Input water is preheated in a heat exchanger (2), pumped (4) through another heat exchanger (5) into a heating unit (6). The heating unit heats the water to a temperature of above 100xc2x0 C., preferably 140-150xc2x0 C., while maintaining the water in a liquid state without vaporization. A pump (8) feeds the heated water under sufficient pressure to prevent vaporization to at least one crossflow filtration unit (9). A portion of the heated water passes through a thermally stable filtration material having a pore size of 1-20 nanometers for filtering endotoxins and pyrogens, 4-10 nanometers for filtering viruses, or 100 nanometersxe2x88x9230 xcexcm for filtering bacteria. Heated water which has passed through the filtration material is fed through a pure water product outlet of the filtration unit to a pure water outlet (16). A retenate portion of the heated water flows past the filtration material to carry filtered impurities through a retenate output line (10). To conserve energy, the retenate output line passes through the heat exchanger (2) and the pure water product line passes through the heat exchanger (5) to preheat the incoming water. A backflushing valve (7) selectively passes pure water product backward through the filtration material to backflush impurities trapped in the filtration material.

The invention relates to the field of pure water production. In particular, the invention relates to the production of water for injection avoiding the use of distillation.
Particularly pure water is required for certain industrial uses in, for example, the pharmaceutical and electronics industries. In this context, by pure water is meant water purified for extraordinary uses, which is essentially sterile and from which inorganic and organic impurities have been removed to such an extent that preset quality requirements are fulfilled.
The quality requirements set for water are directed to its chemical and microbiological properties. The chemical quality can be properly monitored by conductivity measurement. From a microbiological point of view, the properties to be monitored are sterility and pyrogenicity. Bacteria, for example, shred cell membrane fragments into their environment. These fragments are essentially lipopolysaccharides, acting as pyrogens, i.e. fever-raising agents. These are relatively thermostable compounds, and may require high temperatures and prolonged heating periods for disintegration or loss of adverse properties. Pyrogens are removed from water in high quality distillation, and may also be removed by reverse osmosis due to the very narrow pores in the membranes used therein.
In the pharmaceutical field, the greatest purity requirements are applied to water used for injectable preparations, the so-called water for injection (WFI) grade. When water for injection is produced, the aforementioned biogenic units, which are smaller than microbes, must be removed. Methods approved for the production of WFI grade water are defined in pharmacopoeias. The 23 US Pharmacopoeia, issued in 1996, stipulates that water for injection may be produced by means of distillation or reverse osmosis. The corresponding European Pharmacopoeia allows only distillation. High grade distillation processes require substantial investments and production costs are high. Reverse osmosis is a more economical method, but often causes higher maintenance costs.
By ultrafiltration, it is possible to remove even large molecules, as pyrogens, from water. The membranes used are, however, usually sensitive to heat and harsh chemical conditions. Microbes and pyrogens must first be removed from the apparatus itself before the filtration process commences, and in addition the feed side must be cleaned, sterilized and freed of pyrogens at regular intervals during production. Most ultrafiltration equipment is badly suited for this type of use.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,104,546 discloses a method for the production of pyrogen-free water using a crossflow ultrafiltration element comprising a zirconium oxide membrane on a ceramic support. The material may be freed of pyrogens chemically, for example with nitric acid. The thermal stability of the ceramic filtration elements is also significant, and they may be repeatedly steam sterilized.
International Patent Application WO98/28060 discloses a method for manufacturing a flat, porous ceramic filter cassette, suitable for both dead-end and crossflow filtration. With proper choice of materials, the resulting filter element will have the physical and chemical resistance properties required for operation under sterilizing conditions.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,664,793 discloses a device for the production of pure water, wherein the purified water is circulated in a main circuit including a storage vessel. The water in said circuit is heat treated (60-90xc2x0 C.) in a batchwise manner when the bacterial concentration in the circuit has reached a preset threshold value. The circuit includes a dead-end filtration unit and a heat exchanger for cooling the purified water to its working temperature with external cooling water. By these means it is not, however, possible to produce, for example, water for injection, as the indicated temperature would call for a long residence time in order to reach the required sterility level.
A method according to claim 1 for the production of pure water has now been invented, comprising no periodical sterilization cycles as the continuous process comprises an integrated stage for heat sterilization of liquid water before the filtration step, and in addition the filtration itself is carried out under heat sterilizing conditions. Preferably, the pure water produced may be WFI grade.
Another objective of the invention is to provide a device according to claim 4 for the production of purified water, which device comprises as its essential components a continuously operating hot sterilization section and a filtration section wherein the filtration capacity, when required, is sufficient for producing pyrogen-free water.
Advantages and benefits of the present invention will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading and understanding the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments.

Method and device for the production of pure water


The invention provides a method for manufacturing an automotive component member, including the steps of: (A) positioning at least one insert into a mold, wherein the insert defines a plurality of holes; and (B) casting a portion of the automotive component member in the mold to substantially encapsulate the insert such that a major portion of the insert is substantially non-bonded with the casting material to provide a proper interfacial boundary with the casting material for damping. The method may include the step of coating the insert to prevent bonding between the insert and the casting material. A damped automotive component member having an insert cast therein is also disclosed.

Vehicle noise, such as that emanating from the powertrain or braking system, transmitted to the passenger compartment of the vehicle contributes to operator and passenger discomfort as well as discomfort to those outside the passenger compartment of the vehicle. In an effort to reduce the transmission of noise from components of the vehicle to the passenger compartment, a variety of techniques have been employed, including the use of polymer coatings, sound absorbing barriers, and laminated panels having viscoelastic layers. Other noise reducing efforts have included the use of noise reducing engine mount designs, including active engine mounts that employ magneto-rheological fluid actuators. While existing noise reducing efforts may have a positive effect on reducing the transmission of noise to the passenger compartment, there remains a need in the art to address the problem associated with the source of the noise. Accordingly, there is a need in the art for alternate methods to damp vehicle noise.

Method of manufacturing an automotive component member


An apparatus and method for locating an obstruction, leak or fault in an electrical cable segment, and determining the extent thereof, comprising a method and apparatus for supplying an interruptible pressurized gas to the cable's interstitial void space, first and second valves for directing the flow of the gas, a first device for acquiring data on the flow rate of gas to or from the interstitial void space and generating a first electronic signal proportional thereto, the first flow data acquisition device being in gaseous communication with the first valve, a second device for acquiring data on the flow rate of gas to or from the interstitial void space and generating a second electronic signal proportional thereto, the second flow data acquisition device also in gaseous communication with the second valve, and a method and apparatus for numerically relating the first and second electronic signals generated by the first and second data acquisition devices to determine the location and extent of the leak or blockage.

