A system for the automatic generation of a pre-cleared photo identification and limited access parameter document to a limited access facility is disclosed wherein a person seeking entry to a secure premises presents himself before a self-service computerized array which directs selected queries to the person that require the person to input data which relates to personal identification and entry purpose, which input data is automatically compared by the array to digitized data contained in one or more data storage banks and if such comparison falls within pre-established standards, generates a document, card, badge, label or the like which conspicuously photo-identifies the user and the parameters of entry to the restricted access area.

There is in increasing need to automatically control and monitor the entry, egress and on-site movements of occasional visitors, who have access to secure facilities.
Schools, are generally perceived as secure facilities for children, yet have a flow of occasional visitors, such as substitute teachers, parents and repair personnel into and out of the facility during a typical day who may not personally be known to the permanent school staff. The monitoring of these individuals while on school premises is generally loosely observed by the permanent on-site staff, but typically their purpose and reason for entry and on-site movement is only casually challenged by a receptionist or other school personnel that might be stationed close enough to the entry way of the building to observe the flow. It's rare for schools and many other similar facilities to afford an employee dedicated solely to guarded challenge of individuals entering or exiting the premises, and even rarer are they adequately trained for the job, so that the task thereof is frequently poorly done.
Schools are in a constant battle between the social ideal of individual freedom and the responsibility to provide a safe academic haven. Most schools reject highly visible and personally intrusive guarded challenge systems, and the result is generally a staff employee, who amongst many other jobs has a responsibility to intercept visitors and either through personal recognition, guess or just plain intuition, determine whether or not the visitor is the person alleged to be, is properly authorized to be there, and/or whether or not the visitor might represent a threat to the facility or others who may be within the facility. Even when the identification of an unrecognized person is requested, it rarely goes beyond a cursory look at a driver's license or the like to confirm whom the person alleges to be, as distinct from any awareness of any possible threat the person might bring.
Methods have been proposed to automate identification and entry of visitors, but generally such methods still rely upon the cooperative participation of a staff employee who is left to personally review identification provided by the visitor, and perhaps verify the purpose and parameters of entry. The decision to allow entry or not, is then made by the staff member who is generally ill equipped to confront or otherwise deal with a suspicious visitor seeking entry.
The problem with prior methods is that they are labor intensive, requiring the skilled efforts of a specially trained employee to be accomplished appropriately. Finding an employee specifically dedicated and trained for appropriate face-to-face interrogation of a visitor and generation of an identity card or the like is difficult, especially one who also may be assigned other competing duties and must accomplish same while being constantly disrupted with such competing duties. Another problem is that there is no adequate method for assuring the consideration of updated data. For example, the identification used by the visitor may be invalid or false, or the visitor may be of unsavory character or may have recent disqualifying incidents which are not reflected in the identification.
One object of the invention is to provide a self-operated, photo-identification system, which automatically searches available data sources and generates a printed photo-identification card, label, badge or the like, or aborts the generation thereof based upon data obtained from said search.
Another object of the invention is to provide a self-operated, photo-identification, secure facility entry system which assigns parameters for entry to the facility and generates a photo-identification card, badge, label or the like comprising such parameters, which can be conspicuously seen by other personnel during the visit.
A further object of the invention is to provide a photo-identification system which automatically generates identification of a visitor by comparing current photo and record identity and visitor entered data with state automotive licensing records, penal system records and current computer entered data and automatically advise the user and/or receptionist to disqualifying attributes and/or generate an appropriate identification for temporary use.


A cosmetic composition is provided which includes green tea and a sunscreen compound which is effective to at least partially block ultraviolet radiation from harming human skin, and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention concerns a cosmetic composition with an improved sunblock system.
2. The Related Art
A tan long has been considered physically attractive and a status symbol. Especially in northern climates, a winter tan advertises the wearer as a person recently returned from a glorious vacation. Tans are also associated with sufficient leisure time and identifying the person as sports oriented.
Unfortunately, recent studies have shown that sunlight can have significant adverse medical effects. Premature skin aging and even cancer have been implicated with exposure to sunlight. These concerns have been heightened by evidence that the earth's ozone layer has suffered severe depletion in recent years. Ozone is recognized as the stratospheric component shielding against the harmful forms of ultraviolet radiation.
Sunscreen formulations for use on human skin are well-known and many different types are commercially available to satisfy diverse consumer needs. For example, sunscreen formulations having different sun protection factor (SPF) values are available, thus allowing consumers to choose the amount of protection desired. SPF values range from zero upward with higher values indicating greater amounts of sun protection. SPF values of 2-4 indicate minimal sun protection, 4-6 indicate moderate sun protection, 8-15 indicate maximal sun protection and above 15 indicate ultra sun protection.
Not only SPF values but aesthetics must be considered in developing consumer acceptable sunscreen compositions. Higher SPF formulas require, of course, higher levels of sunscreen. With inorganic sunscreens higher levels unfortunately leave a visible residue, sometimes referred to as "whitening" on the skin. Whitening detracts from a product's aesthetics. Consumers desire their cosmetics to be unobtrusive, i.e. invisible.
Inorganic sunscreens such as titanium dioxide and zinc oxide are particularly prone to the whitening effect. U.S. Pat. No. 5,028,417 (Bhat et al) sought to overcome the whitening problem through use of an ultrafine titanium dioxide of particle size less than 10 nm. EP 0 433 086 Al (Cole et al) describes a combination of titanium dioxide and zinc oxide in relative particle sizes of less than 35 nm and 50 nm, respectively.
In the fight against cancer, certain studies have demonstrated that green tea has beneficial effects. Most of the studies relate to antimutagenic effects upon ingestion of this substance. There has, however, been one proposal for topically applying green tea on skin as protection against ultraviolet radiation B-induced photocarcinogenesis in murine skin. See "Proposal to the American Institute for Cancer Research", (Dec. 22, 1989) by Hasan Mukhtar and Cancer Letters, 42 (1988) pages 7-12, by Mukhtar et al. While green tea may have some inhibitory effect, there has been little proof that this material can achieve any significant SPF value. Moreoever, green tea, because of its color, also presents aesthetic problems in formulation, especially at the high levels suggested in the art.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a cosmetic composition with a more effective sunscreen system.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a cosmetic composition with a sunscreen system having improved aesthetics when applied onto the skin.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a cosmetic composition with a sunscreen system that leaves no visible residue or whitening effect when applied onto the skin.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a cosmetic composition with a sunscreen system having a relatively low human irritancy.
These and other objects of the present invention will more readily become apparent from the description and examples which follow.

Cosmetic sunscreen composition containing green tea and a sunscreen

Elizabeth Arden Co., Division of Conopco, Inc.


A method of coding a sequence of images comprises at least one image comprising an image region of interest.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns a method and a device for coding a sequence of images.
More particularly, it concerns the coding of an image sequence comprising at least one image sequence fragment decodable independently of the rest of the image sequence.
2. Description of the Related Art
When a camera captures a sequence of images or video, that sequence of images is coded in a video compression format. The sequence of images is thus converted into a compressed video data stream.
The coding methods used are standard video coding methods, such as the H.264/AVC standard, providing functionalities for accessing and extracting a video fragment in a compressed data stream.
Thus, these coding methods have functionalities making it possible to view an image region of interest over a time interval or video fragment. For this, the compressed video data stream must contain spatio-temporal access points enabling the extraction of a part of the compressed data stream, or data sub-streams, containing data corresponding to the image region of interest. These coding methods enable the data stream to be divided into several data sub-streams that are individually decodable.
For example, the H.264/AVC video standard divides the image to code into groups of macroblocks or slice groups. Each slice group is coded so as to be individually decodable.
On coding an image, the coding methods use spatial and temporal predictions.
Spatial prediction enables an image block to be coded predictively on the basis of neighboring image blocks.
Temporal prediction enables an image block to be coded predictively on the basis of at least one reference image.
The spatial and temporal predictions used by the coding methods are known to the person skilled in the art and will not be described in more detail.
The coding methods constrain the spatial and temporal predictions in order for each slice group to be decodable independently of the other slice groups.
FIG. 1 illustrates a sequence of images 1 coded using known coding methods, having a functionality for accessing and extracting a data sub-stream corresponding to an image region of interest over a time interval (video fragment or image sequence fragment). This data sub-stream or video fragment is included in the data stream corresponding to a sequence of images, and is decodable independently of the rest of the data stream.
Each image 1a of the sequence of images 1 is divided into macroblocks 1b. A macroblock 1b is, for example, a block of 16×16 pixels.
This sequence of images 1 has an image region of interest 2 over a time interval. Thus, the image region of interest 2 is represented on each image 1a belonging to a subset of images 3 corresponding to the time interval.
In order to provide the access to that image region of interest 2 over the time interval (video fragment or image sequence fragment), the coding methods, for example the H.264/AVC coding, define, in each image of the subset of images 3, a group of macroblocks or slice group 4 containing the macroblocks 1b having an intersection with the image region of interest 2.
Thus, in this example, each image 1a belonging to the subset of images 3 comprises two slice groups, a first slice group 4 corresponding to the image region of interest 2, and a second slice group 4a corresponding to the rest of the image 1a.
In this example, slice group 4 corresponding to the image region of interest 2 is of rectangular geometric shape. This geometric shape is thus defined prior to the coding process of each slice group 4, 4a.
Since each slice group 4, 4a must be able to be decoded independently of the other, no spatial prediction is possible between macroblocks 1b belonging to different slice groups 4.
Consequently, this constraint on the spatial prediction reduces the compression efficiency of certain macroblocks, in particular macroblocks situated on the edge of the image region of interest 2, since certain neighboring macroblocks cannot be used at the time of the coding.
Furthermore, the temporal prediction of the macroblocks of the slice group 4 corresponding to the image region of interest 2, is only implemented with reference to macroblocks also belonging to the slice group corresponding to the region of interest in the reference image or images.
This constraint on the temporal prediction is also detrimental to the compression efficiency. In particular, if an object of the image is not present in the slice group corresponding to the region of interest on the reference image or images, the macroblocks containing that object must be coded in INTRA, that is to say using spatial predictions only. INTRA is much more costly in terms of size of the data necessary for coding the macroblock.

