulating or agitating the water on the ice-making surface serves to improve the efficiency of this separation process. In addition, it is necessary to bleed-off a certain portion of the surplus water containing the concentration of minerals and chemicals from the freezing process in order to maintain the hardness of the water at an acceptable level, so that the freezing of clear ice can continue.
Normally, the best procedure for achieving ice that is as clear as possible is to bleed-off a certain portion of the water being frozen, either on a continuous basis during the complete freezing cycle or all at once during the harvest cycle, in order to dispose of the minerals and chemicals. It has been the practice in the ice industry to supply water for freezing from a sump to the evaporators where the freezing is effected while concurrently adding water to the sump so that it remains full at all times. One of the major concerns arising from the aforementioned procedure is the fact that a large amount of water must be bled-off in order to get rid of the minerals and chemicals. Consequently, there must be substantial waste water expense and moreover, the energy employed in refrigerating the waste water prior to disposal is quite substantial since the bled-off water has been chilled to a temperature in the range of 32.degree. F. to 35.degree. F.
It is the solution to the foregoing and other problems to which the present invention is directed.

Clear ice and water saver cycle for ice making machines


A system and method of message indicating that enable the sender of a message to chose the ringing tone of the receiver's cellular telephone upon arrival of the sender's message. The sender has the ability to either choose or create the ringing tone to be played on the receiver's cellular telephone. The sender also has the ability to create either SMS or multimedia messages to be sent with the ringing tone. The ringing tones may also be chosen or downloaded from Internet sites.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a multimedia messaging service ("MMS") application and more specifically to using a multimedia messaging service based application to personalize the ring tone of a receiver's telephone to indicate the presence of a message.
2. Description of Related Art
Multimedia messaging service provides the ability to send and receive messages comprising a combination of text, sounds, images and video to Multimedia Service capable handsets and computers. MMS is a component that can be connected to all possible networks such as cellular networks, broadband networks, fixed line and Internet networks. As technology has evolved so has the needs of its senders. Senders, such as cellular telephone senders, demand more out of their messaging service. They require the ability to send and received such items as business cards, post cards and pictures.
Accordingly, MMS was developed to provide enhanced messaging, based on the senders' new demands. In the 3G cellular (3rd generation of cellular communication specifications) architecture, MMS has been added. As stated above, this allows senders of cellular telephones to send and receive messages exploiting a whole array of media types while also making it possible to support new content types as they become popular. MMS is well known in the art and has been standardized in the telecommunication world (see standard 23.140, of release 2000 of the 3GPP-3G Partnership Project as it appears in European Telecommunications Standards Institute (incorporated herein by reference). For current standards see ETSI at 650, route des Lucioles, 06921 Sophia Antipolis, France, Telephone No. +33 4 92 94 42 00, Fax +33 4 93 65 47 16, firstname.lastname@example.com).
Mobile Originated Short Messaging Service ("MO-SMS") is a messaging service that allows a cellular telephone sender (the "sender") to send text messages to another cellular telephone sender (the "receiver"). When the sender sends a message to the receiver, the receiver's cellular telephone indicates that a message has arrived by using the ringing tone set by the receiver. Said differently, the receiver chooses to set the ringer on his cellular telephone to a particular ringing tone which in turn is played every time any message is received regardless of who sent the message.
Today, most mobile telephone senders can select a ring tone from several ring tones that come with their cellular telephones, i.e. ring tones that are predefined by the mobile telephones' manufactures. Ring tones can also be downloaded from various sources, such as the Internet, into many mobile telephones. Additionally, both some mobile telephones allow senders to edit their own ringing tone by specifying the musical notes or tones to be played.
The SMS standard as it exists today transfers the message to the receiver's cellular telephone, but it does not enable automatic instant play of the messages (i.e. each message is not played immediately upon receipt by the mobile telephone). This means that the sender may send a personal tone as part of an SMS message (e.g. the letters chosen by the sender represent musical tones, for example the letter C represents the musical tone "Do", D represents "Re" and E represent "Me" . . . . The handset converts the letters to musical notes and plays the corresponding musical notes.), but the personal tone will not cause the receiver's cellular telephone to ring automatically using the sender's personal ringing tone. Rather, the receiver is only able to hear the sender's personal tone after the message is played. In other words, the sender's personal ringing tone is not the ringing tone that is played by the receiver's cellular telephone to indicate the arrival of the senders message.


A radar system includes a transmitter to transmit a sequence of pulses, a receiver to receive reflections of the transmitted pulses, and velocity detection circuitry to determine a velocity of an object in a path of the transmitted pulses based at least in part on the transmitted pulses and the reflected pulses. The transmitter includes a plurality of digital-to-analog converters (DACs) to generate the sequence of pulses in response to a clock signal. The receiver includes a plurality of analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) to sample the reflected pulses in response to the clock signal. Accordingly, the ADCs are locked in phase with the DACs.

A radar system can be used to measure the distance and/or velocity of objects in its vicinity. The radar system operates by transmitting one or more modulated pulses. Any objects in the path of the pulses will reflect at least a portion of the transmitted pulses back to the radar. The radar system may determine the distance and/or velocity of the object(s) based on a timing at which the radar receives the reflected pulses. For example, radar pulses may take longer to reach (and return from) objects that are further away from the radar system compared to objects that are closer to the radar system. Thus, the radar system may determine the distance of an object based on a round-trip time (RTT) of pulses reflected from that object.
Doppler radar systems are typically used to measure the velocity of a moving object. For example, the Doppler radar operates by transmitting a series (or sequence) of pulses at a target frequency. The movements of an object in the path of the radar pulses will affect the frequency of the reflected pulses. For example, radar pulses reflected by an object moving in the direction of (e.g., towards) the radar system will exhibit a higher frequency (e.g., shorter duration between successive pulses) than the target frequency. On the other hand, radar pulses reflected by an object moving opposite the direction of (e.g., away from) the radar system will exhibit a lower frequency (e.g., longer duration between successive pulses) than the target frequency. The change in frequency, between the reflected pulses and the transmitted pulses (e.g., the target frequency), is typically referred to as a "Doppler shift." Thus, the Doppler radar system may determine the velocity of an object based on the amount of Doppler shift exhibited by the pulses reflected from that object.