A major problem associated with electrical distribution cable is its tendency, over a period of time, to fail due to the progressive degradation of its insulation. The degradative processes involved in the failure of cables are correlated with two "treeing" phenomena. "Electrical treeing" is the product of numerous electrical discharges in the presence of strong electrical fields which eventually lead to the formation of voids within the insulation material. These voids resemble the trunk and branches of a tree in profile under microscopic observation, from which the descriptive terminology derives. As the trees formed by this process grow, they provide further routes along which corona discharges can occur, the cumulative effect being electrical breakdown of the insulation. Electrical treeing generally occurs when large voltages are imposed on the cable. The degradative results of the electrical treeing process can be precipitous such that the electrical cable can break down in a relatively short period of time.
The second type of treeing, known as "water treeing," is observed when the insulation material is simultaneously exposed to moisture and an electric field. This mechanism is much more gradual than electrical treeing, requiring an extended period of time to cause the degree of damage that affects the insulation characteristics of the distribution cable. However, since water treeing occurs at considerably lower electrical fields than required for the formation of electrical trees, this phenomenon is a leading cause of reduced service life of cables which allow water entry to the insulator region, whether through diffusion or some other mechanism.
Efforts have been made to prepare cables which are resistant to water treeing by incorporating an anti-tree additive (e.g., certain organosilanes) directly into the insulation composition of the cable at time of manufacture. Additionally, it is known to minimize deterioration by limiting the amount of water which can enter the cable interior by introducing a curable, e.g., silicone "water block" composition into the cable's interior and subsequently crosslinking this composition therein. However, these methods only address the issue of how to inhibit the formation of trees and the associated deterioration of insulation integrity. Thus, the skilled artisan will recognize that a vast network of underground cable is already in place wherein the cable either has not been treated according to one of these procedures or it has degenerated significantly despite such efforts and is, therefore, subject to premature failure.
As a partial answer to industry's desire to extend the useful life of existing underground cables, it has been found that certain liquid tree retardants can be introduced into the cable's interior to partially restore the insulation performance. For example, phenylmethyldimethoxysilane can be pumped in to fill the intersticial void space between the stranded conductor and the conductor shield of the cable: the silane is then allowed to diffuse into the cable's insulation to fill the electrochemical trees therein. This restorative procedure can then be followed by the introduction of a water block composition, as mentioned above.
It will be appreciated, however, that these techniques require the pumping of liquids having viscosities in the range of about one to 100 cP at 25.degree. C. through the interior of the cable. The success of this procedure therefore relies on the availability of an unobstructed path in the cable under consideration. In a typical field situation, however, a partial or total blockage of the cable segment is often encountered; this vitiates the utility of the above described restorative methods. Such a blockage can arise in several ways. For example, corrosion of the conductor strands due to the ingress of water or the accumulation of standing water in the conductor area can lead to partial or total blockage of the interstitial void space. More typically, the obstruction is due to the presence of one or more splices, elbows or other connections along the cable segment. These too can partially or completely block the flow of liquid and thereby thwart any intended restorative attempts. Additionally, such connections can develop leaks over time or they may contain leaks from improper installation. Leaks are also undesirable since they can promote electrical breakdown, facilitate the penetration of water into the cable and result in the waste of restorative fluids when the latter are introduced. Leaks may also be formed when a cable faults electrically, in which case an electrical discharge burns a hole in the cable insulation causing a failure and leak therein. For the purposes herein, the generic term "disruption" will be used to refer to such leaks, partial obstructions or complete obstructions, individually or in combination.
In general, an electrical utility will have no knowledge of the presence or location of these disruptions in any given cable segment selected for restoration (e.g., it has been in service for considerable time or has actually failed). Since the systematic elimination of such disruptions prior to cable restoration generally necessitates the unearthing of buried cable, their locations must be ascertained as accurately as possible in order to avoid the excessive time and expense of unproductive excavation. Moreover, since much of this excavation takes place on the lawns of private residences, there is also strong motivation to minimize guesswork and the associated complaints of irate home owners. Toward this end, the art has made only limited progress. For example, it is known to determine whether a cable segment is completely blocked by applying a gas flow to one end thereof in series with a rotometer by noting the eventual cessation of flow.
Two relatively sophisticated electronic methods which can precisely locate a splice, elbow or termination along the cable segment are also currently available. The first, time domain reflectometry (TDR), is based on a radar-like principle wherein an electrical pulse is propagated along the conductor of the cable and the impedance mismatch of, e.g., a splice within the cable segment generates an electronic reflection or echo which can be plotted on an oscilloscope and used to calculate its location. A second method uses a radio tone generator to send a radio signal down the conductor of the cable segment, this signal being returned to the source via the concentric neutral wire of the cable. Perturbations in the strength of this signal due to the different conductor and neutral wire geometries associated with, e.g., a splice can then be analyzed to determine the locations thereof. Even though the above mentioned electronic methods are quite accurate in locating a splice they are not useful in the determination of other types of disruptions. Nor can they establish the extent of blockage of splices elbows or terminations. Furthermore, when complete blockage of a given cable segment containing two or more such splices is established, these methods can not be used to determine which of these is the restrictive device. These electronic methods also can not locate a splice or elbow which is near an end of a cable segment.

Method for locating disruptions in electrical cable


The invention relates to a method and to a device for operating an electric peristaltic hose pump, in particular a hose pump for transporting fluids in medical-technical devices, in particular extracorporeal blood treatment devices. In order to monitor the regular operation of a hose pump, the power consumption of the pump or a physical variable in correlation with the power consumption, in particular the pump flow, is monitored. The pump flow includes a periodically non-altering direct component which is superimposed on a periodically altering alternating component. In order to monitor the regular operation of the hose pump, the alternating component of the power consumption in relation to the direct component of the power consumption is monitored as whether it increases and/or decreases during blood treatment.

In the case of extracorporeal blood treatment, for example, hemodialysis, the blood to be treated flows in an extracorporeal blood circuit through the blood chamber of a dialyzer divided by a semipermeable membrane into the blood chamber and a dialyzing fluid chamber, whilst in the case of a dialyzing fluid system dialyzing fluid flows through the dialyzing fluid chamber. The extracorporeal blood circuit has an arterial hose line which leads to the blood chamber, and a venous hose line which leads away from the blood chamber. The known hemodialysis apparatuses have a blood pump which is generally arranged upstream of the blood chamber of the dialyzer in order to ensure an adequate flow of blood in the extracorporeal blood circuit.
Great technical demands are made on the blood pump. Only certain types of pump therefore come into consideration. Hose pumps that convey the patient's blood through the arterial and venous hose line have been tried and tested in practice.
According to their mode of operation, hose pumps are also referred to as peristaltic pumps, The pump action is based on the fact that at least one occlusion moves along the elastic hose line serving as the pumping space and thereby displaces the enclosed fluid in the delivery direction.
With the most common design of hose pumps, the adjustment takes place in such a way that the elastic hose is completely occluded at the moved constriction points. These pumps arc therefore also referred to as occlusive hose pumps. The moving constriction points or occlusions that transport the blood in the pump hose can be generated in various ways from the technical standpoint.
Roller pumps are known, wherein the hose is inserted between a stator, which forms a curved roller path as a counter-bearing, and a rotor mounted rotatably therein and fitted with rollers, so that the rollers roll off on the hose in the delivery direction. The rollers may be spring-mounted on the rotor, so that they exert a pressing force on the hose. Finger pumps are also known, wherein the constriction points or occlusions are produced by a series of mobile stamps (fingers) arranged along the hose.
An overview of the various designs of roller and finger pumps is given in Dialysetechnik, 4th edition, Gesellschaft für angewandte Medizintechnik m.b.H. & Co. K G, Friedrichsdorf, 1988.
Electric peristaltic hose pumps are used in the known blood treatment apparatuses not only for conveying the blood, but also for conveying other fluids. Great demands are made on the proper operation of such hose pumps when they are used in medical-technical apparatuses, in particular in blood treatment apparatuses.
During the operation of roller pumps, the problem arises that a complete occlusion of the hose line is no longer produced when there is an increase in the flow resistance. On the contrary, the rollers begin to rise from the hose line. In this case, proper operation of the roller pump is no longer ensured.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,629,871 describes a method and a device for the monitoring of the functional capability of individual subassemblies of a hemodialysis apparatus. These also include hose pumps, whereby the pump current or the voltage is monitored in order to deduce the functional capability of the pump. It is known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,781,525 to use the pump current to determine the delivery rate.
WO 97/45150 describes a method for the determination of the delivery pressure of a pump, wherein the pump current is determined. Since deviations from a linear relationship between the delivery pressure and the pump current can occur under certain circumstances, the use of a calibration curve is proposed.
The problem underlying the invention is to provide a method and a device for the operation of an electric peristaltic hose pump, in particular the hose pump of an extracorporeal blood treatment apparatus, which respectively permit reliable monitoring of the proper operation of the hose pump.

Method and device for operating an electric peristaltic hose pump


A magnetic component for an electronic circuit includes first and second bobbins having respective core-receiving passageways. Each bobbin includes multiple slots with a winding insert in each slot. The winding inserts function as windings as well as guides for winding a coil of wire around the respective bobbins. The first and second bobbins are positioned on respective first and second legs of a magnetic core. The coils of wire are wound on the two bobbins in opposite directions such that the magnetic fluxes provided by the coils are in phase. The winding inserts have connection prongs that can be positioned in opposite direction such that the winding inserts of the first bobbin are connectable to a first printed circuit board and the winding inserts of the second bobbin are connectable to a second printed circuit board.

Magnetic components are generally known in the art for use in electronic circuits for various applications such as converting power or voltage. Such components are commonly found in many types of circuits and electronic devices such as power supplies and converters, amplifiers, voltage regulators, etc. Many conventional magnetic components for electronic circuits utilize a bobbin around which one or more conductive windings or coils are positioned. A magnetically permeable core is positioned near the bobbin structure for manipulating or shaping a magnetic field generated when electric current is passed through the one or more conductive windings. In many conventional magnetic components, the core extends into an axial passage in the bobbin on the interior of the winding or coil loops.
Conventional transformer devices generally include a primary winding wrapped a first number of turns around the bobbin, and a second winding wrapped a second number of turns around the same bobbin. Each winding may be associated with different portions of an electronic circuit or alternatively different electronic circuits altogether. By controlling the number of turns and location of each winding, desired performance characteristics of the transformer may be achieved.
One problem with conventional bobbin-wound magnetic components such as transformers that utilize multiple windings is proper positioning of the various coils. Minor variations in winding placement can affect device performance. As such, precision winding configurations are necessary to ensure consistent and reliable performance. However, in many applications, complex magnetic field interactions are desired among the primary and secondary windings. Such magnetic field interactions may be required for example to reduce effects of the magnetic component on surrounding circuit elements or to reduce high frequency effects and power losses. Conventional winding configurations using conductive wires wound around a bobbin may be inadequate for such complex field interactions due in part to problems with wire positioning, wire size, etc.
Another problem associated with conventional magnetic component devices includes movement of planar windings during positioning of one or more wire coils on the bobbin structure between the planar windings. The planar windings may become unintentionally misaligned or may fall out during the coil winding process. Additionally, coil placement between planar windings may cause the planar windings to flex or bow axially, resulting in uneven coil placement.
What is needed then are improvements in the devices and methods for magnetic components and associated bobbin structures for positioning one or more conductive windings.

