There is provided a liquid enclosing type vibration isolating apparatus which reduces a number of members to be aligned and which simplifies the assembling procedure in liquid, so as to reduce assembling steps and production cost. A cylindrical rubber body has a reinforcing intermediate cylinder, a concave groove and a through hole to form an orifice passage. The cylindrical rubber body is formed integrated with a diaphragm at a lower end of the cylindrical rubber body. A partitioning member has, on its peripheral part, an orifice passage concave portion. A first assembling step is conducted in air wherein a partitioning member is fitted into the cylindrical rubber body, so as to form an air chamber between the diaphragm and the partitioning member, while aligning the through hole with the orifice passage concave portion. Subsequent assembling steps are conducted in liquid wherein the cylindrical rubber body is fitted into a cup-like casing fitting and the vibration isolating base body is fitted into the cylindrical rubber body to form upper and lower liquid chambers which communicate via the orifice passage.

The present invention relates primarily to a liquid enclosing type vibration isolating apparatus used for supporting a vibration generating body, such as a power unit of an automotive engine, while isolating vibration.
As a vibration isolating apparatus for supporting a vibration generating body, such as an automotive engine, so as not to transmit its vibration to a car body and others, there has been known a liquid enclosing type vibration isolating apparatus which is arranged so as to perform a vibration damping function and a vibration isolating function by a liquid flow effect between two liquid chambers and a vibration isolating effect of a vibration isolating base made of rubber elastic body. In the vibration isolating apparatus, a partitioning member and a diaphragm are disposed for partitioning an inner space of main body having the vibration isolating base to form upper and lower chambers whose walls are partially composed of the partitioning member and/or the diaphragm, so as to provide two liquid chambers which are charged with liquid as sealed and communicated by an orifice passage at an outer periphery of the partitioning member.
For example, JP-A-08014315 proposes a liquid enclosing type vibration isolating apparatus in which the orifice for communicating the chambers is formed separately from the partitioning member so as to simplify the shape of the partitioning member and reduce its weight and cost.
In FIG. 12, the proposed vibration isolating apparatus is shown. A vibration isolating base 103 is attached to an opening portion of a cylindrical fitting 101 having a bottom, in which an intermediate cylinder 112 is disposed via a cylindrical rubber elastic body 113. A partitioning member 105, formed of an inverted cup-like cylinder, is attached with a diaphragm 110 at its opening and have an air chamber 111 inside the cylinder. The partitioning member 105 is fitted into the intermediate cylinder 112. An upper liquid chamber 106, whose wall is partly composed of the vibration isolating base 103, communicates with a lower liquid chamber 107, whose wall is partly composed of the diaphragm, by an orifice passage 108 outside of the intermediate cylinder. Then, a cylindrical reinforcing fitting 102, which extends downward along the intermediate cylinder 112 so as to press the partitioning member 105, is attached to an outer periphery of a lower end of the vibration isolating base 103. A through hole which communicates from the upper liquid chamber 106 to the orifice passage 108 is provided through the reinforcing fitting 102 and the intermediate cylinder 112.
Whereas assembly of each component has to be conducted within a liquid bath to enclose liquid as sealed within the liquid enclosing type vibration isolating apparatus constructed as de scribed above, it is not easy to align and assemble each component within the liquid bath.
That is, the proposed vibration isolating apparatus has a problem in that since the through hole, which communicates the orifice passage 108 with the upper liquid chamber 106, is provided through both the intermediate cylinder 112 and the reinforcing fitting 102 of the vibration isolating base, the communication hole provided through the reinforcing fitting 102 must be accurately aligned with the through hole provided through the intermediate cylinder 112 in assembling each component within the liquid bath, thus requiring complicated jigs, leading to the increase of the cost and possible failure in the assembly.
In view of the aforementioned problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide a liquid enclosing type vibration isolating apparatus capable of reducing a number of assembling steps and the cost, by reducing a number of members which need to be aligned as much as possible, and by allowing such members to be pre-assembled within air so as to simplify the assembly within liquid.

Liquid enclosing type vibration isolating apparatus and assembling method thereof


A load retainer for use in the void of a cargo container to resist shifting of the cargo in transit has a symmetrical load bearing surface to evenly distribute the force delivered by the cargo. In a first presently preferred embodiment, the load retainer comprises a pair of panels which are coupled together to form an H-shaped device. The panels remain parallel to each other in an expanded load retaining configuration, a collapsed storage configuration and all positions therebetween. A second presently preferred embodiment has a symmetric rectilinear network shaped configuration and includes locking tabs to releasably secure the device in that configuration and resist lateral forces in either direction.

This invention relates to a load retainer for use in a void of a cargo container, and more particularly, to a load retainer which can be locked into an expanded, generally symmetric load retaining configuration and/or converted into a collapsed storage configuration.
Shipment of products typically occurs using conventional rectangular cargo containers such as a truck trailer, railroad box car, the hold of a cargo ship and the like. Very often the cargo container is not entirely filled with the products being shipped. Furthermore, the cargo or load must be secured within the cargo container to prevent it from shifting during transportation and possibly damaging either the cargo or the cargo container.
Various techniques have been previously used to secure the load within the cargo container. These techniques include strategically arranging or organizing the cargo to minimize its straps, or tie-downs or nailing and otherwise securing boards between the cargo and the container. However, methods such as these have proven to be minimally effective and cannot be relied upon when there is a relatively large void in the cargo container.
The need to fill large volumes or voids has become particularly important due to the increased use of oversized truck trailers, rail cars, or the like. Problems associated with shifting cargo or loads are especially acute when relatively dense products are shipped. The dense products meet the weight limits of the cargo container while only filling up a relatively small fraction of available space therein. The failure to properly position the load and secure it within the trailer can result in illegal axle weight conditions, poor handling of the tractor trailer, rail car, cargo ship or the like, as well as an increased likelihood for damage to the cargo or the cargo container.
One prior solution to these problems is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,132,156 which is directed to a void filler constructed of a pair of panels which are connected at a hinge along the upper edge of the panels to form an inverted V-shaped structure. A limiter is attached at or near the lower edges of the panels to limit movement of the lower edges away from one another when the panels are in use and in the inverted V-shaped configuration. The device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,132,156 is positioned in the void of a cargo container between a container bulkhead and a load so that the upper and lower edges of that device are aligned between the load and the bulkhead. Specifically, the lower portion of the load is juxtaposed to the wider base region of the inverted V-shaped void filler whereas the upper portion of the load confronts the narrow point or upper region of the inverted V-shaped device. As a result of its configuration, loading between the upper and lower portions of that void filler is unsymmetric and the force generated by the tendency for the cargo to shift is not evenly distributed on the void filler. In particular, the force delivered to the upper narrow portion of the inverted V-shaped void filler is carried by a very small cross-sectional area of the void filler; namely, the upper point region. This loading condition becomes even more problematic when it is realized that a large portion of the force delivered by the load is in the upper portion of the load because the cargo has a tendency to tilt or tip over.
Therefore, one shortcoming of the void filler disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,132,156 is that the majority of the force generated by the load is applied to the narrow portion of the device. Further, as a result of the force applied to the narrow portion of the void filler, the tendency for the void filler to collapse, tear, rip or be damaged is increased. Specifically, the hinge along the upper edge of the inverted V-shaped void filler may be torn or the bottom edges of the panels could be forced outwardly thereby ripping or tearing the limiter or the panels themselves.


