A fluidized bed combustion system and method in which a plurality of enclosures, each having a furnace section and integral recycle section are joined using common walls. Openings are provided in lower portions of the common walls for permitting the fluidized bed material to flow between adjacent or opposing furnace sections and between adjacent recycle sections. Openings are also provided in upper portions of the common walls for equalizing the gas pressure between the adjacent or opposing furnace sections.

This invention relates to a combustion system and method, and, more particularly, to such a system and method in which a plurality of adjacent and opposing enclosures including furnace sections and recycle sections are provided for receiving fluidized beds.
Fluidized bed combustion systems are well known and include a furnace section in which air is passed through a bed of particulate material, including a fossil fuel, such as coal, and a sorbent for the oxides of sulfur generated as a result of combustion of the coal, to fluidize the bed and to promote the combustion of the fuel at a relatively low temperature. These types of combustion systems are often used in steam generators in which water is passed in a heat exchange relationship to the fluidized bed to generate steam and permit high combustion efficiency and fuel flexibility, high sulfur adsorption and low nitrogen oxides emissions.
A typical fluidized bed utilized in the furnace section of these type systems is commonly referred to as a "bubbling" fluidized bed in which the bed of particulate material has a relatively high density and a well defined, or discrete, upper surface. Other types of systems utilize a "circulating" fluidized bed in which the fluidized bed density is below that of a typical bubbling fluidized bed, the fluidizing air velocity is equal to or greater than that of a bubbling bed, and the flue gases passing through the bed entrain a substantial amount of the fine particulate solids to the extent that they are substantially saturated therewith.
Circulating fluidized beds are characterized by relatively high internal and external solids recycling which makes them insensitive to fuel heat release patterns, thus minimizing temperature variations and, therefore, stabilizing the sulfur emissions at a low level. The external solids recycling is achieved by disposing a cyclone separator at the furnace section outlet to receive the flue gases, and the solids entrained thereby, from the fluidized bed. The solids are separated from the flue gases in the separator and the flue gases are passed to a heat recovery area while the solids are recycled back to the furnace. This recycling improves the efficiency of the separator, and the resulting increase in the efficient use of sulfur adsorbent and fuel residence time reduces the adsorbent and fuel consumption. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,040,492 and 5,054,436, assigned to the same assignee as the present application, disclose systems in which the separated solids are recycled back to the furnace.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,609,623 and 4,809,625, assigned to the same assignee as the present application, disclose a fluidized bed reactor in which a dense, or bubbling, bed is maintained in the lower portion of the furnace, while the bed is otherwise operated as a circulating bed. This hybrid arrangement results in several advantages not the least significant of which is the ability to utilize fuel and adsorbent over a relatively large particle size range.
In designing fluidized bed combustion systems of the above types, increases in furnace capacity from a given design are usually achieved by increasing the height of the furnace walls. However, this is expensive and there are certain limits to the height of the walls. It has therefore been suggested that the size of the furnace, and therefore its capacity, be increased by increasing the size of the furnace in "plan view" i.e., increasing the width and/or the depth of the furnace. However, this usually requires a common wall, or the like, to be placed in the furnace section to divide the area into two or more fluidized beds which requires separate operating controls, etc. which is expensive. Also, the common wall is subjected to lateral loading, especially when the multiple beds operate differently or if one bed is rendered inoperable due to equipment failure. This lateral loading can cause damage to the wall and attendant reduction i operation and efficiency.
Increases in furnace capacity also lead to the use of larger cyclone separators which permit increasing amounts of fine, unburnt fuel particles to escape with the separated flue gases. This escape of unburnt fuel particles reduces fuel efficiency, thereby increasing fuel consumption.

Fluidized bed combustion system and method having multiple furnace and recycle sections


Disclosed is a method, according to which the air fed to the combustion chambers of an internal combustion engine is pre-compressed by means of a boosting device, particularly an exhaust gas turbocharger. The valve overlap of the gas exchange valves of the internal combustion engine is adjusted by variably displacing the camshaft. The quantity of fuel to be injected, which is required for homogeneously operating the internal combustion engine, is determined and injected directly into the combustion chambers of the internal combustion engine, the total quantity of fuel to be injected being divided into two partial quantities. A first partial quantity is injected into the intake stroke while a second partial quantity is injected into the compression stroke. The ratio at which the two partial quantities are divided is defined according to the load range of the internal combustion engine.

