A pressure filter includes two continuous mating surfaces movable relative each other and a filter medium capable of being disposed therebetween. A surface, provided for supporting the filter medium, is bounded by and is substantially coplanar with one of the continuous mating surfaces. The filter further includes a shallow inlet cavity, bounded by the other of the continuous mating surfaces, and an inlet distributor in communication with the inlet cavity. The inlet distributor includes at least one opening and may be of internal or external type. When the mating surfaces are pressed together, a shallow filtration chamber is defined by the inlet cavity and the filter medium. The filter apparatus may include a plurality of shallow filtration chambers, stacked one above the other, and constructed as described above.

Not applicable
Not applicable
This invention relates to a filter apparatus and method of its operation, particularly to a pressure filter and method for extracting liquids from difficult-to-filter wet slurry fluids and for producing a substantially-dry filter cake of the solid materials present in such slurry fluids.
In many industrial processes and other applications where a slurry of solids and liquids is produced, it becomes necessary to filter the slurry solids from the liquids so that these materials may be efficiently utilized or, alternatively, disposed in an environmentally-safe manner. To separate the solids from the liquids, a filter apparatus, such as a pressure filter, is often used. Known pressure filters generally include one or more pairs of filter plates capable of relative motion. The inlet plate is adapted for receiving the slurry, while the filtered liquids, called the filtrate, are collected by means of the outlet plate, which also provides the requisite support for a filter medium, positioned between the filter plates. This arrangement permits a filtration chamber to be defined by the inlet plate and the filter medium when the plates are pressed together. In the usual production cycle of such a filter, slurry is introduced into the filtration chamber under pressure through an inlet port, whereby it distributes itself throughout the chamber. After the filtration chamber is filled with slurry, the filter executes a series of programmed operations, namely, washing and/or treating the contents of the chamber in a particular manner, as well as pressurizing the chamber to force the liquids from the slurry through the filter medium, leaving the slurry solids, consolidated in a substantially-dry filter cake, within the chamber. The chamber is then opened, allowing the dry filter cake to be removed therefrom.
Known pressure filters are capable of successfully treating a wide variety of slurries. However, the use of such filters has shown to be impractical for filtering certain difficult-to-filter slurries, such as gluten, kaolin, and pigment slurries, to name a few. Some of these difficult-to-filter slurries are too viscous to achieve uniform distribution throughout a conventional deep filtration chamber, making it difficult to force the liquids from the slurry when the filtration chamber is pressurized. This difficulty arises because any voids existing in the slurry due to non-uniform slurry distribution within the filtration chamber allow pressure to escape from the chamber through the filter medium without driving out the interstitial liquids from the slurry being filtered.
Moreover, certain slurries having non-viscous characteristics have also proven to be difficult to filter, either because they contain fine particles, e.g., fines on the order of 0.5-10 microns, or because they include compressible solids. In both cases, the thickness of a filter cake being formed in a deep filtration chamber of a conventional pressure filter is sufficient to make the cake virtually impermeable to liquids under pressure. As a result, the time required to produce a substantially-dry filter cake for these types of difficult-to-filter slurries drastically increases, making it economically unfeasible to use known pressure filters for treating such slurries.
Thus, a need arises for a pressure-filter apparatus capable of efficiently treating difficult-to-filter slurries, such as the types of slurries described above.
It is also desirable to provide a pressure-filter apparatus that maximizes the available filter area in an apparatus having a multi-chamber configuration.
Furthermore, it is desirable to provide a pressure-filter apparatus that is energy-efficient and is capable of producing a substantially-dry filter cake in a minimum amount of time.
A pressure filter is disclosed. The filter apparatus includes two continuous mating surfaces movable relative each other and a filter medium capable of being disposed therebetween. A surface is provided for supporting the filter medium. This supporting surface is bounded by and is, substantially coplanar with one of the continuous mating surfaces. The filter further includes a shallow inlet cavity, bounded by the other of the continuous mating surfaces, and an inlet distributor in communication with the inlet cavity. When the mating surfaces are pressed together, a shallow filtration chamber is defined by the inlet cavity and the filter medium. The filter apparatus may include a plurality of shallow filtration chambers, constructed as described above.
The advantages of the invention will become apparent after consideration of the ensuing description and the accompanying drawings.


The present invention provides for a novel method for purification of EGFR family proteins obtained from cultures of insect cells. The process comprises subsequent steps of a) diafiltration and exchange of culture medium with buffer, b) immobilized metal affinity chromatography (IMAC), C) size exclusion chromatography (SEC), and d) anion exchange chromatography (AIE). The method also provides for an immunogenic variant of HER-2 protein which for which the purification process has been especially adapted, as well as means for the preparation of the variant.

The cancer associated membrane protein HER-2 is a member of the EGFR family of proteins. This particular protein has shown promise as an immunogen in active specific immunotherapy of certain cancers, notably breast cancer and colorectal cancer.
The assignee of the present patent application has previously filed patent applications relating to active vaccination against the HER-2 antigen, cf. WO 00/20027 which is hereby incorporated by reference herein. Further research in this field has now identified preferred HER-2 variants for such vaccines, but a general problem in protein chemistry is to devise improved means for obtaining satisfactory yields of recombinant protein with a high degree of purity.
Immobilized metal ion affinity chromatography (IMAC) was first introduced by Porath (Porath, J., J. Carlsson, I. Olsson, G. Belfrage [1975] Nature 258:598-599.) under the term metal chelate chromatography and has been previously reviewed in several articles (Porath, J. [1992] Protein Purification and Expression 3:263-281; and articles cited therein). The IMAC purification process is based on the employment of a chelating matrix loaded with soft metal ions such as Cu2+ and Ni2+. Electron-donating groups on the surface of proteins, especially the imidazole side chain of histidine, can bind to the non-coordinated sites of the loaded metal. The interaction between the electron donor group with the metal can be made reversible by lowering the pH or by displacement with imidazole. Thus, a protein possessing electron-donating groups such as histidine can be purified by reversible metal complex/protein interactions.
In 1991, Ford et al. (Ford, C., I. Suominen, C. Glatz [1991] Protein Expression and Purification 2:95-107) described protein purification using IMAC technology (Ni-NTA ligand) as applied to recombinant proteins having tails with histidine residues (polyhistidine recombinant proteins, "His-tagged proteins"). This method takes advantage of the fact that two or more histidine residues can cooperate to form very strong metal ion complexes.
Numerous variations of this technology exists, where the histidine residues are attached as "tags" to the relevant recombinant protein in various combinations, e.g. including recognition sites for specific proteases so that the his tag can be subsequently removed enzymatically.
Expression of proteins in insect cells require the use of various specialised culture media and also entails contamination of the recombinant protein with various insect cell derived constituents that are not found in bacteria, fungi and mammalian cells. Purification schemes devised for recombinant proteins produced in bacteria, fungi, or mammalian cells are therefore not necessarily the optimum choice when a protein produced in insect cells will need to be purified.
There is therefore a continuing need for improvements in protein purification in order to obtain pharmaceutical grade protein derived from recombinant production in insect cells.


A method for producing an erosion-resistant protective coating is disclosed. At least one lacquer material is provided wherein the lacquer material is a phosphate or silicate mixed with particles. Then, at least one layer of the lacquer material or each lacquer material is applied to a component that is to be protected from erosion. Then the applied lacquer layer or each applied lacquer layer is converted to a glass layer.

The present invention relates a method for producing a protective coating. In addition, the invention relates to a protective coating, a component having a protective coating and use of the protective coating.
In operation of components, in particular components of gas turbines at high temperatures, the free surfaces thereof are exposed to highly corrosive, erosive and oxidizing conditions. For use in gas turbines, such components may be made of a super alloy based on nickel or cobalt, for example. To protect against erosion or corrosion and oxidation, the components are provided with coatings. Coatings for preventing corrosion, oxidation and erosion are disclosed in German Patent Document DE 198 07 636 C1 and German Patent Document DE 199 09 675 A1.
Against this background, the present invention is based on the problem of creating a novel method for producing a protective coating and a novel protective coating. In addition, it is within the scope of the present invention to propose a component having a protective layer and a use of such a protective layer.
According to this invention, at least one lacquer material is provided, whereby the lacquer material is a phosphate or silicate, preferably mixed with particles. At least one layer of the lacquer material or of each lacquer material is applied to a component that is to be protected from erosion. The applied lacquer layer or each applied lacquer layer is converted to a glass layer.
According to an advantageous refinement of the present invention, multiple lacquer layers based either on phosphate or silicate are applied to the component, whereby the lacquer layers differ through the particles added. The component coated with the lacquer layers is heated and then cooled, with a phosphate-glass bond or a silicate-glass bond being formed between the originally separate and discrete lacquer layers.
The inventive protective layer may be formed with a layer sequence of at least two different layers, e.g., a lacquer layer based on phosphate or on silicate with added aluminum powder and/or with added hollow beads and a lacquer layer based on phosphate or silicate with added ceramic particles and/or nitrite particles, arranged with the layers in a repeating sequence and in this way to form a so-called multilayer laminate.
Preferred embodiments of the present invention are derived from the following description.