Phase noise compensation in digital beamforming radar systems


A slit forming apparatus consists essentially of a rotary blade assembly, a rotary backing roller, and pressing projections. The rotary blade assembly contacts with or abuts against a strip-shaped material travelling over the rotary backing roller and then penetrates said material to form slits in it. The backing roller has banks for holding the strip-shaped material pressed by the rotary blade assembly, and also has grooves for receiving the blades of the rotary blade assembly when they penetrate the strip-shaped material. The pressing projections provided at opposite side ends of the assembly prevent the undersired movement of said material in the lateral or longitudinal direction. With this apparatus, substantially defect-free satisfactory slits are formed in the strip-shaped material.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for continuously forming slits in a film.
2. Prior Art
Japanese Patent Publication No. Sho 61-11757 discloses an apparatus for forming slits in a film. The outline of this apparatus will be described hereunder.
Referring to FIGS. 17(a) and 17(b), a rotary blade assembly 1 is made of circular blades 12 having plural arcuated blade tips, the blades 12 being arranged around a shaft 11 in parallel with one another and at a predetermined interval or pitch between one blade and the adjacent one. By passing a film 3 through between the rotary blade assembly 1 and a backing roller 2, there is obtained a film having slits formed parallel to the length of the film and according to the shapes of the blades. FIG. 18 illustrates the film 3 in which slits are formed by this apparatus. Reference numeral 35 denotes slits formed in the film 3; and 34a and 34b, non-slit margins (regions near two side ends) of the film, respectively. The backing roller 2 is made of a high molecular material, e.g., rubber and plastics, in order to decrease wear of the blade tips of the expensive rotary blade assembly.
When a continuous operation is performed on a film with this apparatus, satisfactory proper slits cannot be obtained, and there is raised the problem that the film often tears in the subsequent stretching step. The service life of the backing roller made of a high molecular material is very short. Satisfactory slits cannot be formed by the continuous operation of this apparatus possibly because of various errors, e.g., unsatisfactory accuracy in sizes of the rotary blade assembly and the backing roller, an error in the rotation thereof, and non-uniformity in film thickness. For example, the rotating units such as the rotary blade assembly 1 and the backing roller 2 have a dimensional error caused when worked and an error exhibited during the rotation thereof. More specifically, these errors include off centering caused in this conventional apparatus by unsatisfactory perpendicularity of the circular blades to the axis 11 (or unsatisfactory parallelism between one circular blade and the adjacent one), unsatisfactory circularity of the section of the roller, insufficient precision of bearings and unsatisfactory accuracy in installation of this apparatus. Said errors also include non-uniformity of heights of individual blade tips of the circular blades and unevenness of the surface of the roller. Said errors further include considerable variation of the film in thickness. These various errors are superposably affect and cannot be avoided in machining.
When the backing roller has elasticity, an amount of elastic deformation varies depending on the extent of errors, and a push pressure proportional to the elastic deformation also varies accordingly. As a result, when slits are to be formed, the pressing forces at different portions of the film vary, failing to obtain satisfactory slits. The higher the running speed of the films is, the more remarkable the variation in pressing force is.
The surface portion of the backing roller 2 is made of a comparatively soft high molecular material, and it is thus very liable to be damaged and this damage will be quickly aggravated during the operation of this apparatus. Thus, in anticipation of such variation as above to some extent, the pressing force is generally adjusted. However, if the pressing force is set to be smaller so that the damage is less worsened, then satisfactory slits will not be formed.
When the damage or injure in the surface portion of the backing roll 2 is substantial, V- or U-shaped cuts 25 are found in the surface portion as indicated in FIG. 19(a). Accordingly, to form satisfactory slits in a film, the pressing force of the rotary blade assembly and the like must always be adjusted.
In the above apparatus, the blade tips are heated. As is indicated in FIG. 19(b), as the damage or cuts 25 in the backing roller 2 are deepened, the area and time of contact between each of the blade tips of the circular blades 12 and the film 3 are increased so that the film is melted and the film fails to form trim slits. In addition, the film 3 tends to easily adhere to the blade tips when they are heated and, therefore, it cannot be fed uniformly whereby satisfactory slits are not formed thus causing the film to be frequently torn off in the subsequent stretching step. In this case, the backing roller 2 used must be replaced with a satisfactory one or repaired. The time for this replacement or repair indicates the end of service life of the backing roll 2. According to experience, the conventional backing roller 2 has a short service life ranging from several minutes to several tens of hours depending on the kind and thickness of films to be used, the film feeding velocity and the accuracy in manufacture of the blades and roll.
When the above apparatus is operated, the backing roll 2 is cooled. As the groove (damage) in the backing roll 2 is deepened, the coolant (water) comes to stay in the groove so that blade tips of the circular blades 12 are cooled too much thus failing to form slits in the film 3.
Further, the film 3 will raise a serious problem as to excessive adhesion of the film 3 to the blade tips when it is attempted to form lateral slits in the direction perpendicular to the lengthwise direction of the film.
FIG. 20 shows lateral slits 35. In this case, a tension in the longitudinal direction (direction of arrow X) of the film 3 is exerted mainly on slit-free margins (regions respectively near the ends of side of the film) 36. Therefore, as the grooves in the surface portion of the backing roller 2 are deepened, the central portion of the film 3 is shifted from the normal position A to a position B as shown in FIG. 21. As a result, the time of contact between the blade tips and the film 3 is further prolonged so that excessive melting of the film and adhesion to the blade tips is accelerated.
On the other hand, there has heretofore been known such an apparatus for perforating synthetic resin-made films as disclosed in Japanese Pat. Appln. Laid-Open No. Sho 58-7326. This conventional apparatus has a rotary heating roller provided on the peripheral surface with projections. In this apparatus, a rotary backing roller for backing a film is arranged opposite to the rotary heating roller and is provided on the peripheral surface with grooves which correspond to said projections. There is formed an adiabatic space between the projection and the groove corresponding thereto. Further, this known apparatus has a driving unit (ascent/descent-operating unit) for driving the rotary heating roller. When a film is to be passed without being perforated, the rotary heating roller is displaced at a standby position by the use of said driving unit. When a film is to be perforated, the rotary heating roller can be moved close to the rotary backing roller so that the projections on the peripheral surface of the rotary heating roller contact with (or abut against) the film.
In the case where the grooves of this apparatus are applied to the backing roller of the previously described apparatus, the problem that satisfactory slits are not formed in the film due to the various errors or defects, and the slit-formed film is less torn off by stretching when subjected to stretching in the subsequent step. Further, the service life of the backing roller is not shortened.
However, in the case where it is assumed that the above technique is applied to an apparatus for forming longitudinal slits and grooves are formed in the peripheral surface of a backing roller and in the peripheral direction thereof, a film will partially droop into the grooves when blade tips abut against the film whereby satisfactory longitudinal slits cannot be formed. The film droops into the outermost grooves deeper than the inner ones. Even if the blade tips are heated to melt the film, there will be still raised a problem as to the drooping of the film depending on the relationship between the slit forming speed and the film melting speed. It would be thought of at this point to prevent the film from drooping into the grooves by increasing the tension applied to the film in the longitudinal direction thereof and strengthening the frictional power between the film and the backing roller, but the prevention cannot surely be achieved. In the case where it is assumed that the above technique is applied to an apparatus for forming lateral slits and the backing roller is provided on the peripheral surface with grooves in the axial direction of the backing roller, no tension can be applied to the film in the longitudinal direction. Thus, the film cannot be prevented from drooping into the grooves so that it is difficult to form slits. In addition, there is raised a problem that the central portion of the film is shifted to the rotary blade assembly, as shown in FIG. 21. If the driving unit of the above conventional apparatus is assumed to the applied to this apparatus, the blades for forming lateral slits will not enter the grooves of the roller when the rotary blade assembly is caused to approach the backing roller, thus damaging the blades.