Internal combustion engines operating with direct injection (DI: direct injection) offer high potential for reducing fuel consumption with relatively low pollutant emissions. In contrast to intake manifold injection, with direct injection fuel is injected under high pressure directly into the combustion chambers of the internal combustion engine.
Injection systems having a central accumulator (common rail) are known for this purpose. In common rail systems of said type, a fuel pressure regulated via a pressure sensor and a pressure regulator by the electronic control device of the internal combustion engine is built up in the common rail by means of a high-pressure pump, which fuel pressure is available largely independently of the engine speed and the quantity of fuel injected. The fuel is injected into the combustion chamber via an electrically controllable injector. This receives its signals from the control device. Through the functional separation of pressure generation and fuel injection, the injection pressure can be selected substantially freely independently of the current working point of the internal combustion engine.
For enhancing the performance and torque of internal combustion engines it is known how to provide a boosting facility that increases the charging quantity through precompression, with a charger conveying fresh air into the cylinder of the internal combustion engine. With mechanical boosting the compressor is driven directly by the internal combustion engine (compressor boosting, for instance), whereas with exhaust gas boosting a turbine (exhaust gas turbine) to which the exhaust gas of the internal combustion engine is applied drives a compressor located in the intake manifold of the internal combustion engine.
To reduce the charge-changing losses, modern internal combustion engines have variable valve drives with single- and multi-stage or continuous variability. The variable valve control of the intake and exhaust valves offers the possibility of setting the valve control times within the physical limits of the existing actuator principle (mechanical system, hydraulic system, electrical system, pneumatic system, or a combination of the cited systems) more or less freely. Savings in consumption, lower raw emissions and a higher torque can be achieved as a result.

Method for controlling an internal combustion engine operating with direct fuel injection


A waferscale package system is provided forming a protection structure comprises forming a wafer, fabricating a device element on the wafer, forming a waferscale spacer around the device element, and attaching a waferscale cap to the waferscale spacer to cover the device element, attaching a carrier to the protection structure, and molding an encapsulant around the protection structure to the carrier.

Requirements of modern electronics, such as cellular telephones or medical devices, demand more functions packed into a product while paradoxically providing less physical space in the system for the increased content. Continuous cost reduction is another requirement. Some technologies primarily focus on integrating more functions into each integrated circuit or stacking these integrated circuits into a single package. Other technologies provide different functions, such as optical or microelectromechanical, than conventional integrated circuits. While these technology approaches provide different form functional solutions, they do not address the requirements for cost reduction.
One proven way to reduce cost is to use mature package technologies with existing manufacturing methods and equipments, or in some cases eliminate some of the existing steps and equipments. Paradoxically, the reuse of existing manufacturing processes does not provide a robust and reliable packaging solution for microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) or for optics. Still the demand continues for lower cost, smaller size, and more functionality.
MEMS take the advantage of the silicon's mechanical properties or both mechanical and electrical properties. MEMS are actual mechanical systems that are created via a process called micro machining. Micro machining allows a two-dimensional or three-dimensional mechanical system to be created in a similar area that a typical integrated circuit would use. MEMS comprise mechanical structures, such as microactuators, microsensors, and microelectronics, integrated into a chip.
The diverse nature of MEMS technology complicates packaging to the extent that the packaging and testing cost may reach as high as 90% of the MEMS total fabrication cost. MEMS device packages may contain many electrical and/or mechanical components. The differences of MEMS from conventional semiconductors include the surface of the MEMS device must be free to allow mechanical movement and is very sensitive to mechanical damage as well as to damage from particle contamination.
Protection is a key element in packaging MEMS because ingress of moisture or contamination can prevent the devices from working. A used protection method in MEMS packaging is to use ceramic, metal or plastic lid or silicon cover or glass, which must be accompanied by special features like an epoxy dam to lift the cap or cover up from the die surface. The epoxy dam and other approaches are processing steps that differ from the high volume, low cost integrated circuit and packaging manufacturing processes. These differences are challenges to reduce cost of manufacturing and packaging MEMS devices.
Thus, a need still remains for a robust and reliable packaging solution for MEMS devices providing low cost manufacturing as well as reduce the package height. In view of the ever-increasing need to save costs and improve efficiencies, it is more and more critical that answers be found to these problems.
Solutions to these problems have been long sought but prior developments have not taught or suggested any solutions and, thus, solutions to these problems have long eluded those skilled in the art.