Method and device for coding a sequence of images

Abstract: The coding method comprises the following steps implemented for said at least one image of said sequence of images:                determining (S10 to S23) an image portion comprising the image region of interest on the basis of a rate-distortion criterion representing a compromise between the compression efficiency the distortion of the image portion and the compression efficiency the distortion of the whole of said at least one image; and        coding (S24) said at least one image on the basis of the determined image portion.


An oven may include inner oven walls defining a cavity. The oven may further include a heating element configured to heat air in the oven. The oven may further include a fan positioned between the rear of the oven and the heating element. The fan may be configured to: draw air from the front of the oven to the rear of the oven; blow the drawn air over the heating element to produce heated air; and distribute the heated air within the oven.

In existing ovens, hot air is pushed along a meal carrier and inner oven walls all the way to the front of the oven and then sucked back through the meal carrier back to the heating element. As a result, the hot air loses energy to the inner oven walls and oven door before reaching the meals in the meal carrier, and the airflow within the oven is not distributed evenly through the meal carrier.


A card game in which luck and chance play little or no part in determining the outcome; skill, memory, and deception determine the winner. There are two sets or decks of cards. Each player has his own set of cards. Each set is comprised of nine cards, identical in size, shape (square), and color. Each card has identical indicia on its face. The cards differ only in the number of indicia on each card from zero (a blank card) to eight. The indicia are uniformly placed on the cards in the corners sequentially from one to four, and on the sides, from five to eight. The placement of the indicia enables a player to masquerade one card for another by hiding one or none of the indicia on a card with his thumb or finger.

Heretofore, most board and card games depend on a roll of the dice, spin of the wheel, or luck of the draw to influence the outcome of the game. Part of their novelty is that with luck anyone can win. Card games generally rely on luck of the draw and skill to determine an outcome. We wish to provide a card game whose methods of use depends on skill and strategy, not primarily on luck.
We have conducted a novelty search of the prior art and note the following as being the most relevant: U.S. Pat. No. 5,388,830; U.S. Pat. No. 4,443,012; U.S. Pat. No. 3,263,999; U.S. Pat. No. 2,748,500; U.S. Pat. No. 2,652,635; U.S. Pat. No. 2,457,020; U.S. Pat. No. 645,961; U.S. Pat. No. 253,895; U.S. Design Pat. No. D62,466; U.S. Design Pat. No. D59,761; and U.K. Patent No. 634,712. However, none of these patents discloses the essence of this invention, namely, a card game which comprises a series of identically shaped cards (hereinafter called "cheat cards") bearing identical indicia but each cheat card differing in the number of indicia from one to eight (or from one to any number) in sequence, plus a blank card, and which permits a player to hide, or not hide, one of the indicia on a particular card, in order to attempt to mislead his opponent as to the number of indicia on that particular card.


A sensing system for monitoring a property of an electrically conductive moving element of turbomachinery. The sensing system includes a sensing system housing. A magnetic core is contained within the sensing system housing. A coil is positioned about at least a portion of the core. The coil is electrically connectable to a property data analysis device. A first magnet and a second magnet are positioned about the coil and positionable proximate a moving element of turbomachinery to be monitored. A primary magnetic field is generated by the first and second magnets. When the moving element enters the primary magnetic field a current is induced in the moving element, thus generating a time-variable magnetic field and commensurate voltage signal generated in the coil. The voltage signal is amplified by the magnetic core and provides an indication of a property of the moving element.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the monitoring and control of turbomachinery and more particularly to an electromagnetic, non-intrusive sensing system.
2. Description of the Related Art
Currently, within the fields of jet engines, rocket engines and rotary engines, blade/impeller/gear elongation, bending, twisting, shaft travel, runout, torque, horsepower and disc precession are generally not measured in real time. Thus no real-time data is provided to detect the blade/impeller/disc degradation and imminence of blade/impeller/shaft rubbing, which can cause shearing of housings, explosions in flammable fluids or instability of the disc/shaft that can cause catastrophic disc/shaft fracture. Currently, turbines are redlined for safety, based on a single-point real-time gas temperature measurement, not the blade thermal or fatigue survivability limit. Since the exact blade temperature cannot be derived from gas temperature, the threshold temp is usually set at a lower value for safety and blade life reasons, thus reducing the turbomachinery potential efficiency and power output. Current pump designs allow a large impeller gap to prevent hazardous impeller rubbing, causing pump inefficiency. In addition, accelerometers are used to presumably detect some of these failures. However, accelerometers have not been able to detect all these failures consistently, and even occasionally have resulted in false alarms.
Currently, to prevent the above-mentioned failures, scheduled manual intrusive inspections are performed, using borescope, shaft travel gages, filler gages, radiographic films, dye penetrants, eddy current inspection, etc., that require laborious disassembly and subjective interpretation.
To prevent blade damage, the turbines have been redlined at lower temperatures, sacrificing valuable thermodynamic efficiency or maximum power. Similarly, the pumps have been designed with larger gaps to prevent catastrophic impeller rubbing, again sacrificing efficiency.
Isotech, Inc., of Horsham, Pa., markets a Metal Motion Sensor/Encoder that has the ability to sense metals in motion in such cases as gear speed applications through a non-magnetic stainless steel wall. However, the Isotech device requires electrical excitation which is undesirable in aerospace propulsion systems because it may potentially result in a catastrophic explosion. Such an explosion may result if the wire leads therein become exposed to internal turbine gases. Furthermore, this sensor has a very low frequency response.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,741,203, issued to D. O. Willaman et al., discloses an inspection device which permits inspection of the interior of a turbine for metal integrity. The inspection device is mounted on a sensor assembly that engages a turbine blade and rests on the turbine disc. Metal integrity sensors are mounted on the sensor assembly and inspect various areas of turbine blades and turbine rotor steeples. The associated coil assembly provides a coil of wire and magnetic shielding which improves the sensitivity of the metal integrity sensors. The associated method provides for proper positioning of the apparatus and inspecting the turbine for metal integrity. This device is positioned within the interior of the turbo machinery and is therefore intrusive and undesirable.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,884,071, issued to M. A. Howard et al., discloses an improved wellbore tool for coupling to a drill string at a threaded junction and adapted for use in a wellbore during drilling. A sensor is disposed in the wellbore tool for sensing a condition and producing a data signal corresponding to the condition. A self-contained power supply is disposed in the wellbore tool and coupled to the sensor for providing power to the sensor as required. The Hall Effect coupling transmitter means is carried by the sensor and transmits data from the Hall Effect coupling transmitter means to a Hall Effect coupling receiver carried by the drill string and disposed across the threaded junction from the wellbore tool. Data is transmitted across the threaded junction without requiring an electrical connection at the threaded junction. This device requires an electrical circuit and electrical excitation that may result in a catastrophic explosion.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,972,332, issued to B. L. Luebbering et al., discloses an apparatus for use on electronically controlled fuel injection systems. It senses speed, angular position, and direction of rotation using a single Hall effect type sensor. A disk element is fixedly connected to and rotatable with the camshaft of an internal combustion engine. The disk element includes a plurality of circumferential zones of substantially identical length with each zone having first and second areas. A first portion of these circumferential zones has first and second areas which are substantially different in length than the first and second areas of a second portion of the circumferential zones. Accordingly, the sensor delivers a signal which has a frequency directly related to the instantaneous velocity of the disk element, but that varies in pulse width in response to the first and second portions of the circumferential zones. A microprocessor operating under software control detects the instantaneous angular position and direction of rotation of the disk element by locating the second portion of the circumferential zones and the order in which they are received. The U.S. Pat. No. 4,972,332 apparatus measures speed and position of the rotating system as a whole and doesn't assume individual blade health.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,304,926, issued to M. T. Wu, discloses a position sensor having two magnetically sensitive devices associated with a magnet. The sensor is disposable proximate a rotatable member having at least one discontinuity in its surface. The two magnetically sensitive devices, such as Hall effect transducers, each provide output signals that represent the direction and magnitude of the magnetic field in which its respective transducer is disposed. An algebraic sum of the first and second output signals from the magnetically sensitive devices is provided as an indication of the location of the rotatable member that is disposed proximate the sensor. This device is positioned within the interior of the turbo machinery and is therefore intrusive and undesirable.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,552,711, issued to T. Deegan et al., discloses a method for determining when combustion cans or turbine blades are failing in gas turbine engines. It measures the specific ions emitted by hot spots of can and blade material when they have failed or are failing. The invention relies on the electromagnetic energy radiated by ions that are created as combustion gas erodes and ionizes the materials in these hot spots. Acceleration by the earth magnetic field and by acoustic and mechanical forces normally present in combustion machinery cause these charged particles to radiate identifiable electromagnetic emissions. The frequency of the radiation, being a function of the charge and mass of the particles, allows free ions in the exhaust stream to be identified. The device operates by measuring the electromagnetic spectrum and relating detected frequencies to the mass of the ions from can liner and blade materials. This detects the erosion of turbine/turbomachinery elements and does not detect fatigue or fracture of an element of the turbopump.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,247,900 B1, issued to C. A. Archibald et al., discloses an accurate and low cost sensing apparatus for a swash or wobble plate compressor that provides a repeatable measure of compressor speed and stroke. The apparatus includes a sensor module and a stroke sensing circuit. The compressor has an outer housing formed of aluminum or other non-magnetic material, as is customary in automotive air conditioning systems. The sensor module includes a magnetic field responsive sensor such as a Hall Effect or magneto-resistive (MR) sensor, and is attached to the periphery of the housing in proximity to a reciprocating ferrous element such as a bushing shoe on the swash or wobble plate assembly. The sensor produces a quasi-sinusoidal output voltage signal having a frequency proportional to compressor speed, and the stroke sensing circuit determines the compressor stroke by band-pass filtering, amplifying, and peak detecting the signal. This apparatus cannot provide blade-by-blade health information for rotary machinery.