A resin composition, substrate material, sheet, laminated board, resin-bearing copper foil, copper-clad laminate, TAB tape, printed board, prepreg and adhesive sheet are provided which exhibit improved mechanical properties, dimensional stability, heat resistance and flame retardance, particularly high-temperature physical properties. The resin composition containing 100 parts by weight of a thermosetting resin and 0.1-65 parts by weight of a layered silicate inorganic compound, the resin composition having a mean linear expansion coefficient (α2) of up to 17×10−3 [° C.−1 ] over the temperature range from a temperature 10° C. higher than a glass transition temperature of the resin composition to a temperature 50° C. higher than the glass transition temperature of the resin composition.

As recent technology continues to rapidly increase performance, operation and compactness levels of electronic devices, there is an increasing demand to further reduce sizes and weights of electronic parts for use in electronic devices. This also demands to further improve properties, e.g., heat resistance, mechanical strength and electrical properties of electronic part materials. For example, high levels of density, operation and performance are required for methods of packaging semiconductor devices and for wiring boards mounting such semiconductor devices.
A multilayer printed circuit board generally includes plural layers of insulating substrates. For these interlayer insulating substrates, thermosetting resin prepregs including thermosetting resins impregnated in a glass cloth and films composed of thermosetting resins or photosetting resins have been conventionally used, for example. It is to be desired that the multilayer printed circuit board has a considerably narrow interlayer spacing to increase its density as well as reduce its thickness. This raises a need for an interlayer insulating substrate either with or without a thin glass cloth. Examples of materials known to constitute such an interlayer insulating substrate include rubbers (elastomers), thermosetting resins modified with acrylic resins or others, thermoplastic resins incorporating a large amount of inorganic fillers and the like. In Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2000-183539, a method is disclosed for manufacturing a multilayer insulating substrate by incorporating an inorganic filler having a specific range of particle diameters into a varnish comprised chiefly of a high-molecular epoxy polymer and a polyfunctional epoxy resin and coating the resultant onto a substrate to form an insulating layer thereon.
However, the multilayer insulating substrate made by the above-specified manufacturing method must incorporate a large amount of inorganic filler in order to insure a sufficient interfacial contact area between the inorganic filler and the high-molecular epoxy polymer or polyfunctional epoxy resin to improve mechanical strength and other physical properties. This in some cases adds to manufacturing process steps or other inconveniences from the processing point of view and in other cases results in the difficulty to reduce an interlayer spacing, which have been problems.
The thin interlayer insulating substrate, either with or without a thin glass cloth, shows insufficient heat resistance and dimensional stability and often causes inconveniences during a manufacturing process because it is brittle and easy to break, which have been problems.
The multilayer printed circuit board is fabricated such as by a buildup method wherein a sequence of forming a circuit on a layer and superimposing another layer on the circuit is repeated to build up a laminated board, or by a single-operation stacking method wherein circuit-formed layers are stacked together in a single operation. Due to the increased number of processes in either fabrication method, the quality of the material used affects largely on the yield. Due also to inclusion of plating, curing and solder reflowing processes, the material needs to have sufficient solvent resistance, water resistance, heat resistance and high-temperature dimensional stability. Specific examples of such requirements include resistance to acids, alkalis and organic solvents; reduction of moisture absorption that affects electrical properties; high-temperature and post-heating dimensional stability that affects high-precision circuit connection between upper and lower layers; heat resistance up to 260° C. that is required for mounting by lead-free soldering; and reduced occurrence of copper migration that affects reliability of connections.
For example, buildup substrates for use in IC packages and multilayer printed substrates may be placed under high temperature conditions due to heat build-up, but they are still required to maintain high reliability under such conditions. However, a dimensional change of the resin when exposed to high temperatures, if large, causes separation thereof from a metal wiring such as circuit-forming copper to result in occurrence of short-circuiting or wire breaking, which has been a problem. The similar problem occurs even in the flexible multilayer substrate noticed recently as a thin sheet substrate, if an adhesive layer bonding flexible single-layer substrates to each other, a polyimide film constituting the flexible substrate and a metal wiring such as circuit-forming copper differ largely from each other by the degree of dimensional change that they undergo when exposed to heat.
Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2000-183539 discloses a technique for improving high-temperature properties by using, in combination, an epoxy resin having superior heat resistance and an inorganic compound. Although the property improving effect is slightly observed at temperatures below a glass transition temperature, it is little observed at temperatures above the glass transition temperature. Neither of moisture absorbency and solvent resistance improving effects can be expected.
Loading of an inorganic filler has been conventionally known to reduce a linear expansion coefficient. This technique is however inapplicable to solder reflowing and other high-temperature treatments. Recent attention to environment has led to the use of a lead-free solder. Since the solder reflowing process temperature continues to increase, the mere use of a highly heat-resistance resin results in the occurrence of inconveniences during high-temperature treatments. That is, the increased linear expansion coefficient of the resin at temperatures above the glass transition temperature causes such inconveniences.
The recent progress of optical communication technology demands an inexpensive way of connecting optical communication devices. Under such circumstances, polymeric optical communication materials have attracted attention. However, the use of conventional polymers as the optical communication materials creates various problems.
The polymeric optical communication material need to be low in loss, superior in heat resistance, low in linear expansion coefficient and low in moisture permeability. Also, they must be readily controllable in refractive index.
By "low in loss", it is meant that the polymeric material has substantially no absorption band in the wavelength range for use in the optical communication and is thus low in propagation loss.
Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2001-183539 describes that conventional polymeric materials exhibit approximately ten times the thermal expansion coefficient of semiconductor or metal material. It also describes that polymeric optical communication material, when formed on a silicon or other substrate having a low thermal expansion coefficient, produces a stress which causes unfavorable results, e.g., polarization dependence of the optical communication material, warpage of the optical communication material and substrate, or separation of the polymeric optical communication material from the substrate.
WO98/45741 describes a problem of a difference in thermal expansion coefficient between an optical fiber (quartz glass) and a resin case that causes the optical fiber to project from a jacket or crack by stress concentration.
Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. Hei 9-152522 describes the case where an optical waveguide substrate is adhesively joined to an optical fiber. A difference in thermal expansion between the optical waveguide substrate and a connector part, if large, is described to cause positional shift during thermal expansion to result in the failure to achieve stable connection to an optical waveguide.
Concerning the moisture permeability, WO 98/45741 describes that a water vapor, if permitted to penetrate into an interior of a hollow case, condenses on a surface of an optical element or fiber to a liquid which problematically causes corrosion of the optical element or promotes growth of cracks leading to breaking of the optical fiber. It also describes that these factors and thermal expansion together lowers reliability of optical communication parts made of polymeric material. Also, the increased moisture absorbency increases the occurrence of light absorption based on an O—H bond of a moisture. This also addresses a need for a material which is low in moisture absorbency.
In order to introduce optical communication to terminal equipments, optical signals must be converted to or from electric signals. In such a case, polymeric optical communication material is used in a printed circuit board or in its vicinities. It is then required that the polymeric optical communication material should show resistance to process temperature during manufacture of a printed substrate as well as to heat radiated from an electric circuit while in use Hitachi Technical Report No. 37 (July, 2001), at pages 7-16, describes solder heat resistance as a prescribed property.
As described above, the optical communication material is expected to have such properties as transparency, heat resistance, low linear expansion coefficient and low moisture absorbency.
Japanese Patent Registration No. 2843314 describes that fluorinated polyimide having a rigid and straight skeleton exhibits a low coefficient of linear thermal expansion.
Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2001-108854 discloses a polymeric optical waveguide comprised of a core layer, a clad layer surrounding the core layer and a second clad layer located outside the clad layer and having a lower thermal expansion coefficient than the clad layer. This reference describes that a difference in thermal expansion coefficient between the polymeric optical waveguide and an electric or optical element can be reduced by using different polymers for the clad lay and second clad layer so that the second clad layer has a relatively lower thermal expansion coefficient relative to the clad layer.
Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2001-183539 describes an optical communication medium comprised of an insulation film and a substrate and sealed at its ends with a resin which joins them together. This construction is described to prevent the insulating film and substrate from separating from each other at the ends of the medium where stress concentration is likely to occur.
Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2001-4850 also describes that the use of a polyimide film having a specific structure for an optical wavelength resin effectively lowers a thermal expansion coefficient.
However, the fluorinated polyimide described in Japanese Patent Registration No. 2843314 is not suitable for use as a clad layer material of the optical communication device because it exhibits lower transparency compared to the other types of polyimides and has a high refractive index of 1.647.
It is suggested in Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2001-108854 that an optical wavelength resin containing the particles described therein may satisfy both the low linear expansion coefficient and required transparency. However, the particles must be added in a large amount to actually achieve reduction of linear expansion coefficient. Addition of such a large amount of the particles makes it difficult to achieve sufficient transparency, problematically provides a brittle and weak resin composition, and increases hydrophilicity and moisture absorbency.
The constitution described in Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2001-183539 adds to process steps. This inevitably pushes a cost up.
The specifically structured polyimide film described in Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2001-4850, when used as an optical wavelength resin, has been found to be difficult to achieve reduction in moisture absorbency, although possible to achieve reduction in thermal expansion coefficient. As a consequence, the cost associated with its use becomes high.
Therefore, it has been difficult to realize an optical circuit forming material which exhibits superior transparency, particularly high transparency, superior heat resistance, low coefficient of linear expansion and low moisture absorbency.
Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2002-220513 describes a resin sheet obtained by impregnating a resin containing an inorganic filler into a glass sheet. The obtained resin sheet is described to exhibit a low linear expansion coefficient. However, the actually resulting linear expansion coefficient was not much more than that expected from the use of the glass sheet. Also, an inorganic filler is loaded in the amount of 7% by weight, at maximum, in Examples. The specification provides insufficient description as to a method of dispersing the inorganic filler. It is accordingly hard to find that the inorganic filler is dispersed very finely in the resin.