A measurement system is presented for detecting the presence of one or more harmful chemical species within one or more chambers of a semiconductor wafer processing device. Chemical species of interest include oxygen (O.sub.2), nitrogen (N.sub.2), moisture (H.sub.2 O), and organic compounds associated with photoresist processing. Such organic compounds include isopropyl alcohol (CH.sub.3 CH(OH)CH.sub.3), acetone (CH.sub.3 COCH.sub.3), and ethyl-3-ethoxy propionate (C.sub.7 H.sub.14 O.sub.3). Candidate semiconductor wafer processing devices include evaporation, sputtering, and low pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD) devices. The measurement system measures the concentrations of chemical species within each monitored chamber of the semiconductor wafer processing device: (i) during the processing of semiconductor wafers within the semiconductor wafer processing device, and (ii) during recovery periods following preventive maintenance or repair activities performed upon the semiconductor wafer processing device. Performing measurements during recovery periods aids in returning the semiconductor wafer processing device to service following preventive maintenance or repair activities. Data collection is not performed at other times (e.g., when the semiconductor wafer processing device is idle) in order to reduce data storage requirements. The measurement system includes one or more ambient sampling sensors coupled to a data collection computer through a control interface. Each ambient sampling sensor is in gaseous communication with ambients within the one or more monitored chambers. The control interface triggers data collection during the processing of one or more semiconductor wafers within the semiconductor wafer processing device, and following a maintenance activity performed upon the semiconductor wafer processing device.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to semiconductor wafer fabrication, and more particularly to the detection of harmful chemical species within a chamber of a semiconductor wafer processing device.
2. Description of the Relevant Art
In order to eliminate undesirable effects caused by the presence of chemical species normally found in the surrounding air, several semiconductor wafer fabrication operations are performed in a vacuum. Vacuum is a condition of low pressure, generally below standard atmospheric pressure. A vacuum is generally formed by evacuating air molecules from a chamber using a vacuum pump. Wafer fabrication processes performed in a vacuum include evaporation, sputtering, low pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD), and ion implantation.
The first four wafer fabrication processes listed above are deposition processes used to deposit a layer of a select material upon an exposed surface of a semiconductor wafer. The air around us, exclusive of water vapor, is about 78 percent (by volume) nitrogen (N.sub.2), 21 percent oxygen (O.sub.2), and 1 percent other gases. The presence of oxygen and/or nitrogen within a deposition chamber during a deposition process may deleteriously affect the properties of the deposited layer. The air also contains moisture (H.sub.2 O) which may also negatively affect the properties of the deposited layer.
For example, one common material deposited upon semiconductor wafers is aluminum. Aluminum layers are chiefly patterned to form electrical conductors called interconnects. All four deposition processes involve liberating aluminum atoms from an aluminum source and depositing the aluminum atoms upon an exposed surface of a semiconductor wafer. If a large number of oxygen molecules are present within the deposition chamber during the deposition process, a substantial number of the aluminum atoms may combine with the oxygen atoms before reaching the exposed surface of the semiconductor wafer. Compounds thus formed containing aluminum and oxygen, including aluminum oxide (AlO) and aluminum trioxide (Al.sub.2 O.sub.3), would be incorporated into the aluminum layer. Aluminum oxide and aluminum trioxide are dielectric materials, and their presence within the aluminum layer reduces the electrical conductivity of the aluminum layer. Successful deposition of aluminum, and any other select material which readily reacts with molecules found in the air to form undesirable compounds, must therefore be carried out in a vacuum. LPCVD is carried out at pressures down to about 1.0.times.10.sup.-3 torr, while evaporation and sputtering involve pressures down to approximately 1.0.times.10.sup.-9 torr.
A typical deposition system includes a load lock chamber and at least one deposition chamber. The load lock chamber includes a gas-tight door for loading containers of wafers to be processed into the load lock chamber and for unloading containers of processed wafers from the load lock chamber. A gas-tight portal separates the load lock chamber from the deposition chamber. During use, the deposition chamber is continuously maintained at an operating pressure below atmospheric pressure (i.e., under vacuum) while the load lock chamber is cycled between atmospheric pressure and the lower operating pressure for wafer container loading and unloading.
From time to time, deposition systems must be removed from service for preventive maintenance (e.g., scheduled component replacements) or repair operations. Under such conditions, the deposition chamber must often be returned to atmospheric pressure (i.e., "vented"). The venting of the deposition chamber allows air, including oxygen, nitrogen, and moisture, to enter the deposition chamber.
Following completion of the preventive maintenance or repair operations, the deposition chamber must be evacuated and sufficiently purged of the oxygen, nitrogen, and moisture before being returned to service. A period of time is allowed for "recovery" of the deposition system. Lacking any direct way to measure the concentrations of various chemical species within the deposition chamber during recovery, the amount of time allowed for recovery is typically based upon operator experience and/or test wafer results. An operator typically allows a recovery time which, in his or her experience, has not resulted in problems caused by the presence of oxygen, nitrogen, or moisture within the deposition chamber.
Chemical species present on surfaces of the wafers prior to deposition may also deleteriously affect the properties of deposited layers. For example, significant amounts of residual substances associated with photoresist processing, chiefly organic compounds, remaining on surfaces of semiconductor wafers following photolithographic patterning processes are known to negatively affect the properties of layers subsequently deposited upon the surfaces of the wafers.
It would thus be advantageous to have a system for directly measuring concentrations of chemical species within a deposition chamber of a deposition system. Such a measurement system would allow detection of harmful chemical species (e.g, oxygen, nitrogen, moisture, and/or organic compounds) within the deposition chamber in time to take corrective action before substantial product is lost. Such a measurement system would also reduce the ambiguity surrounding deposition system recovery operations, allowing deposition systems to be returned to service as quickly as possible following preventive maintenance or repair operations. The measurement system would also desirably measure residual substances emitted into the surrounding chamber to allow corrective techniques to either reduce those contaminants on the surface prior to processing, or to more accurately remove contaminants from the ambient in-situ.