A noise barrier includes upright-standing support columns spaced a predetermine distance from each other and each made of an H section, and a plurality of wall panels provided between two neighboring ones of the support columns by inserting each wall panel at opposite lateral edges thereof from above into U-shaped recesses, opposite to each other, of the support columns, the plurality of wall panels being thus stacked one on another to form a main soundproof wall, and a noise control module to be installed on the topmost wall panel, the noise control module comprising side frame members to be inserted at lower ends thereof from above into the upper portions of the U-shaped recesses, opposite to each other, of the support columns; a lower frame member connecting the side frame members to each other by securing them at lower ends thereof to the lower frame member; first and second additional screens installed at lower ends thereof pivotably to the lower frame member and having a horizontal length smaller than the distance between the support columns; a coupling member holding the first and second additional screens at a predetermined angle of inclination when the additional screens are inclined toward and away from a noise source, respectively; and sound insulation joint sheets elastically extensible horizontally and bridging, over the support column, two additional screens put in neighboring relationship when the first and second additional screens are opened away from each other.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a noise barrier to control or attenuate undesired sounds or noises coming from streets and highways, railways, factories, etc., and more particularly to a noise control module and a method of installing the noise control module.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventionally, to attenuate noises from streets and highways, railways, factories or the like, various wall types of noise barrier are prevalently used to block noises from coming directly from such noise sources. This is because the wall-type noise barrier structures are of relatively low cost while working as effectively as various other noise control modalities.
Among the noise control structures, upright or vertical straight wall types of noise barriers are used most widely because they show a high effect of noise control for their relatively low costs and are widely applicable for controlling noises from various sources. For a higher effect of noise control, the vertical straight wall type noise barriers have to be taller. However, such taller ones are correspondingly more expensive (the taller the wall, the greater construction costs they need). In addition, the taller walls have many other disadvantages such as interception of sunlight, obstruction of view (shut-off of prospect), oppressive sensation or claustrophobia, ill ventilation, radio interference or jamming, turbulent flow, wind load, etc.
Using such a vertical straight wall type noise barrier only will not be a satisfactory solution to the noise-control problem in some cases. For an improved noise control, it has been proposed to use various other types of noise barriers including bent-top types of which the wall top portion is bent toward the noise source and curved-top types of which the wall top portion is curved toward the noise source. However, it has also been known that use of a noise barrier of such a bent- or curved-top type will make the above-mentioned problems more serious.
The recent drastic increase of the traffic and higher speed capability of vehicles have resulted in serious environmental noise problem. Since no other effective noise control solutions have been available, the noise barriers of the vertical straight wall type of 3 m, 7 m and 10 m in height and also the above-mentioned bent-top and curved-top types of noise barriers, are used. However, the above-mentioned environmental problems still remain unsolved.
The above conventional noise barriers can only provide an effect of noise attenuation improved for an increased wall height. Generally, at a place (about 20 meters) separate from the noise barrier, an increase by 1 m in height of the wall only results in a noise attenuation of about 1 dB.
To attain a higher effect of noise control without increasing the wall height, a noise barrier structure has been proposed which has a generally Y-type cross section, Y-type being formed by a main soundproof wall and two additional top screens provided on top of the main body and define an upward opening between them. The noise control or attenuation by this Y-type noise barrier was evaluated by measuring noise level at a place behind the barrier when viewed from a noise source. Also a noise barrier of a vertical straight wall type as tall as the Y-type one was evaluated concerning its effect of noise attenuation. Thus, the noise attenuation (measured sound levels) by the Y-type barrier was compared with that by the vertical straight wall type noise barrier. The comparison proved that the Y-type noise barrier was rather greater in effect of noise attenuation than the vertical straight wall type one.
Also, a noise barrier having a limited height and showing an increased effect of noise attenuation is known from the disclosure in the Japanese Patent Application laid open as a Provisional Publication No. 85921/96. This conventional noise barrier is essentially composed of a main soundproof wall body extends upright from the ground, first and second additional screens provided on the top of the main wall body, the first additional screen being inclined toward a noise source while the second one is inclined away from the noise source. The first and second additional screens are provided thereon further additional screens, respectively, directed in different directions from those of the first and second additional screens, respectively. When this noise barrier structure is viewed from its lateral end, it looks like horns of a caribou. The noise barrier is called caribou-horn type. The caribou horn-type noise barrier structure can attenuate noise more effectively than the upright straight wall type and top-bent or -curved type noise barriers on the assumption that they have a same height.
The Y-type and caribou horn-type noise barriers can attenuate noise effectively with no increase of their height. Because of their complicated geometry such as their open-top design, however, these noise barriers are difficult to transport and install. Even if the additional screens are adapted for installation on the top of the upright straight main wall body at site, the members included in these noise barriers need a wide space for storage and transport, which will lead to a poor efficiency of installation and a greater total cost.

Noise barrier and method of installing same


A semiconductor device is made by forming a first conductive layer over a temporary carrier. A UBM layer is formed over the temporary carrier and fixed in position relative to the first conductive layer. A conductive pillar is formed over the first conductive layer. A semiconductor die is mounted to the UBM layer to align the die relative to the conductive pillar. An encapsulant is deposited over the die and around the conductive pillar. The UBM layer prevents shifting of the semiconductor die while depositing the encapsulant. The temporary carrier is removed. A first interconnect structure is formed over a first surface of the encapsulant. A second interconnect structure is formed over a second surface of the encapsulant. The first and second interconnect structures are electrically connected through the conductive pillar. The first or second interconnect structure includes an integrated passive device electrically connected to the conductive pillar.

Semiconductor devices are commonly found in modern electronic products. Semiconductor devices vary in the number and density of electrical components. Discrete semiconductor devices generally contain one type of electrical component, e.g., light emitting diode (LED), small signal transistor, resistor, capacitor, inductor, and power metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET). Integrated semiconductor devices typically contain hundreds to millions of electrical components. Examples of integrated semiconductor devices include microcontrollers, microprocessors, charged-coupled devices (CCDs), solar cells, and digital micro-mirror devices (DMDs).
Semiconductor devices perform a wide range of functions such as high-speed calculations, transmitting and receiving electromagnetic signals, controlling electronic devices, transforming sunlight to electricity, and creating visual projections for television displays. Semiconductor devices are found in the fields of entertainment, communications, power conversion, networks, computers, and consumer products. Semiconductor devices are also found in military applications, aviation, automotive, industrial controllers, and office equipment.
Semiconductor devices exploit the electrical properties of semiconductor materials. The atomic structure of semiconductor material allows its electrical conductivity to be manipulated by the application of an electric field or through the process of doping. Doping introduces impurities into the semiconductor material to manipulate and control the conductivity of the semiconductor device.
A semiconductor device contains active and passive electrical structures. Active structures, including bipolar and field effect transistors, control the flow of electrical current. By varying levels of doping and application of an electric field or base current, the transistor either promotes or restricts the flow of electrical current. Passive structures, including resistors, capacitors, and inductors, create a relationship between voltage and current necessary to perform a variety of electrical functions. The passive and active structures are electrically connected to form circuits, which enable the semiconductor device to perform high-speed calculations and other useful functions.
Semiconductor devices are generally manufactured using two complex manufacturing processes, i.e., front-end manufacturing, and back-end manufacturing, each involving potentially hundreds of steps. Front-end manufacturing involves the formation of a plurality of die on the surface of a semiconductor wafer. Each die is typically identical and contains circuits formed by electrically connecting active and passive components. Back-end manufacturing involves singulating individual die from the finished wafer and packaging the die to provide structural support and environmental isolation.
One goal of semiconductor manufacturing is to produce smaller semiconductor devices. Smaller devices typically consume less power, have higher performance, and can be produced more efficiently. In addition, smaller semiconductor devices have a smaller footprint, which is desirable for smaller end products. A smaller die size may be achieved by improvements in the front-end process resulting in die with smaller, higher density active and passive components. Back-end processes may result in semiconductor device packages with a smaller footprint by improvements in electrical interconnection and packaging materials.
When forming wafer-level chip-scale packages (WLCSPs), it is often necessary to form top and bottom interconnection structures in the packages. The top and bottom interconnect structures facilitate the mounting of the WLCSPs to motherboards, and other printed circuit boards (PCBS) or substrates. By forming the interconnect structures on top and bottom surfaces of the package, multiple WLCSPs can be placed over one-another to form stacked packages that provide sophisticated functionality in a small package volume. The top and bottom interconnect structures usually include conductive through silicon vias (TSVs) or conductive through hole vias (THVs). To form TSVs or THVs, a via is cut through the semiconductor material or peripheral region around the semiconductor die. The vias are then filled with an electrically conductive material, for example, copper deposition through an electroplating process. However, the semiconductor die are difficult to align during die attachment and can shift during the encapsulation process, which leads to device failure and lower manufacturing yield.

Semiconductor device and method of forming UBM fixed relative to interconnect structure for alignment of semiconductor die


With respect to a communication operation between networks having no connection permission, a connection control apparatus calculates a communicatable detour communication path from a connection policy database, and in such a case that a communication operation can be carried out between these networks having no connection permission, the connection control apparatus permits the communication operation via a detour communication path after authentication.

The present invention is related to a connection control system which is connected via a communication network to a plurality of communication terminals, and related to a connection control apparatus and a connection management apparatus, which constitute this connection control system, and also related to an operating program of this connection management apparatus.
While communication networks are being expanded and are being applied to business fields, technical ideas capable of restricting connections have been developed in order to protect secret information such as enterprise confidential matters. VPN (Virtual Private Network) is known as a typical connection restricting technique. This VPN contains various technical realizing systems such as MPLS (Multi Protocol Label Switching), IPSec (IP (Internet Protocol) SECurity protocol), and L2TP (Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol). A basic operation of this VPN technique is carried out as follows: That is, while a connection restriction is provided in communication networks, a communication is permitted only to such communication networks, the connections of which are permitted. A connection permission is given in such a manner that when a system is constructed, a corresponding relationship between a connection source network and a connection destination network, whose connections are permitted, is registered in a connection policy database. In the most case, in order to obtain connection permission, such a condition cannot sufficiently satisfy this permission requirement, under which a connection source terminal merely belongs to a connection source network and also a connection destination terminal merely belongs to a connection destination network. In order to obtain such a connection permission, authentication process operations such as user authentication and terminal authentication are required.
For instance, Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. JP-A-2003-8607 describes the collective managing method for managing the remote VPN bridged over the plural ISPs (Internet Service Providers). Also in this collective managing method, the authentication process operation is necessarily required.

