The invention provides a method and device for heating or cooling a surrounding fluid in a feeding vessel. The device includes a catheter assembly capable of insertion to a selected feeding vessel in the vascular system of a patient. The assembly includes a heat transfer element at a distal end of the catheter assembly, the heat transfer element having a plurality of exterior surface irregularities shaped and arranged to create turbulence in a surrounding fluid, the surface irregularities having a depth at least equal to the boundary layer thickness of flow of the surrounding fluid in the feeding vessel. The assembly also includes a supply catheter to deliver a working fluid to an interior of the heat transfer element, a return catheter to return a working fluid from the interior of the heat transfer element, and a drug delivery catheter running substantially parallel to the axis of the catheter assembly. The method includes selectively controlling the temperature of a selected volume of blood in a patient by introducing a catheter assembly into a blood vessel feeding a selected volume of blood in a patient and delivering a working fluid through a supply catheter in the catheter assembly and returning the working fluid through a return catheter in the catheter assembly. Heat is transferred between a heat transfer element forming a distal end of the catheter assembly and the volume of blood in the feeding vessel. A liquid, such as a drug, is delivered through a drug delivery catheter to the volume of blood in the feeding vessel.

Not Applicable
Field of the Inventionxe2x80x94The present invention relates generally to the modification and control of the temperature of a selected body organ. More particularly, the invention relates to applications of selective organ cooling which advantageously employ complementary techniques.
Background Informationxe2x80x94Organs in the human body, such as the brain, kidney and heart, are maintained at a constant temperature of approximately 37xc2x0 C. Hypothermia can be clinically defined as a core body temperature of 35xc2x0 C. or less. Hypothermia is sometimes characterized further according to its severity. A body core temperature in the range of 33xc2x0 C. to 35xc2x0 C. is described as mild hypothermia. A body temperature of 28xc2x0 C. to 32xc2x0 C. is described as moderate hypothermia. A body core temperature in the range of 24xc2x0 C. to 28xc2x0 C. is described as severe hypothermia.
Hypothermia is uniquely effective in reducing brain injury caused by a variety of neurological insults and may eventually play an important role in emergency brain resuscitation. Experimental evidence has demonstrated that cerebral cooling improves outcome after global ischemia, focal ischemia, or traumatic brain injury. For this reason, hypothermia may be induced in order to reduce the effect of certain bodily injuries to the brain as well as other organs.
Cerebral hypothermia has traditionally been accomplished through whole body cooling to create a condition of total body hypothermia in the range of 20xc2x0 C. to 30xc2x0 C. However, the use of total body hypothermia risks certain deleterious systematic vascular effects. For example, total body hypothermia may cause severe derangement of the cardiovascular system, including low cardiac output, elevated systematic resistance, and ventricular fibrillation. Other side effects include renal failure, disseminated intravascular coagulation, and electrolyte disturbances. In addition to the undesirable side effects, total body hypothermia is difficult to administer.
Catheters have been developed which are inserted into the bloodstream of the patient in order to induce total body hypothermia. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,425,419 to Dato describes a method and apparatus of lowering and raising the temperature of the human body. Dato induces moderate hypothermia in a patient using a metallic catheter. The metallic catheter has an inner passageway through which a fluid, such as water, can be circulated. The catheter is inserted through the femoral vein and then through the inferior vena cava as far as the right atrium and the superior vena cava. The Dato catheter has an elongated cylindrical shape and is constructed from stainless steel. By way of example, Dato suggests the use of a catheter approximately 70 cm in length and approximately 6 mm in diameter. However, use of the Dato device implicates the negative effects of total body hypothermia described above.
Due to the problems associated with total body hypothermia, attempts have been made to provide more selective cooling. For example, cooling helmets or headgear have been used in an attempt to cool only the head rather than the patient""s entire body. However, such methods rely on conductive heat transfer through the skull and into the brain. One drawback of using conductive heat transfer is that the process of reducing the temperature of the brain is prolonged. Also, it is difficult to precisely control the temperature of the brain when using conduction due to the temperature gradient that must be established externally in order to sufficiently lower the internal temperature. In addition, when using conduction to cool the brain, the face of the patient is also subjected to severe hypothermia, increasing discomfort and the likelihood of negative side effects. It is known that profound cooling of the face can cause similar cardiovascular side effects as total body cooling. From a practical standpoint, such devices are cumbersome and may make continued treatment of the patient difficult or impossible.
Selected organ hypothermia has been accomplished using extracorporeal perfusion, as detailed by Arthur E. Schwartz, M.D. et al., in Isolated Cerebral Hypothermia by Single Carotid Artery Perusion of Extracorporeally Cooled Blood in Baboons, which appeared in Vol. 39, No. 3, Neurosurgery 577 (September, 1996). In this study, blood was continually withdrawn from baboons through the femoral artery. The blood was cooled by a water bath and then infused through a common carotid artery with its external branches occluded. Using this method, normal heart rhythm, systemic arterial blood pressure and arterial blood gas values were maintained during the hypothermia. This study showed that the brain could be selectively cooled to temperatures of 20xc2x0 C. without reducing the temperature of the entire body. However, external circulation of blood is not a practical approach for treating humans because the risk of infection, need for anticoagulation, and risk of bleeding is too great. Further, this method requires cannulation of two vessels making it more cumbersome to perform particularly in emergency settings. Even more, percutaneous cannulation of the carotid artery is difficult and potentially fatal due to the associated arterial wall trauma. Finally, this method would be ineffective to cool other organs, such as the kidneys, because the feeding arteries cannot be directly cannulated percutaneously.
Selective organ hypothermia has also been attempted by perfusion of a cold solution such as saline or perflourocarbons. This process is commonly used to protect the heart during heart surgery and is referred to as cardioplegia. Perfusion of a cold solution has a number of drawbacks, including a limited time of administration due to excessive volume accumulation, cost, and inconvenience of maintaining the perfusate and lack of effectiveness due to the temperature dilution from the blood. Temperature dilution by the blood is a particular problem in high blood flow organs such as the brain.
The invention provides a practical method and apparatus which modifies and controls the temperature of a selected organ and which may be used in combination with many complementary therapeutic techniques.
In one aspect, the invention is directed towards a device for heating or cooling a surrounding fluid in a feeding vessel. The device includes a catheter assembly capable of insertion to a selected feeding vessel in the vascular system of a patient. The assembly includes a heat transfer element at a distal end of the catheter assembly, the heat transfer element having a plurality of exterior surface irregularities shaped and arranged to create turbulence in a surrounding fluid, the surface irregularities having a depth at least equal to the boundary layer thickness of flow of the surrounding fluid in the feeding vessel. The surrounding fluid may be, e.g., blood in a blood vessel, working fluid within the heat transfer element, etc., and combinations thereof. The assembly further includes a supply catheter to deliver a working fluid to an interior of the heat transfer element and a return catheter to return a working fluid from the interior of the heat transfer element. A drug delivery catheter is also provided and runs substantially parallel to the axis of the catheter assembly.
Implementations of the invention may include one or more of the following. The drug delivery catheter may be disposed substantially coaxially with respect to the supply catheter. The drug delivery catheter may include an outlet at a distal end thereof, the distal end of the drug delivery catheter distal of a distal end of the return or supply catheters. The drug delivery catheter may be disposed within one of the return catheter or the supply catheter or both, and may include an outlet transverse or parallel to the axis of the catheter assembly. The surface irregularities may include a helical ridge and a helical groove formed on each of successive heat transfer segments; and the helical ridge on each heat transfer segment may have an opposite helical twist to the helical ridges on adjacent heat transfer segments. At least one sealed lumen within one of the return catheter or the supply catheter or both may be provided, the sealed lumen in pressure communication with a supply of air to inflate the sealed lumen. The return catheter may be coaxial with the supply catheter, and the return catheter have a larger or smaller radius than the supply catheter, depending on the requirements of the user.
In another aspect, the invention is directed to a device for heating or cooling a surrounding fluid in a feeding vessel. In this aspect, the heat transfer element has a distal end which defines an orifice. A supply catheter deliver a working fluid to an interior of the heat transfer element, the supply catheter having a working fluid catheter disposed therein and further having disposed therein a drug delivery catheter running substantially parallel to the axis of the supply catheter. The working fluid catheter has defined thereon a number of outlets to communicate the working fluid from the interior of the supply catheter to a volume defined by the exterior of the supply catheter and the interior of the heat transfer element. The device further includes a return catheter to return the working fluid from the interior of the heat transfer element.
In yet another aspect, the invention is directed to a method for selectively controlling the temperature of a selected volume of blood in a patient. The method includes introducing a catheter assembly into a blood vessel feeding a selected volume of blood in a patient, and delivering a working fluid through a supply catheter in the catheter assembly and returning the working fluid through a return catheter in the catheter assembly. Heat is transferred between a heat transfer element forming a distal end of the catheter assembly and the volume of blood in the feeding vessel. A liquid is delivered through a drug delivery catheter to the volume of blood in the feeding vessel.
Implementations of the invention may include one or more of the following. Turbulence may be created around a plurality of surface irregularities on the heat transfer element at a distance from the heat transfer element greater than the boundary layer thickness of flow in the feeding vessel, thereby creating turbulence throughout a free stream of blood flow in the feeding vessel. The surface irregularities on the heat transfer element may include a plurality of segments of helical ridges and grooves having alternating directions of helical rotation; and turbulence is created by establishing repetitively alternating directions of helical blood flow with the alternating helical rotations of the ridges and grooves. The liquid may be a warm enzyme solution, and may be selected from the group consisting of tPA, streptokinase, urokinase, pro-urokinase, and combinations thereof. The liquid may be delivered to the volume in a longitudinal or transverse direction with respect to the axis of the catheter assembly. The liquid may be delivered to the volume proximal or distal of the distal tip of the catheter assembly. If the volume of blood includes a blood clot, during the delivering of the liquid the distal tip of the catheter assembly may be disposed substantially near, adjacent, or embedded in the blood clot. Air may be delivered to at least one sealed lumen within the return catheter to cause the sealed lumen to enlarge. The air may further be delivered in a pulsatile fashion to repeatedly enlarge and contract the sealed lumen, thereby to create additional turbulence, e.g., to enhance heat transfer.
Advantages of the invention include the following. The device may be placed in an artery without traumatizing the arterial wall and with damaging the device itself. The device may be placed in an artery simply and by a variety of practitioners such as cardiologists or neurosurgeons. The device allows the complementary performance of simultaneous procedures along with brain cooling, these procedures including angiography, stenotic lesion stenting, and drug delivery.
The novel features of this invention, as well as the invention itself, will be best understood from the attached drawings, taken along with the following description, in which similar reference characters refer to similar parts, and in which:

Method and device for applications of selective organ cooling


A computerized (e.g. intelligent) downhole oil/water separation system. A hydrocyclone separator is used downhole to separate oil from water. Downhole sensors monitor parameters associated with the oil/water separation and provide signals representing the parameters to a controller. The controller controls operation of the system by generating control signals and providing the control signals to one or more control devices. The oil/water separation is optimized and well profitability is enhanced.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to systems for separating water from hydrocarbons (e.g. oil) in a well and in particular to methods and apparatus for monitoring and controlling a downhole oil/water separator.
2. Prior Art
In an oil well, a quantity of water left from "well completion" or from "water flooding" is mixed with the oil during production and both fluids flow to the surface from underground formations. The water is typically separated at the surface and then injected back into the underground formations. As the water-oil ratio (WOR) increases, the cost of operating the well increases. Much of the cost is in managing the ever increasing volumes of water that must be lifted to the surface, separated, treated, pipelined and injected back into the formations. As the WOR increases, the profitability of the well is diminished until it is no longer economically possible to continue production. This often results in leaving large amounts of oil in place in the formation.
The excessive cost of separating water from oil at the surface of a well has lead to downhole separation systems. U.S. Pat. No. 5,269,153 discloses a downhole separation system which is shown in FIG. 1. The well 13 comprises a downhole oil/water separation system including a cyclone separator 11 having a separation chamber 15 wherein liquids of different densities are separated. Mixed liquids enter through inlet 17 at a high tangential speed so as to generate the required centrifugal force for subsequent separation and pass into separation chamber 15. A first outlet 19 is provided for liquids having a first density and a second outlet 21 is provided for liquids having a second density. A stream of mainly oil flows out of outlet 19 and along recovery conduit 27. A steam of mainly water passes through outlet 21 into disposal conduit 33 and is injected into the formation through injection perforations 34.
While downhole separation systems have improved well performance, there is a need in the art for improved downhole oil/water separation systems. In particular, there is a need for downhole oil/water separation systems that can monitor parameters downhole and control the downhole oil/water separator based on monitored parameters so as to achieve the proper separation and to optimize the performance of the separator. This is well appreciated when the feed entering the separator varies in properties such as oil and water viscosity which depends strongly on temperature and more importantly the water-oil ratio.

Apparatus for controlling and monitoring a downhole oil/water separator


A vehicle steering control device includes a turning angle varying device serving as a first turn response change device for changing a gain of yaw rate of a vehicle with respect to steering operation, and a rear wheel steering device serving as a second turn response change device for changing a gain of lateral acceleration of the vehicle with respect to the steering operation. Under a state in which magnitude of curvature of a travel path is equal to or less than a first reference value, at least one of the turning angle varying and rear wheel steering devices is controlled so that a ratio of the gain of the lateral acceleration to the gain of the yaw rate increases when a width of the travel path is small compared with when the width of the travel path is large.

A steering control device configured to change a steering characteristic depending on a width of a travel path is known as a steering control device for a vehicle such as a motor vehicle. For example, Patent Literature 1 filed by the applicant of this application discloses a steering control device configured to increase a steering gear ratio and increase a derivative gain of a steering transmission ratio when the travel path width is small compared with when the travel path width is large.
The steering control device disclosed in Patent Literature 1 can increase a traveling performance when the vehicle travels straight on a narrow path compared with a case where the steering gear ratio is not increased even when the travel path width is small. Moreover, the steering control device can increase a traveling performance when the vehicle travels on a narrow and greatly meandering path compared with a case where the derivative gain of the steering transmission ratio is not increased even when the travel path width is small.


A mute unit 20 is attached to a trumpet. Inside the mute unit 20, a microphone 21 is mounted, so that a sound collected by the microphone 21 is converted to an electric signal. The electric signal is supplied to a signal processor 30. The signal processor 30 processes the electric signal converted by the microphone 21 such that changes in frequency characteristic of the sound caused by the mute unit 20 are cancelled. The signal processor 30 then outputs the processed signal.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a signal processor for musical performance of a wind instrument using a mute for reducing volume of sounds generated by the wind instrument (sounds of the musical instrument).
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, as described in Japanese Patent Publication No. 4114171 and Japanese Patent Publication No. 4124236 for example, it has been well known that a mute (silencer) is attached to a bell of a brass instrument such as a trumpet to reduce (mute) volume of sounds emitted by the instrument to the outside of the instrument, with a microphone being embedded in the mute so that a player of the instrument can listen to sounds collected by the microphone through earphones as sounds emitted by the instrument.
As described in Japanese Patent Publication No. 4521778 and Japanese Utility Model Registration No. 3145588, furthermore, it has also been well known that a wood wind instrument such as a saxophone is housed in a mute (silencer) formed of an enclosed housing to reduce (mute) volume of sounds emitted by the instrument to the outside of the instrument, with a microphone being embedded in the mute so that a player of the instrument can listen to sounds collected by the microphone through earphones as sounds emitted by the instrument.
Furthermore, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 11-52836 discloses an art for resolving the difference in localization of sound image between a case where sounds reproduced by earphones are localized inside a head of a player, more specifically, where a player listens to sounds supplied by a microphone embedded in a mute (silencer) through earphones as sounds of a musical instrument as described above, and a case where the wind instrument is played without the mute. In the art, electric signals supplied from the microphone embedded in the mute are processed by a sound image localization filter which performs convolution operation on the electric signals so that the player can listen to reproduced sounds of the wind instrument at a position of sound localization of the case where the wind instrument is played without the mute.

Signal processor for musical performance of wind instrument using a mute


In the direct synthesis of methylchlorosilanes by reacting methyl chloride with a catalyst composition which comprises silicon, copper catalyst, zinc promoters and tin promoters and/or antimony promoters, a catalyst composition is used which was activated in advance by treatment with HCl under specific activation conditions.