Measurement system for detecting chemical species within a semiconductor processing device chamber


The present invention relates to a fixing apparatus for fixing one or more printed circuit boards to a housing wall having a frame part that comprises at least one locking means for fixing the frame part to the housing wall and at least one wedge body displaceably supported within the frame part, wherein the wedge body is displaceable into a position relative to the frame part in which a compressive force applied to the frame part by the wedge body deforms the outer frame wall at least regionally outwardly.

The invention relates to a fixing apparatus for fixing one or more printed circuit boards within a housing.
It is known to assemble printed circuit boards (PCBs) or electronic printed circuit board assemblies (PBAs, PWBs, ICBs) at or within a housing. Such housings are frequently equipped with card slots and with plug-in parts arranged at an end side. Printed circuit board assemblies having complementary plug-in parts are then introduced into the corresponding slots until a plug-in connection has been established.
After the assembly, the printed circuit board assembly has to be properly fixed in the housing. A direct contact between the printed circuit board and the housing wall is frequently also desired to achieve a sufficient heat supply over the housing. This requires that the fixed printed circuit board is pressed against the housing wall with sufficient pressure. Previous solutions in accordance with one of the documents U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,224,016, 5,607,273, 4,775,260, 5,779,388, 5,290,122, and 5,404,274 are very complex in part and frequently cause comparatively high costs. The solutions disclosed there are characterized by a complex construction from a large number of individual components since a separate fixing apparatus is in particular required for every single PCB. The required components are typically produced from metal, which brings along disadvantages with respect to weight and to manufacturing costs.

Fixing apparatus for fixing one or more printed circuit boards to a housing wall


The present invention is a method for screen printed lacquer deposition for a display device comprising aligning a mask on top of a faceplate of the display device. Next, the present invention deposits a lacquer material above the mask. Then, the present invention performs a screen printing process to apply the lacquer material through the mask and onto the faceplate to form a lacquer layer on the faceplate. Finally, the present invention dries the lacquer layer.