Dual slotted bobbin magnetic component with two-legged core


In a continuous burst memory read operation, a dynamic prefetch circuit compares a prefetched address with a received address. If the compared addresses are identical, the prefetched address is applied to the memory; else the prefetched address is preempted by the received address, the received address is coupled to the memory, and output data corresponding to the prefetched address is interrupted.

Memory systems are occasionally caused to operate in a continuous burst read mode. In general, continuous burst read operation connotes a mode of operation in which a memory read request specifies a starting address from which data retrieval is to be initiated. Subsequent to the retrieval of data stored at the requested starting address, data is sequentially retrieved at successive continuous addresses. The continuous burst read operation may continue until the desired data stored in the target memory device is sensed and transferred from the memory, or until an event occurs to interrupt the otherwise continuous transfer of data from sequential addresses. Because the continuous burst read operation enables addresses and data to be prefetched in a manner that obviates latencies otherwise encountered, enhanced data transfer rates may be realized.
However, if an intervening read request, or some other event, occurs in the course of a continuous burst read operation, intervention of the ongoing continuous data read operation will be required. In this situation, the prefetched address becomes erroneous because that address no longer represents an address from which data is presently requested. Without remediation, application of the (erroneous) prefetched address can cause spurious data to appear at the memory output when an intervening address request is received that is not identical to the anticipated prefetched address. Accordingly, what is required is a technique that assures desired operation of a memory system when, in the course of a burst read operation, the received next address is different from the prefetched address.
Skilled artisans appreciate that elements in Drawings are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not (unless so stated in the Description) necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some elements in the Drawings may be exaggerated relative to other elements to promote and improve understanding of embodiments of the invention.

Dynamic prefetch in continuous burst read operation


An IC socket includes a driving member, a socket body mounted below the driving member and a latch member assembled to the base. The driving member is operated between an upper position and a lower position, and drives the latch member to shift between a closed position and an opened position. The base is assembled with a detachable latch hinge, to which the latch member is pivotally attached. The latch hinge can be easily replaced with another proper one according to a thickness of the IC package to the received in the IC socket.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an IC (Integrated Circuit) socket, and more particularly to an IC socket having an individual latch hinge which can be easily replaced with another one so that the IC socket is adapted to receive various IC packages of different thicknesses therein for testing purpose.
2. Description of Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 7,121,858 issued to Chen on Oct. 17, 2006 discloses a typical IC socket for interconnecting an IC package and a test board. The IC socket includes a base mounted on the test board, a number of contacts retained in the base, and a driving member mounted upon the base to drive a pair of latch members to press the IC package firmly within the socket. The driving member has a rectangular configuration and is manually or automatically operated from an upper position to a lower position. Correspondingly, the latch member is actuated from a closed position to an opened position. During this process, the latch member rotates upwardly and rearwardly to provide a clearance for receiving the IC package. When the latch member is turned from the opened position to the closed position, it then rotates downwardly and forwardly to press the IC package so as to secure the IC package on the base.
However, due to the rigidity and non-deformability of the latch member, the thicknesses of the IC packages must keep constant, i.e. each socket is only intended for a certain type of IC package. Thus, when a loaded IC package is with a thickness different from previous one, the latch member must be adjusted accordingly to a new position by redesigned the base dimension that is with a high cost.
Therefore, there is a need to provide a new IC socket that overcomes the above-mentioned problems.


When a single door for opening and closing an opening in a body is opened outward with its lower part as a fulcrum, a plurality of plate-shaped steps of a foldable boarding ramp provided on an inner face of the door are swung in association with one another from a stored position along the inner face of the door to a deployed position to be used for ingress and egress of the passengers. Since the boarding ramp is folded into the stored position, it does not impair the space of a passenger compartment. Further, since the steps are folded into a position so as not to interfere with a window provided in an upper part of the door, they do not give an oppressed feeling to the passengers in the passenger compartment. The step is deployed to cover the window provided in the upper part of the door during use.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a boarding ramp device for an aircraft wherein a single door is provided that includes a window in its upper part for opening and closing an opening in a body of the aircraft. The door is pivotally supported at its lower part by the body with a foldable boarding ramp being provided on an inner face of the door.
2. Description of Background Art
An aircraft such as a business passenger aircraft having a body of a relatively small diameter includes a boarding ramp on an inner face of a door (face opposed to a passenger compartment) in order to open and close an opening provided in a body for ingress and egress of passengers. U.S. Pat. No. 2,910,255 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,086,726 disclose a boarding ramp provided on an inner face of the door, wherein when the door that is pivotally supported at its lower end by the body is opened outwardly and an upper end of the door nears the ground, the ramp is diagonally positioned so as to connect the opening of the body to the ground.
However, the boarding ramp described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,910,255 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,086,726 projects into the passenger compartment from the inner face of the door in the state when the door is closed, leading to a problem that a space in the passenger compartment is oppressed. Also, the exposed boarding ramp impairs the appearance of the passenger compartment, leading to a possibility that the clothes of the passengers may be smeared with mud or the like adhering to the boarding ramp. Further, a window can not be provided in the door due to an obstruction by the boarding ramp. Thus, a problem results wherein the passengers have an oppressed feeling.
In this situation, Beechcraft SUPER KING AIR of Raytheon Aircraft Company employs a boarding ramp including a door pivotally supported at its lower end by an aircraft body with a plurality of steps swingably supported at their base ends by the inner face of the door. The steps are folded along the inner face of the door when the door is closed and the steps forms the boarding ramp by swinging into a deployed position when the door is opened.
The boarding ramp of SUPER KING AIR can effectively use the space of the passenger compartment since the steps can be folded, but does not yet solve the problems that the boarding ramp impairs the aesthetic appearance of the passenger compartment. In addition, the door does not have a window which leads to an oppressed feeling to the passengers.


The present invention is directed to a method and apparatus for improved long-term signal attenuation performance of fiber optic and/or fiber interface components. The improved long-term signal attenuation performance is achieved by introducing an additive such as deuterium into materials used in manufacturing the fiber optic cable. The fiber optic cable casing structure may then act as a reaction chamber so that the additive will react with the optical fibers and occupy defect site locations in the optical fibers. With the additive occupying defect sites in the optical fibers, it mitigates the presence of hydrogen into those same defect sites.