Protective coating for components of a gas turbine engine


Methods and apparatus for securing induction coils within an induction coil module including a plurality of flexible connectors having a first end, a second end, and a length disposed between the first and second ends. A first attachment member is securely attached to the first end of the flexible connector and pivotably connected to a support assembly. A second attachment member is securely attached to the second end of the flexible connector 16. The second attachment member having an induction coil attached thereto. Correspondingly, the pivotal engagement of the flexible connectors in relation to the support assembly of the induction coil module facilitates a means for allowing the flexible connectors and their attached induction coils to move both horizontally and vertically in relation to the support assembly, thus dramatically reducing the potential for structural fatigue and stress fracturing of the various mechanical connections of an induction furnace.

1. Related Application
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/035,354, filed on Feb. 26, 1997, for Apparatus for Securing Induction Coils Within an Induction Coil Module.
2. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to methods and apparatus for suspending induction coils within induction coil modules in an induction furnace. More particularly, the present invention is related to methods and apparatus including flexible connectors used to suspend induction coils and connect them to a support bar within the induction coil module.
3. Technical Background
Steel has been part of some of the greatest achievements in history: it was the "iron horse" and rails that helped create a nation out of frontiers; it is the backbone of bridges, the skeleton of skyscrapers, the framework of our automobiles and appliances. It is the high-strength, better-than-plastic frames for eyeglasses; it is the stronger, more affordable, more-resilient-than-wood frame in new housing; it is the high-tech alloy used in the Space Shuttle's solid fuel rocket motor cases; and it is the coated, precision surgical instruments used in hospital operating rooms around the world. The production and processing of steel has become a core industry that in the last two decades has revolutionized its manufacturing processes, transformed its workforce, and collaborated with customers around the world to make stronger, lighter, more versatile steel at a lower cost to the consumer.
Consequently, new and emerging technologies for processing steel are being developed by those skilled in the art. For example, induction furnaces are being used to heat slabs, plates, or ingots of steel by introducing an electrical current that is caused to flow through the steel by means of electromagnetic induction. In operation, an induction furnace may receive a steel slab, plate, or ingot and thereby increase the average temperature of the slab, plate, or ingot up to and beyond melting point. After passing the slab, plate, or ingot through various environments of extreme heat as provided by several induction furnaces, the slab, plate, or ingot may be sent to a rolling mill for further processing.
As appreciated in the art, slabs, plates, or ingots of steel are generally moved along aisles of rollers and may be passed through one or more induction furnaces. The induction furnaces of the prior typically comprise a plurality of induction coils rigidly mounted to a housing frame of the furnace. Functionally, the induction coils provide a means for obtaining intermittent high voltage by way of high capacity electrical connectors and induce electrical currents into the steel slab, plate, or ingot to generate extremely high elevated temperatures. Because of the high density electromagnetic field created by the induction coils, there are considerable attraction and repulsion forces acting between each induction coil and the connection mechanisms attaching each induction coil to the furnace housing, thus resulting in substantial vibrations in the mechanical connectors of the induction furnace.
A significant disadvantage with induction furnaces of the prior art, however, is their tendency to experience comprehensive structural failure as a result of the vibrations caused by the cycling of electrical current through the induction coils during the heating process. Accordingly, the mechanical and structural connection mechanisms of prior art induction furnaces traditionally encounter severe stress fracturing and breakage. The investigation and study of failed connections has revealed that stress fractures have the potential of occurring everywhere there is a bolted or rigid connection, inclusive of the support rods and the fastener assembly securing the support rods to the induction coils. Because the connection mechanisms between the induction coils and the furnace housing are typically covered with massive layers of insulation and protective coatings, it is generally difficult to detect or even predict potential mechanical failures in the connections before they happen.
When an induction furnace fails, it generally results in significant down time of the furnace as well as the casting and/or roll lines. A maintenance team consisting of numerous engineers and skilled technicians is typically required to remove the induction furnace from the steel processing line and begin immediately rebuilding the unit. The down time for servicing and rebuilding an induction furnace module may be on the average a period of approximately two weeks. If the maintenance team works around the clock, an induction furnace may potentially be up and running within a week. Besides the time and energy involved in making the repairs to the mechanical connections of the induction furnaces, the cost for maintenance, repairs, and replacement parts can be a significant investment on the part of the steel mill, especially in view of the structural failures that are consistently encountered by prior art induction furnaces.
In an effort to reduce the structural fatigue and stress fracturing of the various mechanical connections of prior art induction furnaces, various remedies have been developed with little appreciable improvement. For example, heavier fasteners, different grades of steel support rods, and varying the electrical current and the on and off cycles of the coils have been undertaken. In addition, those skilled in the art incorporated a spring mounting mechanism in relation to the rigid structural rods attached to the furnace housing in an attempt to keep constant pull-back force on the rods.
While the foregoing prior art remedies have had little impact in reducing the number of induction coil failures, those skilled in the art developed induction furnace modules which replace the rigid structural rods with flexible mounting members that function to secure the support bar to the furnace housing. In structural design, the prior art flexible mounting member consists of a steel cable disposed between the furnace housing and the support bar having several induction coils rigidly attached thereto. The inclusion of flexible mounting members between the furnace housing and the support bar helps to alleviate some of the vibrational energy of the induction furnace, however, these prior art flexible mounting members have only seemingly delayed the imminent structural failure of the connection mechanisms of the induction furnace.
Thus, it would be an advancement in the art to provide improved methods and apparatus for attaching induction coils within induction coil modules. It would also be an advancement in the art to improve the overall attachment mechanisms used in induction furnaces.
Such methods and apparatus are disclosed and claimed herein.


A heatsink to remove heat dissipated by electronic components mounted on a circuit board comprises a thermally conductive material plate disposed over the components and attached by fixing mean near each component. The plate comprises spherical deformations facing the components and each deformation is in thermal contact with the heat source of a respective component.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention concerns heatsinks which remove the heat dissipated by electronic components.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Electronic components such as transistors, thyristors, triacs, diode bridges and other components dissipating a significant quantity of heat are cooled by placing them on heatsinks which are not mounted on the electronic circuit board carrying the other components of a circuit. The components are then connected to the board by wires. The heatsinks may be large and fixed to the outside of an equipment casing, to its rear panel, for example.
If components cannot be remotely mounted, room must be provided on the electronic circuit board for mounting the heatsinks. This applies, for example, to integrated circuits dissipating a few watts, such as semi-custom application-specific integrated circuits (ASIC). It may also apply to passive components such as power resistors which cannot be remotely mounted or where this is to be avoided, for example to avoid the use of connecting wires.
The heatsinks used for this purpose usually occupy a considerable amount of space on the board.
Also known are heatsinks designed to mount directly on the integrated circuit to be cooled, in order to reduce their size. German patent application No 32.03.609 in the name of SIEMENS describes an integrated circuit heatsink of this kind. It comprises a plate bent to a U-shape whose central part is applied to the upper surface of integrated circuit, the lateral parts of the U-shape plate comprising extensions parallel to the lateral parts ending in fixing lugs. The fixing lugs are soldered with leads of the integrated circuit to the printed circuit board on which the integrated circuit is mounted. With this kind of heatsink the amount of room used up on the board is reduced because the heatsink is mounted on the component to be cooled.
The main drawback of this heatsink is that the surface in contact with the integrated circuit is flat so that there is the risk of poor cooling if the integrated circuit is not correctly positioned on the printed circuit board, in other words if its upper surface is not parallel to the board. It is therefore necessary to check that the integrated circuit is positioned correctly, which is costly, difficult and may even be impossible if the components are wave soldered.
This type of heatsink is also suitable only for integrated circuits dissipating a small amount of heat, because of the limited surface area of the heatsink. It is not possible to increase this surface area to dissipate more energy because of the resulting overall height. Also, small integrated circuits, for example eight-pin integrated circuits, are cooled less effectively because the dissipation area is reduced.
Each heatsink of this type is specifically designed for a particular size of integrated circuit and it is therefore necessary to stock a large number of different heatsinks.
An object of the present invention is to remedy these drawbacks.
To be more precise, one object of the invention is to provide a heatsink for electronic components mounted on a circuit board which has optimal thermal contact with the components to be cooled, irrespective of their position on the circuit board, and compact overall dimensions.
Another object of the invention is to provide a heatsink of this kind which is of low cost and optimally cools any type of component irrespective of its size.