For over 30 years, companies have searched for ways to construct a thin, low-power version of the conventional cathode ray tube (CRT). These efforts have led to a number of flat panel display technologies. None, including liquid crystal displays (LCDs) have met all of the needs for improved power, brightness, efficiency, video response, viewing angle, operating temperature, packaging, full color gamut, ruggedness, and scaleability.
Among the obstacles encountered in fabricating thin cathode ray displays is the deposition of a lacquer layer on the faceplate of the display prior to adding an aluminum layer. The aluminum layer is used to act as a mirror behind each sub-pixel in the display faceplate to reflect the light photons back toward the phosphors of the display screen to create a brighter image. Surface irregularities in the aluminum layer scatter these photons and reduce the efficiency of the aluminum layer in reflecting light to the phosphors, thus degrading the brightness of the display. The lacquer layer provides a supporting structure when the aluminum layer is deposited so that the aluminum layer is deposited upon an even surface and will reflect light evenly toward the phosphors.
One method of depositing the lacquer layer is known as a "float lacquer" process. FIGS. 1A-C are cross section views showing the steps in a prior art float lacquer process 100. In FIG. 1A, a faceplate 101 is submerged in a solvent 102. In FIG. 1B, a thin layer of lacquer 103 is deposited or floated on top of solvent 102. The solvent is then drained from the tank and, as the solvent level subsides, lacquer layer 103 is deposited upon faceplate 101. In FIG. 1C, the level of solvent 102 in the sub-pixels 104 of faceplate 101 is then further reduced by evaporation and an aluminum layer is deposited directly on top of lacquer layer 103. If the aluminum layer were to be deposited directly upon the phosphor rocks within sub-pixels 104, it would conform to the surface of the phosphor rocks and have a very irregular surface which would reflect light back to the phosphor rocks unevenly. During a subsequent baking operation, the remnants of lacquer layer 103 are removed as they can cause phosphor degradation if it remains.
The float lacquer process, however, is time consuming and is vulnerable to operator error. The amount of time it takes to set up the float tank and allow the solvent to become still enough to deposit lacquer layer 103 means the process is not well suited to larger scale manufacturing processes. Additionally, there can be variations in lacquer layer 103 as large as 30% using the float lacquer process, resulting in an irregular aluminum surface. This causes a nonuniform screen appearance and degrades the efficiency and brightness of the display.
The structure of thin CRTs limits the choice of lacquers in a float lacquer process to soft materials with very high elongation. High elongation is necessary to obtain a scaffold for the reflective aluminum to be applied without "tenting" over the rows and columns between pixels. Tenting can be caused by an excessive amount of lacquer on the faceplate which makes the surface of the aluminum balloon and rupture when the lacquer and remaining solvent is baked out. Tenting can be detrimental, not only to the faceplate, but also during final assembly when support structures, inserted to provide greater structural integrity, can cause the aluminum layer to break which leads to electrical arcing in the finished display assembly. Tenting causes non-uniform screen appearance and reduced efficiency and brightness.
Materials with high elongation are also soft materials, which means that the lacquer layer will be very conformal around the phosphor in the sub-pixels. In FIG. 2, a highly conformal lacquer layer 201 has been deposited upon a layer of phosphor rocks 202 contained in a sub-pixel 203. An aluminum layer deposited upon this lacquer layer will take on the shape of the conformal lacquer layer during the subsequent baking step to remove the lacquer layer and any remaining solvents. This causes the aluminum to also take on an irregular shape which reduces the reflectivity of the aluminum layer and can cause a grainy appearance in the display due to bad uniformity. To smooth the aluminum, a thicker lacquer layer (>1μ in thickness) is usually deposited on a regular CRT. Due to the lower voltages used in a thin CRT, a thinner layer of aluminum is necessary to prevent excess electron energy loss. However, this thin aluminum layer is susceptible to blistering and breakage during the bake out if the lacquer layer is greater than 1μ in thickness. In summary, using a thin lacquer layer creates an excessively conformal aluminum layer and using a thicker lacquer layer leads to tenting and rupturing of the aluminum layer.
Accordingly, the need exists for a method of producing a non-conformal lacquer layer for a display device which will result in a smooth, highly reflective aluminum layer that is electrically and mechanically robust. It is also desirable that this method, while meeting the above stated needs, should be applicable to large scale manufacturing processes.

Method for screen printed lacquer deposition for a display device


Aspects of the present invention are directed at allowing users to establish a multimedia network session in which each user is allowed to employ multiple computing devices to exchange data. In this regard, a method is provided for collecting control information from at least two local computing devices associated with the first user that will participate in the network session. Then, an invitation message with the collected control information is sent to a computing device associated with a second user. In response, control information collected from one or more computing devices associated with the second user are obtained. The obtained control information is distributed to the appropriate local computing devices associated with the first user. As a result of exchanging control information in this way, a multimedia network session that allows users to employ a plurality of computing devices may be established.