The present invention relates to fiber optic cables and apparatus used for broadband communications, and more particularly, to providing fiber optic transmission systems and cables that have improved lifetime attenuation performance.
Recently, fiber optic transmission networks and systems have become a preferred method for providing broadband communications because of their extremely low attenuation and large available bandwidth for providing advanced digital communications. In long distance transmission applications, individual optical fibers are typically bundled together to form fiber optic cables. These cables usually interface with repeaters at periodic intervals so that the optical signals carried by the fibers can be restored to their desired levels after having suffered attenuation over long propagation distances. Further, the optical transmission path may include optical filters to shape and flatten composite signal response. Often the individual fibers carry multiple independent channels through the use of, for example, dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) technology, with each of the channels occupying a sub-band contained within the main transmission band. The gain versus wavelength responses of the amplifiers contained within the repeaters are typically quite sensitive to small (age-induced) changes in input signal levels. These changes in input signal levels are most often due to age-related attenuation changes in the cabled fibers. It therefore desirable to minimize long-term, hydrogen-induced increases in attenuation that might otherwise occur.
The fiber optic cables referred to above may be used to transmit any form of data or information, such as, television and computer data, in indoor and outdoor environments. These fiber optic cables are made in various configurations and designs. Some examples of fiber optic cable designs are illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,156,104; 5,930,431; 4,439,632; 4,477,298; 4,557,560; 4,569,704; and 4,729,629 and the article by Raymond D. Tuminaro, Materials Aspects of the SL Lightguide Undersea Cable Design, MRS Bulletin, July 1988. Outside fiber optic cables may be used to span various types of geography and environments that may include terrestrial, subterranean, and submarine (e.g., undersea) applications.
Due to the cost of manufacturing and installing the fiber optic cables, it is desirable to have the useful life of the fiber optic cables as long as possible, often times greater than 25 years. One of the characteristics that affects the useful life of fiber optic cables is age-dependent increases in attenuation of signals at wavelengths used for signal transmission (e.g., 1550 nm). Further, some of the characteristics that affect the usefulness of the fiber optic transmission cable systems in, for example, DWDM systems are the overall spectral response resulting from the combination of attenuation versus wavelength response of the fibers, and the gain versus wavelength response of the amplifiers deployed along the cabled fiber transmission path. As noted above, changes in fiber attenuation give rise to changes in input levels to the amplifiers. Optical amplifiers, such as those based on erbium-doped fibers, experience changes in their gain versus wavelength responses when their input signals carried by the cabled fibers are changed. As greater bandwidth and more and more channels are carried by individual optical fibers, stability of the attenuation behavior of the fiber is an ever increasing concern. Hydrogen-induced increase in fiber attenuation over the lifetime of the system is one of the major causes for concern with respect to the composite amplifier plus fiber spectral response.
Extensive experience in the area of optical fiber cable design has shown that, while it is often possible to reduce the amount of hydrogen inside of fiber optic cables to very low levels (for example, much less than 0.01 atmosphere partial pressure), this small amount of residual hydrogen is capable of chemically reacting with the constituents of the optical fibers to a sufficient degree so as to cause a small, but measurable, increase in fiber attenuation, with an attendant degradation in the composite spectral response of the cable plus repeater iterative structure. Further, there is evidence that, as a result of some of the fiber optic cable designs and some of the environments in which fiber optic cables are installed, the amount of hydrogen in the core of optical fibers within the fiber optic cables may increase over time. Therefore, there is a need to provide an efficient and cost effective manner for reducing the fiber optic cable susceptibility to signal degradation that may be caused by hydrogen over time.
Analysis has shown that molecules of ordinary hydrogen (having individual atoms comprised of a single electron and single proton), can readily combine with the chemical constituents of optical fibers and give rise to resonant attenuation peaks, whose tails extend into the portion of the spectral band, or bands, used for the transmission of signals, thereby degrading signal transmission. Analysis has also shown that by introducing a common isotope of hydrogen, e.g., deuterium (with individual atoms comprised of an electron, a proton, and a neutron), into the process of forming individual optical fibers, the deuterium will combine with the constituents of optical fibers and give rise to resonant attenuation peaks; however, in the case of deuterium, for instance, these resonant peaks and their tails lie well outside the commonly used portion of the spectrum used for transmission, and are therefore non-degrading, or minimally degrading, to signal transmission.
One aspest of the present invention is directed to a method and apparatus for improved long term signal attenuation performance of fiber optic cable and cable and/or fiber interface components. The improved long term signal attenuation performance of the fiber optic cable and apparatus is achieved by introducing an additive after the optical fibers and apparatus have been formed as part of, or precursor to, the cable and apparatus making process. For example, an additive such as deuterium, may be introduced before, during, or after the fiber optic cable or apparatus assembly process. The additive will react with and occupy available chemically active defect sites in the optical fibers and apparatus that might otherwise adversely react with ordinary hydrogen. In preferred embodiments of the present invention, deuterium may be introduced into the cabling process and/or components. This may be anywhere from the initial fiber or component storage and preparation process to the later processing stages in which optical fiber bundles are encased within the structural elements of the cable or components are deployed within an amplifier or repeater housing. The partial or complete fiber optic cable structure or apparatus housing may then act as a reaction chamber so that the additive introduced during the fiber optic cable or apparatus assembly process will react with the optical fibers or components so as to occupy defect site locations in the optical fibers or fiber-interfacing components, and thereby make them unavailable for chemical combination with ordinary hydrogen. In another preferred embodiment, the deuterium may be introduced into the optical fibers just prior to forming a fiber optic cable and components or subsequent to forming the fiber optic cable and components, as long as the deuterium is made to react with available defect sites. In any case, the occupation of defect sites by deuterium reaction products improves the long term signal attenuation characteristics of the fiber optic cables and/or components because the number of defect sites that are available for chemical combination with ordinary hydrogen will have been reduced as a result of prior combinations with deuterium.
According to one exemplary embodiment of the present invention deuterium is introduced into a fill material used in the fiber optic cable and/or apparatus. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the fill material may be used as a water blocking material used to ensure liquid water or moisture does not rapidly migrate deep into the internal portions of the cables when the cable is ruptured or the cable ends are exposed to a water-rich surrounding environment, as might be the case if the fill material was not used. According to another embodiment of the present invention, the material into which deuterium is introduced may be a material in which the optical fibers are embedded within the casing of the fiber optic cable. The deuterium may be introduced into the material by dissolving the deuterium into the material or bubbling the material with deuterium. Likewise, the deuterium may be introduced in the post-cured fiber embedding material or materials, while the material is in the post-cured or solidified state.
In another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, deuterium is introduced into a fiber optic apparatus housing, which contains fiber optic components, prior to sealing the housing.
According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, deuterium is introduced into the fiber optic cable by exposing the optical fibers to deuterium prior to assembling the optical fibers into a fiber optic cable; such exposure, carried out for a relatively short period of time at moderate temperature, results in deuterium molecules being diffused and dissolved into the doped silica optical fibers with or without chemically reacting with the optical fiber materials during this introductory phase. In one variation of the invention, optical fiber sets that are to be used in a fiber optic cable are immersed in a deuterium atmosphere after the optical fibers have been manufactured but prior to being embedded within a fiber optic cable. During the immersion period the deuterium diffuses into the optical fibers to create deuterium-loaded optical fibers.
In a variation of the present invention, the optical fibers are placed in a pressure-sealed chamber with deuterium gas maintained at a predetermined temperature and partial pressure for a period of time. In another variation of the present invention, the optical fibers are fed through a chamber including deuterium gas as the optical fibers are being fed into the fiber optic cable assembly process to be embedded in an embedding material. The optical fibers are exposed to the deuterium under processing conditions so as to diffuse a sufficient amount of deuterium into the optical fibers in anticipation of a later defect-site chemical reaction promoted by, for example, later cabling processing or storage conditions, or alternately by retaining the fibers in the deuterium immersion chamber at time and temperature conditions required to promote the desired level of defect site reactions. As noted earlier, deuterium-based chemical reaction at defect sites, which is relatively benign from a signal transmission point of view, will ensure that those same sites will not be available for the degrading reactions that might otherwise occur with ordinary hydrogen. The inclusion of this feature into cable manufacture should improve the long term stability of the signal attenuation performance of fiber optic cable.
Once deuterium is introduced at a process step, the following conditions may apply in order to suppress the chemical reactions that might otherwise occur in the presence of ordinary hydrogen. The post-deuterium introduction process conditions (temperature and time) are established such that a significant level of deuterium reaction can occur at the defect sites. As a result, deuterium reaction may occur prior to ordinary hydrogen ingress into fiber cores. Alternatively, the deuterium introduction process may be established so that the molecular density ratio of dissolved deuterium to dissolved hydrogen at the core regions of the optical fibers may be high, in order to increase the probability that some portion of active optical fiber defect sites combine with deuterium instead of ordinary hydrogen. The time of arrival of significant numbers of deuterium atoms at the core regions of the fibers may precede, or be sufficiently coincident with, the time of arrival of significant numbers of ordinary hydrogen molecules. In the case that deuterium and hydrogen arrive at the core regions of the optical fibers at approximately the same time, the high population ratio of deuterium atoms to ordinary hydrogen atoms will help ensure that at least some of the defect sites are occupied by deuterium reaction products.
In one variation of the present invention, after deuterium is introduced into a material used in the construction of the fiber optic cable, a material which slows, reduces, or resists the rate of deuterium egress from the cable, or cable sub-assembly, may be used to ensure retention and diffusion of some of the deuterium into the optic fibers embedded within the fiber optic cable. In this case, during the cabling process and over time the deuterium retained within the fiber optic cable will, after diffusing into the fibers, react and combine with the defect sites in the optical fibers, lowering the probability that ordinary hydrogen will react with those same defect sites, and thereby improving the long term stability of the attenuation characteristics of the optical fibers and fiber optic cable.

Device and method for improved long term signal attenuation performance of fiber optic cable and apparatus interfaces


The passage unit is provided with a through hole that connects the ink ejection face and the support face. The ink supply block is provided with a through hole that connects the bond face and the ink inlet face. The filter film blocks communication between the through hole provided in the passage unit and the through hole provided in the ink supply block.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ink-jet head that ejects ink to a recording medium.
2. Description of Related Art
Some of ink-jet heads, which eject ink from nozzles to papers, include a passage unit and an ink supply block. Formed in the passage unit are individual ink passages each extending from a manifold channel through a pressure chamber to a nozzle formed on a lower face of the passage unit. The ink supply block supplies ink to a manifold channel of the passage unit. Each of the passage unit and the ink supply block has a layered structure of plates, and they are bonded to each other in a layered direction. An actuator unit is disposed on an upper face of the passage unit. A wire member that supplies a signal to the actuator unit extends through between the upper face of the passage unit and a lower face of the ink supply block, upward along a side face of the ink supply block. A volume of a pressure chamber included in an individual ink passage is selectively changed by means of the actuator unit, so that ejection energy is given to ink contained in the pressure chamber. Ink is accordingly ejected from a nozzle that communicates with this pressure chamber, and thus a desired image is printed on a paper.
Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. 2005-22183 discloses an ink-jet head in which positioning holes used in lamination of plates are formed in respective plates that constitute a passage unit and an ink supply block. These holes form through holes that extend through the passage unit and the ink supply block from their lower faces to upper faces.