Connection control system, connection control equipment and connection management equipment


Method and apparatus are provided to treat atherosclerosis wherein the artery is partially closed by dilating the artery while preserving the vital and sensitive endothelial layer thereof. Microwave energy having a frequency from 3 GHz to 300 GHz is propagated into the arterial wall to produce a desired temperature profile therein at tissue depths sufficient for thermally necrosing connective tissue and softening fatty and waxy plaque while limiting heating of surrounding tissues including the endothelial layer and/or other healthy tissue, organs, and blood. The heating period for raising the temperature a potentially desired amount, about 20xc2x0 C. within the atherosclerotic lesion may be less than about one second. In one embodiment of the invention, a radically beveled waveguide antenna is used to deliver microwave energy at frequencies from 25 GHz or 30 GHz to about 300 GHz and is focused towards a particular radial sector of the artery. Because the atherosclerotic lesions are often asymmetrically disposed, directable or focussed heating preserves healthy sectors or the artery and applies energy to the asymmetrically positioned lesion faster than a non-directed bean. A computer simulation predicts isothermic temperature profiles for the given conditions and may be used in selecting power, pulse duration, beam width, and frequency of operation to maximize energy deposition and control heat rise within the atherosclerotic lesion without harming healthy tissues or the sensitive endothelium cells