In the Muller-Rochow direct synthesis, methyl chloride is reacted with silicon in the presence of a copper catalyst and suitable promoters to form methylchlorosilanes. In this process, both the highest possible productivity (amount of silanes formed per unit time and amount of silicon used) and the highest selectivity, based on the target product dimethyldichlorosilane, is demanded. Dimethyldichlorosilane is required, for example, for preparing linear polysiloxanes.
Despite the great economic importance of the direct synthesis, its scientific background has still not been completely studied. According to Lieske et al. in SILICONE FOR CHEMICAL INDUSTRY, Geiranger-Norway, Jun. 16-18, 1992, owing to the participation of three solids in the reaction, that is to say silicon, catalyst and promoters, the reproducibility of the experiments is frequently poor. In practice, different batches of the direct synthesis, despite identical material parameters and reaction parameters, proceed with variable results.
The direct synthesis can be carried out batchwise or continuously, although in industrial production only the continuous variant is employed. The continuous direct synthesis is carried out in fluidized-bed reactors in which methyl chloride is used simultaneously as fluidizing medium and reactant. The silicon required is ground in advance to give a powder of particle size from 20 to 700 .mu.m and mixed with copper catalyst and promoters to form the catalyst composition.
Before the continuous direct synthesis production campaign, there is provided a "reactor heat-up phase", in which the catalyst composition is heated to reaction temperature. A continuous direct synthesis production campaign begins with the "induction phase". At the start of the induction phase, methyl chloride is introduced into the heated catalyst composition. This is followed by the "start phase" in which the crude silane formation is initiated. The reaction initially proceeds at low selectivity and reactivity. The stable "production phase" is then reached. The production campaign ends when methyl chloride is no longer introduced into the catalyst composition.
During the continuous operation of a reactor in a production campaign, after a substantially stable production phase, the production rate, based on methylchlorosilanes, and the selectivity, based on the target product dimethyldichlorosilane, both decrease. Therefore, the production campaign must be terminated after a certain time. As a result, a production campaign therefore usually lasts from only a few days to several weeks.
The reactor, after termination of a production campaign, is emptied, refilled with silicon, copper catalyst and promoters, and again brought to reaction conditions. It can be seen from the foregoing, that increasing the production rate and prolonging the duration of the production campaign, while retaining the same selectivity, increases the economic efficiency of the direct synthesis.
Activating the catalyst composition before the reaction with methyl chloride by a preliminary reaction with HCl is disclosed, for example, by U.S. Pat. No. 4,864,044. In the examples there, a process is described in which silicon, copper catalyst with or without tin promoter, but in the absence of zinc promoters, can be activated by HCl at approximately 325.degree. C. The disadvantages of this type of activation are that zinc or zinc compounds can be added only after the activation, since zinc forms readily sublimable zinc chloride with HCl under the specified reaction conditions and can thus be removed from the catalyst composition during the activation; a separate reactor is required for the activation and the reaction products of the activation were, in particular, trichlorosilane and tetrachlorosilane, are unwanted by-products of the methylchlorosilane synthesis; at least from 1 to 2% of the silicon raw material used is consumed by the activation; and a relatively high activation temperature is required.

Process for preparing organochlorosilanes


An impact tool, comprising: a shaft; a stop on the shaft; a slider movable on the shaft for striking the stop to create an impact force; and a handle on the slider to allow a user to move the slider. The handle isolates the impact force from the user by being movably attached to the slider.

This invention relates to an impact tool. Specifically, the present invention relates to an ergonomic impact tool.
Impact tools, such as dent pullers, have a variety of uses. As one example, an impact tool can assist with the disassembly of an industrial gas turbine (IGT) during an overhaul. During an overhaul, a technician must remove the various flanges from the outside of the case. However, the heat and expansion cycles encountered during use of the IGT can make the removal of these flanges difficult. One conventional method uses an impact tool to dislodge the flanges from the IGT case.
Despite using the impact tool, removing the flanges can prove difficult. The technician often must actuate the impact tool a significant number of times (e.g. 20–80) to dislodge the flange. Repeating this process for each flange on the IGT case (e.g. 6 flanges per case) could take approximately one hour.
The use of conventional impact tools has several drawbacks. First, conventional impact tools the impact force to transfer from the tool to the technician. Specifically, the impact forces transfer from the tool to the hand, forearm and elbow of the technician. Given the number of repetitions and the number of flanges, these impact forces may create discomfort in the hand, forearm or elbow of the technician.
Second, conventional impact tools require the technician to orient the hand and forearm in an awkward position. This awkward position prevents the technician from applying the maximum possible amount of force to the impact tool. This requires the technician to actuate the impact tool a greater number of times to dislodge the flanges. Furthermore, the awkward position may also have an effect on the aforementioned discomfort with the technician.
Third, conventional impact tools can also pinch the technician. When grasping the impact tool, part of the technician's hand could extend past the slider. This portion of the technician's hand could contact the stop during actuation of the impact tool. Since the slider is weighted, this pinching can also cause discomfort with the technician.


The invention concerns a device comprising a screw (10) with pitch (P1) driven by a motor (M), a nut (12) co-operating with the screw (10) and designed to be driven in translation in the direction of the screw axis, said nut being integral in translation with a member (14), guide means (22L, 24L) defining a linear guiding to lock the rotation of the nut in a first phase of displacement, second guide means (22H, 24H) defining a helical guiding having a reverse pitch (P2) relative to the pitch of the screw to enable the transverse pitch and hence the translational speed of the nut to be decreased in said second phase of displacement. The inventive device can be used to produce a relative displacement between the members (16 and 28) of a clamping tool.

A typical example of clamping tools of this type are welding pincers which are used, in particular, on motor vehicle assembly lines. These pincers are intended to clamp a plurality of panels between themselves for the electric welding thereof.
In all cases, these pincers must allow, by means of appropriate motorisation, the relative displacement of two members, in this case the two arms or jaws of pincers, with two different movements or phases.
During clamping, in fact, it is desirable to be able to displace the two members first with a rapid movement then with a slower movement until final clamping is achieved.
For this purpose, it is known to use fluid-actuated jacks, in particular hydraulic jacks, to bring about the relative movement of the two members.
However, these clamping tools which employ jacks have the drawbacks inherent in such jacks, in particular risks of leaks, etc.
Electric clamping tools, in particular electric pincers, are also known which employ electric motorisation to bring about the relative displacement of the two members of the tool.
However, these electric tools suffer from problems associated with the characteristics of electric motorisation, namely high speeds of opening and closure and little clamping force or, on the contrary, a high clamping force and low speeds.
In clamping tools of the aforementioned type, it is essential, in view of the increasingly high speeds employed in industry, to be able to displace the members at a high speed while applying a high clamping force.
These two requirements, namely high speeds of opening and closure and high clamping force, cannot be met with the known solutions, even with motorisation employing electric motors without brushes.
In fact, these two requirements are incompatible as they arise from two contradictory kinematic definitions, namely:                a high inertial load (opening and closure of the pincers) which involves a well-defined inertial ratio between load and motor and therefore a given reduction ratio and        a high thrust load which generally defines a reduction ratio higher than the above-defined reduction ratio, in order to amplify the force generated by the torque of the motorisation system used.
This high thrust load is required to bring about the final clamping movement, for example the clamping of a plurality of panels by welding pincers.
Indexing devices which employ variable pitch screws or cams to obtain a variable reduction ratio are also known. However, these known devices are heavy and have significant inertia which makes them unsuitable for an application intended for a portable or mobile tool, and of which high performance and therefore low inertia are demanded.

Driving device and clamping tool equipped with same


A smart surface is composed of a semiconductor memory layer overlaid on an insulated conductive layer with a one to one correspondence of each memory cell with the conductive pad on the insulated layer. The entire structure can be fashioned into a either a planar structure or other geometric structure. An appliance may be overlaid the smart surface and signals transmitted and received to and from the appliance via the conductive pad(s) of the smart surface.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to semiconductor techniques for forming a smart surface.
2. General Background and State of the Art
There are currently several dominant techniques used in computer based and commercial printing (non-impact printing).
A large portion of Personal Computer (PC) based printing is based on Ink Jet technology, or "Drop on Demand" methods where the image to be printed is constructed on an appropriate printing medium such as paper, plastic, textiles, printing plates and even silicon based substrates using print heads which eject drops of ink at the appropriate location on the printing medium. Since the ejection of ink occurs at the time the image is being printed this is often called "Drop on Demand" printing. The ink ejection mechanism may be controlled using piezo electric mechanisms or thermal mechanisms (ink jet or bubble jet). These printing methods rely on electronics that reside on the computer and on the printing equipment to deposit the ink on the printing medium. Since the entire image is constructed on a drop-by-drop basis, this can be a rather slow process.
Another kind of commercial printing that is carried out using the ink-jetting technique is called the Continuous Ink-Jetting Method. In this method, a continuous jet of ink is squirted through space, and using electrostatic deflector plates, the ink is selectively directed at the appropriate medium through a mesh, leading to deposition of dots to create patterns. The unused ink is directed through another channel and is recycled. This is the basis of the Continuous Ink Jetting technique and this process uses both charged and uncharged inks.
Another popular PC based printing method is "Laser Jet" or "Laser Writing" which is based on electrophotography. This method originated from Xerographic techniques for replication of images. In the original xerographic technique, a charged drum (photoconductive drum) is optically exposed to the image to be duplicated. Based on the image, charges are removed on the photoconductive drum using either a laser beam, or any other light source of appropriate spectral content and energy such as light emitting diodes (LED's). Specially charged ink, called toners, which could be either a fine powder or a liquid, are attracted to the locations on the photoconductive drum, which have the opposite electrical polarity. From the photoconductive drum, these charged particles are then transferred to the printing medium. In this method of printing, the contents of the entire image can be transferred to a photoconductive drum, and then the transfer effected to the printing media in a single step. This method of image transfer is therefore faster than the "Drop on Demand" technique previously described.
Another printing technology used in the commercial printing world, called magnetography, is similar to electrophotography, but uses magnetic fields instead of electrostatic fields to propel charges.
Perhaps the most dominant technology in the commercial printing world is based on lithography. Lithography involves a plate or an intermediate medium, on which the image to be printed is either exposed or engraved using a variety of techniques such as photography, laser ablation, thermal ablation and more recently ink jet based techniques. The areas of the printing plate have areas which accept ink (olephilic—oil loving) and areas, which accept water (hydrophilic). In general, the oil loving areas of the image do not accept water and the water loving areas do not accept ink. As the lithographic printing ink is an emulsion of pigments and water, the ink and water selectively migrate to their respective locations on the printing plates. Once the ink and water have migrated to their respective locations, it is then transferred to the medium being printed or to an intermediate cylinder called an offset cylinder and from the offset cylinder the image is deposited on the final medium.
There are four other processes, namely flexography, gravure, letterpress and screen printing.
The above-mentioned technologies are fairly well established. They have great advantages in their respective niches. However, there are significant disadvantages with each of the methods.
For example, as previously mentioned, ink jet based printers are quite slow. There are high costs associated with electrostatic printing processes for commercial printing, due to low throughput and inability to provide more than a certain number of copies (40,000 copies with current technology) on an electro-photography based machine, before the photoconductor drum is rendered useless for any other more reproduction. In lithographic printing, primary costs include use of expensive printing plates or spools, and high costs for recycling and disposal of environmentally unfriendly chemicals. Furthermore, the imaging or pre-imaging equipment used in the commercial printing world can be quite large and bulky.
Most commercial printing technology also involves disposable pieces. For example, lithographic printing involves using a new printing plane for every image printed. There are also inks that need to be poured and replenished, if one wants to make a large number (many thousands) of copies. With xerography, a new printing plate is not used each time. However, the same large number of copies cannot be made because the charges wear off and need to be replenished. In addition, the photoconductive drums lose sensitivity to spectral content after multiple usage.
Finally, personal printers such as inkjet and laser printers utilize ink cartridges, which need to be replaced on a regular basis. Much of the money made in the personal printing market is by consumables such as ink cartridges, toner, drums, and printing plates.