Heatsink for contact with multiple electronic components mounted on a circuit board


A device is used to wavelength lock two optical signals to some frequency offset. A photomixer section produces a frequency test signal from the beat component of the two optical signals. The frequency of the frequency test signal reflects whether the actual frequency offset of the two optical signals equals the desired offset. A frequency filter with a monotonically varying transfer function is used to filter the frequency test signal. Thus, different gains are applied to different frequencies. Comparison circuitry uses the filtered signal to determine whether the frequency filter applied the gain which corresponds to the desired frequency offset and generates a corresponding error signal.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the wavelength-locking of optical sources such as lasers, and more specifically to locking the sources at wavelengths which are separated from each other by a fixed amount.
2. Description of the Related Art
As the result of continuous advances in technology, particularly in the area of networking, there is an increasing demand for communications bandwidth. For example, the growth of the Internet, home office usage, e-commerce and other broadband services is creating an ever-increasing demand for communications bandwidth. Widespread deployment of new bandwidth-intensive services, such as xDSL, will only further intensify this demand. Moreover, as data-intensive applications proliferate and data rates for local area networks increase, businesses will also demand higher speed connectivity to the wide area network (WAN) in order to support virtual private networks and high-speed Internet access. Enterprises that currently access the WAN through T1 circuits will require DS-3, OC-3, or equivalent connections in the near future. As a result, the networking infrastructure will be required to accommodate greatly increased traffic.
Optical fiber is a transmission medium that is well-suited to meet this increasing demand. Optical fiber has an inherent bandwidth which is much greater than metal-based conductors, such as twisted pair or coaxial cable. There is a significant installed base of optical fibers and protocols such as SONET have been developed for the transmission of data over optical fibers.
Fiber optic communications systems utilize a number of basic building blocks. For example, almost all, if not all, fiber optic systems include a transmitter, an optical fiber, and a receiver. The transmitter converts the data to be communicated into an optical form and transmits the resulting optical data signal across the optical fiber to the receiver. The receiver recovers the original data from the received optical data signal. Other basic building blocks include optical amplification, add-drop multiplexing, wavelength filtering, and wavelength stabilization and wavelength locking of sources.
As one example of wavelength locking, heterodyne receivers typically will require the wavelength locking of two optical signals. These receivers typically have better noise performance than direct detection receivers but they require the use of an optical local oscillator. The optical local oscillator is mixed with the incoming optical data signal. This effectively frequency shifts the optical data signal from its original optical carrier frequency down to the difference frequency between the optical data signal and the local oscillator. Typically, the result is an electrical RF signal, which is then processed to recover the data. For efficient operation, the difference frequency between the two optical signals should be held fairly constant. In other words, the optical local oscillator should be wavelength-locked to the optical data signal with an approximately constant frequency offset.
In some of the examples given below, each of the two optical signals has a wavelength of approximately 1.55 micron with a frequency offset of approximately 11.55 GHz between the two signals. In these examples, the 1.55 micron wavelength is selected because the example application is a fiber optic communications system which uses this wavelength. The 11.55 GHz offset is selected because the example application is designed to use this frequency offset in order to recover the data transmitted over the fiber. For further details on such a system, see co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/474,659, xe2x80x9cOptical Communications System Using Heterodyne Detectionxe2x80x9d, by Ting K. Yee and Peter H. Chang, filed Dec. 29, 1999; and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/728,373, xe2x80x9cxe2x80x9cOptical Communications System Using Multiple Heterodyne Detectionxe2x80x9d, by Ting K. Yee and Peter H. Chang, filed Nov. 28, 2000. However, these examples are not meant to limit the invention. For example, heterodyne receivers may also be used for free space optical communications (e.g., in satellite communications), optical data storage and recognition, or coherent imaging and holography. The wavelengths and frequency offsets required from the wavelength locker in each of these applications will depend on the specifics of the application.
One approach to wavelength locking uses conventional phase locked loop principles to phase lock the actual frequency difference between the two optical signals to a stable reference sinusoid. This approach typically requires phase/frequency detectors and a source for generating the stable reference sinusoid but these components can be both complex and expensive. In addition, phase locked loops are used primarily to lock signals which are fairly pure sinusoids and to lock the signals with a high degree of accuracy (e.g., to actually lock them in phase). Many wavelength-locking applications, including the heterodyne receiver application discussed above, simply do not fit this profile. For example, in the heterodyne application, the incoming optical data signal is an optical carrier which has been modulated with data so it will not be a pure sinusoid and, as a result, the difference frequency signal to be locked to the reference sinusoid likely also will not be a pure sinusoid. In addition, the local oscillator in heterodyne receivers typically does not have to be locked to the optical data signal with the accuracy intended by phase locked loops. Thus, the super-accurate locking simply adds unnecessary expense and complexity. This is compounded by the fact that many fiber optic systems will require large numbers of the wavelength locking device.
Another approach to wavelength locking which has been attempted is based on gas cells. Many of these approaches try to take advantage of the physical properties of various gases. Thus, through non-linear optical or other physical interactions in the gas, two optical signals are locked to each other or two optical signals at slightly different wavelengths are generated from a common source. However, these approaches typically rely on the physical properties of gases and, therefore, are limited in their applicability. For example, if a particular gas has physical properties which allow the locking of xcex1 to xcex2, this is fine if the two wavelengths of interest are xcex1 and xcex2 but is irrelevant if any other wavelengths are desired. It can be especially problematic if it is desirable to tune the wavelength locking over a range of wavelengths and a range of frequency separations, as is often the case. In addition, these approaches require the use of a gas cell. The handling of these cells and the gases used to fill them adds expense and complexity.
Thus, there is a need for approaches to wavelength locking of optical signals which are simple, inexpensive and matched in performance to the requirements of the application, particularly since many applications will require a large number of wavelength-locking devices.
In accordance with the present invention, a device is used for wavelength locking a wavelength-variable optical signal to a target wavelength. The target wavelength is offset from a wavelength of an optical reference signal by a preselected frequency offset. The device includes the following components coupled in series: a photomixer section, a frequency filter and comparison circuitry. The photomixer section includes a square law detector, such as a photodiode. The photomixer section mixes the wavelength-variable optical signal with the optical reference signal to produce a beat component and also produces a frequency test signal from the beat component. When the wavelength-variable optical signal is at the target wavelength, the frequency test signal will be located at a target frequency. The frequency filter has a transfer function which varies monotonically (i.e., either increasing or decreasing) around the target frequency. The frequency filter applies a frequency-dependent gain to the frequency test signal to produce an amplitude test signal. When the frequency test signal is located at the target frequency, the frequency filter will apply a target gain. The comparison circuitry compares the amplitude test signal with an electrical reference signal to determine whether the frequency filter applied the target gain. If it did, then the wavelength-variable optical signal must be at the target wavelength. Based on the determination, the comparison circuitry generates a error signal for adjusting the wavelength of the wavelength-variable optical signal.
This approach has significant advantages compared to traditional approaches, such as those based on phase locked loops. As one example, the circuitry required to implement this approach is significantly simpler than a corresponding phase locked loop. Traditional phase locked loops require a stable sinusoidal reference as well as phase/frequency detectors. In contrast, this approach uses frequency filters and amplitude detectors, which are much simpler devices. Another advantage of this approach over phase locked loops is that this approach is more suitable for handling optical signals which are spectrally broad. For example, in the heterodyne detection application, the optical reference signal is an optical carrier which has been modulated with data and will not be a pure sinusoid. Phase locked loops are primarily designed for very accurate locking of pure sinusoids. Hence they typically will have difficulty with xe2x80x9cdirtyxe2x80x9d signals such as the one just described. In contrast, this approach is well suited for such signals because the frequency filter essentially averages out the effects of a broad spectral signal.
In one embodiment, the frequency test signal includes the beat component and the target frequency equals the preselected frequency offset. In an alternate embodiment, the photomixer section also includes an electrical mixer for frequency shifting the beat component by a fixed amount, for example to an intermediate frequency. The target frequency is correspondingly frequency shifted by the same amount.
In another embodiment, the wavelength-locking device also includes a power divider and an electrical reference arm. The power divider is coupled between the photomixer section and the frequency filter. It splits the frequency test signal into two frequency test signals. One is filtered by the frequency filter. The other is used by the electrical reference arm to generate the electrical reference signal.
In a further refinement of this embodiment, the comparison circuitry includes a pair of matched log amplitude detectors coupled to a differential amplifier. One log amplitude detector is also coupled to the frequency filter and is used to detect a log of an amplitude of the amplitude test signal. The other log amplitude detector is coupled to the electrical reference arm and is used to detect a log of an amplitude of the electrical reference signal. The differential amplifier has two inputs and compares the amplitude of the signals received at the two inputs. The comparison circuitry also includes an adjustable voltage source, which provides an adjustable offset for the differential amplifier.
The use of log amplitude detectors in combination with the adjustable voltage source is advantageous. The voltage source allows an offset to the differential amplifier to be adjusted, which in turn adjusts the target gain, the target frequency and ultimately the frequency offset of the target wavelength. The use of log amplitude detectors allows this offset to be maintained regardless of the amplitude of the incoming optical signals or their beat component.
In further accordance with the invention, a method for wavelength locking a wavelength-variable optical signal to a target wavelength, where the target wavelength is offset from a wavelength of an optical reference signal by a preselected frequency offset, includes the following steps. The optical reference signal and the wavelength-variable optical signal are both received and mixed together to produce a beat component. A frequency test signal is produced from the beat component. When the wavelength-variable optical signal is at the target wavelength, the frequency test signal will be located at a target frequency. A frequency-dependent gain is applied to the frequency test signal to produce an amplitude test signal. In the vicinity of the target frequency, the gain applied varies monotonically with frequency. When the frequency test signal is located at the target frequency, the frequency filter will apply a target gain. An electrical reference signal is received and compared with the amplitude test signal to determine whether the frequency filter applied the target gain. An error signal is generated based on this determination.