Modern networks have revolutionized the way in which people obtain information. In this regard, IP data networks developed for the Internet provide an opportunity for users to interact utilizing multimedia communications. For example, a computing device with the appropriate hardware and software allows a user to send/receive video, audio, instant messages (e.g., text), and the like between other networked computing devices. Data transmitted over the IP data network is processed into a sequence of data blocks, called packets, that adhere to IP protocols capable of communicating a variety of media types. With a personal computer, such as a desktop or laptop, users may establish multimedia network sessions in which different media types are communicated concurrently.
Increasingly, media-specific computing devices are being developed that are configured to transmit data over IP data networks. For example, an IP phone implements functionality to digitize analog phone signals, partition the digitized signal into packets, and transmit the packets to another IP networked computing device. In this example, the audio data may be packetized in accordance with the Voice over Internet Protocol ("VOIP"). With the development of these types of devices, users may communicate audio data over a network without necessarily using a personal computer. In other words, instead of a user being required to use an audio input device (e.g., microphone) that is connected to a personal computer, a network accessible IP phone may be employed to communicate audio data directly over an IP data network.
A deficiency with existing systems is that different real-time media types may only be communicated during a multimedia network session using the same computing device. In this regard, a user may employ a personal computer with the appropriate hardware and software to participate in an online conference in which real-time video, audio, instant messages (e.g., text), and the like are communicated between computing devices. However, the user may not employ a plurality of networked computing devices to transmit these different media types. For example, a user may prefer to use a Web cam associated with a personal computer to transmit video data during the online conference, while concurrently using an IP phone to communicate audio data. With existing systems, a user can only communicate multiple real-time media types from the same computing device. This deficiency limits the use of computing devices, such as IP phones, that provide features desired by users.

Multimedia communications using preferred devices


Methods and devices for asset tracking are provided. An example method involves obtaining a stream of raw data, adding data points from the stream of raw data to a data buffer in a first cycle of data, performing a dataset simplification algorithm on the first cycle of data to determine whether one or more data points from the first cycle of data are to be recorded, preparing the data buffer for a second cycle of data, including determining a group of carry-over data points to be included in the second cycle of data, and continuing to add data points from the stream of raw data to the data buffer in the second cycle of data.

In the field of telematics, the location of an asset, such as a vehicle, and other data pertaining to the asset, may be monitored by an asset tracking device integrated within the asset itself or by another asset tracking device placed onboard the asset. The location of the asset may be tracked through the use of a satellite navigation system, such as a Global Positioning System (GPS), Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), cellular tower network, or other system. Other data may be collected through sensors (e.g., accelerometers, temperature sensors), or through Electronic Control Units (ECUs) of the asset, from which a variety of data may be obtained, such as, in the case of the asset being a vehicle: engine speed, battery temperature, fuel level, tire pressure, and other data. Such data may be made available over a Controlled Area Network (CAN) accessible directly by an ECU or by an asset tracking device through a communication port (e.g., an OBD2 port). In any case, such data may be transmitted to, and recorded at, a back-end data collection system to be used in the provision of a telematics service, such as a fleet management tool, or for analysis.

Extrema-retentive data buffering and simplification


A stable formulation is disclosed that enables the effective intra-oral delivery to a patient of a pharmaceutical agent. The formulation comprises the pharmaceutical agent mixed with an orally-acceptable oral-absorption enhancer in an orally-acceptable carrier-solvent, wherein the oral-absorption enhancer is adapted to modify the surface membrane such that absorption through the surface membrane is initiated or increased. The oral-absorption enhancer may comprise hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin and surfactants including benzalkonium chloride, benzethonium chloride, polysorbate 80, sodium lauryl sulfate, Brij surfactants, Tween and Pluronic surfactants. Also disclosed is a system for delivering the formulation including a mechanism for dispensing predetermined doses of the inventive formulation intra-orally as with an aerosol or spray pump or propellant device.