Digital semiconductor based smart surface


The present invention provides a heat dissipation member for use in the optical disk drive. The present invention includes an outer frame and a chassis. The chassis has a drive module, a pickup module and two guide rods. A heat dissipation member is disposed on the pickup module and is in contact with a laser diode of the pickup module. When the drive module spins the optical disk at a rotational speed, an air flow is produced due to spinning of optical disk. A part of the air flow is directed to flow through the laser diode by the heat dissipation member so that excess heat generated by the laser diode is efficiently dissipated.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical disk drive, and in particular to a heat dissipation member that is effective in dissipating heat from a laser diode of a pickup module and preventing the laser diode from overheating.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Optical disk drives are becoming more popular in the market, and the optical disk drives are considered as standard equipment on personal computer for several years. A pickup module such as optical pickup head is one of the key components implemented in the optical disk drive. FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate the conventional optical disk drive and its key components. For simplicity, an upper cover and a lower cover of the conventional optical disk drive are removed. Referring to FIG. 1, the conventional optical disk drive has an outer frame 1a and a chassis 2a. As shown in FIG. 2, the chassis 2a has a drive module 3a, a pickup module 4a and guide rods 51a and 52a. The guide rods 51a and 52a are respectively disposed on the chassis 2a. The pickup module 4a can be slidably mounted on the guide rods 51a and 52a and has a laser diode 41a which is used to generate laser beam for reproducing or recording. Besides, the drive module 3a is used to spin optical disk at a rotational speed when the optical disk drive is in use.
However, the temperature of the laser diode 41a can be usually higher than the temperature within the optical disk drive and ambient temperature. If temperature of the laser diode 41a is too high, then it may have detrimental impact on performance of the laser diode 41a. In prior art, temperature of the laser diode 41a cannot be kept constant, so the laser diode 41a will fail for a long time.
Thus, there is need to development for a heat dissipation member for use in an optical disk drive.

Heat dissipation member for an optical disk drive


A lever having an elongate body adapted for selected pivotal attachment to a container which employs a depressable actuator to open and close access to the container interior. One end of the body is connected to the container. The other end is configured for engagement by an operator to effect lever pivot. A projecting finger extends generally normally from the body to engage the depressable actuator upon pivoting of the body, the finger being spaced from the second end of the body to afford improved leverage to the lever operator.

For a number of years now, it has been common to keep beverages in air-tight portable containers which preserve freshness and taste of the beverage over time. These containers, commonly referred to as airpots, include an insulated bottle which defines a cavity to hold the beverage, and a hinged lid which closes the bottle to form a seal. An outflow port communicates with the fluid chamber to accommodate selected discharge of the beverage, typically upon depressing an activator associated with the lid. The activator operates on a bellows which forces air into the fluid chamber, pressurizing the chamber so as to direct flow of the beverage through the outflow port.
Unfortunately, airpots often employ push-button activators, many of which are difficult to operate due to the force which is required to pressurize the fluid chamber. Push-button activators also may be counter-intuitive, particularly in view of the use of more desirable lever activators which simulate the action of a old-fashioned well pump. Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide an auxiliary lever configured for selected use in connection with a push-button activator to adapt an airpot for lever-activated fluid discharge. It also would be desirable to adapt the lever for onboard connection to the airpot, and preferably to the container lid's hinge so as to accommodate depression of a push-button activator while maintaining portability of the airpot.


A cement reinforcing fiber of the present invention is a cement reinforcing fiber made of a polyolefin fiber, wherein a fiber treating agent is adhered to a surface of the polyolefin fiber, and the fiber treating agent is a polyoxyethylene alkyl phosphoric ester salt. One preferred polyoxyethylene alkyl phosphoric ester salt is a compound represented by chemical formula (2) below. A cured cement of the present invention contains the above-described cement reinforcing fiber.

Polyolefin fibers such as a polypropylene fiber are strong and lightweight, and are used widely in an industrial application, and the like. In order to reinforce the impact strength and the bending strength of a hydraulic cured body such as concrete and mortar, short fibers made of polypropylene, vinylon, and the like are used as reinforcing fibers. As the reinforcing fibers, fibers having excellent fiber strength and fiber elongation have been used. For obtaining such fibers having excellent strength and elongation, the selection of polymers, etc., has been performed. In particular, as reinforcing fibers for autoclave curing concrete, vinylon cannot be used because it decomposes, whereas polyolefin such as polypropylene has been put into practical use because of its stability. In some cases, a fiber treating agent (also called as a fiber finishing oil) is adhered to the cement reinforcing fibers for the purpose of uniformly dispersing reinforcing fibers in a hydraulic cured body. For example, Patent Document 1 describes cement reinforcing fibers to which a fiber treating agent containing an alkyl phosphate represented by the following chemical formula (1) as a main component has been adhered.

Further, as another method for uniformly dispersing reinforcing fibers in a hydraulic cured body, it has been studied to improve an affinity of fibers for a hydraulic cured body by hydrophilizing fibers through a hydrophilization treatment such as a fluorine treatment, a plasma discharge treatment, and a corona discharge treatment. For example, Patent Document 2 describes cement reinforcing fibers obtained by subjecting fibers to any one of a surface treatment selected from a corona discharge treatment, an atmospheric plasma treatment, and an ozone aqueous solution treatment, and then adhering a fiber treating agent to the surface-treated fibers.

Fiber for reinforcing cement, and cured cement produced using same

Abstract: In the chemical formula (2) above, R is an alkyl group with a carbon number of 2 to 20, A is an alkali metal element, and n is 1 to 20.


A method and apparatus in which (i) a user equipment device registers with a first radio access network (RAN) that provides connectivity with a transport network, (ii) once registered with the first RAN, the device then registers via the first RAN and transport network with a call server, and (iii) in response to the device registering with the call server, but before the device then engages in a call served by the call server, the device registers via the first RAN with a second RAN. The method may thereby help to expedite later handover of a call served by the call server from being via the first RAN to being via the second RAN. Further, by the second RAN registration being conducted in response to registration of the device with the call server, the method may help to ensure usefulness of the registration of the device with the second RAN.

Unless otherwise indicated herein, the materials described in this section are not prior art to the claims and are not admitted to be prior art by inclusion in this section.
A typical radio access wireless (RAN) network includes a number of base stations that radiate to define wireless coverage areas, such as cells and cell sectors, in which user equipment devices (UEs) such as cell phones, tablet computers, tracking devices, embedded wireless modules, and other wirelessly equipped communication devices, can operate. In turn, each base station may be coupled with network infrastructure that provides connectivity with one or more transport networks, such as the public switched telephone network (PSTN) and/or the Internet for instance. With this arrangement, a UE within coverage of the RAN may engage in air interface communication with a base station and may thereby communicate via the base station with various remote network entities or with other UEs served by the RAN.
In general, a RAN may operate in accordance with a particular radio access technology or "air interface protocol," with communications from the base stations to UEs defining a downlink or forward link and communications from the UEs to the base stations defining an uplink or reverse link. Examples of existing air interface protocols include, without limitation, Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA (e.g., Long Term Evolution (LTE) or Wireless Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX)), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) (e.g., 1xRTT and 1xEV-DO), and Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), among others. Each protocol may define its own procedures initiation of communications, handover between coverage areas, and functions related to air interface communication.
In order to receive certain services of a RAN, such as to place and receive calls via the RAN or to engage in data communication via the RAN, a UE may need to first register with the RAN. Procedures for RAN registration of a UE may vary from network to network, depending on the air interface protocol and other factors. But typically, RAN registration involves an exchange of signaling between the UE and the RAN, and the RAN responsively engaging in various processes to authorize and authenticate the UE, to establish a local service record for the UE, and to record where the UE is located (such as which base station or coverage area will be serving the UE).
Once a UE is registered with a RAN and operating within coverage of a particular base station, the UE may then operate in an idle mode or a connected (or active) mode. In the idle mode, the UE may periodically monitor air interface communications from the base station to receive system overhead information (e.g., operational parameters) and to check for any page messages destined to the UE. Upon receipt of a page message, or when the UE seeks to engage in a call or other communication, the UE may then engage in control signaling with the base station and may transition into a connected mode, with the base station assigning for the UE certain air interface resources that the UE can use to engage in bearer communication (e.g., communication of voice or other user/application data), and the UE may then engage in bearer communication accordingly. In turn, once the UE finishes the bearer communication, perhaps after a threshold period of absence of such communication, the UE may then revert to operating in the idle mode.