A collapsible, self-supporting, fully portable hammock assembly in which the supporting framework is fabricated of lightweight metal components. The apparatus can be quickly and easily extended from a compact, collapsible configuration into a self-supporting highly stable structure which safely carries the hammock. The supporting framework includes a pair of hammock support uprights which are pivotally connected to novel mounting brackets which also support pairs of transversely extending ground engaging stabilizing members.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to hammocks. More particularly, the invention concerns an improved, lightweight, collapsible, easily portable hammock for use indoors and outdoors.
2. Discussion of the Invention
Hammocks have been known for many, many years, and have been widely used for both recreational and utilitarian purposes. Because of the recreational popularity of hammocks, numerous types of foldable hammock supporting structures for holding the hammock in an outstretched position have been suggested. However, such foldable or collapsible hammock supports are typically complex in construction and are often unwieldy and difficult to use. Further, such structures are generally heavy, quite bulky when in a collapsed or folded configuration, and accordingly, are extremely difficult to transport from place to place.
One of the most successful prior art collapsible hammocks is that described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,003,652 issued to the present inventor. The present invention comprises an improvement to the construction described in this earlier patent and is directed toward a collapsible hammock which is of a quite simple, lightweight construction, and is easy to use and easy to transport.
As will become more apparent from the discussion that follows, the apparatus of the present invention embodies mounting brackets of a novel, lightweight construction to which both the hammock support uprights and the ground-engaging, stabilizing members are pivotally interconnected. The mounting brackets also carry novel, easy-to-use locking means for locking the uprights securely in their operating position.


A rapid method for the simultaneous measurement of aggregation or agglutination in plurality of microtest wells or other sample-holding vessels comprises providing a plurality of light beams having discrete focal points adapted to be focused on the contents of a plurality of wells or other vessels and a plurality of photodetectors therefor, directing the light beams through the wells or other vessels and contents thereof, continuously agitating the wells or other vessels and contents thereof with a circular movement effective to permit aggregation or agglutination while preserving the integrity of the material, producing a plurality of output signals from the detectors are proportional to the light absorbencies of the beams as they pass through the wells or other vessels and contents thereof, repeatedly sampling the signals at a predetermined time interval and determining changes in optical densities from the signals obtained after each predetermined time interval by comparing each signal sampled after each predetermined time interval with the first signal sampled for the same microtest well or vessel, whereby any change in optical density which is greater than about 0.05 units is said to indicate that aggregation or agglutination occurred in the well or other vessel. The present method is suitably applied to the measurement of aggregation in platelets.

Since 1962, light transmission measurements have been utilized to detect aggregation caused by a variety of agents (Born, G. V. R., J. Physiol. 162:67P (1962)); Born, G. V. R., Nature 194:927 (1962)). In a matter of seconds after the addition of an aggregating agent it is observed a large increase in light transmission associated with the formation of aggregates. After a short but variable time, the light transmission may either decrease again indicating the dispersion of the aggregates, or increase even further. The latter is caused by an increase in the distance between the aggregates (Born G. V. R., and Hugh, M., Nature 215:1027 (1967)). The changes in transmitted light have been given a mathematical treatment based on a series of assumptions relating to the manner in which aggregation occurs (Cronberg, S., Coagulation 3:139 (1970)).
In the case of platelet aggregation, considerable evidence suggesting that adenosine diphosphate (ADP) plays an essential role (Michael, S., and Firkin, B. G., Ann Rev. Pharmacol. 9:95 (1969); Mustered, J. F., and Packham, M. A., Pharmacol. Rev. 22:97 (1970)). ADP, whether added or formed in the platelets, has been shown to cause the initial transformation in platelet morphology preceding aggregation. Ethylenediaminetetraacetate (EDTA) was added in concentrations sufficient to prevent aggregation and the plasma was then diluted to decrease the platelet concentration. It was found that the decrease in light transmission is only associated with the change and shape of the platelet and not with an increase in the main volume of the cells (Zucker, M. B., and Zaccardi, J. B., Fed. Proc. 23:299 (1964)).
The measurement of aggregation in a sample is of fundamental importance in studies of, e.g., platelet behavior. The basic technique for the measurement of aggregation utilizes changes in optical transmission of readings. Data collection was completed within 10 a suspension of aggregatable particles or material, e.g., platelets, as it is converted into a suspension of aggregates, and records these changes with a spectrophotometer fitted with, e.g., a magnetic stirrer, a thermostatted cuvette and a chart recorder. (Mustard, J. F. and Packham, M. A., Pharmacol Rev 22:97-187 (1970)).
Typically, most instruments detect the formation of aggregates by monitoring either optical turbidity or electrical conductivity. The latter represents the traditional approach employed by a so-called fibrometer-type instrument. In fact, this instrument measures increases in conductivity which may be correlated to the formation of aggregates. Similarly, turbidity may be optically sensed by the decrease in light transmission due to the formation of aggregates.
Some optical instruments permit two or four samples to be run and the results are recorded simultaneously. Other new devices allow for the electronic storage of aggregation curves. Up to the present time the applications of aggregation measurements have been restricted because of the variation between samples, the limited stability of suspensions and the cumbersome nature of individual tracings. Aggregation data are commonly reported for publication as subsequent tracings done on a single sample. These tracings are often accompanied by a footnote indicating that the data presented are representative of a number of similar experiments.
Various photometers are commercially available for measuring the light absorbance of liquid samples in microtitration plates or other sample-holding vessels. Example of such equipment are the MR 600 Microplate Reader marketed by Dynatech Laboratories, Inc. of Alexandria, Va., and the Vmax Kinetic Microplate Reader marketed by Molecular Devices of Palo Alto, Calif.
Born, G. V. R, Nature 4832:927 (1962) utilizes large volume samples (3 ml samples) contained in a centrifuge tube, the content of the tube is stirred gently with a rod and the optical density of each sample is individually measured. It is reported in this article that vigorous stirring at 1,000 rpm cycles/minute contribute to the breaking up of platelets.
Michal, F., and Born, G. V. R., Nature New Biol. 231:220 (1971) disclose a modification of the traditional optical method of measuring aggregation which permits the simultaneous measurement of scattered and transmitted light. This method encompasses a modification of the cuvette chamber of an aggregometer to allow for the measurement of light scattered at right angles to the incident light beam. In the aggregometer the incident light beams a suspension of platelets which are kept in rapid motion by a magnet rotating in the bottom of the glass tube at 1,000 rpm. The sample volume is about 1 ml and the optical density is read individually for each sample which is kept in a water-jacketed environment at 37.degree. C.
Mills, D. C. B., and Roberts, G. C. K., J. Physiol. 193:443-453 (1967) measure platelet aggregation in a modified EEL Long Cell Absorptiometer manufactured by Evans Electro-selenium Ltd., of Halstead Essex the measurements are taken of a plasma sample which is stirred from below by a magnetic stirrer while continuous recordings are made. The volume sample is about 1.0 ml. O'Brien, J. R., Nature 202:1188 (1964) conduct aggregation studies of 2 ml plasma samples placed in a cuvette in an EEL titrometer or electrophotometer. Each sample is treated individually and it is said that aggregation occurs when the optical transmission increases and is continuously recorded downwardly on the tracings.
O'Brien, J. R., J. Clin. Path. 15:446 (1962) observed the adherence of blood platelets to glass by depositing samples on a glass slide and covered it with a cover slip. The method of detection is by microscope and the viscous metamorphosis or platelet aggregation is observed. This method also utilizes large samples which are placed in glass tubes.
In recent years, microtiterplates (MP) have been increasingly used in a number of analytical applications. These disposable plastic plates contain 96 wells with a working volume of 0.3 ml per well. The wells are positioned in 12 by 8 array. Spectrophotometric devices which interface with microcomputers are commercially available which permit the rapid reading of optical changes occurring in the wells. Moreover, the thus obtained data may be electronically stored in a computer memory.
However, up to the present time there has not been available an apparatus or method for obtaining simultaneous spectrophotometric readings for a plurality of samples and controls utilizing efficient agitation, and optionally temperature conditions to follow aggregation, which could then be mathematically treated and averaged, including by computer technology, to provide statistically significant results.

Adaptation of microtiter plate technology to measurement of platelet aggregation

The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services


This disclosure relates to a blue phase liquid crystal composite material formed by photopolymerization of material components comprising a parent blue phase liquid crystal, a photo-polymerizable monomer, a photoinitiator, and inorganic nanoparticles; and to a liquid crystal display comprising the blue phase liquid crystal composite material. The blue phase liquid crystal composite material has a low driving voltage, no electro-optical hysteresis, and rapid response time to an electric field.