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to methods and apparatus for using arterial blood pressure to dilate the lumen rather than expanding/cutting mechanical means so as to preserve the sensitive endothelial lining of the artery. More specifically, the present intention relates to production of a temperature profile within the arterial wall that corresponds to the atherosclerotic lesion size, shape, and position so as to necrose (ablate) connective tissue and soften plaque to thereby impart increased flexibility to the arterial
2. Description of Prior Art
Atheroscleroses, also known as hardening of the arteries, is one of the most common types of heart disease. Each year several hundred thousand people die of this disease or of complications relating thereto. By the age of forty, many people have already developed atherosclerotic lesions although no symptoms may appear. Atherosclerosis is a progressive disease wherein fatty, fibrous, calcific, or thrombotic deposits produce atheromatous plaques within the arterial walls as indicated generally in FIG. 11. Moreover, atherosclerosis tends to involve large and medium sized arteries such as the aorta, iliac, femoral, cerebral, as well as the coronary artery.
The atherosclerotic lesions are substantially comprised of plaque and scar tissue. The plaque is typically encapsulated within living connective tissue. Plaque is a heterogenous material, sometimes non-living, that may include calcified, wax-like. fibrotic, fatty, and brittle components. As the lesions within the arterial, walls grow in size, the lumen or passageway through the coronary artery may be correspondingly reduced in effective cross-sectional diameter (stenosis). The constricted (stenotic) lumen may then restrict the nutrient blood flow to muscles of the heart. Therefore, atheroscleroses is often a major contributing factor in both acute and chronic heart problems. Also, when the lumen is sufficiently narrowed, the rate of blood flow may be so diminished that an affixed blood clot (thrombus) or circulating blood clot (embolus) may spontaneously occur. Thus, the presence of atherosclerotic plaque not only reduces blood flow to the heart muscle but also is a major predisposing factor in coronary thrombosis.
While pharmacological treatment is often used to treat atherosclerosis, such treatment is sometimes considered to be insufficiently effective for increasing blood flow. Therefore, techniques such as balloon angioplasty (percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty) have been developed to mechanically increase the luminal opening.
However, mechanical techniques tend to traumatize the artery and often result in restenosis (reclosing of the lumen). Standard balloon angioplasty produces a gross trauma that severely injures the endothelium or lining of the artery. The endothelium is a very fragile layer of cells that performs the very important function of limiting thrombotic processes (See FIG. 12). Unlike other surfaces and materials, when blood cells come in contact with the endothelium there is no tendency to form a clot. The layer of endothelial cells normally covers the internal surface of all vessels, rendering the vessel surface compatible, i.e., non-thrombogenic and non-reactive with blood. If the endothelium is damaged, platelet deposition becomes a problem. Once this layer is injured, it does not normally row back uniformly and so damage thereof tends to permanently induce thrombotic processes. Injury to the endothelium has been associated with accelerating of atherosclerotic processes and/or restenosis.
At least one patent discussed hereinafter teaches to alleviate, at least to some extent, damage caused to the endothelium by providing a bioprotective layer around the angioplasty balloon to cushion, coat, and insert anti-inflammatory agents prior to opening the balloon. Another patent discussed hereinafter teaches reducing trauma damage to the endothelium by reducing angioplasty balloon pressure using heat and feedback control. However, due to the mechanical forces in balloon angioplasty, damage to the fragile endothelium may still occur. The bioprotective coatings may, according to the patent teachings, also reduce problems created by angioplasty-induced tissue tears or cleavages that can result in blood accumulation along the cleavage planes of arterial wall layers. The thickening caused during such problems may acutely block or occlude the arterial lumen and require emergency interventions such as stents or open heart surgery.
The trauma to the endothelium and to arterial walls from balloon angioplasty often evoke a potent inflammatory response, or restenosis (reclosing of the artery), whereby scar tissue growth and other processes occur to once again reduce the arterial lumen opening. As discussed in some detail below with respect to numerous different techniques, restenosis is probably one of the most significant problems that occurs with existing techniques for dilating or opening the arteries. Restenosis may occur due to numerous processes including the following: clots that crow gradually or contain growth hormones released by plateletes within the clot, clots formed due to exposure to collagen (connective tissue) which is highly thrombogenic, growth hormones released by other cells that cause smooth muscle cells and fibroblasts in the region to multiply, tears in the artery wall that expose blood to foreign material and proteins thereby producing clots, white cells that migrate to the area and lay down scar tissue, growth of new tissue due to any, kind of inflammatory response, and/or other factors that may cause the artery lumen to reclose. Several different processes may operate simultaneously to cause restenosis.
After balloon angioplasty procedures, narrowing of the artery by 50% may occur in more than one-half of the patients and about one quarter of the patients may require a repeat procedure by the end of one year. As mentioned above, restenosis (reclosing of the artery) remains a major problem in treatment of atherosclerosis by balloon angioplasty. While significant efforts have been made to dampen the reactive proliferation with a variety of pharmacological and genetic interventions, these interventions have thus far found limited or no successful clinical application.
Another problem with balloon angioplasty relates to the fact that the lesions, or atheromas, within arterial cross-sections are typically asymmetrically distributed. That is to say the lesions often occur on one side, portion, or sector of the artery while an opposite or adjacent sector of the artery is relatively free of the disease. It was initially postulated that the increase in endovascular pressure created with a balloon would somehow selectively crush lesions. However, given that the thick-walled sectors containing atheromas are typically abundant with dense collagen or connective tissue, the lesions may actually be less likely to undergo deformation than the opposite relatively thin-walled, lesion-free sectors. Thus, the maximum trauma produced by balloon angioplasty may well occur in the healthy sector of the artery. Some of the patents discussed hereinafter attempt to reduce, at least to some extent, this problem and related problems by first heating the artery to soften the plaque. However, unless the heating is applied selectively to the atheromas heat damage may occur to the artery and endothelium. As well, mechanical trauma may still occur to the endothelium and or other arterial components.
Acute closure of the lumen after balloon angioplasty remains the most common cause of failed angioplasty and occurs in approximately 5% of the patients. This complication may be associated with varying degrees of mortality that may exceed 50% when emergency coronary bypass surgery has to be performed.
For the above reasons, balloon angioplasty is often problematic due to restenosis or, less frequently, abrupt closure. Therefore, other catheter techniques for the mechanical widening of the lumen of diseased coronary arteries have been devised, including various tissue cutting techniques. Directional coronary atherectomy (DCA) involves the selective excision and retrieval of atheromatous or proliferative tissue obstructing the arterial lumen. In this procedure, the end of the catheter is provided with a fenestrated metal cylinder within which a piston-like cutter is moved via a torque cable. The cut tissue is recovered in a distal portion of the catheter. As compared with balloon angioplasty, the initial luminal widening achieved by DCA is similar or perhaps slightly better. Again, restenosis is problematical and, as before, the restenosis is probably acerbated by damage to the endothelium.
Rotational atherectomy incorporates a rotary file or burr (brass ellipsoid of vary in diameter covered with diamond chipsxe2x80x94rotablator) into the distal portion of the catheter. The rotary file or burr is connected to a motor-operated drive shaft. Abrasion of the narrowed artery segments produces micro particles that are allowed to escape into the distal circulation for capillary entrapment. The rotablator has been used for treating heavily calcified lesions, lesions at branch points (xe2x80x98ostial diseasexe2x80x99), and lesions involving long arterial segments (xe2x80x98diffuse diseasexe2x80x99). Restenosis frequently occurs. However, because this instrument is often used to treat refractory or difficult-to-treat lesions, the results of the treatment are difficult to compare with those of balloon angioplasty. Transluminal extraction catheter atherectomy (TEC) involves use of a catheter with tip-mounted cutting blades. The tissue fragments are recovered by aspirating a flush solution during cutting. As with the other mechanical devices discussed above, restenoses are frequent.
In summary, the exact role of atherectomy or mechanical tissue cutting devices is not yet completely defined for treatment of atherosclerosis, but it is fair to say that such devices do not overcome the major complication of balloon angioplasty, i.e. restenosis.
Eximer (UV) laser coronary angioplasty systems are the only laser devices currently approved by the FDA for treatment of atherosclerosis. These devices act to remove tissue at the lesion from the artery. Light in the UV range can remove tissue by triggering photochemical reactions (photoablation). However, there is also considerable evidence that UV lasers remove tissue by a thermal mechanism like that of longer wavelengths (vaporization) such as visible, infrared, millimeter wave, and microwave spectra. One characteristic of eximer radiation (308 nm) is that the energy deposition is quite superficial. Accordingly, the procedure destroys the superficial cell layer (endothelial cells) and consequently produces a strong inflammatory response as does balloon angioplasty. Not unexpectedly, and in contrast to early claims. UV laser angioplasty does not have a lower restenosis rate than balloon angioplasty. This fact also suggests that tissue deformation, as occurs in balloon and rotablator procedures, is not the major determinant of restenosis because lasers do not forcefully distend artery walls.
Acute coronary closure after balloon angioplasty may be treated in several ways including perfusion balloon angioplasty (prolonged balloon inflation with protective distal coronary perfusion), atherectomy catheters as discussed above, and intracoronary stents. Coronary stents are designed to scaffold artery walls. The use of stents for acute closure is associated with a high initial success rate in maintaining arterial patency. However, stent therapy suffers from several drawbacks including subacute stent thrombosis, bleeding due to the necessarily aggressive anticoagulation treatment, and restenosis that occurs in 30% to 50% of the cases. The use of stents in non-emergency situations is an experimental procedure.
Another procedures for treating atherosclerosis is coronary artery bypass surgery. However, this procedure does not clearly suggest a better prognosis than balloon angioplasty and has the disadvantage of being a major surgical procedure.
Catheters with 1.2 or 1.7 mm ball tips for ultrasound (195 kHz) destruction of atheromatous lesions in artery walls have been reported.
Experimental use of microwave balloon angioplasty with a gap antenna operating at 2.45 GHz has been reported and the authors concluded that balloon angioplasty combined with microwave heating yielded wider luminal diameters four weeks after intervention. Other uses of heating in combination with balloon angioplasty are discussed in the following patents.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,583,556, issued Apr. 22, 1986, to Hines et al., discloses a microwave applicator with a suggested use for treating cancer. The microwave applicator is said to provide uniform heating without hot spots and includes a first electrical conductor and a second electrical conductor substantially shielding the first conductor in a transmission line configuration. A coil is provided as a third electrical conductor that surrounds an unshielded portion of the first conductor. No particular microwave frequencies are designated.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,496,311, issued Mar. 5, 1996, to Abele et al., discloses an expandable balloon catheter that simultaneously heats the plaque and applies pressure to tissue of the lumen with feedback and software control to thereby significantly reduce the balloon pressure necessary to dilate the artery. The heating is preferably I2R (convective) to about 50xc2x0 C. to 70xc2x0 C. at the balloon surface, for about 15 to 60 seconds, with balloon pressure of about 2 atm. The patent teaches that avoiding the high stress of normal balloon angioplasty (about 10 atm balloon pressure) reduces side effects such as post operation platelet deposition, clotting, intimal proliferation (scarring) and hormonal changes that cause restenosis. Abele et al. teach that high balloon stress may also cause long term problems including aneurysms (weakening or thinning of the vessel wall). Thermal and/or reduced mechanical injure to the endothelium may well occur with this technique. No mention is made of directing heat towards a particular segment of the artery.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,470,352, issued Nov. 28, 1995, to C. M. Rappaport, discloses a balloon angioplasty device that includes a microwave antenna preferably operating at about 1.8 GHz. The goal of the antenna design is to heat plaque to temperatures in the range of 95xc2x0 C. to 143xc2x0 C. without overheating healthy artery tissue by providing heating power in a circumferentially oriented electric field. However, the somewhat erroneous presumption is made that plaque is necessarily on the inside of the artery walls rather than normally being within the artery walls where the circumferential field will still apparently heat healthy tissue. As seen above, the applied temperature is quite high. Furthermore, there appears to be no suggestion to direct helical antenna radiation towards a particular radial segment of the artery.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,370,677, issued Dec. 6, 1994, to Rudie et al. discloses a transurethral substantially helical microwave antenna catheter operating at about 915 MHz for thermal treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasmia (BPH). Directional application of heat is accomplished in the range of 45xc2x0 C. to 60xc2x0 C. by placing the antenna offset from the axis of the shaft. The heating process takes a period of about 45 minutes. to necrose or ablate, tumorous prostate tissue while a catheter water cooling jacket keeps temperatures adjacent the catheter below about 45xc2x0 C. to protect adjacent healthy tissue such as the urethra, ejaculatory duct and rectum. The necrosed tissue is reabsorbed by the body. Dilation of a coronary artery is not disclosed.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,359,996, issued Nov. 1, 1994, to L. L. Hood, discloses an ultrasonic cutting tip assembly for an ultrasonic cutting instrument having an ultrasonic transducer.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,199,951, issued Apr. 6, 1993, to J. R. Spears, discloses a balloon angioplasty method for treating a lesion in an arterial wall by bonding a bioprotective material thereon with temperatures in the range of 80xc2x0 C. to 100xc2x0 C. for about twenty seconds with another twenty second wait before the balloon is deflated. The bioprotective coating is used to coat the endothelium while it is repairing itself after balloon angioplasty as well as provide drug carriers for the artery to alleviate problems of restenosis and thrombus. U.S. Pat. No. 5,109,859, issued May 5, 1992, to R. D. Jenkins, discloses a laser ablation catheter system guided by ultrasound sonography to remove atherosclerotic plaque from coronary arteries.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,057,106. issued Oct. 15, 1991, to Kasevich et al., discloses a balloon angioplasty microwave catheter system used for heating arterial plaque. The patent teaches that heating of the plaque reduces restenosis and that the plaque should preferably be heated to about 100xc2x0 C. for about 30 seconds using a 10 GHz microwave source.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,927,413, issued May 22, 1990, to R. Hess, discloses a flexible shaft for use with balloon angioplasty.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,881,543, issued Nov. 21, 1989, to Trembly et al. discloses a microwave applicator for heating stroma at 2.45 GHz to effect shaping of the cornea with apparatus for cooling of the cornea to protect the endothelium by flow of saline transverse to the antenna axis.