An ejection device of a slot-in optical disc drive includes a rotating plate and an elastic unit. The rotating plate is installed on the slot-in optical disc drive and attached to an actuating gear of a feeding gear unit. The actuating gear is capable of following the rotation of the rotating plate to disengage from the feeding gear unit of the slot-in optical disc drive. The elastic unit is attached to the rotating plate to keep the actuating gear engaged with the feeding gear unit. A push wall of the rotating plate and a push block of a sliding piece, connected with the output of the feeding gear unit, are located sequentially on the path of a hole penetrating into the optical disk drive. A stick can be inserted into the hole to activate the ejection device.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a slot-in optical disc drive, and more particularly, to a slot-in optical disc drive with an ejection device which can eject an optical disc when the optical disc drive is in a breakdown or in a power failure.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Optical disc drives can be divided into tray-type and slot-in-type drives according to how an optical disc is loaded into the optical disc drive. The tray-type optical disc drive loads the optical disc on a tray. When the tray-type optical disc drive fails, triggering a lock apparatus of the tray can eject the tray and the optical disc can be taken off of the tray. On the other hand, the slot-in optical disc drive utilizes a gear unit to drive levers, rollers, or rim bands to eject or insert the optical disc. When the slot-in optical disc drive fails, the optical disc cannot be ejected unless the housing of the optical disc drive is opened. However, opening the delicate slot-in optical disc drive is not easy for users, especially if the slot-in optical disc drive is installed in a car, a computer, or an advanced media apparatus. It may require engineers to open the housing of the slot-in optical disc drive so as to take the optical disc out and cause inconvenience.
To solve inconvenient ejection when the slot-in optical disc drive fails, please refer to FIG. 1 showing the R.O.C. patent application serial number 092108324 (corresponding to U.S. patent publication number 20040202060), titled "DISK FORCE-REJECTION AND FORCE-LOADING DEVICE FOR USE IN AN OPTICAL DISK READING DEVICE." The ejection device 1 according to the prior art includes a power supply unit for providing electric power to a driving unit to rotate a drive gear 2 installed in front of the ejection device 1. The ejection device 1 further includes a control switch 3 for starting or stopping rotation of the driving unit. Then, the drive gear 2 of the ejection device 1 is inserted into an orientation hole 5 in the front of the slot-in optical disc drive 4 to engage the drive gear 2 with an active gear of a motor of the optical disc drive 4 installed nearby the orientation hole 5. By turning on the control switch 3 to rotate the drive gear 2, the drive gear 2 can drive the active gear of the motor of the optical disc drive 4, so that the optical disc is ejected from an entrance 6 of the optical disc drive 4.
The ejection device 1 can force the optical disc drive to eject the optical disc, but the ejection device 1 is a specific tool utilizing electric power to rotate the drive gear 2 and is not widely available for purchase. Users also do not want to spend the extra cost to buy the ejection device 1 and take the ejection device 1 with them. When the optical disc drive fails, the users cannot find the tool immediately so they will send the optical disc drive back for repair. For engineers, if they do not have the ejection device 1, they will open the housing of the optical disc drive to take the optical disc out. Without the ejection device 1, taking the optical disc out is still inconvenient for the slot-in optical disc drive when the optical disc drive fails.
Moreover, the slot-in optical disc drive according to the prior art drives the optical disc by many gear units, so the difference of the torque between the output of the gear units and the difference of the rotating speed are large. More electric power and time are required for the ejection device to drive the active gear of the motor and the gear of the slot-in optical disc drive. Therefore, the ejection device of the slot-in optical disc drive according to the prior art should be improved.

Emergency ejection device for a slot-in optical disk drive


The invention provides a passive fluidics circuit for directing different fluids to a common volume, such as a reaction chamber or flow cell, without intermixing or cross contamination. The direction and rate of flow through junctions, nodes and passages of the fluidics circuit are controlled by the states of upstream valves (e.g. opened or closed), differential fluid pressures at circuit inlets or upstream reservoirs, flow path resistances, and the like. Free diffusion or leakage of fluids from unselected inlets into the common outlet or other inlets at junctions or nodes is prevented by the flow of the selected inlet fluid, a portion of which sweeps by the inlets of unselected fluids and exits the fluidics circuit by waste ports, thereby creating a barrier against undesired intermixing with the outlet flow through leakage or diffusion. The invention is particularly advantageous in apparatus for performing sensitive multistep reactions, such as pH-based DNA sequencing reactions.

Many applications require the regulation of multiple fluid flows in a manner that minimizes intermixing or cross-contamination of the different fluids. Such applications include multi-step synthetic or analytical processes that are carried out in a common volume and that comprise successive cycles of reagent delivery using fluids from separate reservoirs. e.g. Margulies et al. Nature, 437: 376-380 (2005); Merrifield et al, U.S. Pat. No. 3,531,258; Caruthers et al, U.S. Pat. No. 5,132,418; Rothberg et al, U.S. patent publication 2009/0127589, and the like. Although fluidics systems are available for selectively switching multiple reagent solutions to a common chamber for processing, they suffer from several deficiencies, including but not limited to, the presence of large surface areas that can adsorb or retain reagents, large physical size which makes it difficult to use with miniaturized fluidics components, e.g. see Rothberg et al (cited above), less accessible surfaces including edges and/or corners which make complete purging and removal of successive reagents difficult or inefficient, and the use of moving parts which can wear out and lead to higher manufacturing and assembly costs, e.g. Hunkapiller, U.S. Pat. No. 4,558,845; Wittmann-Liebold et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,008,736; Farnsworth et al, U.S. Pat. No. 5,082,788; Garwood et al, U.S. Pat. No. 5,313,984; or the like.
In view of the above, it would be advantageous to have available a device for regulating multiple fluid flows to a common volume for complex synthetic or analytical processes which overcame the deficiencies of current approaches.