Liquid crystalline Blue Phase (BP) is a special phase which is macroscopically between the isotropic phase and the cholesteric phase, and often occurs in high chiral liquid crystal systems. Microscopically, the blue phase is a lattice defect phase without exhibiting birefringence, and the magnitude of lattice parameters of BP is comparable the wavelength of visible light (i.e., hundreds of nanometers). The blue phase can be divided into three subphases according to their crystal structures, which are designated as blue phase I (BPI), blue phase II (BPII), and blue phase III (BPIII), respectively. The corresponding crystal lattice structures thereof are body-centered cubic structure, simple cubic structure, and amorphous state, respectively. The blue phase crystal material is considered as the most promising next-generation liquid crystal display material due to its microsecond level response time to an electric field. In comparison with a conventional liquid crystal display, a blue phase liquid crystal display has the following four prominent advantages.
(1) Due to the microsecond level response time to an electric field, the blue phase liquid crystal can be field-sequentially driven and thus a color filter is no longer required, which not only reduces the material cost, but also improves the efficiency of the backlight source.
(2) Due to the microscopically optical isotropy, the internal surface of the substrate of the blue phase liquid crystal display does not need orientation treatment, which can simplify greatly the manufacturing process thereby reducing manufacture costs.
(3) The blue phase liquid crystal display has a wide visual property. Thus, a visual compensation film is no longer required, and the width of the visual field can be controlled according to the practical requirements.
(4) The light transmissivity of the blue phase liquid crystal display is not affected by the substrate gaps, and thus the substrate gap does not need to be strictly controlled. Thus, the manufacture process can be substantially simplified so as to reduce the manufacture costs.
However, since the monomer content in a polymeric blue phase liquid crystal is usually less than 10 wt %, the polymeric network is very prone to deformation under damages caused by the electric field, which eventually reduces greatly the life of the liquid crystal display.
In order to improve the performances of the blue phase liquid crystal, it is possible to disperse uniformly the droplets of a blue phase liquid crystal in the polymer matrix to form a polymer dispersed blue phase liquid crystal. A polymer network exhibits a better stability in an electric field, and is convenient for a large-scale production.
However, because the polymer network has strong constraining effect on liquid crystal molecules, the blue phase liquid crystal has high driving voltage. Moreover, in a strong electric field, blue phase liquid crystal droplets are very prone to phase transition which leads to electro-optical hysteresis. Therefore, development of a blue phase liquid crystal composite material having low driving voltage and no electro-optical hysteresis property has important theoretical significance and practical value.

Blue phase liquid crystal composite material and liquid crystal display containing the same


An information processing device includes a storage unit, a display unit, and a control unit. The storage unit stores a selection value indicating whether a predetermined setting is enabled or disabled, and a setting value that applies when the setting is enabled. The display unit displays a setting screen concerning the predetermined setting. When a user gives an instruction to switch to display of the setting screen, even if the selection value stored in the storage unit indicates that the predetermined setting is disabled, the control unit causes the display unit to display the setting screen and causes the selection value displayed on the setting screen to indicate that the predetermined setting is enabled, so that the user does not have to perform a separate operation to enable it.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an information processing device and an information processing method.
2. Description of the Related Art
Information processing devices often perform particular processing based on the input of numerical values. Information processing devices equipped with means for receiving input of numerical values are therefore well known.
Information processing devices have on-states and off-states, and often control the settings for numerical values that are set are frequently enabled only in the on-state. For example, the time setting of an alarm in an alarm clock is enabled only in the alarm-on state. The settings of this type are referred to below as the settings applying numerical, values only in the on-state. When the information processing devices of this type control the settings applying numerical values only in the on-state, normally the operation to switch between the on-state and the off-state and the operation to input numerical values must be carried out separately on a setting screen.
In such cases, when a user makes the setting screen for a setting of this type displayed, the user generally intends to use the setting, so it is annoying to have to perform a separate operation to switch the setting on. A further annoyance is that when the setting is switched from on to off on the setting screen, the setting screen remains on display, even though the user does not intend to make further use of it, and another operation is needed to exit the setting screen. In short, the conventional operating scheme is inefficient.
An object of the invention is therefore to make setting operations more efficient.

Information processing device and information processing method


An integrated leadframe and bezel structure includes a planar carrier frame, a plurality of bonding leads, a die pad region, and a bezel structure. The bezel structure includes a bending portion shaped and disposed to facilitate a portion of said bezel structure being bent out of the plane of said carrier frame. A sensor IC may be secured to the die pad region, and wire bonds made to permit external connection to the sensor IC. The bezel structure includes portions which are bent such that their upper extent is in or above a sensing surface. The assembly is encapsulated, exposing on the top surface part of the bezel portions and the upper surface of the sensor IC, and on the bottom surface the contact pads. Two or more bezel portions may be provided, one or more on each side of the sensor IC.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to integrated circuit packaging, and more specifically to a leadframe structure and method of using same which provides an integrated leadframe and exposed bezel portion for receiving a user's fingertip or the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The present invention lies at the crossroads of two different technologies. The first of these is integrated circuit (IC) packaging. The second is silicon fingerprint sensors. We look first at IC packaging. Historically, the number of devices formed on an IC die has increased dramatically from year to year. Advancements in both the design and layout of devices carried by the IC die as well as in designs for making external connections to those devices have supported the increases in device count. A typical IC assembly includes the die, often a body of a semiconducting material such as silicon, having interconnected electronic elements such as transistors, resistors, capacitors, interconnections, etc. formed thereon. The die are typically quite small, with correspondingly small contact pads, necessitating use of a secondary structure to make practical electrical connections between the die and a printed circuit board (PCB) or other body to which the IC is attached for use. Such secondary structures include leadframes, chip carriers, and the like. In common applications, an IC die is physically bonded to a leadframe, and fine wires make the electrical interconnections between the bonding pads of the IC die and the bonding leads of the leadframe. The leadframe in turn presents pads or pins which make the final electrical connection to the next level PCB or the like.
The IC die, connection wires, and bonding leads of the leadframe are typically encapsulated in a non-conductive structure or encapsulation, such as resin or plastic. In certain embodiments, a portion of the leadframe extends beyond the extent of the encapsulation for the external connection points to the leadframe and thereby to the IC. In other embodiments the leadframe is etched to have at least two different thicknesses. The regions having the lesser of the thicknesses become fully encapsulated in the encapsulation material, while the regions having the greater thickness protrude beyond the encapsulation material, providing external contact pads.
The encapsulation provides protection from both mechanical (e.g., impact and scratch) and electrical (e.g., electrostatic discharge) damage. The encapsulation material is nonconductive, providing internal electrical isolation as well as isolating the die therein from unwanted external electrical contact.
Manufacturing the encapsulated die and leadframe combination is most commonly accomplished by placing the die, pre-mounted to a die pad portion of the leadframe, within the cavity of a mold, and injecting encapsulation material into the cavity. By sizing and properly engineering the mold, the encapsulation material is applied to a desired thickness and in desired regions around the leadframe and IC die.
We turn next to silicon fingerprint sensors. Devices designed for sensing the pattern of a fingerprint fall into several categories based on the type of sensor they employ, such as optical, thermal, capacitive, and so on. Within these categories, some require a user's finger be in direct contact with a portion of the sensor (or a coating applied thereover) such as in the case of capacitive sensors, while others require that the finger be positioned spaced apart from the sensor surface (though often in direct contact with another surface such as a glass or plastic optical platen or lens surface), such as in the case of optical sensors. We are primarily concerned in this disclosure with the category of direct contact sensor devices, although some aspects of the present invention may be usefully applied to non-direct-contact sensor devices, as will be appreciated by one skilled in the art.
In one example of a direct contact silicon fingerprint sensor device, a capacitor plate is formed just below the surface of an IC sensor die. Typical IC fabrication techniques are employed to form the sensor die. A fingertip is placed on the surface of the sensor die. The skin surface at the ridges of the fingerprint will therefore be located closer to the capacitor plate than the skin surface at the valleys. The skin surface is established as one plate of a capacitor, and the buried plate as another. Thus, the distance between the capacitor plates varies as between ridges and valleys of the fingerprint pattern. This variation in distance results in a variation in capacitance, which may be measured for regions (i.e., pixels) of the fingertip and used to create a 3-dimensional representation of the fingerprint contours and pattern (where distance corresponds to pixel grayscale value).
Direct contact capacitive sensor (and other direct-contact sensor technologies such as thermal) devices require that the sensed portion of a user (e.g., the fingertip) be positioned very close to, if not touching the sensor device. For this reason, sensor devices for direct contact fingerprint sensing are often packaged in encapsulation material such that a portion of the surface of or over the IC sensor die is exposed (i.e., the mold structure is such that the encapsulation material is prevented from forming over a sensing portion of the IC die). In some applications one or more thin protective coatings such as polyamide or epoxy are applied to the sensor and or IC surface at the wafer level (prior to packaging), in other applications such thin protective coatings can be applied within the packaging process itself (covering the silicon die with a thin layer of encapsulation material to form an outermost sensing surface), and in still other applications no additional protective coating (beyond the standard passivation layer typically applied as one of the final steps of silicon wafer manufacturing) is used and the silicon sensor surface (e.g., silicon nitride passivation layer) is actually exposed for contact. Whether thinly covered with additional protective layers beyond the one typical passivation-based protective layer or not, and whether any such protective layers are in place prior to encapsulation or formed as part of the encapsulation process, such devices are referred to herein as exposed die sensor packages. The sensing surface is the uppermost surface of such exposed die sensor packages.
There are two further subcategories of direct-contact silicon fingerprint sensor devices—area sensors and strip sensors. An area sensor is essentially a two-dimensional array of sensor pixels over which a user places a finger. Through a raster or similar scanning process, the array of sensor pixels are sequentially activated, sensing takes place, and the results read out for processing. No motion of the finger is required. Indeed, the finger must be kept relatively motionless during the sensing phase to obtain undistorted results. A strip sensor is essentially a one-dimensional array (or an array with a much greater width than length), over which a user swipes a finger. The sensor may typically be as wide as the width of an average fingertip. For example, such a sensor may be in the range of 5-10 mm in width, and typically measures 0.1-0.4 mm or 2-8 sensor rows in length. As the finger passes over the sensor, sensing takes place for a "strip" of the fingerprint equal in length to the length of the sensor array (which is again many fewer pixels than the width). Each image is an accurate representation of the structure of a small essentially 1-dimensional strip of the overall 2-dimensional fingerprint pattern. A complete 2-dimensional image of the fingerprint pattern is then composed by software from analysis and normalization of the data from the individual essentially 1-dimensional strips. A very compact sensor is thereby provided, which finds use in many devices such as portable (notebook) computers, telephones (such as cell phones), personal digital assistants (PDAs), etc.
There are a number of existing techniques for producing an exposed die sensor package. Each typically include disposing the die and a contact structure within a mold body, and injecting resin or plastic into the mold to encapsulate the die. According to one technique, disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,686,227, which is incorporated herein by reference, a die may be mounted to an insulative substrate (such as a fiberglass panel), with bonding wires making electrical connection between the die and substrate. The die and substrate are then placed in a mold body, such that the mold body clamps the substrate to hold the structure in place. A seal, located either on the mold or on the substrate then serves to block any introduced encapsulation material injected into the mold from being applied to the region of the die which is desirably to be exposed. Upon removal from the mold body, the die and substrate are encapsulated in the protective encapsulation material, with an exposed portion of the die provided for the sensing operation.
Another technique, disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,862,248, which is incorporated herein by reference, provides discrete leads in a molding process resulting in an exposed die with a dual-in-line package (DIP) type lead arrangement. According to this technique, a die is attached to a leadframe and pads on the die are electrically connected to the leadframe by wire bonds. A patterned region of removable material is formed over the die where it is desired that a portion of the die be exposed after molding. The die and leadframe are then positioned within the cavity of a mold, and encapsulation material injected into the cavity. The removable material is then removed to produce an encapsulated structure with an exposed region. That is, a structure is produced which is entirely encapsulated in encapsulation material apart from the location blocked by the removable material. Accordingly, the integrally molded structure includes encapsulation material beneath the leadframe (i.e., on the side of the leadframe opposite that to which the die is attached).
In an alternate embodiment of capacitive sensor devices, such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,512,381, which is incorporated herein by reference, a varying voltage electrically drives the fingertip being sensed during the sensing process. The variable two-plate sense capacitor previously described can also be used to provide a variable input charge into more complex capacitive sensor systems based on the sensing of fringing field interference caused by the presence of fingerprint ridges. With the addition of an external electrode to electrically drive the finger with a varying voltage so that the presence or absence of fingerprint ridges act as a variable charge transfer input capacitor to complement the effect the ridges of the fingerprint have in acting to interfere with the fringing field of the sensor capacitor, the sensitivity of the sensor is thereby greatly improved.
In order to drive the user's finger with the desired varying voltage, the finger must be in electrical contact with a voltage source. According to one embodiment, this contact is made by providing a metal bezel around part or all of the perimeter of the sensor. As the user applies a finger to the sensor surface, either by placement on an area sensor or in the swiping motion over a strip sensor, the finger in put into direct contact with the bezel (or in contact with a conductive coating applied over the bezel in manufacturing). The bezel then serves as the contact with the finger for transferring the charge from the finger to the input capacitor of the sensor apparatus.
Traditionally, the metal bezel, the leadframe, and the sensor IC have each been separate elements, brought together in the process of assembling or packaging the sensor apparatus. However, as in the general art of IC production, there is significant, ongoing commercial pressure to reduce cost, number of components, and number and complexity of manufacturing steps, and size of the completed structure. The present invention focuses on the bezel and leadframe to reduce cost, complexity, and size, of the sensor apparatus, simplifying its assembly, etc.