An X-ray tube assembly having a cathode, an anode, and an electron collector surrounded by a vacuum-enclosing frame. Electrons from the cathode strike a focal point on the target surface of the anode. Some electrons produce X-rays which exit an X-ray-transparent window portion of the frame. Other electrons are backscattered and go on to strike and heat the frame. The electron collector preferably is positioned to intercept backscattered electrons which have the highest energy density trajectory of any electrons backscattered directly from the focal point that would otherwise strike the frame creating a thermal hot spot in the absence of the electron collector. Reducing or eliminating the thermal hot spot reduces or eliminates the heat that would otherwise be conducted to the window thereby minimizing tube failure.

X-ray devices used in the medical field contain an X-ray tube which typically includes a cathode which is heated to emit electrons, a (typically rotating) anode having a target surface facing the cathode, and a surrounding glass and/or metal frame containing an X-ray-transparent window secured by a window mount. Some emitted electrons strike the target surface at a focal point and produce X-rays, and some of the X-rays exit the frame as an X-ray beam through the X-ray-transparent window. Other emitted electrons do not produce X-rays and are backscattered when they strike the focal point on the target surface.
Many of the backscattered electrons go on to strike and heat the frame including the X-ray-transparent window and the window mount. It is known to place an electron collector between the focal point and the X-ray-transparent window to capture backscattered electrons that would otherwise strike and heat the X-ray-transparent window, wherein the electron collector has a central hole to permit passage of the X-ray beam. The heated frame is typically cooled by a liquid coolant, such as oil or water, located between the frame and a surrounding casing. The dissimilar coefficients of thermal expansion of the X-ray-transparent window and the window mount generate mechanical stresses which can cause tube failure. Additionally, high temperatures in the X-ray-transparent window itself can induce boiling of the adjoining liquid coolant. Such coolant boiling will degrade the quality of the X-ray beam which exits the frame through the X-ray-transparent window. Existing grounded metal frame tubes include those having high-cost components to mechanically join the window to the rest of the frame while reducing thermal stresses to acceptable levels. Some known tubes have enhanced cooling applied to the window region.
It is also known that the backscattered electrons can create a thermal hot spot on the frame and can burn a hole through a glass frame. Such hot spot is located on the frame apart from the X-ray-transparent window and the window mount. Reducing the power of the X-ray beam and/or increasing cooling to the thermal hot spot region are known techniques used to overcome this problem.
What is needed is an improved X-ray tube design which reduces heating of the X-ray-transparent window and the window mount from backscattered electrons.