Fluidics system for sequential delivery of reagents


An image forming apparatus of the present invention includes a movable body to be charged and a charger including a charging member that contacts or adjoins the body to be charged and applies a voltage, including an AC component, to the charging member for thereby charging the body. A protection substance for protecting the surface of the body from deterioration ascribable to charging is caused to exist on the body. The number of particular elements, contained in the protection substance and detected by an X-ray photon spectral analyzer (XPS) in a zone where the charging member charges the body, is held in a particular ratio to the total number of all elements constituting the outermost surface of the body and also detected by the XPS.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a copier, facsimile apparatus, printer or similar image forming apparatus and more particularly to a contact or a proximity type of charger and a cleaning device included in the image forming apparatus.
2. Description of the Background Art
Generally, an electrophotographic image forming apparatus includes various charging means, e.g., one for uniformly charging the surface of a photoconductive element or image carrier before the formation of a latent image, one for quenching the charged surface of the image carrier after image transfer, and one for charging a sheet or recording medium conveyed to an image transfer position. Such charging means have customarily been implemented by a corona discharge type of charging system. In this type of charging system, a charge wire is positioned in the vicinity of a body to be charged and applied with a high voltage, so that corona discharge occurs between the charge wire and the above body for thereby charging the body.
Corona discharge, however, produces ozone, NOx (nitrogen oxides) and other discharge products that are apt to form a nitric acid film or a nitrate film having adverse influence on an image on the surface of the image carrier. In light of this, a contact or a proximity type of charging system is extensively used today because it produces a minimum of discharge products and needs only a minimum of voltage.
In the contact or the proximity type of charging system, a roller, brush, blade or similar charging member contacts or adjoins a photoconductive element or similar body to be charged and applied with a voltage to thereby charge the surface of the above body. This type of charging system successfully reduces the size of the charger while having the advantages mentioned above.
However, a problem with the contact or the proximity type of charging system is that discharge occurs toward the body to be charged either directly or via a small gap, resulting in irregular discharge and therefore irregular charging. To solve this problem, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 5-150564, for example, discloses a charging system configured to charge a body by applying an AC-biased DC voltage to a charging member. This system, using an AC-biased DC voltage, applies a voltage far higher than a breakdown voltage to the above body instantaneously and continuously, allowing discharge to easily occur. However, this system brings about another problem that the discharge chemically deteriorates the surface of the body charged. Such chemical deterioration, e.g., shaving of the film thickness of the photoconductive layer occurs even when mechanical rubbing is absent.
More specifically, the chemical deterioration of the surface of, e.g., the photoconductive element includes a decrease in molecular weight ascribable to the cut-off of the molecule chains of polycarbonate resin, which constitute the photoconductive layer, caused by ozone, active oxygen and charge particles hitting against the above surface, a decrease in the degree of entanglement of polymer chains, and evaporation of polycarbonate resin. Such chemical deterioration reduces the thickness of a charge transport layer (CTL) positioned on the surface of the photoconductive element little by little, causing inorganic fine grains contained in the CTL to separate and part. If the inorganic fine grains thus parted deposit on a cleaning member or similar member contacting the photoconductive element, then they constitute abrasive grains and therefore cause the surface of the element to locally wear, e.g., shaves off the surface in the form of stripes.
The deterioration of the surface of the photoconductive element ascribable to discharge is considered to be brought about by the energy of particles produced by discharge and is therefore considered to occur even when a material other than polycarbonate is used for the photoconductive element. Particularly, the AC-biased DC voltage generates discharge having greater energy than a DC voltage, aggravating the deterioration.
Further, when the shave-off of the photoconductive layer proceeds, it is more likely that the charge potential of the photoconductive element drops, the photoconductive element is deteriorated, background is contaminated due to, e.g., scratches formed on the surface of the element, image density decreases, and image quality is lowered. Protecting the surface of the photoconductive element is extremely important when consideration is given to an increasing demand for high image quality.
It is a common practice to protect the surface of the photoconductive element from deterioration by, e.g., coating the above surface with amorphous silicone carbide to thereby enhance wear resistance or by dispersing alumina or similar inorganic substance in the CTL of an organic photoconductive layer for the same purpose, as taught in, e.g., Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication Nos. 2002-207308 and 2002-229227. Such schemes, however, are not always successful to obviate the chemical deterioration ascribable to proximity type of charging although they may improve wear resistance. This is because a decrease in the film thickness of the photoconductive element has heretofore been attributed to mechanical wear ascribable to a contact member, but not to discharge to occur in the event of charging.
On the other hand, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication Nos. 2002-55580, 2002-244487, 2002-244516 and 2002-156877 each propose an image forming apparatus including means for coating zinc stearate on the surface of a photoconductive element. However, the means taught in these documents are configured to reduce the coefficient of friction of the surface in order to obviate toner filming, toner melting and defective cleaning. The above documents therefore do not address to the protection of the surface of a photoconductive element from deterioration ascribable to discharge. Moreover, zinc stearate, simply coated to reduce the coefficient of friction, cannot always obviate deterioration ascribable to discharge.
More specifically, the schemes taught in Laid-Open Publication Nos. 2002-55580 and 2002-244487 mentioned above are likely to fail to protect, in the contact or the proximity type of charging system, the surface of the photoconductive element from chemical deterioration conspicuous with discharge caused by an AC voltage (AC discharge hereinafter). This is because the condition in which zinc stearate should exit for obviating the chemical deterioration and the condition in which it should exist for reducing the coefficient of friction are different from each other. Laid-Open Publication Nos. 2002-244516 and 2002-156877 do not show or describe means for coping with the chemical deterioration at all, not to speak of an adequate condition in which a protection substance should exist in a discharge zone.
In an image forming apparatus, a charge voltage or similar charging condition is sometimes varied in accordance with temperature, humidity or similar environmental condition for thereby implementing optimum image forming operation. More specifically, the rate at which the chemical deterioration of the photoconductive element proceeds is presumably dependent on the charging condition. It follows that if a condition of presence of the protection substance on a body to be charged capable of adequately obviating the chemical deterioration can be found, it is possible to further enhance the durability of the above body.

Image forming apparatus using a contact or a proximity type of charging system including a protection substance on a moveable body to be charged


An information processing device is configured to execute: performing game processing including movement of a plurality of characters in a virtual world; specifying one character as a specific character on the basis of predetermined conditions; judging whether there is commonality in movement of a plurality of non-specific characters other than the specific character; determining at least one of the characters for which it has been judged that there is commonality, as a preferential display character; and adjusting drawing related parameters so that the preferential display character is located in a predetermined area of a display image.

Conventionally, in a game where characters move in a virtual world, a virtual camera for drawing (rendering) is moved according to the movement of a character so that the players can visually recognize the character and the peripheral area thereof. If a plurality of characters appear in a game, the virtual camera is controlled so that the players can visually recognize all of the plurality of characters.
However it is difficult to always confine all the characters for the player to visually recognize in a predetermined display area. Further, if a character important to a player moves out of a predetermined display area, game progress becomes difficult for the player.
An aspect of the present disclosure is a program for causing a computer to execute: performing game processing including movement of a plurality of characters in a virtual world; specifying one character out of the plurality of characters as a specific character, on the basis of predetermined conditions; judging whether there is commonality in movement of a plurality of non-specific characters, which are the plurality of characters other than the specific character; determining the specific character as a preferential display character if the judging does not judge that there is commonality, and determines at least one of the non-specific characters as a preferential display character if the judging judges that there is commonality; and adjusting drawing related parameters so that at least the preferential display character out of the plurality of characters is located in a predetermined area of a display image.
The present disclosure can be comprehended as an information processing device, a system, a method executed by a computer, or a program for a computer to execute. The present disclosure can also be comprehended as a program stored in a recording medium that a computer, a device, a machine or the like can read. Here the recording medium that a computer or the like can read refers to a recording medium which stores such information as data and programs electrically, magnetically, optically, mechanically or by chemical action, and which is read by a computer or the like.

Medium, system, method and information processing device


A process for practicing the game of golf providing a ring, having a sloping upper surface symmetrical with respect to a sloping bottom-most surface about a horizontal plane therebetween and having a vertical inner surface, such that the slanted configuration eases a putted ball's entry into the ring and the ultimate height of the ring maximizes the ball's retention within the ring, and a package for displaying a plurality of such rings.

This invention relates generally to the art of games and more particularly to a process for practicing golf.
Various prior art devices have existed to enhance the game of golf, including a complex trajectory presentation system, a storage image device, a marker for use on a golf course to indicate a tee location, and an apparatus to display video images of a golf hole on a television monitor. In addition, U.S. Pat. No. 1,979,584 to Thompson discloses a mat in conjunction with concentric rings which are cut away so as to provide a guideway to the center of the mat.
While these prior art devices all provide assistance in the game of golf, the nature of the game lends itself to refinements which promote increased skill in the game, thereby enhancing its recreational value.


The invention provides a semiconductor integrated circuit which allows a plurality of devices to be integrated compactly, that is, with high density; a signal transmitting device; an electro-optical device; and an electronic apparatus. A semiconductor integrated circuit includes tile-shaped microelements that are superimposed upon and adhered to the top surface of a substrate with an adhesive.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor integrated circuit, a signal transmitting device, an electro-optical device, and an electronic apparatus. More particularly, the present invention relates to a semiconductor integrated circuit including a plurality of tile-shaped microelements superimposed upon and bonded to each other, a signal transmitting device, an electro-optical device, and an electronic apparatus.
2. Description of Related Art
Related art technologies of forming a semiconductor device on a substrate formed of a different material include: disposing a gallium arsenide surface emitting laser (VCSEL), a photodiode (PD), a high electron mobility transistor (HEMT), or the like, on a silicon semiconductor substrate; and bonding a very-small silicon transistor, instead of a thin-film transistor (TFT) provided for a corresponding pixel of a liquid crystal display (LCD), to a glass substrate.
An example of an integrated circuit involving the use of different semiconductor materials is an optoelectronic integrated circuit (OEIC). An optoelectronic integrated circuit includes an inputting/outputting device using light. Although signal processing in an integrated circuit is performed using electric signals, input/output operations outside the integrated circuit are performed using light signals.

Semiconductor integrated circuit, signal transmitting device, electro-optical device, and electronic apparatus


A tool for extracting bearings from a long shaft as well as method of doing same is disclosed. This method and tool begins with connecting a split sleeve about a stuck bearing. This sleeve is then placed in a case. One or more extension are then added, thus allowing the puller to reach bearings on long shafts. When a sufficient number of extensions are added, a cap having an extraction bolt, which engages the end of the bearing shaft inside of the puller is attached. The extraction bolt is then rotated in a clockwise manner which forces the puller, and the engaged bearing, in an outward manner from the bearing shaft. When the extraction bolt is rotated to the extent of its working range by being turned all the way in, the puller is disengaged from the bearing and an extension section is then removed. This allows the extraction bolt to be rotated in a counter clockwise manner to a point were it regains its full working range. The present invention is then reengaged to the bearing shaft and bearing and the process is repeated until the bearing is completely removed from the bearing shaft.