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,808,164, issued Feb. 5, 1989, to R. Hess, discloses a catheter for balloon angioplasty that includes a flexible shaft defining a hollow passage.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,700,716, issued Oct. 20, 1987, to Kasevich et al. discloses a microwave antenna for treatment of tumors or other materials by hyperthermia with temperatures of about 50xc2x0 C. induced with microwave frequency in the range of 500 MHz to 5 GHz. There does not appear to be any provision for protecting endothelial cells from damage.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,685,458, issued Aug. 11, 1987, to M. E. Leckrone, discloses a catheter for use in removing undesired material from a duct with a patients""s body including a cutting element, an inflatable bladder, and a pair of abutments to surround the material being removed so that the material is vacuumed out through the catheter.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,643,186, issued Feb. 17, 1987, to Rosen et al. discloses a balloon angioplasty catheter with microwave antenna to heat and soften the plaque by radiation and heat convection. No particular frequencies are provided and no particular precaution is, provided for the endothelium.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,129,396, issued Jul. 14, 1992, to Rosen et al., discloses a balloon angioplasty catheter with microwave antenna to measure balloon distension.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,576,177, issued Mar. 18, 1986, to W. W. Webster, Jr., discloses an optical fiber for transmitting laser radiation and an ultrasonic transducer mounted at the tip of the catheter for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic signals.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,150,717, issued Sep. 29, 1992, to Rosen et al., discloses an angioplasty catheter that includes a coaxial transmission line with an elongated center conductor and outer conductor. The transmission frequency is preferably about 3 GHz.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,998,932, issued Mar. 12, 1991. to Rosen et al. discloses a chip generator for either laser or RF radiation located on the distal end of the catheter.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,607,419, issued Mar. 4, 1997, to Amplatz et al., discloses a catheter to apply UV light to a blood vessel after balloon angioplasty. The patent teaches that this treatment retards growth of smooth muscle cells.
I.E.E.E. Transactions on Biomedical Engineering. Vol. BME-34 No. 2. February 1987, by D. M. Sullivan, D. T. Borup, and O. M. P. Gandhi, entitled xe2x80x9cUse of Finite Difference Time-Domain Method in Calculating EMI Absorption in Human Tissuesxe2x80x9d describes the FDTD method as applied to bioelectromagnetic problems and demonstrates a 3-D scan of the human torso.
I.E.E.E. Transactions on Biomedical Engineering,. Volume 35, No. 4. April 1988. by D. Andreuccetti, M. Bini, A. Ignesti, R. Olmi, N. Rubino, and R. Vanni, entitled xe2x80x9cVee and Polyacrylamide as a Tissue Equivalent Material in the Microwave Rangexe2x80x9d, discloses the use of polyacrylamide gel to simulate biological tissues at microwave frequencies.
Other related references include Critical Reviews in Biomedical Engineering, by K. R. Foster and H. P. Schwan. Volume 17. Issue 1, 1989, entitled xe2x80x9cDielectric Properties of Tissues and Biological Materialsxe2x80x9d and the book xe2x80x9cField Computation by Moment Methodsxe2x80x9d, by R. F. Harrington, MacMillan Press, 1968.
A review of the above references reveals that a long felt need exists for apparatus and methods to dilate the lumen of the artery without injuring endothelial cells so as to avoid the long term problems often associated with trauma thereto. If the atherosclerotic lesions are radially external of the intima, e.g., in the media, then the intimal layer including the endothelium should be preserved from injury. At a bare minimum, the energy for softening fatty deposits should be radially directed toward the segment or arc of the artery in which the atherosclerotic lesion is located, if the lesion is asymmetrically located within the arterial wall, to greatly reduce the likelihood of damage to healthy tissue. Healthy tissue in the adventitial layer should be preserved. A temperature profile should be controlled to produce heat in a region corresponding to the size and position of the atherosclerotic lesion. The heating should preferably be effected very quickly to avoid extended blockage of the artery with the catheter. Those skilled in the art have long sought and will appreciate the present invention that provides solutions to these and other problems.
The present invention provides methods and apparatus for thermally necrosing (ablating) connective tissue and softening plaque within atherosclerotic lesions while controlling the temperature rise in other arterial tissues and in the endothelial layer of the artery. By means of the present invention, the time required to raise the temperature of an atherosclerotic lesion by a sufficient level (about 20xc2x0 C.) is usually less than one second. The lesion is heated while limiting damage to other tissues. The microwave power level of operation and frequency is chosen so that a temperature increase from absorption of microwave energy in the endothelium is limited by the blood exchange rate to a desired safe temperature range. The frequency of operation and other factors affect the depth at which energy is deposited. Heat conduction effects are related to the time period of operation.
As used herein unless otherwise stated, ablation or necrosis refers generally to creating a temperature profile in the biological tissue that results in a cessation of biological functioning of the remaining living or diseased cells in the tissue, such as connective tissue, that is part of the plaque in the artery wall. For instance, thermal ablation or necrosis refers to heating cells by about 20xc2x0 C. to the general range of roughly 57xc2x0 C. (which temperature may vary and is often dependent on the heating duration) to cause them to cease biological functioning. Once ablated or necrosed, any connective cell tissues within and/or encapsulating the plaque will no longer mechanically support the arterial wall. The absence of mechanical support by the connective tissue induces the lumen in the region or sector of the atheroma to be more flexible in response to the arterial pressure, and especially the elevated arterial pressure at the restriction. Without connective tissue, flesh has the approximate tensile strength of Jello(copyright). However, care must be taken that healthy arterial smooth muscles are not also damaged to the extent that aneurysms are likely to form. Excessive heating of healthy tissue could result in dilation that escalates because greater arterial surface area results in a larger force that may then cause increased dilation, and so on. According to the present invention it is not necessary or desirable to vaporize or char cells for ablation purposes because overheating may cause undesirable side effects. The heating profile is conservatively controlled where possible within time constraints to limit overextending the artery so as to induce aneurysms in the long term. Therefore, the procedure may be performed in stages to attempt to avoid such effects. The temperature profile size and shape may be predicted by computer simulation and effected by microwave radiation having controllable characteristics including frequency, antenna power, pulse width (heating time), and beam width.
For this purpose, a method is given for thermally heating an atherosclerotic lesion in an artery to treat atherosclerosis while preserving an endothelial layer of the artery. A catheter is provided that has a microwave radiator at one end thereof. A frequency of operation for the microwave radiator is provided within a frequency range of from about 3 Gigahertz to about 300 Gigahertz. A microwave power level of operation, pulse duration of operation, and frequency of operation is used such that a heat rise from energy deposition in the endothelial layer is limited by a blood flow rate and a specific heat of the blood to within a selected temperature rise less than an amount that will damage the endothelial layer.
The frequency is selected so that a profile of the heat rise due to energy deposition is maximum within in the atherosclerotic lesion as compared to tissues and fluid surrounding the atherosclerotic lesion.
Typically, a pulse duration of operation of less than two seconds is required for necrosing living tissue within the atherosclerotic lesion. In many cases, the pulse duration will be less than one second or less than one-half second. The microwave radiation is directed at a radial segment of the artery in which the atherosclerotic lesion is substantially positioned, because, typically, the lesions are asymmetrically disposed around the arterial lumen. It is undesirable to apply heat to the remaining healthy tissue opposite or adjacent the lesion. Therefore, a radially directable energy source is provided for use in directing microwaves towards the particular sector of the artery wherein the lesion is located. In one preferred embodiment wherein a waveguide antenna is used, the frequency of operation is in the range of 30 GHz to 300 GHz. The waveguide antenna is preferably a radically beveled open ended waveguide antenna. In another embodiment, frequency in the range of 3 GHz to 300 GHz is generated using a chip positioned on a distal portion of the catheter. Presently available MMIC chips cover a range of 50 to 110 GHz with more power per chip being available at the lower end of the spectrum. To achieve greater than one watt of power, it may be necessary to sequentially connect two or more of the chips together to increase radiation power from the catheter. Preferably, microstrips are used to connect the chips, if necessary, to thereby prevent increasing the diameter of the catheter.
The transcatheter method of dilating the artery includes steps such as positioning the catheter within the artery adjacent to the atherosclerotic lesion, radiating the atherosclerotic lesion with sufficient energy to raise the temperature thereof, and controlling temperature in the endothelial layer to a temperature that does not injure the endothelial layer by limiting total energy deposited in the endothelial with respect to heat lost due to conduction and convection of fluid flow through the artery. After sufficient energy is deposited in the atherosclerotic lesion to necrose living tissue therein and increase flexibility thereof, the natural arterial pressure is used or allowed to dilate the artery. By radiating the energy toward a radial segment of the arterial wall in which the atherosclerotic lesion is positioned, the radiated energy deposited outside of the radial segment of the arterial wall in which the atherosclerotic lesion is positioned is greatly reduced or eliminated. While the connective tissues are necrosed, the plaque that includes wax and fatty deposits is also softened thereby further increasing flexibility of the artery.
A temperature profile for deposition of the energy within the wall of the artery may be predicted using a computer program. The program simulates transcatheter microwave antenna temperature control within an arterial all having an atherosclerotic lesion therein. Although it may be desirable to start with information about the position of the lesion, characteristics thereof and so forth, and obtain operation periods. frequencies and so forth, it is also possible to provide such information to determine the temperature profile. Thus, a frequency of operation from 3 GHz to 300 GHz, the power input, heating time, and antenna beam width may be input to achieve the desired temperature profile. Generally, the program will determine heat energy transferred by heat conduction within a plurality of layers and determine heat energy removed by fluid flow through the artery. For visual ease, it will normally be desirable to plot at least one cross-section of temperature profile in the arterial wall. If the atherosclerotic lesion is asymmetrically disposed within the artery, it is necessary or at least highly desirable to determine the radial section in which the atherosclerotic lesion is located. The size of the atherosclerotic lesion may be an input to the program. The program will model characteristics of the atherosclerotic lesion using a plurality of computer cells of a small size which can simulate the characteristics of a material within the atherosclerotic lesion being provided for each of the computer cells, e.g. electrical permittility and conductivity at the frequency of operation and thermal conduction properties. Because the lesions are heterogeneous, such values may vary for each of the plurality of computer cells.
The energy added to computer cells) that represent portions of the simulated arterial wall, is determined by energy entering and leaving the computer cells. The isothermic profile is determined for a particular time period preferably within a desired time period range of less than five seconds. The profile at any time will vary significantly due to heat conduction and energy deposited. The isothermic profile varies significantly for any particular frequency within a desired frequency range of from 3 GHz to 300 GHz.
The microwave waveguide embodiment of the invention is preferably used with a catheter comprising a microwave transmission line having first and second opposing ends wherein the first end is adapted for connection to a microwave power source having a frequency of operation between about 25 or 30 GHz to about 300 GHz. At least a portion of the microwave transmission line should be operable as a microwave waveguide such that the microwave waveguide has an outer conductor defining an inner region filled with homogenous dielectric material. The microwave radiator is then disposed at the second end of the microwave transmission line. The microwave radiator preferably comprises an open ended waveguide antenna having a beveled portion of the outer conductor of the antenna. The beveled portion is beveled with a selected angle so that energy is directed radially from the open ended waveguide antenna. Dielectric material disposed at the beveled portion preferably extends towards a termination end of the antenna. In one embodiment the inner region is filled with dielectric material that forms an axial extension that extends beyond the beveled portion so as to be operable for exposure to the artery. The microwave transmission line may include a coaxial portion having an inner and outer conductor and a transition portion between the coaxial portion and the microwave waveguide. Continuous microwave radiation is preferably limited to less than five seconds and, generally much less. In another embodiment, a monopole antenna is provided and, more specifically, includes a double disk loaded monopole antenna.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved method for dilating an artery without harming the endothelial layer or healthy tissues.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a technique for conveniently predicting isothermic region sizes and shapes from power inputs, antennas. frequencies of operation, time duration for heating, and other relevant factors that affect the transfer of heat energy.
Yet another object is to limit restenosis by limiting damage to the artery during a procedure for opening the artery.
Yet another object is to take advantage of new tools that describe the lesions more clearly so that treatment can be tailored in response to information about the particular situation.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a test device that allows a close approximation of the actual physical structures within the body by which the various devices and heating factors can be tested in a realistic setting for purposes such as verifying predicted results as to heating, gathering data, refining techniques, and the like.
A feature of the present invention is a transcatheter heating instrument that includes presently preferred embodiments for a microwave radiator.
Another feature of the present invention is a range of frequencies of operation shown to be especially useful for supplying energy to atherosclerotic lesions.
Another feature of the present invention is a simulation for determining microwave radiation and the resulting temperature effects in the blood/tissue/plaque environment due to the heterogeneous nature of this environment including the atherosclerotic lesion. An advantage of the present invention is the wide range of factors that can be adjusted to consider prediction of future results.
Another advantage of the present invention is the ability to refine techniques both before actual construction and after actual construction of the particular devices to be used.
Another advantage of the present invention is that long term problems associated with damage to tissues such as endothelial cells from the procedure is limited.
Yet another advantage of the present invention is the ability to tailor and otherwise refine apparatus and/or techniques to the requirements of a particular application.
These and other objects features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the drawings, the descriptions given herein, and the appended claims.