A hydraulic valve arrangement, in particular a control valve arrangement of an axial piston machine, includes at least two valves that have springs supported in each case on a spring seat. The two spring seats are connected to one another with a material-to-material fit in one or more of a non-positive manner and a positively locking manner.

The disclosure relates to a hydraulic valve arrangement, for example for controlling the pressure and volumetric flow of an axial piston machine.
A hydraulic valve arrangement of this type is known from DE 10 2010 048 068 A1 and has a valve housing, in which a pressure control valve and a delivery-flow control valve of an axial piston pump are arranged in an axially parallel manner. Each of said control valves has a valve body which is guided in a valve bore and via which a pressure medium connection between a pressure connector which is loaded with the pump pressure (system pressure) and a tank connector or a control connector can be opened and closed, with the result that a pressure space of an actuating cylinder is loaded correspondingly with the system pressure or the tank pressure. The valve bodies of the delivery-flow control valve and the pressure control valve are loaded in each case via a control spring in a direction, in which the pressure space is connected to the tank and the pressure medium connection between the control connector and the pressure connector which conducts the system pressure is shut off. The control behavior of the two control valves can be set by setting and adjusting of the spring prestress of the two control springs.
In the known solution, each control spring is supported indirectly or directly on a setting screw which is in threaded engagement with the valve housing, with the result that the spring prestress can be varied by screwing in or screwing out the setting screw. The adjustment is performed at the factory, the setting screw then being braced with a lock nut in order to fix the preset value. Both the head of the setting screw and the lock nut are configured with a hexagon socket, the hexagon socket on the lock-nut side being configured as a passage opening, through which the tool for adjusting the setting screw can be attached. Both the head of the setting screw and the lock nut are arranged countersunk in a receiving bore of the housing, with the result that accidental adjustment is made more difficult.
DE 10 2010 048 068 A1 which is mentioned above and DE 10 2009 052 076 A1 disclose a solution, in which the spring seat is not configured as a setting screw, but rather is configured by an expander. An expander of this type has an expanding sleeve, into which an expanding element is inserted, by way of the axial displacement of which the expanding sleeve is calked to the housing or the like.
All these solutions have the common disadvantage that a comparatively large number of structural elements are required, in order to set the spring prestress and to secure the spring seat against adjustment.
A further disadvantage consists in that the valve arrangement has to be configured with a correspondingly larger overall length as a result of the required structural elements, for example the setting screw and the lock nut or the expander.
In contrast, the disclosure is based on the object of providing a valve arrangement, in which the spring prestress can be set and fixed with low outlay, a small amount of installation space and few parts.


The present invention provides a nanocomposite of a star branched elastomer and a clay. The nanocomposite can be a mixture of a halogenated star branched elastomer and a clay, desirably an exfoliated clay, suitable for use as an air barrier. The halogenated star-branched elastomer can be the primary halogenated elastomer in the blend, and a ratio of the star-branched elastomer to clay can be from 2:1 to 500:1.

Nanocomposites are polymer systems containing inorganic particles with at least one dimension in the nanometer range. Some examples of these are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,060,549, 6,103,817, 6,034,164, 5,973,053, 5,936,023, 5,883,173, 5,807,629, 5,665,183, 5,576,373, and 5,576,372. Common types of inorganic particles used in nanocomposites are phyllosilicates, an inorganic substance from the general class of so called "nano-clays" or "clays." Ideally, intercalation should take place in the nanocomposite, wherein the polymer inserts into the space or gallery between the clay surfaces. Ultimately, it is desirable to have exfoliation, wherein the polymer is fully dispersed with the individual nanometer-size clay platelets. Due to the general enhancement in air barrier qualities of various polymer blends when clays are present, there is a desire for a nanocomposite with low air permeability; especially a vulcanized elastomer nanocomposite such as used in the manufacture of tires.
The preparation of nanocomposites uses a number of methods to generate exfoliated clays. One of the most common methods relies upon the use of organically modified montmorillonite clays. Organoclays are typically produced through solution based ion-exchange reactions that replace sodium ions that exist on the surface of sodium montmorillonite with organic molecules such as alkyl or aryl ammonium compounds and typically known in the industry as swelling or exfoliating agents. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 5,807,629, WO 02/100935, and WO 02/100936. Other background references include U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,576,373, 5,665,183, 5,807,629, 5,936,023, 6,121,361, WO 94/22680, WO 01/85831, and WO 04/058874.
Elastomeric nanocomposite innerliners and innertubes have been formed using a complexing agent and a rubber, where the agent is a reactive rubber having positively charged groups and a layered silicate uniformly dispersed therein. See, for example, Kresge et al. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,665,183 and 5,576,373. This approach uses pre-formed positively charged reactive rubber components.
Nanocomposites have also been formed using non-ionic, brominated copolymers of isobutylene and para-methylstyrene, and blends of these copolymers with other polymers. See, for example, Elspass et al., U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,807,629, and 6,034,164. Star-branched polymers were disclosed as secondary blend polymers with brominated copolymers of isobutylene and para-methylstyrene in commonly assigned aforementioned WO 02/100935 and WO 02/100936 to Dias et al.
Although the above disclosed nanocomposites have resulted in nanocomposites having good barrier properties, there still exists a need to develop nanocomposites having minimal permeability which can be prepared from elastomers having good processability properties such as green strength and relaxation characteristics.

Nanocomposites and methods for making the same


Dual-voltage domain memory buffers, and related systems and methods are disclosed. To reduce area needed for voltage level shifters for voltage level shifting, latch banks are provided in a voltage domain of memory buffer read circuitry, separate from the voltage domain of a write data input to the latch banks. A write data input voltage level shifter is disposed between the write data input and the latch banks to voltage level shift write data on the write data input to the voltage domain of the latch banks. In this manner, voltage level shifters are not required to voltage level shill the latch bank outputs, because the latch banks are in the voltage domain of the memory buffer read circuitry. In this manner, semiconductor area that would otherwise be needed for the voltage level shifters to voltage level shift latch bank outputs is not required.

I. Field of the Disclosure
The field of the disclosure relates to memory buffers, and particularly to dual-voltage domain asynchronous memory buffers.
II. Background
A memory buffer is a commonly used memory device to control data flow asynchronously. Data is stored in the memory buffer by a write device until ready to be streamed out of the memory buffer to a reading device. For example, a memory buffer may control flow of data sent from input/output (I/O) devices through universal asynchronous receivers/transmitters (UART) as a writing device to a central processing unit (CPU) as a reading device, or vice versa. A memory buffer may also be provided in other types of processors, such as digital signal processors (DSPs) for example. The memory buffer stores incoming data from the UART until the processor is ready to receive the data. The memory buffer streams the stored data received from the UART to the processor. For example, if the memory buffer is a FIFO memory buffer, the memory buffer streams the stored data out of the memory buffer in FIFO order. Other order schemes for streaming data may also be employed. Another example is a last-in, first-out (LIFO) data streaming order scheme. A memory buffer may also be employed to control flow of data from a processor to an I/O device. In this scenario, the memory buffer stores incoming data from the processor until the UART is ready to receive the data. The memory buffer streams the stored data received from the processor to the I/O device.
An example of a FIFO memory buffer 10 is illustrated in FIG. 1. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the FIFO memory buffer 10 includes a plurality of latch banks 12(0)-12(N−1) (wherein 'N' is a positive whole number such that the number of the plurality of latch banks is "N"). The latch banks 12(0)-12(N−1) may include flip-flop latch banks, labeled as "FFbank" in FIG. 1. The latch banks 12(0)-12(N−1) in this example are configured to hold data, such as a bit, byte, or word of data. A data input 14 is provided by a write device 16 to provide incoming data 18 to be written into one of the latch banks 12(0)-12(N−1) in the FIFO memory buffer 10. The write device 16 provides a write pointer 20 (WR_PTR) that provides a write address (WADDR) on a write pointer output 21 to select a specific latch bank 12(0)-12(N−1) into which the incoming data 18 is to be written.
With continuing reference to FIG. 1, the write device 16, the write pointer 20, and the latch banks 12(0)-12(N−1) are all clocked by a write clock signal 22. A read pointer 24 (RD_PTR) is provided by a read device 26 as a read address (WADDR) on a read multiplexor selector 28 into a read multiplexor 30 (READ_MUX). The read multiplexor 30 selects a specific latch output 32(0)-32(N−1) to read out data from a corresponding latch bank 12(0)-12(N−1). The data read out from the corresponding latch bank 12(0)-12(N−1) is provided as a latch data output 34 from the FIFO memory buffer 10 to be communicated to the read device 26. The read device 26 and the read pointer 24 are clocked by a read clock signal 36. The FIFO memory buffer 10 is an asynchronous memory buffer, because the write clock signal 22 clocking the write pointer 20 and the read clock signal 36 clocking the read pointer 24 are asynchronous to each other.
The FIFO memory buffer 10 in FIG. 1 can be configured to receive data from a CPU, DSP, or other processor write device to be written into the latch banks 12(0)-12(N−1). The data may be read out of the latch banks 12(0)-12)(N−1) by a read device, such as a UART provided in a semiconductor die 38 of an integrated circuit (IC) chip. For example, the CPU, DSP, or other processor may be provided as a core device in the semiconductor die 38. In this configuration, the processor is the write device 16, and the UART is the read device 26. Alternatively, the FIFO memory buffer 10 in FIG. 1 can be configured to receive data from a UART to be written into the latch banks 12(0)-12(N−1) and read out of the latch banks 12(0)-12(N−1) by a CPU. DSP, or other processor. In this configuration, the UART is the write device 16, and the processor is the read device 26.