The present invention relates to an improvement in an bearing puller which allows for the removal of bearings from deeply recessed areas or from inside positions on long, extended rotational shafts. More specifically, the present invention provides a means varying a bearing pullers range by allowing for the addition or removal of sections to the body of the puller thereby allowing the working range of the puller to accommodate shafts of different lengths.
Often times in doing routine maintenance on a farm, factory or in a commercial repair shop it is necessary to replace bearings that have become locked onto a shaft. One method of doing this is through the use of heat applied with a torch and use of a hammer and chisel. However, many situations do not allow for the use of a torch due to heat sensitive material. Other times a bearing cannot be reached due to a deeply set location.
In the past, one would need specialized tools to remove deeply set bearings or bearings from long shafts. This would result in the necessity of using two or three tools to do one job, thereby not only increasing the time needed to complete the work, but also increasing the costs of maintaining equipment.
One example of a standard style bearing puller commonly used in the field is illustrated by U.S. Pat. No. 4,443,922, issued to Deland on Apr. 24, 1984. The problem with, this puller is that it is too short in its design to be used to remove deeply set bearings or bushings from long shafts and merely lengthening the puller would render it useless in tight situations. U.S. Pat. No. 3,358,352, issued to Wilcox on Dec. 19, 1967 is an example of a bearing puller designed specifically to remove deeply set bearings and bushings from long shafts. The Wilcox puller is often to long to be used as the bearing nears the end of a shaft during its removal. The end result of this is that the average user would need to have both of these tools, if not more, to handle many bearing removal jobs, thereby increasing both his costs of operation and his down time due to the necessity of switching between the tools at different stages of the operation.
From the forgoing discussion it can be seen that it would be advantageous to have one tool that would alone be adjustable to many different lengths. Further an adjustable length would allow for ease in storage. The disclosed bearing puller with extensions allows a user to pull bearings in this type of application without the need for added specialized tools, thereby reducing both the time and costs of the operation from the old method.

Bearing puller extension and method for extending same


The present application provides a magnetic rack for separating magnetic particles from a non-magnetic medium. The magnetic rack comprises a supporting housing having a top side, a bottom side, two opposite lengthwise sides, and a cavity, wherein at least one magnet is disposed in the cavity, each lengthwise side is attached with a receiving member, and the top side has at least two sockets. The magnetic rack further comprises a pair of supporting walls, wherein each supporting wall has a fixing member introduced onto or into the receiving member to tightly connect the supporting housing with the pair of supporting walls. With the coupling of the receiving member and the fixing member, the supporting wall and the supporting housing can be tightly connected together, therefore the shake of the magnetic rack or the sample vials inserted in the magnetic rack can be significantly avoided. In this way, the magnetic particles can be effectively separated from a non-magnetic medium in the sample vial.

Magnetic field can be used to separate magnetic particles from a non-magnetic medium such as a suspension, which has a wide application in chemistry, biochemistry or medical sciences. Specifically, a rack-like arrangement is convenient for simultaneously processing a number of samples contained in respective sample vials. Therefore, various magnetic racks with magnets disposed therein have been developed. The magnets may be positioned in a row along a lengthwise direction of the magnetic rack to provide the magnetic field. When a sample vial is inserted into the magnetic rack and approaches the magnets, the magnetic field can affect the suspended magnetic particles that are dispersed within the suspension in the sample vial, and pull down the particles using magnetic forces. The particles will then be collected and concentrated along the side wall of the sample vial. Since the magnets are needed to be placed into the inside of the magnetic rack, the magnetic rack is generally designed to include several physical parts that can be assembled by means of mechanical connections. In general, the physical parts of magnetic racks can not be irreversibly fixed, since there is a need to be able to remove the sample rack part and process the samples for example by shaking or heating. In addition, the magnetic rack must be able to tightly hold together when assembled for magnetic separation of samples, otherwise, the magnetic particle pellet that is pulled down by magnetic forces could be disturbed, especially when the particle size is small, so that either partial sample will be lost or the supernatant will not be completely removed.
Therefore, there is a continued need to innovate a magnetic rack design so that it will work ideally for magnetic separation applications.


Provided herein are compounds of the formula (I):

Diabetes mellitus is a serious illness that affects an increasing number of people across the world. Its incidence is escalating along with the increasing trend to obesity in many countries. The serious consequences of the disease include increased risk of stroke, heart disease, kidney damage, blindness, and amputation. Diabetes is characterized by decreased insulin secretion and/or an impaired ability of peripheral tissues to respond to insulin, resulting in increased plasma glucose levels. There are two forms of diabetes: insulin-dependent and non-insulin-dependent, with the great majority of diabetics suffering from the non-insulin-dependent form of the disease, known as type 2 diabetes or non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). Because of the serious consequences, there is an urgent need to control diabetes.
Treatment of NIDDM generally starts with weight loss, a healthy diet and an exercise program. These factors are especially important in addressing the increased cardiovascular risks associated with diabetes, but they are generally ineffective in controlling the disease itself. There are a number of drug treatments available, including insulin, metformin, sulfonylureas, acarbose, and thiazolidinediones. However, each of these treatments has disadvantages, and there is an ongoing need for new drugs to treat diabetes.
Metformin is an effective agent that reduces fasting plasma glucose levels and enhances the insulin sensitivity of peripheral tissue. Metformin has a number of effects in vivo, including an increase in the synthesis of glycogen, the polymeric form in which glucose is stored [R. A. De Fronzo Drugs 1999, 58 Suppl. 1, 29]. Metformin also has beneficial effects on lipid profile, with favorable results on cardiovascular health—treatment with metformin leads to reductions in the levels of LDL cholesterol and triglycerides [S. E. Inzucchi JAMA 2002, 287, 360]. However, over a period of years, metformin loses its effectiveness [R. C. Turner et al. JAMA 1999, 281, 2005] and there is consequently a need for new treatments for diabetes.
Thiazolidinediones are activators of the nuclear receptor peroxisome-proliferator activated receptor-gamma. They are effective in reducing blood glucose levels, and their efficacy has been attributed primarily to decreasing insulin resistance in skeletal muscle [M. Tadayyon and S. A. Smith Expert Opin. Investig. Drugs 2003, 12, 307]. One disadvantage associated with the use of thiazolidinediones is weight gain.
Sulfonylureas bind to the sulfonylurea receptor on pancreatic beta cells, stimulate insulin secretion, and consequently reduce blood glucose levels. Weight gain is also associated with the use of sulfonylureas [S. E. Inzucchi JAMA 2002, 287, 360] and, like metformin, efficacy decreases over time [R. C. Turner et al. JAMA 1999, 281, 2005]. A further problem often encountered in patients treated with sulfonylureas is hypoglycemia [M. Salas J. J. and Caro Adv. Drug React. Tox. Rev. 2002, 21, 205-217].
Acarbose is an inhibitor of the enzyme alpha-glucosidase, which breaks down disaccharides and complex carbohydrates in the intestine. It has lower efficacy than metformin or the sulfonylureas, and it causes intestinal discomfort and diarrhea which often lead to the discontinuation of its use [S. E. Inzucchi JAMA 2002, 287, 360].
The metabolic syndrome is a condition where patients exhibit more than two of the following symptoms: obesity, hypertriglyceridemia, low levels of HDL-cholesterol, high blood pressure, and elevated fasting glucose levels. This syndrome is often a precursor of type 2 diabetes, and has high prevalence in the United States with an estimated prevalence of 24% (E. S. Ford et al. JAMA 2002, 287, 356). A therapeutic agent that ameliorates the metabolic syndrome would be useful in potentially slowing or stopping the progression to type 2 diabetes.
In the liver, glucose is produced by two different processes: gluconeogenesis, where new glucose is generated in a series of enzymatic reactions from pyruvate, and glycolysis, where glucose is generated by the breakdown of the polymer glycogen.
Two of the key enzymes in the process of gluconeogenesis are phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) which catalyzes the conversion of oxalacetate to phosphoenolpyruvate, and glucose-6-phosphatase (G6 Pase) which catalyzes the hydrolysis of glucose-6-phosphate to give free glucose. The conversion of oxalacetate to phosphoenolpyruvate, catalyzed by PEPCK, is the rate-limiting step in gluconeogenesis. On fasting, both PEPCK and G6 Pase are upregulated, allowing the rate of gluconeogenesis to increase. The levels of these enzymes are controlled in part by the corticosteroid hormones (cortisol in human and corticosterone in mouse). When the corticosteroid binds to the corticosteroid receptor, a signaling cascade is triggered which results in the upregulation of these enzymes.
The corticosteroid hormones are found in the body along with their oxidized 11-dehydro counterparts (cortisone and II-dehydrocorticosterone in human and mouse, respectively), which do not have activity at the glucocorticoid receptor. The actions of the hormone depend on the local concentration in the tissue where the corticosteroid receptors are expressed. This local concentration can differ from the circulating levels of the hormone in plasma, because of the actions of redox enzymes in the tissues. The enzymes that modify the oxidation state of the hormones are 11beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases forms I and II. Form I (11β-HSD1) is responsible for the reduction of cortisone to cortisol in vivo, while form II (11β-HSD2) is responsible for the oxidation of cortisol to cortisone. The enzymes have low homology and are expressed in different tissues. 11β-HSD1 is highly expressed in a number of tissues including liver, adipose tissue, and brain, while 11β-HSD2 is highly expressed in mineralocorticoid target tissues, such as kidney and colon. 11β-HSD2 prevents the binding of cortisol to the mineralocorticoid receptor, and defects in this enzyme have been found to be associated with the syndrome of apparent mineralocorticoid excess (AME).
Since the binding of the 11β-hydroxysteroids to the corticosteroid receptor leads to upregulation of PEPCK and therefore to increased blood glucose levels, inhibition of 11β-HSD1 is a promising approach for the treatment of diabetes. In addition to the bio-chemical discussion above, there is evidence from transgenic mice, and also from small clinical studies in humans, that confirm the therapeutic potential of the inhibition of 11β-HSD1.
Experiments with transgenic mice indicate that modulation of the activity of 11β-HSD1 could have beneficial therapeutic effects in diabetes and in the metabolic syndrome. For example, when the 11β-HSD1 gene is knocked out in mice, fasting does not lead to the normal increase in levels of G6 Pase and PEPCK, and the animals are not susceptible to stress- or obesity-related hyperglycemia. Moreover, knockout animals which are rendered obese on a high-fat diet have significantly lower fasting glucose levels than weight-matched controls (Y. Kotolevtsev et al. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 1997, 94, 14924). 11β-HSD1 knockout mice have also been found to have improved lipid profile, insulin sensitivity, and glucose tolerance (N. M. Morton et al. J. Biol. Chem. 2001, 276, 41293). The effect of overexpressing the 11β-HSD1 gene in mice has also been studied. These transgenic mice displayed increased 11β-HSD1 activity in adipose tissue and exhibited visceral obesity which is associated with the metabolic syndrome. Levels of the corticosterone were increased in adipose tissue, but not in serum, and the mice had increased levels of obesity, especially when on a high-fat diet. Mice fed on low-fat diets were hyperglycemic and hyperinsulinemic, and also showed glucose intolerance and insulin resistance (H. Masuzaki et al. Science, 2001, 294, 2166).
The effects of the non-selective 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase inhibitor carbenoxolone have been studied in a number of small trials in humans. In one study, carbenoxolone was found to lead to an increase in whole body insulin sensitivity, and this increase was attributed to a decrease in hepatic glucose production (B. R. Walker et al. J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 1995, 80, 3155). In another study, decreased glucose production and glycogenolysis in response to glucagon challenge were observed in diabetic but not healthy subjects (R. C. Andrews et al. J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 2003, 88, 285). Finally, carbenoxolone was found to improve cognitive function in healthy elderly men and also in type 2 diabetics (T. C. Sandeep et al. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 2004, 101, 6734).
A number of non-specific inhibitors of 11β-HSD1 and 11β-HSD2 have been identified, including glycyrrhetinic acid, abietic acid, and carbenoxolone. In addition, a number of selective inhibitors of 11β-HSD1 have been found, including chenodeoxycholic acid, flavanone and 2′-hydroxyflavanone (S. Diederich et al. Eur. J. Endocrinol. 2000, 142, 200 and R. A. S. Schweizer et al. Mol. Cell. Endocrinol. 2003, 212, 41).
A need exists in the art for 11β-HSD1 inhibitors that have efficacy for the treatment of diseases such as type II diabetes mellitus and metabolic syndrome. Further, a need exists in the art for 11β-HSD1 inhibitors having IC50 values less than about 1 μM.