Exosomes carry microRNA biomarkers, occur in higher abundance in cancerous patients than in healthy ones, and because they are present in most biofluids, including blood and urine, can be obtained non-invasively. Standard laboratory techniques to isolate exosomes are expensive, time-consuming, provide poor purity, and recover on the order of 25% of the available exosomes. We present a new microfluidic technique to simultaneously isolate exosomes and preconcentrate them by electrophoresis using a high transverse local electric field generated by ion-depleting ion-selective membrane. We use pressure-driven flow to deliver an exosome sample to a microfluidic chip such that the transverse electric field forces them out of the cross flow and into an agarose gel which filters out unwanted cellular debris while the ion-selective membrane concentrates the exosomes through an enrichment effect. We efficiently isolated exosomes from 1×PBS buffer, cell culture media and blood serum. Using flow rates from 150 μL/hr to 200 μL/hr and field strengths of 100 V/cm, we consistently captured between 60% to 80% of exosomes from buffer, cell culture media, and blood serum as confirmed by both fluorescence spectroscopy and nanoparticle tracking analysis. Our microfluidic chip maintained this recovery rate for more than twenty minutes with a concentration factor of 15 for ten minutes of isolation.

In many instances, diagnosis of cancer requires surgical biopsy of a suspected cancerous region. Surgical biopsies are inherently invasive and therefore pose significant risks to patients. This places a limitation on the frequency with which a region can be sampled to check for cancer, and in some cases, the suspected region may even be surgically inaccessible. Additionally, the tissue sampled by a surgical biopsy tends to be a heterogeneous, rather than a homogeneous, representation of the tissue at large thereby leading to ambiguous conclusions. In contrast, liquid biopsies are non-invasive and a variety of biological fluids, such as blood [1, 2], urine [3], saliva [4], and breast milk [5, 6], provide biomarkers indicative of cancer for both diagnostic and prognostic purposes. Biomarkers include cell-free nucleic acids, such as DNA, messenger RNA (mRNA), and microRNA (miRNA) [7-11], circulating tumor cells [12], and extracellular vesicles [13]. In contrast to surgically-derived tissue samples, liquid biomarkers tend to homogenously represent tumor microenvironments. Therefore, they serve as superior identifiers for cancer diagnosis and prognosis, as well as being more cost effective and patient-friendly.
Of particular note in recent years are nanometer-size extracellular phospholipid bilayer vesicles otherwise known as exosomes. Although the exact size range of exosomes has not been fully resolved, they typically fall within the range of 30-150 nm in diameter. They contain proteins on the surface and harbor proteins, mRNA, miRNA, and DNA within. Cells secrete exosomes into the circulatory system, and the exosomes are taken up by adjacent cells and distant cells in other organs. The exact function of exosome function is currently under active investigation and includes altering the extracellular matrix [14, 15], accelerating tumor growth and enhancing metastasis [16-20], imputing drug resistance [21-24], and creating metastatic niches [25-30]. Exosomes form from almost all cell types, and they appear in most types of body fluids such as serum [31, 32], saliva [33], breast milk [34], and urine [35, 36]. Furthermore, the majority of cell-free miRNAs reside within exosomes [37]. This, combined with the fact that the proteins and RNA they carry are specific to the cell of origin, potentially make exosomes and their cargo excellent non-invasive biomarkers [38]. One example of such an exosomal biomarker is miRNA-141, which occurs in prostate cancer patients at expression levels four times higher than that in healthy patients [39]. As another example, Taylor and Gercel-Taylor identified a suite of eight exosomal miRNAs that could potentially act as diagnostic biomarkers for ovarian cancer [31]. Importantly, they concluded that using these biomarkers could potentially differentiate between developing tumors and advanced-stage tumors.
Before analyzing exosomes for useful information, they need to be isolated from their resident media, which is difficult given their small size. The standard method of exosome isolation is ultracentrifugation. The general steps in an ultracentrifugation protocol begin by using submicron filters or low speed centrifugation to remove contaminants such as cell debris, microvesicles, or apoptotic bodies. Subsequently, the exosomes undergo multiple rounds of ultracentrifugation at speeds of 100,000×g or greater to pellet them. Removing the supernatant and then resuspending them in a relatively small volume of buffer produces a concentrated sample useful for investigative purposes [40]. Such high speeds require not only large initial capital costs but also large maintenance and operating costs. In addition to its high expense, ultracentrifugation is a time-consuming and labor-intensive process typically requiring four to six hours of work by a skilled technician or researcher. It is also necessary to culture high volumes (>100 mL) in order to collect enough exosomes for subsequent experiments. In the end, it still does not produce very pure samples and results in yields of only 5-23% [41]. The final exosome sample still suffers from contamination by proteins, and the results tend to be highly variable. Adding a gradient density step, which uses a discontinuous gradient containing different concentrations of sucrose or iodixanol (OptiPrep™), improves the purity of the final sample by separating exosomes from apoptotic bodies, protein aggregates, and nucleosomal fragments based on different flotation densities. However, it adds significantly to the complexity and time required for the process [41-44]. For example, Van Deun et al. found that using an iodixanol gradient reduced protein contamination by more than two-fold, but they also discovered their exosome yield decreased two-fold while ultracentrifugation times increased past twenty hours [44].
An alternative to ultracentrifugation is immunoaffinity capture by magnetic beads and antibody functionalized pillars and packings [31, 45-47]. Immunoaffinity capture works well to isolate exosomes from other fluid components. However, the technique is limited to exosomes with a known antigen. Moreover, the heterogeneity of exosomes produced by cells limits the efficacy of this approach. Studies have revealed that that there is no commonly agreed upon protein that is abundantly expressed on the surface of exosomes derived from diverse origins [48]. Cells release subpopulations of exosomes with unique compositions that elicit a wide range of effects in cells that take them up [49]. Hence, exosome based-diagnostics that use immunoaffinity capture only succeed in isolating a fraction of the exosomes currently present in a patient. Thus, if it is desirable to capture all exosomes, not simply exosomes with a specific antigen, immunoaffinity capture is inadequate. In addition, although the magnetic beads expedite the subsequent analysis of the exosomes, the isolation process is time-consuming and may require more than a day to achieve optimal recovery rates [45].
Yet another isolation technology is commercial precipitation technology like ExoQuick™ and Total Exosome Isolation™. They are attractive because of their simplicity as well as their circumvention of the need to use expensive equipment. However, these kits are still time-consuming as they require overnight incubation. Furthermore, since the reagents in the kits are proprietary, they exhibit contamination from unknown sources leading to discrepancies in their results [44, 50].
Recently, the microfluidics community has started to tackle the problem of exosome isolation. Yang et al. categorized microfluidic isolation techniques into immunoaffinity-based, sized-based, and dynamic microfluidics [51]. Zhao et al. simply transferred the magnetic bead concept to a microfluidic device. They were able to isolate exosomes from 20 μL of blood plasma in 40 min, and they illustrated that exosomes from ovarian cancer patients existed in higher quantities than in healthy control subjects [52]. Vaidyanathan et al. used a combination of immunoaffinity capture and AC dielectrophoresis for the capture of exosomes down to a limit of detection of 2760 exosomes/μL [53]. Chen et al. obtained good purity with their assay as measured by the concentration of RNA per sample volume, but their recovery rates were highly variable ranging from 42-94% [54]. Sized-based microfluidic separations typically rely on microposts inside microchannels thus requiring complex fabrication steps. Wang et al. [55] grew nanowires on their microfluidic posts and captured nanoparticles from 40-100 nm while filtering out cells, proteins, and other cell debris. Davies et al. used pressure driven flow and a porous polymer monolith to isolate exosomes directly from blood yet experienced significant contamination by proteins [56]. Dynamic exosome isolation methods rely on a variety of techniques such as electrophoresis, field-flow fractionation, and acoustic waves. Davies et al. demonstrated direct isolation of exosomes from blood using porous polymer monoliths, varying from 100-1000 nm in pore size, and electrophoresis with field perpendicular to the flow direction. However, the low electric field strength employed in their study allowed them to recover only 2% of exosomes [56]. Another electrophoretic technique developed by Cho et al. applied a higher electric field across a dialysis membrane to achieve a 65% recovery rate in approximately thirty minutes [57]. An acoustic nanofilter in which ultrasound standing waves were applied orthogonally across a continuous sample flow resulted in exosome recovery rates of up to 80% [58]. The current microfluidic technology for exosome isolation varies greatly in terms of yield, sample volume, throughput and operation or fabrication complexity. There is considerable room for improvement. In particular, an isolation device designed to accommodate subsequent analysis such as lysis and detection would be particularly beneficial.
In the drawings the parts are numbered:                a first channel—1;        a second channel;—2;        a syringe pump—3;        a medium—4;        an exosome sample—5;        membrane—6;        a filter gel—7; and        an exosome recovery storage area—8.