A flat fluorescent lamp is provided. Wherein, a discharge gas is disposed in a chamber, and a fluorescent material is disposed on a first inner wall and a second inner wall of the chamber. First electrode sets are disposed on the first inner wall, and second electrode sets aligned with the first electrodes sets are disposed on the second inner wall. A dielectric layer overlies the electrode sets. Each first electrode set comprises two first electrodes and a second electrode disposed between these first electrodes. Each second electrode set comprises two third electrodes and a fourth electrode disposed between these third electrodes. A first light-emitting area and a second light-emitting area are formed in each pair of the corresponding first and second electrode sets, and the projections of the first and second light-emitting areas on the first inner wall are not overlaid or just partially overlaid.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a flat fluorescent lamp and a method for driving the same, and more particularly, to a flat fluorescent lamp that provides an area light source with high light uniformity and a method for driving the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Along with the continuous development of modern video technology, the liquid crystal display (LCD) device has been widely used as a display screen in the consumer electronic apparatus such as the mobile phones, the notebook computers (a.k.a. the laptop computers), the personal computers (PC) and the personal digital assistants (PDA). However, since the liquid crystal display panel of the LCD device does not emit light, a backlight module has to be installed under the liquid crystal display panel to provide a light source required by the liquid crystal display panel, such that the liquid crystal display panel can display an image on the screen. The main backlight module used in the current market includes the flat fluorescent lamp (FFL), the cold cathode fluorescent lamp (CCFL) and the light emitting diode (LED). Wherein, since the flat fluorescent lamp (FFL) is advantageous in its characteristics of lower price and smaller space, it has been widely applied in the LCD device.
FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view of a conventional flat fluorescent lamp. Referring to FIG. 1, the conventional flat fluorescent lamp 100 is mainly composed of a top substrate 110 and a bottom substrate 120. Wherein, a discharge room is formed between the top substrate 110 and the bottom substrate 120, and a discharge gas 130 is filled inside the discharge room. A plurality of bottom electrodes 140 is formed on the bottom substrate 120, and a plurality of top electrodes 150 is formed on the top substrate 110. In addition, the top electrodes 150 and the bottom electrodes 140 are respectively overlaid by a dielectric layer 160. Furthermore, a fluorescent material 170 is coated on the top substrate 110, the bottom substrate 120 and the dielectric layer 150.
A conventional method for driving the flat fluorescent lamp 100 includes first providing a driving voltage to the bottom electrodes 140 and the top electrodes 150, such that a discharge electric field E is generated between each pair of the corresponding bottom electrodes 140 and top electrodes 150, and the discharge gas 130 is then dissociated and converted into plasma by the discharge electric field E. Then, while the excited state electrons in each ion of the plasma are back to their ground state, an ultraviolet radiation is emitted. When the ultraviolet radiation emitted by the plasma emits on the fluorescent material 170, the fluorescent material 170 is excited and emits light.
It is to be noted that in the conventional technique, since the discharge electric field E is mainly distributed between each pair of the corresponding salient bottom electrodes 140 and top electrodes 150, the portion above the bottom electrodes 140 and top electrodes 150 of the area light source formed by the flat fluorescent lamp 100 is obviously brighter. In other words, the area light source formed by the conventional flat fluorescent lamp 100 has a distinct light area and dark area, thus the light uniformity of such area light source is rather poor. In addition, in order to improve the light uniformity of the area light source, a diffusion film with a lower transparency is required, which affects the luminance of the area light source. Moreover, when an area light source with a higher luminance is required, the driving voltage of the flat fluorescent lamp 100 needs to be greatly increased, which easily damages the flat fluorescent lamp.

Flat fluorescent lamp and driving method thereof


An apparatus and method for calibrating transmission paths in a multicarrier communication system using multiple antennas are provided. In the transmission path calibrating apparatus, a calibration processor generates reference signals to estimate distortions in phase and amplitude in transmission paths, allocates the generated reference signals to subcarriers which are different in each of the transmission paths, and calculates calibration vectors for the transmission paths using the generated reference signals and received reference signals received through the transmission paths. A baseband module IFFT-processes the generated reference signals allocated to the subcarriers and sends the IFFT signals in the transmission paths.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a multicarrier communication system using multiple antennas, and in particular, to an apparatus and method for calibrating transmission paths.
2. Description of the Related Art
A smart antenna system and a Multi-Input Multi-Output (MIMO) system are multiple antenna systems. The smart antenna system is an adaptive antenna array system using multiple antennas to automatically optimize a radiation pattern and/or a reception pattern according to a signal environment. The smart antenna system receives only a signal from the direction of an intended user and significantly reduces the level of noise caused by multiple access interference from the other directions by controlling the gain and phase of a signal in each antenna in a Base Station (BS). As frequency utilization reaches its limit, active studies have recently been conducted on improving the quality of mobile communications and systems suitable for high-speed data transmission. As a result, the smart antenna system is attracting more and more interest.
When the BS sends a signal omni-directionally to all Mobile Stations (MSs) within its coverage area, each of the MSs receives interference from signals for the other MSs as well as its own signal, thereby decreasing Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR). In contrast, the BS can steer a signal only in the direction of an intended MS by beamforming using the smart antenna system. Therefore, power is saved for signal transmission and interference is also reduced. Even within the same coverage area of the BS, an intended MS is actively located and a signal is directionally sent/received to/from the MS, minimizing interference to the other MSs. As a consequence, the BS may allocate saved power to other MSs and the decrease of inter-neighbor cell interference increases the channel capacity of the BS.
In applying the smart antenna system to Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) using multiple orthogonal frequency carriers, a beam weight vector is applied to the subcarrier of each antenna during beamforming in order to apply directivity to an intended direction. The beamforming takes place in a digital part and the resulting beams must be provided to the physical antennas prior to radiation in the air. However, the phases and amplitudes of the beam signals are distorted by an amplifier, an upconverter/downconverter, and a cable which have non-linear characteristics in the BS.
Accordingly, the smart antenna technology must be implemented alongside calibration technology to compensate for the phase and amplitude distortions. The overall performance of the smart antenna technology is predominantly dependent on calibration accuracy. In other words, accurate calibration improves the performance of the smart antenna technology by minimization of amplitude and phase mismatches. The calibration technology applies commonly to the downlink from the BS to the MS and the uplink from the MS to the BS.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a typical transmission path calibrating apparatus in a multicarrier communication system using multiple antennas.
Referring to FIG. 1, a calibration processor 101 generates a reference signal to be propagated in a particular transmission path. A baseband processor (not shown) provides the reference signal to a non-linear system 102 in the transmission path. The non-linear system 102 oversamples the reference signal, modulates the oversampled signal to a Radio Frequency (RF) signal, and sends the RF signal in the transmission path. An RF coupler/combiner 103 couples the RF signal and transfers the coupled reference signal in a reception path 104. The calibration processor 101 estimates the change of phase and amplitude in the reference signal using the reference signal and the coupled reference signal and calculates a calibration vector based on the estimates. The calibration takes place sequentially for transmission paths.
FIG. 2 illustrates a conventional calibration method. In OFDMA, phase and amplitude changes occurring in the non-linear system must be found for each subcarrier. Hence, a reference signal is sent over a total frequency band and a calibration vector for each transmission path is estimated using the response of the reference signal.
Referring to FIG. 2, the BS generates a reference signal 201 over a total frequency band, for calibration. The reference signal 201 is sent on subcarriers 205 through an Inverse Fast Fourier Transformer (IFFT) 203, travels in a predetermined path 207, and then is demodulated in a calibration processor Fast Fourier Transformer (FFT) 209. The BS estimates phase and amplitude differences for each transmission path in which the reference signal has been propagated in the above procedure.
Since calibration is performed sequentially for the transmission paths, calibration time is increased in proportion to the number of the transmission paths. The transmission characteristics of each path vary with time, which implies that calibration accuracy may be decreased. Also, data throughput is reduced because the reference signal is sent over the total frequency band in a predetermined transmission path during calibration of each transmission path.