Endothelium preserving microwave treatment for atherosclerosis

The United States of America as represented by the United States National Aeronatucis and Space Administration


A new and distinct low-chill blueberry (Vaccinium) variety ‘HX’. The parent of ‘HX’ is ‘Avonblue’ (unpatented) an interspecific hybrid of several species. ‘HX’ is                (a) free flowering without the use of growth regulating chemicals,        (b) has the lowest chilling requirement on all commercial cultivar,        (c) has the earliest fruiting of all commercial cultivar,        (d) is resistant to phytophthora cinnamomii and        (e) its fruits ripen uniformly.

The present invention relates to a blueberry Variety, 'HX' Blueberry plant.
The closest known variety is its parent 'Avonblue' (unpatented) an interspecific hybrid.
The variety 'HX', was developed by Hartmann's Plant Company.
Vaccinium hybrid 'HX' was derived from an open pollinated seed tested as E-2. The parent of 'HX' is Avonblue (non-patented), an interspecific hybrid of corymbosum, ashei, darrowi and australe. Plants of 'HX' were hybridized at Hartmann's Blueberry Lane Plantation, located in Earleton, Fla. The hybridization took place in 1973 and testing resumed of the variety from that date until the present.


Devices that couple variable attenuators to a single WDM multiplexer to individually adjust and control the power levels of different WDM channels, e.g., substantially equalizing the power levels of the channels. Optical reflection and in-fiber variable attenuators are implemented to simplify the device structure and reduce cost.

This application relates to optical fiber communication devices, and more particularly, to techniques and devices for signal processing in wavelength-division multiplexed fiber systems.
A wavelength-division multiplexed (WDM) fiber system can be used to transmit different channels of signals carried by optical carriers at different WDM wavelengths in a single fiber. Hence, the transmission capacity of a fiber link can be increased.
The power levels of different WDM channels, however, may be different from one another due to factors such as differences in the signal sources and transmission paths. This variation in signal strength of different WDM channels at a location in a fiber link may cause difficulties in a number of areas in the fiber system, including but not limited to, conditioning the signals during the transmission and relay, signal detection and data extraction. It is therefore desirable to implement devices in a fiber system to independently adjust the power levels of different WDM channels and thus to substantially equalize the signal strengths.
This application includes devices that couple variable attenuators to a single WDM multiplexer to independently adjust and control power levels of individual WDM channels and to substantially equalize the power levels of different WDM channels if so desired. The structures of such devices are simple, compact, and may be manufactured at low cost.
One embodiment of the devices includes an input optical terminal, an optical multiplexer coupled to the input optical terminal, a plurality of variable attenuators, and a reflector. The input optical terminal is used to transmit a WDM signal having a plurality of optical signals at different WDM wavelengths. The optical multiplexer is adapted to have a plurality of output optical terminals and is operable to separate the optical signals at different WDM wavelengths into the output optical terminals, respectively.
The variable attenuators are respectively coupled in the output optical terminals to independently attenuate the optical signals in response to respective control signals so as to produce first attenuated signals. The optical reflector is coupled to the output optical terminals to receive and reflect the first attenuated signals back to the variable attenuators which generate second attenuated signals respectively traveling in the output terminals towards the optical multiplexer. The optical multiplexer is operable to combine the second attenuated signals to produce an attenuated WDM signal in the input optical terminal.


When a power source voltage is applied to a switch control section, a control signal is supplied from the switch control section to a transistor. The transistor is placed in an ON state during a period of time corresponding to a pulse width of the control signal. The power source voltage is applied as a first voltage to a solenoid coil. On the other hand, when supply of the control signal to the transistor is stopped, the transistor is placed in an OFF state. A voltage-generating section generates a DC voltage, which is lower than the power source voltage. The transistor applies the generated DC voltage as a second voltage to the solenoid coil.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a solenoid-operated valve, which is drivable by applying a first voltage to a solenoid coil, and which is maintained in a driven state by applying a second voltage, and to a solenoid-operated valve-driving circuit, which applies the first voltage or the second voltage to the solenoid coil.
2. Description of the Related Art
A technical concept is known, in which a solenoid-operated valve is arranged at an intermediate position of a flow passage, and wherein when a voltage is applied to a solenoid coil of the solenoid-operated valve from a solenoid-operated valve-driving circuit, the solenoid-operated valve is energized for opening and closing the flow passage (see Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication Nos. 7-331718 and 2000-257744).
The present applicant has confirmed the use of a solenoid-operated valve 206, based on the use of a solenoid-operated valve-driving circuit 200, 220, as shown in FIGS. 17 and 18.
In the case of the solenoid-operated valve-driving circuit 200 shown in FIG. 17, when a switch 202 is closed, a power source voltage V0 from a DC power source 204 is applied to a solenoid coil 208 of the solenoid-operated valve 206, and the solenoid-operated valve 206 is placed in a driven state, which is brought about by the electromagnetic force resulting from the current that flows through the solenoid coil 208.
In the solenoid-operated valve-driving circuit 200, a resistor 210 and an LED 212, and a diode 214 are electrically connected in parallel respectively to the solenoid coil 208. Therefore, when the LED 212 emits light, the fact that the solenoid-operated valve 206 is in a driven state can be visually recognized. A counter-electromotive force, which is generated in the solenoid coil 208 when application of the power source voltage V0 to the solenoid coil 208 is stopped, is attenuated in a short period of time by the diode 214.
In the case of the solenoid-operated valve-driving circuit 220 shown in FIG. 18, when the switch 202 is closed, a transistor 222 is changed from an OFF state to an ON state, and a power source voltage V0, as a first voltage, is applied to the solenoid coil 208. When a predetermined period of time elapses from closing of the switch 202, and charging of a capacitor 226 is completed by means of a resistor 224, then the transistor 222 is changed from an ON state to an OFF state as a result of the charging voltage of the capacitor 226. Accordingly, the power source voltage V0 is subjected to voltage division by a resistor 228. A second voltage, generated as a result of such a voltage division, is applied to the solenoid coil 208. Thus, the solenoid-operated valve 206 can be maintained in a driven state.
In relation to the solenoid-operated valve-driving circuit 200 shown in FIG. 17, the same power source voltage V0 is applied to the solenoid coil 208 during driving of the solenoid-operated valve 206, as well as during the time region in which the driven state is maintained. Therefore, excessive electric energy is supplied to the solenoid coil 208 during the time region in which the driven state is maintained. As a result, electric power is wastefully consumed.
On the other hand, in relation to the solenoid-operated valve-driving circuit 220 shown in FIG. 18, a power source voltage V0 (first voltage) is applied to the solenoid coil 208 during driving of the solenoid-operated valve 206, whereas a second voltage, which is lower than the power source voltage V0, is applied during the time region in which the solenoid-operated valve 206 is maintained in a driven state. Therefore, it is possible to reduce electric power consumption by the solenoid coil 208, during the time region in which the solenoid-operated valve 206 is maintained in a driven state, as compared with the solenoid-operated valve-driving circuit 200.
However, in the case of the solenoid-operated valve-driving circuit 220, the power source voltage V0 is subjected to voltage division by means of the resistor 228, in order to generate the second voltage, which is then applied to the solenoid coil 208. Therefore, electric power is wastefully consumed in the resistor 228.
Further, in the case of the solenoid-operated valve-driving circuit 220, ON and OFF states of the transistor 222 are switched, on the basis of the charging/discharging time of the capacitor 226 through the resistor 224. Therefore, when the solenoid-operated valve-driving circuit 220 is stopped, for example due to a power failure, then the solenoid-operated valve-driving circuit 220 cannot be restarted in a short period of time, and/or the solenoid-operated valve 206 cannot be changed over quickly into the time region during which the driven state is maintained.