Integrated leadframe and bezel structure and device formed from same


An arrangement is provided whereby an expansion card can be inserted in a multi-contact computer backplane connector and then gates provided between bus lines and respective connector contacts can be enabled. Hot insertability of the card and improved fault protection results. A plurality of gate signals for respective connectors can be provided so that a bus controller can selectively supply a gate signal for enabling transmission gates of only one connector for a given bus cycle, thereby providing dynamic cycle switching of the cards. The transmission gates can be provided in a backplane connector for a card. Preferably, a power supply signal is supplied to a switch gate connected between a power line and a power contact of the connector when a card has been inserted in a connector such that power is only supplied to the card only after insertion. A bus request signal can be enabled after a predetermined delay following the supply of power to the card.

This invention relates to managing an expandable computer bus architecture.
Open system architectures are well known in computer systems. Open computer system architectures are based on the provision of a computer bus which can be expanded by means of expansion cards. In order to provide for computer bus expansion, on a typical backplane, or motherboard, a computer bus will be provided with a number of sockets into which expansion cards can be inserted. There are a number of different standards for computer bus expansions. One conventional standard is the PCI (Peripheral Component Interface) architecture. The PCI architecture enables a bus to be expanded by the insertion of cards, but the standard PCI architecture is less than ideal for a highly reliable system for a number of reasons. Firstly, PCI cards are not hot replaceable, meaning that the cards cannot be inserted when the system is actually running. Accordingly, it is necessary to turn off the main computer system in order to carry out maintenance and insert new cards. Also, it is difficult to tell exactly which card might be generating a fault which can be identified on the bus. Accordingly, this increases maintenance and repairs costs where a fault develops. A further difficulty of PCI cards is the limitation placed on the size of the system which can be produced due to the bus trace length limit for signal propagation. This is a particular problem if easy maintenance is to be enabled. Reliable and easily maintained systems may demand a configuration of bus paths which results in particularly long signal paths. This limits the physical size of the system which can be manufactured due to transmission line factors.


Systems and methods for providing a virtual machine client administrative interface are provided. In some aspects, a method includes providing for display of a virtual machine creation console via operation of a virtual machine hosting environment, the virtual machine creation console indicating a set of predetermined available resources for virtual machine creation. The method includes facilitating receiving, from a user, an input via the virtual machine creation console, the input defining a portion of the set of predetermined available resources and one or more virtual machines to be created with the portion of the set of predetermined available resources. The method includes facilitating creating the one or more virtual machines.

In some virtual machine management schemes, virtual machines are created by an administrator and then used by users who are remote to the administrator. The user of a virtual machine may not have any privileges, for example, to create virtual machines. Oftentimes, users with many different needs implement virtual machines to meet their needs. For example, virtual machines may be used by programmers, information technology specialists, business developers, and salespersons for very different purposes. As a result, administrators often provide general purpose virtual machines that may be used for multiple different purposes. Thus, while the virtual machine may meet some of the needs of the user, the virtual machine may not be designed with the user's needs in mind and may not perfectly meet the user's needs. As the foregoing illustrates, an approach for, among others, developing a special purpose virtual machine for a user may be desirable.

VM client administrative interface for virtual machine instantiation allows a user to select from a subset of predetermined available resources assigned to the user


An improved rotary actuator for supporting heads relative to a disc of a disc drive for operation. The rotary actuator includes an actuator block pivotally connected to a chassis of a disc drive. The actuator block includes an actuator arm for supporting heads. The actuator block supports a coil assembly adapted for operation in a magnetic field to form a voice coil motor. The coil assembly includes a plurality of wound coils supported by the actuator block at spaced elevations and having a portion of spaced coils overlapped to reduce the operating area for the voice coil motor. The geometry of the coils reduces off-track force excitation of the rigid body resonance to allow for high bandwidth servo. The coil assembly also reduces off-track force during settle in for improved seek times.

Rotary-type disc drives are well-known which include an actuator block rotationally coupled to a chassis of a disc drive for supporting a plurality of heads relative to selected data tracks of the disc surface. The rotary actuator is operated via a voice coil motor operably coupled to the actuator block. Typically, the voice coil motor includes a voice coil coupled to the actuator block and a magnet-and-backiron structure coupled to the chassis of the disc drive for providing a permanent magnetic field for operation of the voice coil motor. Current is supplied to the coil of the voice coil to move the voice coil motor within the magnetic field formed by the magnet-and-backiron structure.
The actuator block is rotationally coupled to the chassis via a bearing cartridge in a known manner. Operation of the voice coil motor is controlled via control circuitry of the disc drive. Current is supplied to the voice coil motor to rotate the actuator block for placement of the heads relative to selected data tracks. Disc drive areal density is increasing such that precision head placement is required via operation of the voice coil motor. Additionally, there is an effort to provide faster seek times for positioning the heads to retrieve data. Structural dynamics of an actuator limit servo-bandwidth, thus limiting rejection of external disturbances, as well as degrading head placement during seek settle and track following modes. Thus, it is desirable to provide an actuator assembly capable of supporting high servo bandwidth for improved seek times and track following capability. The present invention addresses these and other problems, and offers other advantages over the prior art.