Registration with radio access network in response to registration with call server


A cushioning conversion machine and method for converting sheet stock material into a cushioning dunnage product and wherein the tension in the stock material is controlled to avoid problems associated with improper tension. A conversion assembly draws the stock material from a stock supply and converts the stock material into a strip of cushioning, and a controller controls the operation of the conversion assembly. The conversion assembly is powered by a motor and the controller controls the operation of the motor in response to a sensed parameter related to the tension in the paper. In another embodiment, a torque control is interposed between the feed motor and feed components that engage the stock material.

The invention herein described relates generally to cushioning conversion machines and more particularly to improvements in controlling the tension of the stock material fed into such machines for conversion into a dunnage product.
In the process of shipping an item from one location to another, protective packaging material is often placed in the shipping container to fill any voids and/or to cushion the item during the shipping process. Some commonly used protective packaging materials are plastic foam peanuts and plastic bubble pack. While these conventional plastic materials seem to perform adequately as cushioning products, they are not without disadvantages. Perhaps the most serious drawback of plastic bubble wrap and plastic foam peanuts is their affect on our environment. Quite simply, these plastic packaging materials are not biodegradable, and therefore they cannot avoid further multiplying our planet""s already critical waste disposal problems. The non-biodegradability of these packaging materials has become increasingly important in light of many industries adopting more progressive policies in terms of environmental responsibility.
The foregoing and other disadvantages of conventional plastic packaging materials have made paper protective packaging material a popular alternative. Paper is biodegradable, recyclable and composed of a renewable resource, making it an environmentally responsible choice for conscientious shippers.
While paper in sheet form could possibly be used as a protective packaging material, it is usually preferable to convert the sheets of paper into a relatively low density pad-like cushioning or dunnage product. This conversion may be accomplished by a cushioning conversion machine, such as that disclosed in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,123,889. The conversion machine disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,123,889 converts sheet stock material, such as paper in multi-ply form, into relatively low density pads. Specifically, the machine converts this stock material into a continuous unconnected strip having lateral pillow portions separated by a thin central band. This strip is connected as by coining along its central band to form a coined strip which is cut into sections, or pads, of a desired length. The stock material preferably consists of three superimposed webs or layers of biodegradable, recyclable and reusable thirty-pound Kraft paper rolled onto a hollow cylindrical tube. A thirty-inch wide roll of this paper, which is approximately 450 feet long, weighs about 35 pounds and will provide cushioning equal to approximately sixty cubic feet of plastic foam peanuts while at the same time requiring less than one-thirtieth the storage space.
The conversion machines known in the prior art, including the one shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,123,889, have used a freely rotating roll from which the stock material to be converted is fed by means of the same mechanism that advances the material through the forming portion of the machine. Specifically a pair of gears that have performed a connecting operation have been used to advance the material being converted. These gears stop and start their rotation during the conversion process, and this results in the need to accelerate the stock roll every time the gears start, with resulting changes in the tension of material being fed through the conversion machine. These changes in the tension of the material can affect the quality of the dunnage product being produced.
Also, when the conversion process is stopped, the rotational inertia of the stock roll can cause the stock roll to overrun and form a loose loop of material at the supply end of the conversion machine. When the conversion process is resumed, initially the material will be at a relatively low tension until the loose loop of material is taken up, at which point the tension on the paper will rapidly increase, almost instantaneously, to a relatively high level until the stock roll accelerates to match the feed rate through the machine. This quick change in tension can cause the material to tear, as well as degrade the quality of the dunnage product being produced.
The present invention provides a cushioning conversion machine and method for converting sheet stock material into a cushioning dunnage product and wherein the tension in the stock material is controlled to avoid one or more of the paper tension problems associated with prior art conversion machines and methods.
According to one aspect of the invention, a cushioning conversion machine and method for converting sheet stock material into a cushioning dunnage product are characterized by a stock supply assembly which supplies stock material to be converted, a conversion assembly which draws the stock material from the stock supply and converts the stock material into a strip of cushioning, and a controller which controls the operation of the conversion assembly. The conversion assembly is powered by a motor and the controller controls the operation of the motor in response to a sensed parameter related to the tension in the paper.
In one embodiment, a tension sensor is provided to sense the tension in the stock material as it is drawn from the stock supply by the conversion assembly and to provide to the controller an output signal indicative of the sensed tension. In response to the tension sensed by the tension sensor, the controller adjusts the speed of the motor thereby to adjust the rate at which the stock material is drawn from the stock supply to maintain a prescribed and preferably substantially constant tension in the stock material. In a preferred embodiment, the stock supply assembly includes a resiliently biased member over which the stock material is trained such that movement of the resiliently biased member is related to the tension in the stock material; and the tension sensor includes a sensing device which senses movement of the resiliently biased member against a biasing force and outputs a signal related to such movement of the resiliently biased member. A preferred resiliently biased member is an idler roller journalled in mounts at opposite ends of the idler roller, and a preferred sensing device includes load cells at the roller mounts. The output signals of the load cells at the roller mounts preferably are averaged to provide an averaged value of the measured tension in the stock material.
In another embodiment, motor torque is sensed and fed back to the controller as a measure of the tension in the stock material. In the case of an electric feed motor, motor current is sensed and fed back to the controller for maintaining the motor current in accordance with a prescribed criteria, such as below a predetermined maximum current.
According to another aspect of the invention, a cushioning conversion machine and method for converting sheet stock material into a cushioning dunnage product are characterized by a stock supply assembly which supplies stock material to be converted, and a conversion assembly which draws the stock material from the stock supply and converts the stock material into a strip of cushioning. The conversion assembly includes a feed mechanism which engages the stock material and feeds it through the conversion assembly. The feed mechanism is connected to a motor by a clutch device which limits the applied torque or force to the feed mechanism to a prescribed maximum value. In a preferred embodiment, a slip clutch is used to limit the torque applied by a motor to the feed mechanism which may include cooperating rotating feed wheels which not only feed the stock material but also function to connect together overlapped portions of the stock material.
Further in accordance with the invention, there is provided a method of converting sheet stock material into a cushioning dunnage product which includes drawing the stock material from a stock supply and converting the stock material into a strip of cushioning, while controlling the rate at which the stock material is drawn in response to the tension in the stock material.
The foregoing and other features of the invention are hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims, the following description and the annexed drawings setting forth in detail one or more illustrative embodiments of the invention, such being indicative, however, of but one or a few of the various ways in which the principles of the invention may be employed.

Cushioning conversion machine with tension control


The present disclosure relates to neuromodulation electrodes, and in particular, to neuromodulation electrodes having a platinum/iridium surface etched with a pattern and methods of laser etching the pattern into the platinum/iridium surface of the neuromodulation electrodes to improve performance of the neuromodulation electrodes. Particularly, aspects are directed to an electrode including a base body having: (i) an interface surface that has an area of less than 50 mm2, and (ii) an alloy including platinum and iridium. The interface surface has a surface topography including: (i) an artificial pattern, and (ii) a surface roughness having an arithmetical mean height (Ra) of greater than 0.8 μm.