Apparatus and method for calibrating transmission paths in a multicarrier communication system using multiple antennas


A new meat scraping tool for easily dislodging meat by pressing a button. The inventive device includes a handle. A plurality of generally cylindrical stationary blade members arranged in a concentric configuration are included. The stationary blade members have coextensive end portions extending inwardly of an end of the handle. The stationary blade members each have a blunt upper edge and a sharp lower edge. A plurality of generally cylindrical pivoting blade members each are positioned in an abutting relationship with an interior surface of respective stationary blade members. The pivoting blade members have coextensive end portions extending inwardly of the end of the handle. The pivoting blade members each have a blunt upper edge and a sharp lower edge. The pivoting blade members are pivotable with respect to the stationary blade members.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to meat cutting tools and more particularly pertains to a new meat scraping tool for easily dislodging meat by pressing a button.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of meat cutting tools is known in the prior art. More specifically, meat cutting tools heretofore devised and utilized are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
Known prior art meat cutting tools include U.S. Pat. No. 4,023,271 to Di Franco; U.S. Pat. No. 3,955,234 to Roefaro; U.S. Pat. No. 4,161,381 to Sciortino; U.S. Pat. No. 4,392,806 to Houle; U.S. Pat. No. 4,699,582 to Chen; and U.S. Pat. No. Des. 326,324 to Iida.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not disclose a new meat scraping tool. The inventive device includes a handle. A plurality of generally cylindrical stationary blade members arranged in a concentric configuration are included. The stationary blade members have coextensive end portions extending inwardly of an end of the handle. The stationary blade members each have a blunt upper edge and a sharp lower edge. A plurality of generally cylindrical pivoting blade members each are positioned in an abutting relationship with an interior surface of respective stationary blade members. The pivoting blade members have coextensive end portions extending inwardly of the end of the handle. The pivoting blade members each have a blunt upper edge and a sharp lower edge. The pivoting blade members are pivotable with respect to the stationary blade members.
In these respects, the meat scraping tool according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of easily dislodging meat by pressing a button.


An order management system includes an ordering terminal, a checkout terminal, a server, and a kitchen terminal. The ordering terminal generates and transmits order data, a seat leaving command and a seat ID, in response to user inputs. The checkout terminal is configured to process payment for the order. The server is configured to: generate an order file including an order ID based on the order data, transmit checkout data including data in the order file to the checkout terminal, in response to the order ID from the checkout terminal, transmit seat data for seat selection, in response to payment completion data associated with the order ID, transmit a cook start command in response to assignment of one or more vacant seats associated with the order ID, and update the seat data based on the seat leaving command and the seat ID received from the ordering terminal.

In a restaurant, a self-service system is introduced to provide service with fewer staff. For example, a ticket vending machine for a meal ticket is introduced. By using the ticket vending machine, a guest can make an order and complete checkout, and thus staff for taking order and checkout may not be necessary. However, since the order is completed when the guest completes the checkout, there may be less chance of obtaining an additional order.
Another type of a self-service checkout machine is introduced. According to the self-service checkout machine, the guest performs checkout after service of food. However, this self-service checkout machine may involve a risk of dine and dash.

Distributed ordering scheme in order management system


An initialization circuit of a delay locked loop (DLL) includes a sense circuit and a control circuit. The sense circuit receives an enable signal, a reference clock signal, and various delayed reference clock signals, and outputs another enable signal. The control circuit receives the two enable signals and outputs and provides a control signal to a loop filter of the DLL to control a delay value associated with the DLL. The control signal is provided to the loop filter such that the delay value associated with the DLL equals a predetermined delay value for a predetermined time duration. Further, after a lapse of the predetermined time duration, the delay value associated with the DLL increases until a difference between a time period of the reference clock signal and the delay value equals a threshold value.

The present disclosure relates generally to electronic circuits, and, more particularly, to an initialization circuit of a delay locked loop (DLL).
A DLL receives a reference clock signal and generates a delayed clock signal. The DLL typically includes a phase detector, a charge pump, a loop filter, a voltage-controlled delay line (VCDL), and an initialization circuit. The initialization circuit initializes the DLL (i.e., initializes a delay value associated with the DLL) by way of a control signal that charges the loop filter. Once the DLL is initialized, the phase detector and the charge pump can control the delay value such that the delay value is equal to a time period of the reference clock signal. The delayed clock signal is thus locked to the reference clock signal.
The initialization circuit typically generates the control signal such that the delay value is significantly less than the time period of the reference clock signal. Such a delay value can result in a timing failure in the phase detector. Further, to increase the delay value, when a voltage level of the control signal is increased, the DLL may experience harmonic locking or the DLL may fail to start. In each of these scenarios, the delayed clock signal is inaccurately locked to the reference clock signal. Further, the control signal is independent of, and hence, unable to compensate for process-voltage-temperature variations and changes in a frequency of the reference clock signal. Therefore, there exists a need for a technical solution that solves the aforementioned problems of existing initialization circuits of DLLs.

Initialization circuit of delay locked loop


An apparatus for applying flowable material to a work surface includes a roller frame having a handle portion and an axle portion; a roller cover mounting structure rotatably mounted on the axle portion; a roller cover having an outer cover surface and engagingly fitted over the roller cover mounting structure, for gathering a quantity of the flowable material on the outer cover surface and transferring at least part of the quantity of flowable material to the work surface; and a mounting structure locking mechanism for locking the mounting structure against rotation relative to the roller frame. The locking mechanism preferably locks the mounting structure against rotation releasably, so that the roller cover transfers the flowable material by either rotating or by sliding against the work surface. The locking mechanism is located entirely within the roller to prevent it from being exposed to the flowable material, and operates with a magnet to retain it in either the locked or unlocked mode. The invention also contemplates a method of utilizing the foregoing apparatus by abruptly moving the apparatus to shift the magnet from one operating mode position to another, and vice versa, as well as performing the method remotely using a handle extension.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of paint application devices. More specifically the present invention relates to a roller apparatus for applying paint, stain and other flowable material to a work surface. The roller apparatus includes a roller frame with a handle portion at one end, an axle portion at the other end, and a roller assembly mounted on the axle portion for removably receiving a conventional roller cover. The roller assembly contains within the roller a releasable locking mechanism which frees the roller cover to rotate freely about the axle portion for the conventional rolling application of flowable material, and which alternatively locks the roller cover against rotation about the axle portion for a sliding application of the material. Because the locking mechanism is contained entirely within the roller cover, it is shielded from the flowable material. The handle portion is equipped in the conventional manner with means for connection to handle extensions, such as can be used to paint the ceiling of a room without using a ladder. This is referred to herein as operating the apparatus remotely.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There have long been roller devices for applying paint and other material to work surfaces. A problem with these prior devices has been that a smooth finish is often not attainable because the material transferred by the device rolling element leaves elevated irregularities, such as stipples and bubbles, as the element surface rides over and lifts away from the work surface. Applicant has discovered that a sliding action produces a smooth finish virtually free of such irregularities. Many prior devices are not constructed to perform a sliding application, and those that are have the locking mechanism at least partially external to the roller cover where it is exposed to the flowable material.
An example of such a prior roller device is that of Morgan, et al., U.S. Pat. No. Des. 305,080, filed on Jun. 1, 1987, for what is termed a paint roller frame. Morgan, et al., includes the conventional bent rod roller framework with rotatably mounted, spaced apart cover support disks and an outwardly bowed, longitudinally oriented, wire cage for mounting a roller cover. A problem with Morgan, et al., is that the cover support disks and mounting cage are always free to rotate, so that sliding the roller cover to apply material is awkward or impossible.
Another prior device is that of Jacobs, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,182,840, filed on Dec. 19, 1991. Jacobs, et al., discloses an epoxy floor roller tool and method of making the tool for removing air bubbles from an already applied layer of epoxy and polyurethane floor coating materials. A problem with Jacobs, et al., is that no provision is made for sliding application of flowable material. Another problem with Jacobs, et al., is that two steps are required in the material application, namely those of applying the material over the work surface and of subsequently rolling the Jacobs, et al., device over the wet material to remove bubbles. This procedure virtually doubles the work time needed for the project, and similarly increases the cost as well.
Prior art devices that have locking mechanisms that are at least partially external to the roller cover include Marino et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,906,581, Kirshenbaum et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,060,555, Lafond, Great Britian Patent Specfication No. 748,329, Noel, French Patent No. 1,103,324, Villette et al., French Patent No. 64,044, Gardoni, French Patent No. 1,168,672, McMillan, Great Britian Patent Specfication No. 1,353,027, and Sukhanov, Soviet Union Inventor's Certificate No. 1558-712A.
It is thus a principal object of the present invention to provide a roller apparatus which is capable of applying flowable material to a work surface in a rolling mode, and which can alternatively apply the material in a sliding mode, with a releasible locking mechanism that is completely internal to the roller to totally shield the locking mechansim from the flowable material.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a roller apparatus which is capable of applying flowable material to a work surface in a rolling mode, and which can alternatively apply the material in a sliding mode, with a releasible locking mechanism that is controlled by a magnet means disposed within the roller cover.
It is further object of the present invention to provide such an apparatus which changes modes of operation simply by abrupt movement of the apparatus, such as by shaking or bumping it, thereby shifting the magnet means from a locked position to an unlocked position, so that no tools or work interruption are necessary. This feature can be of greater significance when the invention is being used with a handle extension, such as when painting overhead without a ladder. The mode of operation of the invention can be shifted with getting close to or touching the invention.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide such an apparatus which has the familiar feel and appearance of a conventional paint roller device, and which accepts the conventional and widely available roller covers.
It is finally an object of the present invention to provide such an apparatus which is durable, reliable, simple in design and inexpensive to manufacture.