Rotary disc drive actuator utilizing plural axially spaced and partially overlapped voice coils


In a method for localizing at least one focal lesion in a biological tissue section, the lesion exhibiting an electrical property different from the tissue section, and the electrical property in the tissue section being essentially constant, a sequence of electrical excitation signals having different frequency is supplied to the tissue section, electrical response signals are measured at a number of measuring locations on the surface of the tissue section that occur due to the excitation signals, electrical admittance data are determined from the response signals dependent on the location on the surface, a maximum of the admittance data and the appertaining position of the maximum on the surface are determined, and a depth position of the lesion under the position of the maximum is determined dependent on the position of the maximum.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a method for localizing at least one focal lesion in a biological tissue section, with the lesion exhibiting an electrical property different from the tissue section, and with the electrical property in the tissue section being essentially constant.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A method of the above type is disclosed by PCT Application WO99/48422. For imaging by means of electrical impedance measurement, electrical currents are impressed and/or electrical voltages are applied to an examination subject at one or more locations therein. Voltages that arise due to the impressed currents are measured using M electrodes (M≧1) that are brought into electrical contact with the tissue section under examination at one or more locations. Alternatively, currents that are established due to the applied voltages are measured either exclusively or additionally as well. The voltages and/or currents are determined by the electrical properties of the subject (described, for example, by the complex conductivity in the mathematical sense). Measured data at m different locations thus are obtained.
The electrical conductivity is composed of a d.c. component and frequency-dependent polarization current components. By analogy to alternating current technology, the electrical conductivity is accordingly mathematically described as a complex quantity.
For example, 64 or 256 time-dependent current values can be measured at present at the surface of the female breast by means of 8×8 or 16×16 regularly arranged electrodes using an apparatus of the TransScan Company that is distributed under the name TS2000. The measurement area amounts to approximately 7.9×7.9 cm2. The measured current values arise due to an alternating voltage between the measuring electrodes and a reference electrode at the contra-lateral hand. The measured data, magnitude and phase of the current are individually converted into conductance values and capacitance values are presented in conformity with the two-dimensional electrode arrangement.
When focal lesions that, for example, exhibit a higher electrical conductivity than the surrounding tissue are situated in the tissue section under the electrode arrangement, then—for example in the case of current measurements—higher current values are measured in the electrodes lying immediately thereabove. Such a lesion is visible as a peak in the two-dimensional measured data presentation. The peak amplitude and the peak width are dependent on the size and depth of the lesion and on the difference in conductivity between the lesion and the surrounding tissue.

Method for localizing at least one focal lesion in a biological tissue section


Coil springs 96 and 97 are incorporated in a driving-side transmission mechanism 61 so as to absorb backlashes between a rack 55 and a drive gear 59a. Since the respective backlashes between the drive gear 59a and the rack 55 are absorbed by way of the coil springs 96 and 97, phase matching at the sole driving-side transmission mechanism 61 is required as phase matching work of toothed portions of gears during assembly, thereby simplifying the assembling task and shortening the amount of assembling hours. Additionally, since a coil spring is not included in the rack 55, the rack can be designed to be small-sized in its width direction, thereby minimizing the moment of a force about the meshed engagement point, acting on an optical head carriage 53, and reducing transfer loss in the head.

An optical disk unit is traditionally equipped with an optical pick-up device which is movable frontwards and backwards by means of a drive motor and a disk table which is rotatably driven by means of a spindle motor. An optical disk is placed on the disk table for rotation together therewith. As is generally known, the optical disk unit operates to read and reproduce a predetermined information signal recorded in a recording track through a record-tracking operation according to which the predetermined information signal is recorded by vertically emitting a laser beam generated from the optical pick-up device to the optical disk from its bottom, while transferring the optical pick-up device in a radial direction of the optical disk.
In such optical disk units, since the information signal recorded in the optical disk is read while transferring the optical pick-up device from the inner periphery of the optical disk to the outer periphery, there is a possibility that tracking error in the recording track results from error in transfer of the optical pick-up device and as a result the information signal is not read and thus a good reproduction cannot be made.
For the reasons indicated above, the driving-force transmission gear mechanism which is provided for transferring the optical disk unit, is conventionally equipped with a backlash eliminating mechanism, for eliminating backlash between a meshing pair of gears and for enhancing reliability in transfer of the optical pick-up device.
One such conventional optical disk unit will be hereinbelow explained in accordance with FIG. 39.
In this drawing, reference numeral 1 denotes a mechanical deck which is formed with a through window 1a being substantially rectangular from the plan view and opening in a vertical direction of the deck and a cut-out 1b being substantially semi-circular in the plan view and integrally formed with the through window 1a. The mechanical deck is disposed in a body (not shown) of an optical disk player.
Reference numeral 2 denotes a spindle motor which has an output shaft penetrating the cut-out 1b and is fixed on the reverse side (under surface) of the mechanical deck 1.
Reference numeral 3 denotes a disk table, on which the disk is placed, is fixed on the top of the output shaft 2a and has a driven connection with the spindle motor 2 for co-rotation therewith.
Reference numerals 4 and 5 denote a pair of right and left guide shafts respectively extending in the advancing and retreating directions of an optical head carriage as set out below. The guide shafts are arranged in parallel with each other in the body (not shown) of the player and fixed at the perimeter of the window 1a on the reverse side of the deck.
Reference numeral 6 denotes the optical head carriage which is provided for transferring an optical pick-up device 7 in the front and rear directions and slidably mounted on the guide shafts 4 and 5 through bushings 8.
Reference numeral 9 denotes a rack mechanism which is provided for transmitting a driving force produced by a motor. The rack mechanism consists of a first rack 10 extending frontwards and rearwards and fixed on one side of the optical head carriage 6, a second rack 12 extending frontwards and rearwards and slidably mounted on the upper surface of the first rack 10 through a spacer 11, and a compression coil spring 13 operably disposed between the first and second racks 10 and 12 for spring-loading them and serving as a backlash eliminating mechanism by producing the spring bias so that the two racks are spaced apart from each other.
Reference numeral 14 denotes a motor which is fixed on the upper surface of the mechanical deck 1 at one side of the latter for driving the head carriage. A motor gear 15 is fixedly attached to an output shaft 14a of the motor 14 in such a manner as to be placed at the reverse side of the mechanical deck 1.
Reference numeral 16 denotes a drive gear rotated by driving the motor 14. The drive gear is rotatably mounted on the reverse side of the mechanical deck 1 by way of a support shaft 17.
Reference numeral 18 denotes an intermediate driving-force transmission gear mechanism is provided for transmitting a driving force produced by the motor 14 to the optical head carriage 6. The intermediate transmission gear mechanism is mechanically linked to both the rack mechanism 9 and the drive gear 16 and consists of a driving-side transmission gear mechanism 19 and a driven-side transmission gear mechanism 20.
Of these transmission gear mechanisms 19 and 20 constructing the intermediate transmission gear mechanism 18, the driving-side transmission gear mechanism 19 consists of two gears 21 and 22 both being in meshed engagement with the drive gear 16 and being rotatably disposed, and a compression coil spring 23 serving as a backlash eliminating mechanism which acts to bias the respective gears 21 and 22 in their opposite peripheral directions.
Of these gears 21 and 22, the gear 21 is integrally formed with an upwardly extending small gear 24 at its central portion.
On the other hand, the driven-side transmission gear mechanism 20 of the intermediate transmission gear mechanism 18 consists of two gears 25 and 26 both being in meshed engagement with the small gear 24 and being rotatably disposed.
Additionally, the gears 25 and 26 are in meshed engagement with the first and second racks 10 and 12, respectively.
In the optical disk unit as set forth above, the driving force produced by the motor 14 is transmitted from the drive gear 16 through both the gears 21 and 22 of the driving-side transmission gear mechanism 19 and through both the gears 25 and 26 of the driven-side transmission gear mechanism 20 to the first and second racks 10 and 12 of the rack mechanism 9, with the result that the optical head carriage 6 can be moved along both the guide shafts 4 and 5 in the front and rear directions.
At this time, backlash between the drive gear 16 and the gear 21 and backlash between the drive gear and the gear 22 are both absorbed by means of the compression coil spring 23, while backlash between the gear 25 and the rack 10 and backlash between the gear 26 and the rack 12 are both absorbed by means of the compression spring 13. Additionally, the respective backlash between the small gear 24 and each of the gears 25 and 26 is absorbed by means of both the compression coil springs 13 and 23.
In the prior art optical disk units, since the two backlash eliminating mechanisms (the compression coil springs 13 and 23) are respectively provided in the rack mechanism 9 and the driving-side transmission gear mechanism 19, the prior art optical disk unit requires phase matching at respective toothed portions of the rack mechanism 9 and the driving-side transmission gear mechanism 19. This results in troublesome assembly task when totally assembling the respective mechanisms. Additionally, it takes a long time for assembly work.
Furthermore, since the compression coil -spring 13 is incorporated in the rack mechanism 9, the rack mechanism 9 is so designed as to have an undesirably larger dimension in its width direction. The above-noted larger dimension causes a long distance from the guide shaft 5 to the engaging point of the rack mechanism 9 and the driven-side transmission gear mechanism 20. As a result, when transferring the optical pick-up device 7, the moment of a force about the above-noted engaging point with regard to the optical head carriage 6 tends to increase, thereby increasing transfer loss in the head carriage.