Normal neural activity is an intricate balance of electrical and chemical signals, which can be disrupted by a variety of insults (genetic, chemical or physical trauma) to the nervous system, causing cognitive, motor and sensory impairments. Similar to the way a cardiac pacemaker or defibrillator corrects heartbeat abnormalities, neuromodulation therapies help to reestablish normal neural balance. In particular instances, neuromodulation therapies utilize medical device technologies to enhance or suppress activity of the nervous system for the treatment of disease. These technologies include implantable as well as non-implantable neuromodulation devices and systems with electrode interfaces used to inject a charge into biological tissue with controlled current or voltage pulses that reversibly modify brain and nerve cell activity. The most common neuromodulation therapy is spinal cord stimulation to treat chronic neuropathic pain. In addition to chronic pain relief, some examples of neuromodulation therapies include deep brain stimulation for essential tremor, Parkinson's disease, dystonia, epilepsy and psychiatric disorders such as depression, obsessive compulsive disorder and Tourette syndrome; sacral nerve stimulation for pelvic disorders and incontinence; vagus nerve stimulation for rheumatoid arthritis; gastric and colonic stimulation for gastrointestinal disorders such as dysmotility or obesity; vagus nerve stimulation for epilepsy, obesity or depression; carotid artery stimulation for hypertension, and spinal cord stimulation for ischemic disorders such as angina and peripheral vascular disease.
The lead assembly of a neuromodulation device typically includes an electrically conducting wire that is insulated from the biological tissue. One end of the wire connects to a pulse generator while the other end has one or more electrodes adapted to stimulate a biological tissue, e.g., nerve or muscle fibers. Commonly used materials for fabricating electrodes for electrical stimulation of biological tissue are platinum, platinum alloys, and stainless steel. Platinum, platinum alloys and stainless steel have proven useful for such electrodes because of the high degree of bio-compatibility afforded. However, these materials are known to have a limited range for "reversible" charge injection by surface faradaic processes in an in vivo saline environment before the onset of water electrolysis and corrosion. The corrosion can cause the dissolution of trace quantities of dissolved metal into the surrounding environment, and can alter the interfacial properties between the electrode and the biological tissue. In the case of platinum or platinum alloy electrodes, dissolution products may be toxic to the biological tissue in which the electrodes are implanted. In the case of stainless steel electrodes, dissolution or corrosion of the electrodes may result in electrode failure due to corrosion-induced fracture.
In order to overcome the dissolution or corrosion problem associated with platinum and stainless steel electrodes, iridium has been used with platinum in the manufacture of the electrodes. Iridium possesses more oxidation states than platinum, and its oxide possesses a lower electrical resistance, and thus iridium shows lower electrochemical impedance over platinum. The iridium oxide essentially becomes the main charge transfer interface and enables larger charge injection densities without water electrolysis or other faradaic reactions that are involved in corrosion of platinum, platinum alloy, and stainless steel electrodes. Conventionally electrodes may be manufactured as a platinum and iridium sheet or as a thin film of platinum and iridium deposited on a metallic electrode (e.g., stainless steel) to interface with the biological tissue. Individually, platinum and iridium possess different mechanical properties. Platinum is known to be ductile and malleable, while iridium is known to be stiff and brittle. The two are often alloyed to create alloys with improved mechanical properties over the individual constituents. The exact ratio of the platinum and iridium may be adjusted so as to match the mechanical property requirements for the particular application, e.g., more platinum where a more ductile electrode is preferred and more iridium were stiffness is desired.
Although the mechanical properties of the electrodes may be adjusted for a particular application, the scale or size of many electrodes has remained relatively large, (e.g., an interface surface of greater than 50 mm2), in order to maintain the surface area necessary to achieve desired charge injection densities. However, for certain neuromodulation therapies (e.g., the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis), the selectivity of therapeutic stimuli is a priority and requires targeting a relatively small tissue area for stimulation. One approach for addressing the selectivity problem may be to reduce physical dimensions of the electrodes. For example, electrodes with a smaller size (e.g., an interface surface of less than 50 mm2) have the advantage of stimulating a relatively small tissue volume, which may improve selectivity of therapeutic stimuli. However, conventional electrode technology for smaller sized electrodes is associated with lower charge injection densities, inadequate impedances (impedance determines recording sensitivity), and inadequate power consumption even in instances in which the electrodes are manufactured using platinum and iridium. Accordingly, the need exists for electrodes with improved performance capabilities on the microscale level.

Platinum/iridium surface patterning by laser to improve neuromodulation electrode performance


A transcutaneous electric nerve stimulator (TENS) electrode that comprises a conductive layer containing both an inner perimeter(s) and an outer perimeter(s) is disclosed. When used with TENS treatment protocols and devices or other treatment/therapy methods, the electrode can induce a higher rate of A fiber firing by creating baffling to balance the electrical current flowing through the electrodes and induces superior analgesia.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulator (TENS) electrode that comprises a conductive layer containing both an inner perimeter(s) and an outer perimeter(s).
2. Description of the Related Art
The conscious perception of pain involves the transmission of sensory information across three primary types of neurons that form a pathway from the body to the brain. Responding directly to the painful stimulus, peripheral afferent fibers transmit a message indicating the presence of pain to intermediate neurons in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord. Acting as middlemen, intermediate neurons in the dorsal horn receive the message of pain from peripheral fibers and relay it to spinal cord neurons projecting to the brain, where the pain is consciously perceived.
Two types of peripheral afferent fibers respond directly to painful stimuli. Fast conducting A fibers respond to the immediate presence of pain, such as a prick or a burn. The activation of A fibers generally elicits a withdraw reflex. Slow conducting C fibers are responsible for the perception of persistent, sustained, lingering pain. Unlike A fibers that respond fast and turn off quickly, C fibers are slow to respond and continue to respond after the painful stimulus is removed.
The gate control theory of Mazack, R. & Wall, P. D. (1965) Pain mechanisms: a new theory. Science, 150, 971-979, proposes that dorsal horn neurons act as a gate increasing or decreasing the transmission of nerve impulses from peripheral fibers to spinal cord neurons projecting to the brain. Decreasing the responsiveness of dorsal horn neurons to C fiber stimulation will retard or prevent dorsal horn neurons from passing on the message of pain perception from C fibers to spinal neurons projecting to the brain. This will prevent the brain from becoming aware of the presence of persistent, sustained, lingering pain thereby providing an analgesic effect against persistent, sustained, lingering pain.
Reducing a neuron's responsiveness to stimulation can be accomplished by the induction of long term depression (LTD). LTD is a cellular phenomenon in which a neuron's sensitivity to incoming stimulation decreases thereby requiring an increased level of stimulation to activate the neuron. Activating A fiber afferents leading to the dorsal horn with low frequency, low intensity stimulation induces LTD in dorsal horn neurons to C fiber stimulation. (Liu, X. G., Morton, C. R., Azkue, J. J., Zimmermann, M., & Sandkühler, J. (1998) Long-term depression of C-fibre-evoked spinal field potentials by stimulation of primary afferent Aδ-fibres in the adult rat. European Journal of Neuroscience, 10, 3069-3075.) Activating A fiber afferents leading to the dorsal horn with high frequency, low intensity stimulation produces a more reliable and stable LTD in dorsal horn neurons to C fiber stimulation. (Ikeda, H., Asai, T., & Murase, K. (2000) Robust changes of afferent-induced excitation in the rat spinal dorsal horn after conditioning high-frequency stimulation. Journal of Neurophysiology, 83, 2412-2420 and Liu, X. G., Morton, C. R., Azkue, J. J., Zimmermann, M., & Sandkühler, J. (1998) Long-term depression of C-fibre-evoked spinal field potentials by stimulation of primary afferent Aδ-fibres in the adult rat. European Journal of Neuroscience, 10, 3069-3075.)
High and low frequency, low intensity stimulation that activates A fiber afferents stimulates the release of endogenous opiates that are critical for the induction of LTD in dorsal horn neurons to C fiber stimulation. Administering low doses of Nalaxone, an opiate receptor blocker, inhibits low frequency, low intensity stimulation induced LTD, but not high frequency, low intensity stimulation induced LTD. (Ikeda, H., Asai, T., & Murase, K. (2000) Robust changes of afferent-induced excitation in the rat spinal dorsal horn after conditioning high-frequency stimulation. Journal of Neurophysiology, 83, 2412-2420.) High dose Nalaxone inhibits high frequency, low intensity stimulation induced LTD. (Ikeda, H., Asai, T., & Murase, K. (2000) Robust changes of afferent-induced excitation in the rat spinal dorsal horn after conditioning high-frequency stimulation. Journal of Neurophysiology, 83, 2412-2420.) These findings imply that the release of opiates is critical for the induction of LTD in dorsal horn neurons and that the level of opiate release is positively correlated with the firing frequency of A fiber afferents.
The administration of opiates and opiate derivatives is considered the gold standard for managing persistent, lingering, sustained pain. However, the use of these compounds is severely limited by the development of tolerance and addiction in patients. Through continued use of opiates and opiate derivatives, patients develop a tolerance or loss of analgesic efficacy, requiring the administration of higher doses to produce the necessary level of analgesia. However, patients do not develop tolerances to the toxic effects of opiates and opiate derivatives, such as respiratory depression. Thus, continued use of opiates and opiate derivatives will eventually place the patient in a situation where the dose required to produce sufficient analgesia is lethal. Consequently, the prolonged use of opiates to manage pain is not possible. Therefore, there is a need for a pain management strategy that utilizes the efficacy of opiates and avoids the development of tolerance and addiction.
Within the above mentioned LTD paradigms, electrical stimulation was applied directly to the portion of the A fiber afferents located within the dorsal horn of the spinal chord. The rate of firing of stimulated A fiber afferents was controlled by the frequency of stimulation, with the higher the frequency of stimulation, the higher the rate of firing. The selective activation of A fiber afferents was controlled by the intensity of stimulation. Low intensity stimulation selectively activated A fiber afferents without activating C fiber afferents. The insertion of electrodes into the dorsal horn of patients suffering from persistent, sustained, lingering pain to stimulate a fast rate of A fiber afferent firing would be painful and impractical. Rather, noninvasive stimulation of A fiber afferents is preferred. TENS has been proven to be an effective, noninvasive treatment for the management of pain. TENS is believed to induce LTD in dorsal horn neurons to C-fiber stimulation by the activation of A fiber afferents. (Liu, X. G., Morton, C. R., Azkue, J. J., Zimmermann, M., & Sandkühler, J. (1998) Long-term depression of C-fibre-evoked spinal field potentials by stimulation of primary afferent Aδ-fibres in the adult rat. European Journal of Neuroscience, 10, 3069-3075.) The short lived analgesic effect induced by TENS treatment protocols and devices indicates that such protocols and devices induce low firing rates in A fiber afferents. Accordingly, there is a need for a TENS treatment protocol and device that induces a higher rate of firing in A fiber afferents to produce a longer lived analgesia in patients suffering from persistent, sustained, lingering pain.