The invention provides a novel peptide, and derivatives thereof, which is stable in aqueous solution and which stimulates proliferation and survival of endothelial cells and/or fibroblasts. The present peptide can be used at least to promote the S phase of the cell cycle, to stimulate production of extracellular matrix proteins, to reduce apoptosis, to inhibit production of reactive oxygen species and/or to reduce or prevent damage to cell integrity or morphology under stress conditions of serum deprivation.

The present application is directed to peptides which can stimulate cell survival and proliferation, pharmaceutical and cosmetic compositions thereof, and methods for their use. More specifically, the peptides are active to stimulate the survival and proliferation of fibroblasts and/or endothelial cells.
The ability of organisms to repair or regenerate tissues is one of the most important features in nature and is a survival factor for life forms from bacteria to humans. The skin, the largest organ in humans, exhibits a complex mechanism of wound healing and regeneration. While "regeneration" describes the tissue-specific replacement of tissue such as superficial epidermis, mucosa or skin in response to natural fluctuation or damage, "repair", or wound healing, refers to non-specific healing of wounds involving scar formation and fibrosis.
In mature skin, wound repair usually begins with hemostatic and inflammatory processes, followed by a proliferative phase and epithelialization, angiogenesis and collagen production, and ends with the formation of a permanent scar. The discovery of new compounds that act on regeneration can provide information on how to accelerate wound healing, as well as how to improve the cosmetic aspects of healing.
Aging is a complex phenomenon characterized by progressive decline in physiological functions often accompanied by many pathological diseases. It is known that the loss of elasticity in the skin associated with chronological aging and wrinkling is associated with the increase of senescent fibroblasts. Fibroblasts have numerous functions, including cell-cell communication and signaling with other fibroblasts and endothelial cells, and the synthesis and deposition of extracellular matrix, the primary constituent in the structural assembly of the dermis, the deep layer of the skin. These cell-cell contacts affect electrophysiological properties, the secretion of growth factors and cytokines, and enhancement of blood vessel formation. Thus, fibroblasts play a critical role for maintaining the proper function of tissues as well as remodeling.
Senescent fibroblasts lose the ability to synthesize proteins, especially collagen, which is a major component of the extracellular matrix. Molecules of the extracellular matrix (ECM) promote cell adhesion, activate intracellular signaling pathways and modulate the activities of various growth factors and proteins. The loss of collagen occurs in chronological aging and from exposure to extrinsic factors such as ultraviolet radiation or tobacco smoke. Age-related changes observed in fibroblasts include changes in cell morphology and metabolism, decreased proliferative potential, loss of responsiveness to growth factors, decreased production of extracellular matrix proteins such as collagen type I and III, and over-expression of proteases involved in the degradation of extracellular matrix. These modifications tend to decrease the ability of the adaptive response and wound healing, and therefore increase the susceptibility to disease and death.
To ensure normal growth and cell proliferation, it is essential for cells to coordinate the signals arising from nutrients and growth factors as well as inhibitory signals resulting from stress or intracellular signaling. In fact, the interrelationship between cell death, cell survival and cell cycle has become the subject of intense research in recent years.
Apoptosis is a type of programmed cell death that occurs individually, not affecting neighboring structures. The control of cell death is a result of the balance between the expression of anti- and pro-apoptotic proteins in several cell types. Much evidence suggests that mitochondria are the main organelles involved in the processes of cell signaling and death. The mitochondria-dependent intrinsic apoptosis pathway is activated by several stimuli, including damage to DNA, decreased levels of growth factors, heat shock, ultraviolet radiation, gamma radiation, and chemotherapy drugs. DNA damage, especially of mitochondrial DNA, has an important impact on the process of aging.
Among the responses and cellular components involved in mitochondria-dependent intrinsic apoptosis are the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), loss of cytoplasmic membrane integrity, changes in mitochondrial membrane potential, release of calcium by mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum, expression and activation of protein caspases and activation of anti- or pro-apoptotic molecules or activation of mitogens. The signaling pathways activated by those agents culminate in the mitochondrial outer membrane permeabilization and the release of soluble apoptotic proteins from the mitochondria intermembrane space. When apoptosis is activated, cytochrome c is released from the mitochondria intermembrane space and can be used as a marker of apoptosis. Pro-apoptotic proteins such as Bax and Bak stimulate the release of this protein, however anti-apoptotic proteins such as Bcl-2 and Bcl-XL inhibit its release. The cytochrome c promotes the activation of pro-caspase 9 to caspase-9, which in turn activates other caspases, culminating in cell death by apoptosis. Activated caspases target specific proteins that maintain the cell structure, leading to cytoskeletal disruption and, consequently, loss of cellular integrity.
The mitochondrion is the major source of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), which play a fundamental role in cellular signaling pathways, mainly in cell proliferation and apoptosis. The interaction of macromolecules with various ROS can impair the function of these organelles and directly influence cell viability and culminate in cell death. Therefore, mitochondria may also be the primary target for the damaging effects of ROS. Some theories speculate that cumulative damage to mitochondria and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) caused by ROS is one of the causes of aging. Moreover, extracellular matrix (ECM) components of the basement membrane are not efficiently produced or are degraded by metalloproteinases, causing the loss of cell-matrix adhesion and contributing to cell death by apoptosis.
Because of this, there is an estimated global economic impact of increasing the costs of treating patients with degenerative problems. The search for new compounds or compositions capable of stimulating cell survival, proliferation and activity of fibroblasts is of great interest in the pharmaceutical field for cosmetic treatment and/or prevention of pathologies associated with aging and loss of extracellular matrix.

Peptide stimulator of cell survival and proliferation


A printed circuit board integrated with a two-axis fluxgate sensor includes a first soft magnetic core formed lengthwise in a first axial direction, a first excitation coil formed of a metal film and wound around the first soft magnetic core, a first pick-up coil formed of a metal film and wound around the first soft magnetic core and the first excitation coil, a second soft magnetic core formed lengthwise in a second axial direction, the second axial direction being perpendicular to the first axial direction, a second excitation coil formed of a metal film and wound around the second soft magnetic core, a second pick-up coil formed of a metal film and wound around the second soft magnetic core and the second excitation coil, and a pad for establishing conductivity between the first and second excitation coils and the first and second pick-up coils and an external circuit.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a printed circuit board. More particularly, the present invention relates to a printed circuit board integrated with a two-axis fluxgate sensor and a method for manufacturing the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
The existence of magnetic energy has been proven through various physical phenomena. For example, a fluxgate sensor enables a human to indirectly perceive magnetic energy, since magnetic energy is not perceivable by human sense organs, such as eyes or ears. Regarding a fluxgate sensor, a magnetic sensor employing a soft magnetic coil has been conventionally used. A magnetic sensor is made by winding a coil around a relatively large bar-shaped core or annular-shaped core, which is formed of a soft magnetic ribbon. In addition, an electronic circuit is employed to obtain a magnetic field in proportion to the measured magnetic field.
The conventional fluxgate sensor, however, has the following problems, some of which are due to the structure of the conventional fluxgate sensor. In the structure of a conventional fluxgate sensor the coil being wound around the large bar-shaped core or annular-shaped core, which is made of the soft magnetic ribbon, results in high production costs and a large volume of the overall system.
In addition, flux leakage is inevitable in the flux change due to the excitation coil and the detected magnetic field. Accordingly, high sensitivity is not readily achieved.
Further, a conventional fluxgate sensor for detecting magnetic energy in two axes includes two separate one-axis fluxgate sensors arranged in perpendicular relation with each other, which results in yet another problem of the device size increasing.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Printed circuit board integrated with a two-axis fluxgate sensor and method for manufacturing the same


A method and an apparatus for detecting change in retinal oxygen saturation over time are provided. The method includes the steps of capturing a first group of images of two or more wavelengths, calculating oxygen saturation of a vessel in the first group of images, storing the first group of images on a data storage device, capturing a second group of images of two or more wavelengths, calculating the oxygen saturation of a vessels in the second group of images, storing the second group of images on a data storage device, spatially registering the pair of the group of images, captured at different time and calculate the change in oxygen saturation. The method also includes means to validate whether an observed change in oxygen saturation is a real physiological change or artificial.