Simultaneous isolation and preconcentration of exosomes by ion concentration polarization method and apparatus


A method for converting hydrocarbon fuels to hydrogen and carbon monoxide through catalytic partial oxidation is described. The process comprises a reactor containing both an electrically heated catalyst as a start-up device and novel-metal-washcoated metallic monolith catalysts and a heat exchanging device. The partial oxidation reaction becomes ignited in less than 1.5 minute when the gaseous hydrocarbon fuel and oxygen-containing gas mixture is in contact with an electrically heated catalyst. The reaction takes place over the metallic monolith catalyst washcoated with noble metal (typically Pd/alumina-cerium oxide). The near complete conversion of hydrocarbon fuels with high hydrogen and carbon monoxide selectivities is achieved by preheating the feed mixture heat-exchanged with hot product gas stream.

Compact reformers find increasing use for fuel cells and small-scale hydrogen generators such as on-board reformers. In addition to fuel cell vehicle application, on-board reformers can be used to supply small amounts of hydrogen or syngas (mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide) either to gasoline internal combustion engines or to pollution treatment devices of the vehicle to increase the NOx removal efficiency. The three most important requirements of on-board reformers are compactness, fast start-up capability and low pressure-drop characteristics. Catalytic partial oxidation (CPOX) reformers can meet these requirements.
Numerous documents related to CPOX processes are contained in the literature. However, the majority of these processes are restricted to catalyst compositions and catalyst structures, which need further steps of development for the complete form of the reactor assembly to be readily applied in the real practices including the start-up device.
A. T. Ashcroft et al. ("Selective oxidation of methane to synthesis gas using transition metal catalysts", Nature, Vol. 344. 319-321, 1990) disclose methane oxidation to syngas on several rare earth-ruthenium mixed oxide catalysts. At contact times of about 0.1 s and temperatures above 750° C., the powdered catalysts effectively convert methane to syngas.
Similar example of the mixed oxide catalyst utilized in the CPOX reaction disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 5,447,705 is the perovskite of LnxAl-yByO3 structure wherein Ln is at least on of La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, En, Dy, Ho or Ef, A is Ti, Cr, Fe, Ru, Co, Rh, or Ni, B is Ti, Cr, Fe, Ru, Co, Rh or Ni.
Another example of the CPOX catalyst composition by P. D. F. Vernon et al. ("Partial oxidation of methane to synthesis gas, and carbon dioxide as an oxidizing agent for methane conversion", Catalysis Today, Vol. 13, 417-426, 1992) discloses that the transition metals such as nickel, ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, platinum and iridium supported on inert oxides can catalyze methane to synthesis gas to the equilibrium value.
Similar disclosure of CPOX catalyst composition is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,720,901, wherein rhodium, ruthenium and iridium were used to process sulfur-containing light hydrocarbons.
In terms of designing the CPOX reactor, there are problems associated with the shape of the catalyst. The powder form catalyst can not tolerate the feedstock gas at high gas space velocities due to severe pressure drop. The pellet catalyst can alleviate the pressure drop problems to a certain extent but less than optimum heat transfer can facilitate hot spots, resulting in performance degradation of catalysts. An open channel structured monolith catalyst can have more uniform temperatures through the heat dissipation by connecting walls while minimizing the pressure drop. Thus, the open channel structured monolith catalyst is the preferred form of the catalyst that can be adopted in the CPOX reactor operated at high space velocities.
The example of monolith catalyst application in CPOX is found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,648,582 disclosing that the ceramic monolith washcoated with a supported metal catalyst converted methane at space velocities within the range of 800,000 hr-1 to 12,000,000 hr-1.
When the catalyst in the form of ceramic monolith is used at high temperatures, the problem of catalyst breakdown can arise because of the susceptibility of the refractory monolithic catalytic structure to thermal shock. U.S. Pat. No. 5,639,401 discloses that the rhodium catalyst on alumina foam that had been subjected to the CPOX reaction became shattered into many fragments. In the same patent, the use of the ZrO2-based monolith type CPOX catalysts is disclosed that are resistant to thermal shock.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,786,296 discloses thin-walled monolithic iron oxide structures made from steels for the purpose of using them for heat exchangers, mufflers and catalyst carriers. Compared to ceramic monoliths, the monolith made of thin metal plates is more resistant to the thermal shock. Other advantages of thin-walled metal monolith are rapid heat-up capability and more uniform temperature distribution due to the higher thermal conductivity and the smaller thermal mass. Thus, metal monolith-based catalysts are well suited for compact CPOX reformers that require fast start-up capability. Although the possibility of utilizing metal monolith for the CPOX process is claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,648,582 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,221,280 B1, examples of metal monolith-based CPOX catalysts are not disclosed.
Another unique feature of the metal monolith is that it can be used as a start-up device for the CPOX reaction. When electricity is supplied to the metal monolith, it became heated resistively to raise the temperature of the gas passing through the channels of the monolith. The device is called "electrically heated (heatable) catalyst (EHC)". T. Kirchner et al. ("Optimization of the cold-start behavior of automotive catalysts using an electrically heated pre-catalyst", Chemical Engineering Science, Vol. 51, 2409-2418, 1996) and S. R. Nakouzi et al. ("Novel concept prototype low-power-consumption electrically heatable catalysts", AIChE Journal, Vol. 44, 184-187, 1998) disclose the use of electrically heated catalyst as the device to light-off combustion of CO and hydrocarbons in automotive exhaust gases. Since the use of EHC does not include any flame during operation, it is a safe start-up device. No EHC has been disclosed in the literature as a start-up device for the CPOX reaction.
Other method of igniting the CPOX reaction disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,221,280 B1 is the use of an external heater to raise the temperature of the reactant gas to above the light-off temperature. The CPOX reactor assemblage employing an external heater is neither compact nor fast to be started. Another method of igniting the CPOX reaction disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,648,582 is a sparker-ignited complete combustion of NH3 or CH4 to heat the catalyst to about 1000° C. followed by feeding the reactant gas mixture at a stoichiometric ratio of CH4/O2. The use of spark-ignited complete combustion as the start-up method may pose a danger of explosion and destruction of catalysts.
In addition to the adoption of very active catalyst, preheating the reactant gas mixture can also make the performance enhancement of the CPOX process. U.S. Pat. No. 5,648,582 discloses that air heated at 460° C. resulted in the significantly higher methane conversion than air at 25° C., however, the method of air preheating is not disclosed.