Disk unit and process for assembling transmission mechanism used for driving head carriage


The present invention relates to compositions and methods that are effective in the remediation of contaminants found in natural sources such as groundwater, surface water, soil and manufactured products. The disclosed compositions and methods provide a method for remediating chlorinated polyaromatic compounds by treating them under pressure and heat with concentrated acids and chloride salts. After decomposition has occurred, the resulting acid that is produced is made dermal and non-corrosive. The compositions and methods claimed herein make the product safe to be in contact with humans and animal tissue without causing injury.

PCBs are organic compounds composed of two benzene rings that are joined and containing at least 1 to 10 chlorine atoms. There can be 209 theoretically different combination of PCBs, of which 130 are found commercially.
PCBs are a group of chlorinated polyaromatic compounds including chlorinated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons that became widely used in numerous commercial applications starting in the early 1930s because of their unique thermal stability and non-reactive nature. It has recently been discovered that PCBs are also highly toxic. Because of this toxicity, the manufacture and use of PCBs has been greatly curtailed and their use has generally been limited to closed systems. However, because of their thermal and chemical stability and non-reactive nature, PCBs exist in significant amounts in the environment and have found their way into all levels of the food chain. There is therefore a need for an efficient and economic method for removing PCBs and other polyaromatic compounds from the environment.
Some basic PCB properties are: 1) it is odorless, tasteless, clear to pale yellow viscous liquid but when the chlorination is higher, the viscosity increases and the color becomes deeper yellow; 2) in water, it has a very low solubility, which increases with organic solvents and fats. The flash point temperature is between 170 to 380° C.; 3) it is resistant to oxidation, reduction, addition, elimination and electronic substitution reactions; 4) as the percentage of chlorine increases, the melting point and lipophilicity, which is the ability to dissolve in fats, also increases but at the same time its water solubility rate decreases; 5) PCBs can very easily penetrate skin, PVC and latex but is impermeable to butyl rubber, nitrile rubber, neoprene, and polyvinyl acetate; 6) it is very stable and does not decompose very easily and; 7) chemical, thermal and biochemical reactions are difficult because it generates very toxic products such as dibenzoidoxin and dibenzofurans with oxidation.
PCBs have been used in several applications such as: Coolants in insulation fluids for transformers, in fluorescent and electrical transformers, paints, cements, pesticides, protective covers in electrical wiring, caulking sealants, adhesives, waterproofing compounds, flame retardant products, several heavy industrial oils, electric fluids in transformers, capacitors, de-dusting agents, cutting oils, heat transfer fluids, hydraulic lubricants, asphalt roofing materials, carbonless copy paper, surgical implants, compressor oil, dielectric fluid, dyes, electromagnets, grout, inks, mixed with asbestos, natural gas pipelines, pesticides, plasticizers, rubberizes, space heaters, submersible well pumps, tar paper and wax extenders. PCBs have also been known to be by products of cigarette smoke.
PCBs can stay in the body for long periods after being absorbed by the fat cells, and also can be transmitted to the newborns through breast feeding. The ill effects of PCBs have been observed in liver damage, dental decay, rashes, irregular menstrual cycles, still-born fetuses, unusual skin sores and cancer.
Exposure to PCBs can also cause cancer, heart disease, reproductive problems, reduced sperm count, birth defects, immune suppression and endocrine disruption. For pregnant women, there is a special risk of defects in unborn and newborn child. These defects can include but are not limited to, lower birth rates, smaller head circumference, premature birth, depressed responsiveness, impaired visual recognition, poor short term memory, weight gain deficits, reduced IQ and/or difficulty paying attention.
Reports on the occurrence of PCBs in fish, mussels, seals, sea birds and birds of prey first appeared in 1966. In 1967, PCBs were detected in human adipose tissue, albeit in low concentrations. In 1968, PCBs from a leaking cooling system contaminated a rice oil tank at a food factory in Japan. As a result of the consumption of the contaminated rice oil, 1,000 people fell ill with a disease subsequently known worldwide as Yusho Disease.
Some of the methods by which PCBs can be decomposed include: 1) Incineration at a temperature of 1200° C. with excess oxygen and fuel; 2) Ultrasound where water undergoes thermolysis oxidation of the PCBs reducing it to Carbon Dioxide, Carbon Monoxide and hydrocarbons (CH+) and releasing the Chlorine (Cl−); 3) Irradiation wherein the PCBs are mixed with mineral oil or isopropyl alcohol with potassium hydroxide and then bombarded with gamma rays, releasing the Chlorine from the biphenyl; 4) Pyrolysis which uses a plasma arc process to achieve the 1200° C. but with an inert environment; 5) Use of microbes to attack the Carbon element in the PCBs; 6) Use of Enzymes as a catalyst to speed up the decomposition of the PCBs and 7) Chemical substitution to replace the Chlorine with polyethylene glycol, which must be done under nitrogen to accommodate the proper reaction which yields an insoluble aryl polyglycol that is filtered out. However, these methods are expensive and difficult to perform on a large scale.
Conventionally, PCBs were disposed of solely by incineration. However, this method is very likely to produce harmful materials (e.g., dioxins) such as by-products and, therefore, incineration disposal is not employed at present. Thus, there is a need to develop a process for decomposing PCBs that is not expensive and does not produce any harmful byproducts. In an attempt to find a process that produces no harmful materials (e.g., dioxins), there has recently been proposed a process wherein PCBs are oxidatively decomposed in supercritical water having a temperature of 374° C. or above and containing an oxidizing agent. However, since PCBs are chemically stable, it would be preferable to decompose PCBs at a temperature of 600° C. or higher.

Compositions and methods for remediation of chlorinated polyaromatic compounds


This invention relates to a sheet postprocessing apparatus which includes a first crease forming unit for forming a first crease on a sheet in its width direction, a second crease forming unit for forming a second crease parallel to the first crease, a first abutting member against which the leading end of a sheet introduced into the first crease forming unit abuts to position the sheet, a second abutting member against which the first crease abuts to position the sheet, a first driving mechanism for driving the first abutting member, a second driving mechanism for driving the second abutting member, and a control device for controlling the first crease forming unit, first driving mechanism, second crease forming unit, and second driving mechanism, and makes one folding process selected from a center folding process, inward three-fold process, and Z-fold process executable in the same sheet convey path.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sheet post-processing apparatus which receives sheets discharged from an image forming apparatus such as an electrophotographic copying machine, printer, facsimile apparatus, or a composite machine having these functions, and executes postprocessing such as a folding process.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Recently, various kinds of sheet postprocessing apparatuses have been proposed, which bundle and align a plurality of sheets on which image are recorded by an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, and perform postprocessing such as binding and folding with respect to the aligned sheet bundle.
For example, as a sheet postprocessing apparatus for manufacturing a booklet by saddle-stitching the middle portion of this sheet bundle and center-folding the sheet bundle at the saddle-stitched portion, the apparatuses disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication Nos. 10-181990 and 2001-2317 are known.
These sheet postprocessing apparatuses have a folding unit constituted by a pair of center folding rollers which rotate in tight contact with each other to fold a sheet bundle and a center folding plate which pushes the saddle-stitched portion of the sheet bundle to the press portion between the center folding rollers.
A sheet postprocessing apparatus having a folding unit for folding a sheet into three is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2002-60127. This sheet postprocessing apparatus forms a sealed document such as postal matter or direct mail by sealing or inserting one or a small number of three-folded sheets into an envelope.
A Z-fold apparatus is known, which forms the first crease on a sheet along a direction (width direction) perpendicular to its longitudinal direction, center-folds the sheet, and forms the second crease which is formed parallel to the first crease on the center-folded sheet and is used to fold back the sheet to the opposite side to the first folding side, thereby folding the sheet into three. A large-sized sheet is Z-folded and reduced in size to ½ or less by this Z-fold apparatus. The Z-folded sheet can therefore be stored in a small-sized file or the like. Unfolding this sheet allows an easy visual check.
When, however, the above Z-fold process is to be performed, a Z-fold apparatus must be connected to an image forming apparatus independently of a conventional sheet postprocessing apparatus designed to perform postprocessing such as a center folding process or three-fold process or must be singly installed in the image forming apparatus.
As described above, according to the prior art, an image forming system for separately performing postprocessing including a center folding process, three-fold process, and Z-fold process with respect to sheets discharged from an image forming apparatus is formed by connecting a Z-fold apparatus to the image forming apparatus in addition to the conventional sheet postprocessing apparatus for performing postprocessing including a center folding process and three-fold process.
In such an image forming system, the structure of the sheet postprocessing apparatus including the Z-fold apparatus becomes complicated, resulting in a high manufacturing cost.

Image forming apparatus integrating sheet postprocessing apparatus