Adamantyl-pyrazole carboxamides as inhibitors of 11β-hdroxysteroid dehydrogenase

Abstract: as well as pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, wherein the substituents are as those disclosed in the specification. These compounds, and the pharmaceutical compositions containing them, are useful for the treatment of diseases such as, for example, type II diabetes mellitus and metabolic syndrome.


An operating method for a LIDAR system that is operable by pulse sequence encoding and designed with a SPAD-based detector element, in which a down time of the SPAD-based detector element is detected, and in the transmission mode of the LiDAR system, a minimum time interval of transmission pulses of primary light to be transmitted in direct chronological succession is dimensioned in such a way that the minimum time interval at least approximately corresponds to the down time.

For recognizing the surroundings of working devices and in particular vehicles, so-called LIDAR systems are being increasingly used that are designed to act on a visual field with light or infrared radiation, and to detect and evaluate radiation reflected from the visual field in order to analyze the visual field and detect objects contained therein.
In order to reduce crosstalk and interferences from other signal sources in LIDAR systems operated in a pulsed manner, a pulse sequence-encoded procedure is often used for operating the particular LIDAR system, it being possible to obtain an improvement in the recognition accuracy in conjunction with signal-adapted filters. However, in many situations this recognition accuracy is not sufficient.

Operating method and control unit for a LIDAR system, LIDAR system, and working device


An image processing apparatus that can determine an optimal registration color according to an acquired image is provided. An image processing unit 6 receives a sample image from an imaging unit 2 and acquires a hue with respect to each of pixels arranged two-dimensionally that constitute the sample image and calculates a hue histogram. A control unit 4 extracts a candidate color based on the hue at a maximum point in the hue histogram received from the image processing unit 6. At the same time, the control unit 4 determines a hue threshold value in order to define the range of the color regarded as the candidate color. Furthermore, the control unit 4 extracts all pixels that satisfy the hue threshold value of the candidate color and acquires the value and chroma of the extracted pixel and sets the maximum value and the minimum value in the acquired value and chroma to a value threshold value and a chroma threshold value. The control unit 4 stores the determined hue threshold value, value threshold value and chroma threshold value in a memory unit 6a.

This application claims priority from Japanese patent application 2005-287476, filed on Sep. 30, 2005. The entire content of the aforementioned application is incorporated herein by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus that specifies a region having a previously registered color in an acquired image and more particularly, to an image processing apparatus that can easily extract a candidate color for a registration color from a model image.
2. Description of the Background Art
Automatization has been increased in a manufacturing field in view of laborsaving and promotion of high efficiency. In order to implement automatization, many sensors using light, electricity, electric wave, acoustic wave and the like are used. Among such sensors, an image sensor that can determine whether a product is defective or not or identify the product by taking the image of the product and processing the image is often used. According to the image sensor, since a detecting function similar to visual detection by a human can be implemented, its applied field is wide.
The image sensor comprises an imaging unit for taking the image of an object to be detected, and an image processing unit (referred to as an amplifying unit also) for processing the image taken from the imaging unit in general, in which it is determined whether a region having a predetermined configuration is contained in the image taken by the imaging unit or not.
According to a general-purpose image sensor especially, it is generally constituted such that the configuration of the object to be detected is determined based on a gray image that does not contain color information. However, as an information technology has been progressed recently, even in a general-purpose image sensor, the image sensor that can determine a color using an color image at the same time in addition to conventional determination of the configuration has been used in practice. Such determination of the color includes a process for specifying a region having a predetermined registered color in the acquired image.
According to the conventional configuration detection using the gray image, the configuration is determined based on a so-called gray image consisting of a plurality of pixels each having one-dimensional gradation value (256 gradation, for example). Meanwhile, each pixel constituting a color image is expressed by three-dimensional coordinates comprising a RGB value comprising respective proportions of red, green and blue based on three primary colors of light, or comprising values of a hue, value and chroma that are three attributes of color. Therefore, in order to set the registration color to specify the region, three parameters are needed. In addition, such parameter is called a color parameter also.
Therefore, an image processing apparatus that acquires a model image to extract the registration color and displays a color contained in the model image has been devised.
For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2-194479 (patent document 1) discloses an image processing apparatus that can automatically extract a color parameter at a designated point (pixel).
Meanwhile, even in an image that appears in the same color from human eyes, a color parameter of each pixel is slightly different in many cases. This means that the image processing apparatus determines that the region consists of a plurality of different colors.
Thus, according to a general image processing apparatus that processes a color image, a process in which a threshold value width is given to a color parameter for the registration color and the pixel having the color contained within the range of the threshold value width is regarded as the registration color is performed. Conversely, the region cannot be specified for practical use unless an optimal color parameter range is set according to the degree of dispersion of the color parameter in the whole image.
However, according to the conventional image processing apparatus, although the color parameter at a specific point (pixel) can be acquired, an optimal color parameter range cannot be acquired from the obtained whole image. Therefore, it is necessary to determine the registration color through a trial and error process, according to various shooting condition such as lighting and reflection coefficient, so that the image processing apparatus cannot be satisfactorily operated without dependence on the intuition or experience of the person of skill in many cases.