Compact partial oxidation reactor assemblage with fast start-up capability


The invention is a process for the preparation of article comprising placing a film on each inner surface of each part of a two part mold; placing an article in the mold with film located between the surface of the mold and the article such that there is a small space between the article and the surface of the mold; closing the mold about the article; injecting between the film and the article an expandable plastic material under conditions that the article is coated with the expandable material and the expandable material does not expand; removing the plastic article with the expandable material coated thereon with the two films attached to the expandable plastic material. In another embodiment the invention is an article comprising a shaped plastic article; an expandable material coated in the shaped plastic article; and a film covering the material coated shaped plastic article. In another embodiment the invention is a method of reinforcing a structural member which comprises inserting an article according to this invention into a cavity of the structural member and heating the structural member and the article to a temperature at which the expandable plastic material expands and the film or the expandable material bonds to the inner surface of the structural member so as to fix the location of the article in the structural member.

The automotive industry is under regulatory pressure to reduce average fuel consumption and improve the crashworthiness of vehicles. To improve fuel consumption lighter and thinner materials are being used. Unfortunately, this reduces the structural integrity of parts of an automobile. To compensate automobile producers place structural reinforcing members into hollow structural members, such as A and B pillars of automobiles. Structural reinforcing members and their use in automobiles are described in Thum U.S. Pat. No. 5,194,199; Keller U.S. Pat. No. 6,146,565; Wycech U.S. Pat. No. 6,165,588; Hopton et al. U.S. Pat. No. 6,199,940; Barz U.S. Pat. No. 6,131,897 and Sheldon et. al, U.S. patent application 2002/0160130, all incorporated herein by reference. These structural reinforcing articles generally comprise some structural part, which gives the reinforcing articles shape and strength, which structural part is based on a light weight metal or a rigid plastic. The structural part is coated with an expandable composition, which expands when heated to a certain temperature. Typically the expandable composition expands to contact the inner walls of the structural member being supported. Upon expansion, the expandable composition functions to hold the structural reinforcing member in place permanently by adhering to the inner wall of the structural member or by friction because the expanded composition is wedged tightly in position. The expanded composition also helps transfer a load from sheet metal to inner reinforcement to sheet metal.
The expandable composition is applied to the structural part of the structural reinforcing member by conventional means known in the art, such as hand applied sheets of epoxy, compression molding, resin transfer molding and injection molding. Some of the expandable materials exhibit adhesive properties at elevated temperatures. This is desirable for affixing the expandable composition to the structural part of the structural reinforcing member. The adhesive properties can cause problems in manufacturing of the structural reinforcing member because it can be difficult to remove the structural reinforcing member with the expandable materials deposited thereon from the mold. In order to pump the expandable material and apply it, it is necessary to heat the expandable material and the mold to facilitate application. Thereafter to prevent, or reduce adhesion to the mold, the mold is cooled prior to opening the mold. Even when cooled some of the expandable materials will still adhere to the mold, forcing an operator to manually remove some of the expandable material. Heating the mold to application temperature and then cooling before attempting to remove the coated structural reinforcing member results in long processes, up to an hour per part per mold. In high volume parts manufacture this results in the need for large amount of capital to keep up with the demand for the part. In addition to the long cycle times there are post process steps that may need to take place to make a tack free part including but not limited to dusting of the surface of the expandable material with a material which renders the surface tack free such as glass balloons.
What is needed is a part that can be manufactured in an efficient manner with low part residence times in molds and little or no post molding processing steps. What is also needed is a process, which can produce expandable material coated articles, such as structural reinforcing members, in a cost efficient manner maximizing the productivity of tools used to manufacture the parts.