Electrodes for transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulator


Solid state light emitting devices including light-emitting diodes (LEDs), and more particularly packaged LEDs are disclosed. In some embodiments, an LED package includes electrical connections that are configured to reduce corrosion of metals within the LED package; or decrease the overall forward voltage of the LED package; or provide an electrical path for serially-connected electrostatic discharge (ESD) chips. In some embodiments, an LED package includes at least two LED chips and a material between the two LED chips that promotes homogeneity of composite emissions from the two LED chips. In this manner, LED packages according to the present disclosure may be beneficial for various applications, including those where a high luminous intensity is desired in a variety of environmental conditions. Such applications include automotive lighting, aerospace lighting, and general illumination.

Solid-state lighting devices such as light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are increasingly used in both consumer and commercial applications. Advancements in LED technology have resulted in highly efficient and mechanically robust light sources with a long service life. Accordingly, modern LEDs have enabled a variety of new display applications and are being increasingly utilized for general illumination applications, often replacing incandescent and fluorescent light sources.
LEDs are solid-state devices that convert electrical energy to light and generally include one or more active layers of semiconductor material (or an active region) arranged between oppositely doped n-type and p-type layers. When a bias is applied across the doped layers, holes and electrons are injected into the one or more active layers where they recombine to generate emissions such as visible light or ultraviolet emissions. An LED chip typically includes an active region that may be fabricated, for example, from silicon carbide, gallium nitride, gallium phosphide, aluminum nitride, gallium arsenide-based materials, and/or from organic semiconductor materials. Photons generated by the active region are initiated in all directions.
Typically, it is desirable to operate LEDs at the highest light emission efficiency possible, which can be measured by the emission intensity in relation to the output power (e.g., in lumens per watt). A practical goal to enhance emission efficiency is to maximize extraction of light emitted by the active region in the direction of the desired transmission of light. Light extraction and external quantum efficiency of an LED can be limited by a number of factors, including internal reflection. According to the well-understood implications of Snell's law, photons reaching the surface (interface) between an LED surface and the surrounding environment are either refracted or internally reflected. If photons are internally reflected in a repeated manner, then such photons eventually are absorbed and never provide visible light that exits an LED.
FIG. 1 illustrates a typical LED package 10 including a single LED chip 12 that is mounted on a reflective cup 14 by means of a solder bond or conductive epoxy. One or more wire bonds 16 can connect ohmic contacts of the LED chip 12 to leads 18A and/or 18B, which may be attached to or integral with the reflective cup 14. The reflective cup 14 may be filled with an encapsulant material 20, which may contain a wavelength conversion material such as a phosphor. At least some light emitted by the LED chip 12 at a first wavelength may be absorbed by the phosphor, which may responsively emit light at a second wavelength. The entire assembly is then encapsulated in a clear protective resin 22, which may be molded in the shape of a lens to collimate the light emitted from the LED chip 12. While the reflective cup 14 may direct light in an upward direction, optical losses may occur when the light is reflected. Some light may be absorbed by the reflective cup 14 due to the less than 100% reflectivity of practical reflector surfaces. Some metals can have less than 95% reflectivity in the wavelength range of interest.
FIG. 2 shows another conventional LED package 24 in which one or more LED chips 26 can be mounted onto a carrier such as a printed circuit board (PCB) carrier, substrate, or submount 28. A metal reflector 30 is mounted on the submount 28 and surrounds the LED chips 26 to reflect light emitted by the LED chips 26 away from the LED package 24. The metal reflector 30 also provides mechanical protection to the LED chips 26. One or more wire bond connections 32 are made between ohmic contacts on the LED chips 26 and electrical traces 34A, 34B on the submount 28. The mounted LED chips 26 are then covered with an encapsulant 36, which may provide environmental and mechanical protection to the LED chips 26 while also acting as a lens. The metal reflector 30 is typically attached to the submount 28 by means of a solder or epoxy bond. The metal reflector 30 may also experience optical losses when the light is reflected because it also has less than 100% reflectivity.
FIG. 3 shows another conventional LED package 38 in which an LED chip 40 can be mounted on a submount 42 with a hemispheric lens 44 formed over it. The LED chip 40 can be coated by a conversion material that can convert all or most of the light from the LED chip 40. The hemispheric lens 44 is arranged to reduce total internal reflection of light. The lens 44 is made relatively large compared to the LED chip 40 so that the LED chip 40 approximates a point light source under the lens 44. As a result, an increased amount of LED light that reaches the surface of the lens 44 emits from the lens 44 on a first pass. Additionally, the lens 44 can be useful for directing light emission from the LED chip 40 in a desired emission pattern for the LED package 38.
The art continues to seek improved light-emitting diodes and solid-state lighting devices having reduced optical losses and providing desirable illumination characteristics capable of overcoming challenges associated with conventional lighting devices.


When encoded data is divided every predetermined length, a header is added, the data is packetized, a header is further added to thereby form pack data, and the data is recorded onto a recording medium which is divided into sectors and can be accessed on said sector unit basis, encode units are stuffed and recorded into each packet and a position of a complete encode unit existing at the head of the sector is indicated by a pointer. If the pointer is used, the position of the encode unit serving as a complete encode unit is known, so that the decoding can be immediately started from the head of the encode unit. A length up to the head of the complete encode unit can be specified by the sector number if the encode unit is determined by a fixed length.