Some of the disease states that pose the greatest danger to vision are thought to involve abnormalities in the oxygen supply to the retina or the oxygen metabolism. These include diseases such as diabetic retinopathy, which is one of the most common causes of blindness in the world, retinopathy of prematurity, retinal vein and artery occlusions. It has also been suggested that ocular blood flow is compromised in glaucoma, including normal tension glaucoma, and that the loss of optic nerve fibers in glaucoma patients may be due to ischemia. Age related macular degeneration may also involve ischemia and hypoxia.
The principle of spectrophotometric hemoglobin oximetry is old and the method has been developed into clinically useful instrumentation in several specialties of medicine. The finger or earlobe oximeter, commonly used in anesthesiology and intensive care is an example of the successful application of oximetry in medicine.
Information on retinal and optic nerve oxygenation in health and disease is mostly derived from animal research. Non-invasive measurement of oxygenation in the human retina and optic nerve has proved difficult but considerable progress has been made, particularly in recent years as digital technology has evolved. The potential use of retinal oximetry covers a range of areas, including assessment of oxygen metabolism in disease, the efficacy of treatment of these diseases in restoring or improving the metabolic conditions, either by laser treatment, surgery, lowering of intraocular pressure or by medication. Retinal oximetry may also be of use in elucidating further the physiological processes involved in disease states, such as in glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy.
In the 1990s, an important version of retinal vessel oximetry was developed at the University of Virginia, by James Beach and James Tiedeman. Their version was based on a method proposed by Delori with additional improvements. The main advantage of the Beach and Tiedeman method is the ability to obtain simultaneously two or more images of light reflectance at different wavelengths (called multi-spectral images) from the same fundus using a fundus camera. In this manner it is possible to record reflectance at both oxygen-sensitive and insensitive wavelengths from exactly the same area on the fundus, and at precisely the same time. This allows for precise quantification of the effects of oxygen binding on the light absorption spectra of hemoglobin. Oximetric measurements of this kind are achieved by a system whose main component consists of a modified fundus camera, although the internal xenon flash of the camera is still used as a light source, unmodified. Other components of the system are a beam splitter, a gray scale digital camera, possessing high quality linear performance, and a computer. The digital camera replaces the image acquisition mechanism of the fundus camera. Flashes from the fundus camera are synchronized with recordings by the digital camera electronically.
More sophisticated retinal oxymetry is disclosed in detail in US20060276698A1 patent application. The system is capable of automatically evaluating oxygen saturation of the optic nerve and retina. The system is comprised of an image capturing system which further comprises fundus camera, a beam splitter, a digital image capturing device, a computer system, image processing software performing in real-time the steps of registering a set of multi-spectral images. This is accomplished by binarizing multi-spectral image, finding all the border regions of each image by finding the region including the straight line that passes the highest number of points in the region. The orientation of the borders is used to evaluate the orientation of each spectral image, equalize the orientation of each spectral image by rotating the spectral image, edge detect each spectral image, and estimate the translation between the spectral images based on the edges of adjacent images. The images are then transformed to a stack of registered images, were blood vessels are located in each of the spectral images. The oxygen saturation level is finally evaluated, after sophisticated image processing, and the results are presented.
WO02080759 discloses retinal camera for examining an eye, the camera including a light source having first and second light sources for emitting first and second wavelength bands. The first and second light sources are arranged to alternately produce light onto the retina such that the absorptivity of light of the first wavelength band by oxygenated blood is greater than the absorptivity of light of the second wavelength band, and the absorptivity of light of the first wavelength band by the oxygenated blood is less than the absorptivity of light of the second wavelength band. Light is selectively focused from the first and second sources by an optical arrangement and imaging devices to produce respective images of a portion of the retina illuminated with the respective wavelength bands. The images obtained by the imaging device are processed by the imaging device and processor to determine a retinal metabolic image based on haemoglobin oxygenation. In an embodiment of the invention light is scanned across the retina.
This makes it possible for clinicians to evaluate the oxygen supply to the retina or the oxygen metabolism and the oxygen saturation of the retina and optic nerve. However, it would be extremely valuable to be able to compare successive measurements of the same optic nerve and retina.


Method and apparatus for uniformly injecting a fluid stream into a gas stream at elevated temperature by means of an injection nozzle comprising a nozzle head and a supply inner tube being concentrically surrounded with an outer casing tube spaced apart from the inner supply tube. It comprises passing the fluid stream through the inner tube and the nozzle head and maintaining temperature of the fluid stream in the inner tube by providing thermal insulation in at least part of an annular space between the inner tube and the outer tube. Further it comprises maintaining a constant flow of the fluid inside the inner tube and nozzle head by plugging the nozzle head at outlet end and spraying the fluid stream through a number of nozzle holes provided in the nozzle head adjacent to the outlet end of the nozzle head.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to injection of a fluid into a gas by a nozzle. The invention is specifically directed to injection of a solution into a hot gas, where one specific use of the invention is in connection with NOx removal from exhaust gas from a diesel engine.
2. Description of Related Art
Nozzles are widely used for injection of one fluid into another, also in connection with NOx removal from engine exhaust gasses.
In WO 96/36797 patent application Hofmann et al. disclose injection of urea solution/air mixture into an exhaust gas in a vehicle. The mixture is sprayed into the exhaust gas pipe just inside the pipe close to the pipe wall so the solution does not become too hot before it is sprayed out in the gas. The distribution of the injected liquid is not uniform when seen from a cross section of the exhaust gas pipe.
Tsuneaki discloses another exhaust gas cleaning system in JP 2001152831. Here nitrogen oxides are reduced by urea solution sprayed into exhaust gas in a vehicle too. The injection nozzle is inserted through the wall of an exhaust gas pipe extending only a short distance from the inner surface, which creates an uneven flow pattern.
Kupper et al. disclose an injection nozzle for fuel in U.S. Pat. No. 4,502,196 comprising two coaxial tubes with a narrow space between filled with insulating material. The outer tube forms a hood around also the tip of the nozzle in order to keep the fuel below a temperature where formation of coke starts. The fuel is sprayed out through one hole only through both inner tube and hood in a coaxial direction with the nozzle.
Another gas cleaning method is described by Zauderer in U.S. Pat. No. 6,048,510. The content of nitrogen oxides in a flue gas in a coal fired boiler is reduced by injection of air atomised water droplets containing dissolved urea or ammonia. The droplets are injected where the temperature is optimal, and the size of the droplets is adjusted to this temperature by the nozzle construction.
However, these nozzles tend to block and none of the injections secure a very high degree of even distribution of the injected material.
It is the general object of this invention to provide a process and a nozzle for injection of an aqueous solution of a salt obtaining a stable and well distributed injection. The injection aimed at must be able to operate under all conditions without interruptions caused by blocking of the nozzle. Simultaneously, it must operate with a high degree of even distribution of the sprayed fluid in the gas, which it is sprayed into.
A process and a nozzle have now been found, so that when the nozzle is designed in accordance with the invention, a urea solution can be sprayed into exhaust gas from a vehicle obtaining a very even distribution in the exhaust gas. A nozzle of the invention operates for a long period without blocking the nozzles.


A sheet measurement apparatus has a sheet disposed in a melt. The measurement system uses a beam to determine a dimension of the sheet. This dimension may be, for example, height or width. The beam may be, for example, collimated light, a laser, x-rays, or gamma rays. The production of the sheet may be altered based on the measurements.

Silicon wafers or sheets may be used in, for example, the integrated circuit or solar cell industry. Demand for solar cells continues to increase as the demand for renewable energy sources increases. As these demands increase, one goal of the solar cell industry is to lower the cost/power ratio. There are two types of solar cells: crystalline silicon and thin film. The majority of solar cells are made from crystalline silicon. Currently, a major cost of a crystalline silicon solar cell is the wafer on which the solar cell is made. The efficiency of the solar cell, or the amount of power produced under standard illumination, is limited, in part, by the quality of this wafer. Any reduction in the cost of manufacturing a wafer without decreasing quality will lower the cost/power ratio and enable the wider availability of this clean energy technology.
The highest efficiency solar cells may have an efficiency of greater than 20%. These are made using electronics-grade monocrystalline silicon wafers. Such wafers may be made by sawing thin slices from a monocrystalline silicon cylindrical boule grown using the Czochralski method. These slices may be less than 200 μm thick. To maintain single crystal growth, the boule must be grown slowly, such as less than 10 μm/s, from a crucible containing a melt. The subsequent sawing process leads to approximately 200 μm of kerf loss, or loss due to the width of a saw blade, per wafer. The cylindrical boule also may need to be squared off to make a square solar cell. Both the squaring and kerf losses lead to material waste and increased material costs. As solar cells become thinner, the percent of silicon waste per cut increases. Limits to ingot slicing technology, however, may hinder the ability to obtain thinner solar cells.
Other solar cells are made using wafers sawed from polycrystalline silicon ingots. Polycrystalline silicon ingots may be grown faster than monocrystalline silicon. However, the quality of the resulting wafers is lower because there are more defects and grain boundaries. This results in lower efficiency solar cells. The sawing process for a polycrystalline silicon ingot is as inefficient as a monocrystalline silicon ingot or boule.
Another solution that may reduce silicon waste is cleaving a wafer from a silicon ingot after ion implantation. For example, hydrogen, helium, or other noble gas ions are implanted beneath the surface of the silicon ingot to form an implanted region. This is followed by a thermal, physical, or chemical treatment to cleave the wafer from the ingot along this implanted region. While cleaving through ion implantation can produce wafers without kerf losses, it has yet to be proven that this method can be employed to produce silicon wafers economically.
Yet another solution is to pull a thin ribbon of silicon vertically from a melt and then allow the pulled silicon to cool and solidify into a sheet. The pull rate of this method may be limited to less than approximately 18 mm/minute. The removed latent heat during cooling and solidifying of the silicon must be removed along the vertical ribbon. This results in a large temperature gradient along the ribbon. This temperature gradient stresses the crystalline silicon ribbon and may result in poor quality multi-grain silicon. The width and thickness of the ribbon also may be limited due to this temperature gradient. For example, the width may be limited to less than 80 mm and the thickness may be limited to 180 μm.
Horizontal ribbons of silicon that are physically pulled from a melt also have been tested. A seed attached to a rod is inserted into the melt and the rod and resulting sheet are pulled at a low angle over the edge of the crucible. The angle and surface tension are balanced to prevent the melt from spilling over the crucible. It is difficult, however, to initiate and control such a pulling process. Access must be given to the crucible and melt to insert the seed, which may result in heat loss. Additional heat may be added to the crucible to compensate for this heat loss. This may cause vertical temperature gradients in the melt that may cause non-laminar fluid flow. Convective gas cooling may be used due to the large heat flow into the melt. Such convective cooling may be turbulent. The non-laminar flow of the gas and melt may prevent control of the thickness of the sheet. Furthermore, a possibly difficult angle of inclination adjustment to balance gravity and surface tension of the meniscus formed at the crucible edge must be performed. Also, since heat is being removed at the separation point of the sheet and melt, there is a sudden change between heat being removed as latent heat and heat being removed as sensible heat. This may cause a large temperature gradient along the ribbon at this separation point and may cause dislocations in the crystal. Dislocations and warping may occur due to these temperature gradients along the sheet.
Production of thin sheets separated horizontally from a melt has not been performed. Producing sheets horizontally from a melt by separation may be less expensive than silicon sliced from an ingot and may eliminate kerf loss or loss due to squaring. Sheets produced horizontally from a melt by separation also may be less expensive than silicon cleaved from an ingot using hydrogen ions or other pulled silicon ribbon methods. Furthermore, separating a sheet horizontally from a melt may improve the crystal quality of the sheet compared to pulled ribbons. A crystal growth method such as this that can reduce material costs would be a major enabling step to reduce the cost of crystalline solar cells. Any process control or measurement of the sheet may improve production. Accordingly, there is a need in the art for an improved apparatus and method measure a sheet in a melt.