Structural reinforcement article and process for preparation thereof


A method for monitoring the activities of a user within a selected environment, which comprises monitoring and reporting the condition of a user in a selected environment, monitoring the time, frequency and duration of use of each of a plurality of selected elements, selected from a plurality of physiological measurements of the user and a plurality of non-physiological measurements from the selected environment, a repeating hub for receiving data from each of the selected elements, transmitting the data from the repeating hub to a central processing unit, analyzing the data received by the central processing unit to establish a pattern of user behavior and normal-use parameters for each of the plurality of selected elements, and signaling beyond the selected environment when at least one selected element exceeds the normal use parameters being monitored.

The present invention relates to monitoring the activities one or more users in a selected environment to determine if assistance is needed.
Prior art devices are known to monitor a selected person, and to signal an alarm if that person leaves a pre-determined area. Such devices are used to monitor an individual under "house arrest".
Other apparatus is known to locate lost or missing children. Various security devices are also known, such as burglar alarms, smoke and fire alarms, flood alarms, etc.
One form of burglar alarm, known as-motion detector alarms, are used to sound an alarm where motion occurs in a secured environment.

Method of user monitoring of physiological and non-physiological measurements


A privacy glazing structure may include an electrically controllable optically active material that provides controlled transition between a privacy or scattering state and a visible or transmittance state. To make electrical connections with electrode layers that control the optically active material, the privacy glazing structure may include an offset pane arrangement. The structure may include first and second panes that contain an optically active material. The two panes may be sandwiched by two laminated outer panes. In some examples, the first and second panes are recessed relative to the laminated outer panes along their side edges to define recesses in which electrical connection features are positioned. While the side edges may be recessed, the bottom edges of all the panes may be positioned flush with each other.

Windows, doors, partitions, and other structures having controllable light modulation have been gaining popularity in the marketplace. These structures are commonly referred to as "smart" structures or "privacy" structures for their ability to transform from a transparent state in which a user can see through the structure to a private state in which viewing is inhibited through the structure. For example, smart windows are being used in high-end automobiles and homes and smart partitions are being used as walls in office spaces to provide controlled privacy and visual darkening.
A variety of different technologies can be used to provide controlled optical transmission for a smart structure. For example, electrochromic technologies, photochromic technologies, thermochromic technologies, suspended particle technologies, and liquid crystal technologies are all being used in different smart structure applications to provide controllable privacy. The technologies generally use an energy source, such as electricity, to transform from a transparent state to a privacy state or vice versa.
In instances where controlled transmission is provided through application or removal of electrical energy, the optical transmission structure can include electrode contacts where electrical wiring interfaces with electrode layers that control the optically controllable medium. The electrode contacts can provide a physical and electrical connection between the electrode layers of the optical transmission structure and wiring extending out of the structure to a power source.

Privacy glazing structure with asymetrical pane offsets for electrical connection configurations


A method of manufacturing a control strip for injection valves in plastic fuel lines of an internal combustion engine, comprising forming a conductive preform defining at least two conductive elements initially connected by removable bridges formed of the same material as the conductive elements for controlling said injection valves; embedding said preform in an insulting plastic; removing the bridges between the conductive elements to electrically isolate the conductive elements from each other; and thereafter casting the plastic-embedded and electrically isolated conductive elements into a one-piece control strip which serves as a housing and electrical control strip for the injection valves.

A fuel injection system for an internal combustion engine is known which includes a fuel distributor comprising a plastic body extending along the side of the engine with a fuel supply duct formed therein. Fuel injection valves are mounted in the body at spaced intervals along its length. It is necessary to establish an electrical connection to control the valves.
The present invention relates to a control strip, in particular to a control strip for the injection valves in a plastic fuel duct of an internal combustion engine. The invention also relates to a method of manufacturing a control strip of the foregoing type.
Such control strips are disclosed in German published patent application No. DE 39 14 487, for example, in the form of a contact strip which can control a plurality of injection valves in concert with only two current-carrying wires. If it is desired to use such contact strips for individually controlling the injection nozzles of multicylinder internal combustion engines, for example, the disadvantage is that the large number of control wires which are necessary to achieve individual control are inconveniently in the way both during assembly and during maintenance.
A possible solution to this problem would be to preassemble a wiring harness and install it by hand. This, however, would be inconvenient, and because such an arrangement is expensive to manufacture, it would increase the cost of the contact bar. Also, when the housing was repeatedly opened and closed, as occurs during service and repair, it would be impractical.

Control strip with a compact plastic construction


A vehicle occupant sensing system includes a plurality of image pickup devices arranged to capture a three-dimensional image in a region including at least a cover part of the front airbag system and an upper part of the front passenger seat, and a signal processing unit for processing image signals taken by the image pickup devices to determine a three-dimensional position of the captured image. The signal processing unit is configured to determine a three-dimensional position of a part of the captured image pertaining to the cover part and includes a storage section which stores in advance a reference three-dimensional position corresponding to an external configuration of the cover part, and a comparing section which compares the three-dimensional position of the image part pertaining to the cover part with the reference three-dimensional position to determine if there is an object placed on the cover part.

Modern airbag systems generally employ a so-called "seamless design" according to which the position of an airbag cannot be easily recognized by a vehicle occupant. The seamless design allows the vehicle occupant to unintentionally place an object, such as map, mobile phone or the like, on a lid or cover part of the front airbag module, which is provided or formed as an integral part of the vehicle instrument panel. When the front airbag module is activated to deploy an airbag at a collision, the object on the cover part will hinder proper deployment of the airbag and may strike and injure an occupant of the front passenger seat disposed in front of the front airbag module.
To deal with this problem, a front airbag system disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 3-248946 (JP 3248946 A) includes, as shown in FIG. 10 hereof, a detection device 200 mounted on a front side of an instrument panel 201 for undertaking detection of an object which is in contact with a part of the instrument panel 201 forming a lid or cover part 202 of a front airbag module 203. The detecting device 200 consists of a touch sensor formed by a pressure-sensitive resistance sheet disposed below a skin layer 201a of the instrument panel 201. The touch sensor (detecting device) 200 is electrically connected to a control unit (not shown) of the front airbag module 203 for ensuring proper deployment control of an airbag 204 of the front airbag module 203. More particularly, when the touch sensor (detecting device) 200 detects an occupant of the front passenger seat or an object, which is in contact with the cover part region 202 of the instrument panel 201 from the outside, this sensor 200 issues a detection signal to suppress deployment of the airbag 204.
However, the touch sensor 200 assembled in the instrument panel 201 increases the manufacturing cost. Furthermore, due to difficulties in adjusting the detection sensitivity to accommodate various objects of different weights, the touch sensor 200 is likely to involve detection errors, which will allow improper deployment of the airbag 204 tending to cause an injury of the occupant of the front passenger seat.