Solenoid-operated valve and solenoid-operated valve-driving circuit


A “smart” junction box for photovoltaic systems provides electrical measurements of strings of photovoltaic cells to detect premature photovoltaic cell degradation, bypass diode failure, and arcing, and report the same to a central location and/or to provide for automatic disconnection of a given string of photovoltaic cells. The smart junction box also provides general reporting of electrical characteristics to the central system and allows disconnection by command from the central system.

The present invention relates to photovoltaic systems for providing electricity from solar power and in particular to a junction box for electrically combining banks of photovoltaic cells.
Sunlight, provides a promising source of energy that avoids many of the problems of burning fossil fuels. While sunlight can be readily concentrated and used for heating purposes, an increasingly attractive option is the direct generation of electrical power from sunlight using photovoltaic cells. Photovoltaic cells may be fabricated of semiconductor materials and take advantage of the photovoltaic effect to convert light into electrical voltage.
The voltage provided by each photovoltaic cell is relatively small (approximately 0.5 volts for standard cell) and accordingly they are normally combined in series to provide a desired working voltage. This series combination of photovoltaic cells may be managed by a junction box which includes bypass diodes shunting individual photovoltaic cells or sets of series connected cells. The current produced by series connected cells is limited by the lowest current cell, for example, one that is in shade, and in this case, the diodes provide a bypass around the shaded cells and prevent current from being driven through the shaded cell such as can cause heating of the cell. The diodes may also bypass cells that have failed.
Power from the junction boxes may be combined and provided to an inverter which converts the direct current of the photovoltaic cells into alternating current for connection to the grid or local electrical system.
The effectiveness and safety of a photovoltaic system is strongly dependent on the proper operation of each of the photovoltaic cells; however, when the cells are combined and during normal variation in cell output their operating state is difficult to establish. This can lead to unexpected or catastrophic cell failure.

Smart junction box for photovoltaic systems


The present invention has a purpose of providing a tube connecting apparatus capable of stably, accurately executing control of wafer temperature even when connecting of tubes is conducted continuously. A tube connecting apparatus (1) includes a heater (70) for heating a wafer holder (5a), a thermister (71) which detects the temperature of the wafer holder (5a), a heater heating control device (69) which controls the heater (70) based on output of the thermister (71), and a wafer heating control device (68) which performs heating control of a wafer (6) through constant power control. Before the start of heating the wafer (6) by the wafer heating control device (68), the control of the heater (70) is performed by the heater heating control device (69) for temperature control so that the wafer holder (5a) is heated to a fixed temperature (about 65° C.).

During connection of tubes of a blood-collecting bag and a blood-component bag in a blood transfusion system, replacement of a waste liquid bag with a dialysate bag, and other operations in continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD), it is necessary to connect (join) tubes under a sterilized condition. One of apparatuses for aseptically connecting tubes is disclosed for example in Japanese unexamined patent publication No. H6(1994)-78971. An apparatus disclosed in this publication No. H6(1994)-78971 includes a first clamp and a second clamp which hold at least two flexible tubes in parallel relation, a cutting means for cutting the flexible tubes between the first and second clamps, and a moving means for moving at least one of the first and second clamps so that the end portions to be connected of the flexible tubes cut with the cutting means are brought into close contact with each other. The cutting means includes a wafer for melting and cutting the flexible tubes, a constant-voltage source for heating the wafer, a wafer temperature detecting means, and a wafer heating control means. The wafer heating control means has a signal output section for outputting a pulse width modulation calculated based on output of the wafer-temperature detecting means and is arranged to control the temperature of the wafer according to the pulse width modulation signal.
In this apparatus, the wafer heating control means outputs the pulse width modulation signal calculated based on the output of the wafer-temperature detecting means, thereby controlling the temperature of the wafer. In other words, the control of the wafer temperature is performed through feedback control based on the output of the wafer-temperature detecting means.
Another method of controlling the wafer temperature is disclosed for example in Japanese unexamined patent publication No. S59(1984)-64034. The method disclosed in this publication No. S59(1984)-64034 is a method in which electric power for heating a wafer is controlled through constant power control while referring to a temperature at a start of heating up the wafer.
The apparatus disclosed in the above publication '971, however, may cause unstable temperature measurement according to a contact state of the wafer-temperature detecting means with the wafer. Due to long-term use, plasticizer or the like contained in the tubes is likely to adhere to a surface of the wafer-temperature detecting means. Thus the wafer-temperature detecting means may inaccurately measure the temperature of the wafer. Unstable, inaccurate temperature measurement by the wafer-temperature detecting means would lead to unstable, inaccurate control of the wafer temperature. The temperature measurement would become unstable depending on the contact state of the wafer-temperature detecting means with the wafer as mentioned above. For enabling accurate temperature measurement, an adjustment work is performed in mounting the wafer-temperature detecting means. Such adjustment would take much time.
In the wafer-temperature control method disclosed in the publication '034, on the other hand, the wafer temperature is referred to only at the start of wafer heating-up. Thus, when constant electric power is applied to the wafer, a final temperature of the heated wafer may vary from wafer to wafer. In other words, the wafer temperature could not be controlled stably. This is because the presence/absence and direction of thermal flux to each wafer vary due to a difference in elapsed time from a previous connecting operation and other factors. In successive tube connecting operations, particularly, the final temperature of the heated wafer tends to vary.


A method for playing a blackjack type game including a "Dealer Hand" and a "Player Hand". At least one Customer wagers a first bet on any one of a Dealer betting station corresponding to the "Dealer Hand", a Player betting station corresponding to the "Player Hand", and a tie betting station corresponding to a tie between the "Dealer Hand" and the "Player Hand". The object of the game is to wager on the winning hand. Upon the Customer wagering on the Player Betting Station, the Customer executes strategic card play of his Player Hand in accordance with the house rules of blackjack. Upon the Customer wagering on any one of the Dealer Betting station and the Tie Betting Station, the Dealer executes play of both the Player Hand and the Dealer Hand in accordance with a predetermined set of rules. If the Customer has wagered on a winning station, the Customer wins.