In recent years, development of an optical disc as a recording medium of a large capacity has been progressed. For example, a CD (Compact Disc) on which music information has been recorded, a CD-ROM in which data for a computer is recorded, a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc or Digital Video Disc) which handles video information, and the like are known.
The optical discs mentioned here are read only discs. In recent years, an optical disc on which data can be additionally written once or data can be rewritten like a CD-R (CD-Recordable) disc, a CD-RW (CD-Rewritable) disc, or the like has been put into practical use. Further, development of various optical discs such as double density CD whose recording capacity is increased while keeping a shape similar to that of a CD, CD2 in which an affinity of both of an ordinary CD player and a personal computer can be enhanced, and the like has been progressed.
The optical disc of CD2 has an area on the inner rim side and an area on the outer rim side. In the area on the inner rim side, for example, audio data has been recorded in a format similar to that of an ordinary CD-DA (CD digital Audio) so that it can be also reproduced by the ordinary CD player. In the area on the outer rim side, in order to realize an affinity with the personal computer, contents data is filed and recorded on the basis of the specification of the CD-ROM.
A method of recording contents data of a multimedia comprising the audio data and image data onto such an optical disc of CD2 in accordance with the specification of MPEG2-PS is considered. As a compression system of the audio data, for example, use of ATRAC3, MP3, or AAC is considered.
As a compression system of the audio data, there are known: a subband system in which the inputted audio data in the time base direction is divided into a plurality of bands by a band dividing filter and compression encoded; a transform encoding system in which the inputted audio data in the time base direction is transformed into data in the frequency base direction by an orthogonal function such as a DCT or the like and compression encoded; and a hybrid system in which both of those systems are combined. ATRAC3, MP3, or AAC is an audio compression system which belongs to the hybrid system. The audio data cut out by a predetermined time window is band divided and MDCT transformed, so that the compression encoding is executed.
For example, in ATRAC3, the audio data whose sampling frequency is equal to, for instance, 44.1 kHz is cut out by a time window of, for instance, 11.6 msec and encoded by the hybrid system. In the time window of 11.6 msec, the audio data of 512 samples is cut out. Assuming that one sample consists of 16 bits, the encoding is executed every 2048 bytes. In ATRAC3, since adaptive bit allocation is performed, it is possible to arbitrarily cope with a bit rate. When a transmission bit rate is equal to 66 kbps, one encode unit is compressed to 192 bytes. When the transmission bit rate is equal to 105 kbps, one encode unit is compressed to 304 bytes. When the transmission bit rate is equal to 132 kbps, one encode unit is compressed to 384 bytes.
In CD-ROM Mode-1, a subcode block consisting of 98 frames is set to a sector and data is recorded on a sector unit basis. A size of one sector is equal to 2352 bytes and a data recording capacity among them is equal to 2048 bytes. In the case of recording the contents data by MPEG2-PS, data of one pack and one packet is recorded in one sector. For example, assuming that a pack header of 14 bytes is added and a packet header of 14 bytes is added, a data capacity of the contents which can be recorded in one sector is equal to 2020 bytes.
As mentioned above, in the specification of CD-ROM Mode-1, a data capacity of one sector is equal to 2048 bytes. When the data of MPEG2-PS is recorded, assuming that the pack header of 14 bytes and the packet header of 14 bytes are added, a data capacity of the contents which can be recorded in one sector is equal to 2020 bytes.
On the other hand, for example, in the audio data compressed by ATRAC3 of a bit rate of 105 kbps, a size of one encode unit is equal to 304 bytes.
As mentioned above, the data capacity of the contents which can be recorded in one sector and the size of one encode unit are independently predetermined. The invention is not limited to the case of ATRAC3, but in MP3 or AAC as well, the data capacity of the contents which can be recorded in one sector and the size of one encode unit are independent. Therefore, if encode units are continuously recorded, an encode unit which is data-recorded over two sectors is caused.
For example, if the audio data in which the size of encode unit is equal to 304 bytes (ATRAC3 of the bit rate of 105 kbps) is recorded into the capacity of one sector of 2020 bytes, the number of encode units which are arranged in one sector is equal to2020/304=6.64Although six encode units can be completely arranged in one sector, the seventh encode unit is recorded over a part of the next sector.
If the encode unit which is recorded over the sectors is caused as mentioned above, a head of the encode unit becomes unclear upon accessing and a problem such that in a fast-forward mode, a fast-rewinding mode, or a search mode, it is difficult to access a desired sector and encode the data occurs.
That is, in the case where the data is recorded by the specification of CD-ROM Mode-1, the access is executed on a sector unit basis. Even if the encode unit has been recorded over the sectors, so long as the continuous reproduction is executed, the data of such an encode unit is continuously reproduced from the two adjacent sectors, so that there is no problem.
However, when the user intends to access the desired sector and start the reproduction in the fast-forward mode, fast-rewinding mode, search mode, or the like, if the encode unit has been recorded over the sectors, the complete encode unit cannot be obtained in the head portion of the sector and such an encode unit cannot be decoded. In such a case, therefore, it is necessary to skip to the next complete encode unit and start the decoding from a position where the complete encode unit can be reproduced.
However, particularly, in ATRAC3, unlike MP3 or AAC, since a header showing the head of the encode unit does not exist, it is difficult to find the next complete encode unit.
A method whereby the head of the sector is always made coincident with the head of the encode unit is, therefore, considered. For example, as mentioned above, in the case of recording the audio data in which a size of encode unit is equal to 304 bytes and which has been compressed by ATRAC3 of the bit rate of 105 kbps, a method whereby six encode units per sector are recorded from the head of the sector and residual sectors are stuffed is considered. As mentioned above, if the head of the sector and the head of the encode unit coincide, the desired sector is accessed and, when the head of the sector is accessed, the decoding is performed from the head of the data of such a sector, so that the data can be reproduced. In this case, however, a waste occurs in the data capacity of2020−304×6=196 bytesper sector.
It is, therefore, an object of the invention to provide data recording method and apparatus, data reproducing method and apparatus, and a data recording medium, in which even when accessing on a sector unit basis, data can be certainly reproduced from the head of an encode unit and a data capacity does not to waste.
Another object of the invention is to provide data editing method and apparatus, in which even if data is edited, the data can be certainly reproduced from a head of an encode unit at an edit point and a data capacity does not go to waste.

Data recording method and apparatus, data reproducing method and apparatus, and data edition method and apparatus


The present invention integrates a shield on a flat, no-lead (FN) semiconductor package, which has multiple rows of contact pads along any side. The FN semiconductor package will have at least one inner row and one outer row of contact pads on at least one side. The inner and outer rows of contact pads and a die attach pad form the foundation for the FN semiconductor package. A die is mounted on the die attach pad and connected by wirebonds to certain contact pads of the inner rows of contact pads. An overmold body is formed over the die, die attach pad, wirebonds, and inner row of contact pads, and substantially encompasses each contact pad of the outer row of contact pads. A conformal coating is applied over the overmold body, including the exposed surfaces of the contact pads of the outer row of contact pads, providing a shield.

Electronic components have become ubiquitous in modern society. The electronics industry proudly, but routinely, announces accelerated clocking and transmission speeds and smaller integrated circuit modules. While the benefits of these devices are myriad, smaller and faster electronic devices create problems. In particular, high operating frequencies inherently require fast transitions between signal levels. Fast transitions between signal levels create electromagnetic emissions throughout the electromagnetic spectrum. Such emissions are regulated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and other regulatory agencies. These electromagnetic emissions radiate from a source and may impinge upon other electronic components. If the signal strength of emissions at the impinged upon electronic component is high enough, the emissions may interfere with the operation of the impinged upon electronic component. This phenomenon is sometimes called electromagnetic interference (EMI) or crosstalk.
One way to reduce EMI is to shield the semiconductor device packages that cause EMI or are sensitive to EMI. Typically the shield is formed from a separate metal "can" that is placed over and effectively surrounds the semiconductor device package. The can is generally grounded. When electromagnetic emissions from within the semiconductor device package strike the interior surface of the can, the electromagnetic emissions are electrically shorted through the grounded can, thereby reducing emissions. Likewise, when emissions from another radiating element strike the exterior surface of the can, a similar electrical short occurs, and the semiconductor device package does not suffer EMI from other semiconductor device packages. Unfortunately, employing a separate can or like metal enclosure to cover a semiconductor device package adds complexity and cost to the fabrication process, which requires making, mounting, and grounding the can. Further, the use of cans requires extra space around the semiconductor device package for mounting, thus wasting precious real estate.
As such, there is a need for an electromagnetic shield that is inexpensive to manufacture on a large scale, does not waste space around the semiconductor device package, and effectively deals with EMI concerns.

Integrated shield for a no-lead semiconductor device package


A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, which includes performing a first chemical mechanical polishing of a surface of an object having an uneven surface by making use of a first polishing liquid containing abrasive particles and a surfactant, and performing a second chemical mechanical polishing of the surface of the object that has been polished by the first chemical mechanical polishing by making use of a second polishing liquid containing abrasive particles and having a concentration of a surfactant lower than that of the first polishing liquid, wherein the first chemical mechanical polishing is switched to the second chemical mechanical polishing when the uneven surface of object is flattened.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device. In particular, the present invention relates to a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) technique to be employed in the step of isolating elements of a semiconductor device such as a system LSI, a high-speed LSI, etc.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, in order to meet the trend to further enhance the fineness of semiconductor elements, various fine working techniques have been developed. Among them, the employment of the CMP technique is now considered indispensable in forming a buried flat structure.
For example, the CMP technique is employed on the occasion of forming a shallow trench isolation (STI) structure in a system LSI, a high-speed LSI, etc., wherein CMP of an oxide film is performed using a nitride film as a stopper. However, there are various problems as described below.
(1) Since it is difficult to detect the end point of the polishing, the polishing is inadvertently continued even after the nitride film employed as a stopper has been entirely exposed, thus rendering the nitride film to be excessively polished, resulting in non-uniformity in thickness of the nitride film within a single chip.
(2) Since it is difficult to detect the end point of the polishing, the polishing may be terminated prior to the moment where the nitride film employed as a stopper is entirely exposed and, due to insufficient polishing, oxide film may be left on the surface of the nitride film.
(3) Due to the influences by the fluctuation in structure of a polished surface prior to CMP, such as the thickness of a silicon oxide film and the height of steps formed on the surface of a silicon substrate, or due to the influences by the fluctuation of polishing speed of CMP, the thickness of the silicon oxide film resulting from CMP as well as the optimum polishing time are caused to fluctuate.
(4) Since scratches generated during CMP are permitted to remain even after the CMP, the properties of semiconductor elements are caused to deteriorate.
As means for solving these problems, there is conventionally known a method wherein the magnitude of electric current of the motor of the turn table of the polishing apparatus is monitored and, based on the magnitude of electric current, the end point of polishing is determined (for example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,191,037).
As another conventional means for solving these problems, there is also known a method wherein a first polishing in which it is easy to detect the end point is performed initially, thus detecting the end point, after which an additional second polishing is performed (for example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,340,434). Additionally, there is also known a method wherein a first polishing for flattening a metal layer is performed initially, after which a second polishing using a reduced quantity of a abrasive particles is performed to thereby bury a metal layer in a trench (for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,985,748).
However, any one of these conventional methods is incapable of solving all of the aforementioned problems.

Method of manufacturing semiconductor device using chemical mechanical polishing