Floating sheet measurement apparatus and method

Varian Semiconductor Equipment Associates, Inc.


A method is provided for fabricating a constriction region in a channel of a microfluidic device. The method includes the steps of introducing a pre-polymer mixture including a monomer, cross-linking agent and photoinitiator into the channel. The pre-polymer mixture is polymerized at a localized area of the channel so as to shrink and solidify the liquid mixture. The solidified and shrunken liquid mixture provides the constriction region in the channel.

As is known, microfluidic systems are being used in an increasing number of applications, including biological applications. In such biological applications, it is often a necessary function to "hold" a cell or other biological object (e.g. ova, embryo, etc.) at a known physical location within the microfluidic device in order to perform some type of manipulation of that object. Because of the scale of the biological objects of interest (microns), constriction regions intended to hold such biological objects at user desired locations within the microfluidic devices during manipulation must be provided. These constriction regions are formed in prior microfluidic devices by means of traditional lithographic-based, microfabrication methods that involve etching. However, these traditional methods are inherently expensive due to the equipment, materials and process complexity issues required.
By way of example, Beebe et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,193,647 discloses a microfluidic embryo handling device. The microfluidic device provided in the Beebe et al., '647 patent includes channels therethrough that incorporate various types of constriction regions for accurately positioning individual biological objects within the microfluidic device. The channels and the constriction regions formed therein are fabricated within the microfluidic device utilizing any suitable micromachining technique. The constriction regions may be formed by providing an obstruction in the bottom surface of the channel and sealing the channel of the microfluidic device with a cover. Alternatively, the sidewall portions of the channel of the microfluidic device may be constricted at a desired location to prevent passage of biological objects therethrough. In order for any microfluidic device to function properly, it is necessary that the constriction regions within the channels to be partially open such that the fluid carrying the biological objects may pass over the biological objects positioned at the constriction regions. In addition, it is preferred that each constriction region be sized so as to prevent the corresponding biological object from flowing therepast and to prevent an increase in pressure of the fluid used in the microfluidic device to move the biological object.
It can be appreciated that the shapes of the constrictions regions may take different forms, as long as, such shapes prevent passage of the biological object while simultaneously allowing fluid to flow through the constriction regions. However, these different forms of the constriction regions may require different manufacturing techniques. By way of example, "narrow" constriction regions within the channels of a microfluidic device are fabricated using a single mask and etching operation. Alternatively, shallow constriction regions within the channels of a microfluidic device are fabricated using two masks and two etching operations. Each of these masking and etching operations necessary to fabricate the constriction regions in the channels of a microfluidic device are complex and require specialized equipment. As such, the overall cost of manufacturing a microfluidic device can be significant.
As the use of microfluidic devices for bioproduction (e.g. protein production, assisted reproduction, etc. ) grows, it has become highly desirable to provide an inexpensive method of manufacturing various types of constriction regions within corresponding channels of a microfluidic device. If the manufacturing costs of microfluidic devices are reduced sufficiently, widespread use of microfluidic devices for such applications as incubation/maturation, infection, fertilization and/or chemical treatments of biological objects may become economically feasible.
Therefore, it is a primary object and feature of the present invention to provide a method of constructing a constriction region within a channel of a microfluidic device which is simple and inexpensive.
It is a further object and feature of the present invention to provide a method of constructing a constriction region within a channel of a microfluidic device which is capable to holding single cells or embryos at a known location within the microfluidic device.
It is a still further object and feature of the present invention to provide a method of constructing a constriction region within a channel of a microfluidic device which facilitates the speedy manufacture of such devices.
In accordance with the present invention, a method is disclosed for providing an obstruction in a channel of a microfluidic device. The channel has an input and an output for allowing the flow of fluid therethrough. The method includes the steps of providing a liquid mixture within the channel and solidifying the liquid mixture in the channel so as to form the obstruction.
The liquid mixture is a pre-polymer mixture and the step of solidifying the liquid mixture includes polymerizing the pre-polymer mixture. The liquid mixture is polymerized by being exposed to ultraviolet light. The ultraviolet light is generated with a source and is passed through an optical mask prior to polymerizing the pre-polymer mixture.
It is contemplated to add non-shrinkable material to the liquid mixture prior to solidifying the liquid mixture. The non-shrinkable material limits the shrinkage of the liquid mixture during solidification. In addition, the liquid mixture may also include a monomer, a cross-linking agent, and a photoinitiator.
In accordance with a further aspect of the present invention, a method is disclosed for providing an obstruction in a channel of a microfluidic device. A pre-polymer mixture is provided in the channel and exposed to a polymerizable stimulus such as an ultraviolet light from a source. The pre-polymer mixture shrinks and solidifies to form the obstruction in the channel.
It is contemplated to add non-shrinkable filler to the pre-polymer mixture prior to exposing the pre-polymer mixture to the ultraviolet source. The non-shrinkable filler modulates the shrinkage of the pre-polymer mixture. By way of example, the non-shrinkable filler may be glass beads. In order to expose the pre-polymer mixture to ultraviolet light, the ultraviolet light is generated by a source and passed through an optical mask. Thereafter, the pre-polymer mixture is exposed to the ultraviolet light. The pre-polymer mixture may include a monomer, a cross-linking agent and photoinitiator.
In accordance with a further aspect of the present invention, a method is provided for manufacturing a constriction region in a microfluidic device having a channel extending therethrough. The method includes the steps of introducing a liquid mixture including a monomer, cross-linking agent, and a photoinitiator into the channel. The liquid mixture is polymerized at a localized area within the channel so as to shrink the liquid material and provide an obstruction in the channel.
In order to polymerize the mixture, the liquid mixture is exposed to ultraviolet light. The ultraviolet light is generated with a source and passed through an optical mask. Non-shrinkable filler may be added to the liquid mixture prior to exposing the liquid mixture to the ultraviolet source. By adding non-shrinkable filler to the liquid mixture, the shrinkage of the liquid mixture is modulated such that the liquid mixture shrinks to a predetermined volumetric fraction of its original volume. By way of example, the non-shrinkable filler may be formed of glass beads.

Method of fabricating a flow constriction within a channel of a microfluidic device


A waste container includes an outer container and an inner container removably mounted in the outer container. The inner container includes a body and two handles. The body of the inner container includes a peripheral wall delimiting an opening. The peripheral wall includes two engaging sections on two opposite portions thereof. Each handle includes two ends pivotally coupled to the engaging sections respectively. Each handle is pivotable to an upward position allowing carriage of the inner container. Each handle is pivotable to a resting position for retaining a peripheral edge of a bag mounted in the inner container.

FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings illustrates a conventional waste container comprising an outer container 5, a cover 6, and an inner container 1 mounted in the outer container 5. The inner container 1 includes a peripheral wall 3 and a peripheral end edge 2 that delimits an upper opening. In use, a plastic bag 4 is usually placed in the inner container 1, with a peripheral edge of the plastic bag 4 extending outward across the peripheral end edge 2 and then downward. The exposed peripheral edge of the plastic bag 4 fails to provide an aesthetically pleasing effect. When the plastic bag 4 is full of waste (including garbage or the like) that is too heavy for the plastic bag 4 to withstand, the plastic bag 4 is liable to break while it is lifted, leading to contamination of the inner container 1. To solve this problem, the inner container 1 is carried to a desired location, and the plastic bag 4 is then packed and discarded. To move the inner container 1 with heavy waste, the user has to hold the inner container 1 at two sides of the peripheral end edge of the inner container 1 with both hands. Hence, the user walks with difficulty and might get hurt while carrying the inner container 1 containing heavy waste.

Waste container with removable inner container