This invention relates to a formulation effective for the intra-oral delivery of pharmaceutical agents and to a system comprising the formulation in a metered-dose applicator device for dispensing the pharmaceutical agents intra-orally.
The poor aqueous solubility and the hydrophobic nature of many therapeutic agents prevent them from being suitable for conventional oral delivery, due to their poor absorption and bioavailability. In other cases, the current means of delivery are primarily limited to parental means, often compromising the desired level of patient compliance. Many small and large molecule proteins and peptides are effective therapeutically, yet are not ordinarily easily absorbed through, or are otherwise not effective when administered through, the GI tract, including insulin, calcitonin, human growth factors, and others.
Difficulties inhere in administering certain pharmaceutical agents orally (such as proteins), as saliva and/or gastrointestinal compounds tend to degrade or digest the pharmaceutical agents, rendering them ineffective. For example, patients suffering from diabetes are required to administer insulin to themselves by injection on a regular basis. Injection delivery of insulin and other drugs is inconvenient and can be painful, discomforting, and embarrassing.
Injectionable drug delivery also may be used to achieve a quick and efficient administration. Chronic pain management is an area where speedy drug delivery is desired. For example, there is a significant increase in the prevalence and number of cancer deaths worldwide. Pain occurs in more than 80% of cancer patients before death. Because of its high frequency, combined with the lack of availability of opioids in many countries and the under-treatment of pain, the World Health Organization in declared pain a world medical emergency in 1986. Since then, emphasis has been on the appropriate treatment of cancer pain. As a result, the use of opioid analgesics has increased worldwide. Fentanyl is an opioid analgesic commonly used in chronic pain management. Currently, research is being conducted which searches for alternative means of quickly and effectively administering this drug.
Efforts to achieve quicker and more convenient methods of drug delivery have involved the development of nasal and pulmonary delivery mechanisms. These delivery mechanisms have been available for a select number of pharmaceutical agents. For example, aerosol delivery systems with various inhalation-actuated aerosol-dispensing devices have been employed for treatment of asthma, and recently they have been investigating for delivery of insulin. Such devices are breath-activated and designed for delivery to the pulmonary system. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 5,544,646 to Lloyd et al., xe2x80x9cSystems for the Intrapulmonary Delivery of Aerosolized Aqueous Formulationsxe2x80x9d; U.S. Pat. No. 5,320,094 to Laube, xe2x80x9cMethod of Administering Insulinxe2x80x9d; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,648,393 to Landis et al., xe2x80x9cBreath Activated Medication Sprayxe2x80x9d, all of which are incorporated herein.
There remains a need for improved formulations and methods for delivering pharmaceutical agents to patients. In particular, there is a need for a quick and easy method of administration that may be used effectively for a wide range of pharmaceutical agents and that avoids long-term toxicological effects as experienced with lung delivery.
The invention comprises a formulation effective for the delivery of pharmaceutical agents through the mucosa of the intra-oral cavity comprising at least one pharmaceutical agent, one or more oral-absorption enhancers, and optionally, one or more solvent carriers, propellants (e.g., where a propellant device is used for delivery), stabilizers, anti-microbial agents, and auxiliary components. The invention further relates to a system for delivering the formulation including a mechanism for dispensing predetermined doses of the inventive formulation intra-orally as with an aerosol or spray pump or propellant device.
For a better understanding of the invention, exemplary embodiments are described below, considered together with the accompanying figures, in which:
FIG. 1 is a graph showing the effect of inventive formulations containing insulin administered to rats intra-orally wherein plot A reflects application of the invention and plots B,C, and D reflect controls; and
FIG. 2 is a graph showing the effects of inventive formulations containing highly purified porcine insulin administered intra-orally to two human subjects; and
FIGS. 3 and 4 are graphs showing the effects of inventive formulations containing human recombinant insulin administered intra-orally to two human subjects.

Formulation and system for intra-oral delivery of pharmaceutical agents


A stepping motor forms the teeth of the stator so that each have a predetermined pitch in order to eliminate the detent torque. In a stepping motor in which P stator salient poles 1.sub.1, 1.sub.2, . . . 1.sub.p are disposed and, on the surface of each stator salient pole opposed to a rotor 2 whose teeth 4 are disposed at equal pitches .tau..sub.R, k stator teeth 3 are each disposed at equal pitches .tau..sub.S. The stator salient poles 1.sub.1, 1.sub.2, . . . 1.sub.p comprise n sets of poles each differing in phase. The stator teeth 3 are disposed so that their pitch .tau..sub.S =.tau..sub.R.times. {1.+-. 1/(n.times.k)}.