The game of "Blackjack" or "21" is arguably the most popular casino game offered by gambling establishments. Blackjack has fascinated the public for years as a leisure time activity, or as a means of income for some individuals. Each year billions of dollars in wagers are traded over the table in connection with this one game alone.
Typically, in Blackjack, each Player wagers a bet and is dealt two cards by a Dealer who also deals two cards to himself. To win, the Player's cards must have a total card value higher than that of the Dealer, but no greater than twenty-one.
The "Dealer Hand" is played out by the Dealer, in accordance with a set of predetermined "house rules", such as the "Northern Nevada" rules now practiced at HARRAH3 S.RTM. Casino. These rules control the play of the Dealer's Hand with respect to when drawing subsequent cards. However, the Player's Hand, in a typical Casino Blackjack game, is played out according to the individual Player's choice. Thus, each Player has his own option to "hit" (draw a card) or "stand" (not draw a card) in his effort to reach twenty-one with respect to their card hand. Thus, to some extent, the Players can increase or decrease their probability of success against the Dealer.
Although the Players are not bound to "hit" or "stand" at certain card situations, a general set of "common rules" apply which are generally known to those familiar with the game. By "hitting" or "standing" in certain card situations, the individual Player may substantially increase their probability of beating the Dealer.
Unlike some card games, Blackjack is an ideal gambling establishment card game because all the Players oppose the Dealer (or "house") rather than each other. Thus, more revenue may be generated, as opposed to card games which generate revenue by merely acting as the "house", such as "poker". However, one problem associated with the typical Casino Blackjack game is that the game itself is relatively slow to develop. The Dealer may have to deal to as many as seven Players not including the Dealer. Furthermore, each Player has to make the individual decision whether to "hit" or "stand" on their own card hand. This is especially time consuming when the Player is indecisive. Accordingly, the pace is not fast enough for some individuals, and in addition, may reduce the potential revenue for both a Player and the gambling establishment.
Another problem associated with the typical Casino Blackjack game is that those unfamiliar with the game reduce their probability of success by electing to "hit" or "stand" at inappropriate or inopportune times. Such inexperienced play may potentially affect the other Players surrounding the inexperienced Player. For example, the inexperienced Player may draw a card which hurts not only themselves, but may also hurt the other Player's at the table. In the worst case scenario, the Player's inexperienced play may help the Dealer. This is especially imperative, should the inexperienced Player be positioned at the "third base" position (i.e., the positioned just before the Dealer). Such inexperienced play may dictate whether the Dealer "busts" (i.e., surpasses twenty-one) which, not surprisingly, will immensely aggravate the other Blackjack Players.
Accordingly, inexperienced Players may shy away from playing Blackjack or be intimidated from increasing their wager due to their card gaming ignorance or improper playing strategy. Often, first time or inexperienced gamblers refuse to participate in the game for fear of losing money, and/or for fear of embarrassment. Therefore, they are relegated to being mere observers. Moreover, one bad experience may forever intimidate them from playing again. It is for these Players that initial playing experience may not provide a proper vehicle for learning the game.
Moreover, some potential Players may be intimidated from playing the game because they are not good at mathematics. Thus, they fear being embarrassed by not adding fast enough or by adding their cards incorrectly in which they may inappropriately draw another card or the like.

Method of playing a blackjack type card game


An error-correction coding method and an error-correction decoding method utilize error detection and error correction for an audio signal when a video signal and the audio signal are multiplexed and transmitted by a DVI. After an error correction code is added to each sample (sample data unit) of the digital audio signal, n continuous (n: integer equal to or larger than 2) pieces of the samples (sample data units) of the digital audio signal, to which error correction codes are added, are interleaved to generate a coded audio signal.

Conventionally, for example, when transmitting a video signal to a liquid crystal monitor or a CRT, analog transmission using an analog RGB interface has been in the mainstream. However, the number of displayable pixels has previously been determined in the liquid crystal monitor, and digital transmission has received attention with proliferation of the liquid crystal monitor. Further, an increase in refresh rate is needed for a reduction in flicker, and high-speed data transmission is needed for image display on a wider screen. Since, in the conventional analog transmission, transmission distortion is considerable and ghosts are likely to occur, importance of digital transmission is increasing with improvement in image quality.
With the needs for digital transmission, in recent years, DVI (Digital Visual Interface) has received attention. The DVI is an interface for digital display connection which is defined by DDWG (Digital Display Working Group), and transfers data using plural data channels on the basis of TMDS (Transition Minimized Differential Signaling) technique. When adopting a digital transmission method using the DVI, high-quality video data with less transmission distortion can be provided by digital transmission at low cost.
As described above, by the adoption of the DVI, a higher-quality image can be obtained as compared with analog transmission. Further, in the DVI, there exists a blanking period when other data can be transmitted, besides a period for transmitting RGB (Red, Green, Blue) pixel data. It is possible to transmit, for example, an audio signal using this blanking period.
When transmitting a digital video signal, a transmission error such as bit corruption sometimes occurs. However, even when such transmission error occurs in transmitting a video signal, it is not very conspicuous on screen and, therefore, no serious problem occurs. However, when a transmission error occurs during transmission of an audio signal, noise or unusual sound might occur and, therefore, the error rate must be considered more strictly than in the case of transmitting a video signal. That is, when transmitting error-conspicuous data other than a video signal by using the blanking period of the DVI or the like, processing for error detection and error correction is required independently. However, in the standard of the interface for digital display connection which is defined by the DDWG (Digital Display Working Group), a construction for error detection and error correction for an audio signal has not been proposed.
The present invention is made to solve the above-described technical problems and has for its object to provide an error-correction coding method, an error-correction coding apparatus, an error-correction decoding method, and an error-correction decoding apparatus, which can perform error detection and error correction for an audio signal when transmitting multiplexed video signal and audio signal by a DVI.

Error correction encoding and decoding methods and apparatuses for DVI audio data

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


Systems and methods for viewing stereoscopic television are described. The methods generate stereoscopic views from 3D content; synchronize with external view ware (e.g., shuttered glasses) to include shutter information and viewing geometry; sequence 3D content for multiple viewers at multiple perspective views; and output to a display component for viewing.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of generating and displaying three-dimensional images, such as for example three dimensional television systems.
Description of the Related Technology
Three dimensional movies have become popular. However, the conventional three dimensional movies lack the true three dimensional experience. In particular, when a viewer sees a movie, the viewer is presented with one particular point of view of a three dimensional scene. If the viewer is presented with a frontal scene of a person, the viewer cannot see the side, top or bottom of the person. It would be desirable to create three dimensional movies such that a viewer can see the side, top and/or bottom of the person.
Virtual reality (VR) machines are also known. VR machines relate to the generation and rendering an interactive viewpoint video in which a user can watch a dynamic scene while changing the viewpoint at will. An example is described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,286,143 issued to Kang et al. However, such devices cannot provide simultaneous multiple perspective views that can be shared among multiple viewers at the same time using a single displaying device.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Methods and apparatuses for viewing three dimensional images


In one embodiment the present invention includes a method and system for managing cache invalidation. In one embodiment, connection information to a database in stored in an intermediate cache management module. If changes are made to objects in the database, the objects are invalidated in a local cache. The connection information is accessed and used to connect to the database by an invalidation listener. The invalidation listener may determine the changes so that the changes can be reflected in the cache. Embodiments of the present invention may be implemented across multiple nodes in a clustered environment for updating caches on different nodes in response to changes to data objects performed by other nodes.

The present invention relates to data caching, and in particular, to a method and system for managing cache invalidation.
Generally, a computer software application may be executed on a single computer system. However, larger or more complex software applications that may require a large amount of processing may run very slowly on a single computer system, or, even worse, may not be able to run at all on a single computer system. Thus, these types of software applications may run in a clustered environment where multiple computer systems share the process demands of the software application. In a clustered environment, multiple computer systems, referred to as nodes, are commonly linked together via a local area network, and share in the processing demands of the software application.
Caching is a well-known technique for quick access to data. One method of caching data is to replicate the data and store it in another location where it would be quicker to access the data in the other location than it would be to access the data in the original location. One criteria that may be used to determine whether to cache particular data is if the particular data is frequently accessed. An example where data caching may be used is a software application which accesses data stored in a database. Data that is often accessed by the software application may be cached (e.g., locally on the same node in a cluster). In that case, the cached data may be replicated and stored in another location where access to the data would be faster than accessing the data stored in the database (e.g., the local computer system memory). Since cached data is a duplicate of the original data, the cached data must be updated when the original data is modified or deleted in order to maintain data consistency. Following the above example, when the software application modifies or deletes data in the database and such data is also cached (i.e., the data in the cache has been invalidated), the cached data must be changed to reflect the change the software made to the data in the database.
Caching and clustering may both be used in conjunction to allow processor-intensive software applications to operate quickly and efficiently. That is, clustering may provide the processing power needed to run the software application, and caching may allow the software application to quickly retrieve that data that it needs to perform its tasks. An example where caching and clustering may be utilized is a software application that processes a large amount of requests from users (e.g., clients) where the requests require the software application to access data stored in a database. Accordingly, each node in the cluster will have its own copy of cached data. When a user request changes data in the database and such data is also cached (i.e., the data in the cache has been invalidated), the cached data in each node in the cluster must be changed to reflect the change to the data in the database made by the server software application.
Thus, there is a need for improved synchronization of caches in nodes in a clustered environment. The present invention solves these and other problems by providing a method and system for managing cache invalidation in a clustered environment.

Method and system for managing cache invalidation