a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a stepping motor and, in particular, to a stepping motor in which the detent torque is eliminated or reduced while the driving torque is increased.
Here, by the detent torque is meant a torque which, even when the motor is not excited, intends to retain a predetermined position, and it essentially differs from the holding torque generating when a specific phase or phases are excited with the motor electrically turned on, that is, the holding torque represented in terms of stiffness characteristics.
b) Background Prior Art
Conventionally, as this type of stepping motor, there has been available one shown in a cross-sectional view of FIG. 6 which represents the mutual relationship between the stator and the rotor.
FIG. 6 illustrates an example of a two phase stepping motor, in which eight salient poles 1.sub.1, 1.sub.2, 1.sub.3, . . . , 1.sub.7 and 1.sub.8 are disposed at equal pitch angles at the side of a stator 1 while five teeth 3 are each disposed at equal pitches of .tau..sub.s =7.5 degrees on the surface of each stator pole opposed to a rotor 2, and also on the outer circumference of the rotor 2, a plurality of, for example, fifty rotor teeth 4 are each disposed at equal pitch angles of .tau..sub.R =7.2 degrees. Incidentally, reference numeral 5 of FIG. 6 denotes a winding of the stator pole, and 6 an output shaft of the rotor 2.
In FIG. 6, in an attempt to reduce the detent torque of the stepping motor, the pitch .tau..sub.S of the teeth 3 at the side of the stator 1 and the pitch .tau..sub.R of the teeth 4 at the side of the rotor 2 are not set equal.
However, in such a conventional stepping motor, since the cycle of the detent torque of the motor is not systematically considered in determining the pitch .tau..sub.S of the teeth 3 at the side of the stator 1, the detent torque has not been fully reduced.

Stepping motor with detent torque elimination


An image forming apparatus includes a frame, a drum cartridge mountable to the frame, and including a photosensitive drum and a drum memory in which drum identification information identifying the drum cartridge is stored, and a control unit including a main body memory in which the drum identification information is to be stored. The control unit reads out the drum identification information from the drum memory, determines whether the drum identification information read out from the drum memory coincides with the drum identification information stored in the main body memory, and enables to execute resister pitch measuring processing of measuring variations in printing pitch due to the photosensitive drum. In a case where it is determined that the drum identification information read out from drum memory coincides with the drum identification information stored in the main body memory, the control unit does not execute the resister pitch measuring processing.

In the related art, an electrophotographic image forming apparatus such as an LED printer is known. This type of the image forming apparatus includes a frame, and a cartridge which is detachably mounted to the frame. The image forming apparatus having the cartridge is disclosed in a prior art. In the prior art, the cartridge has a photosensitive drum. When executing printing processing in the image forming apparatus, the photosensitive drum is rotated, and a toner image is transferred from the photosensitive drum to a print sheet.


A technique for operating a data storage medium, such as a magnetic tape cartridge, by writing pairs of buried servo data tracks having alternating flux densities. A servo read gap is used to locate the on-track position at the border between a pair of servo tracks by detecting a fixed relationship, such as a predetermined proportionality correction factor, between the signals read from each track. Information data read and write gaps are mounted to the servo read head to create a plurality of information data tracks, each one half or less the width of a servo data track or smaller and separated from the next track by one half the servo track width. Information data tracks are formed in these separations between tracks by positioning a second servo data read head at a distance equal to the width of an information data track pitch from the first servo read head while using the second servo read head to locate the on-track position. The flux density transitions in the servo data tracks are at a substantial azimuth angle, such as 45.degree., from the direction of motion of the tape to minimize interaction between the servo data and the information data.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to techniques for maintaining the position of read/write heads in alignment with tracks of data stored in magnetic media, such as magnetic tape cartridges.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are many known techniques for maintaining alignment between read/write heads and data tracks stored in magnetic media. One well known conventional technique is commonly called the "buried servo" approach in which data in an underlying magnetic layer having a higher coercivity coating is detected by the read/write head to determine its position with respect to the data track. The servo data in the underlying or buried servo layer typically includes low density, long wavelength data in the form of flux transitions which are not overwritten during the recording or retrieval of data in the upper or information data layer. The timing and the detection of the servo data flux transitions relative to some known reference provides sufficient position information to permit head position corrections to be made by minimizing timing and/or phase errors. Selective filtering is used to discern the servo data in the underlying buried servo track layer from the upper layer read data.
Another well known technique is called the burst or embedded servo approach in which bursts of fixed density flux transitions are located in dedicated or unused gaps which overlap the track centerline to create a pair of distinguishable signals, called the A and B signals, above and below the track centerline, respectively. When the read head tracks the centerline exactly, the A and B signals have equal magnitude. If the head is off-track, the polarity and magnitude of the difference between the A and B signals provides an error signal which can be used to reposition the head.
What is needed is a head positioning technique that doesn't require the use of valuable surface area for servo data, that easily separates servo from information data, and that provides the necessary signals with the required quality to the servo circuitry for accurate head positioning.


According to the method for controlling optical transmissions according to the present invention, in a state where particles formed of a light-blocking material, a first solvent with electro-wetting properties in which the particles are dispersed, and a second solvent which is not mixed with the first solvent are present in a space covered by an optical incident surface, the particles are mixed with the first solvent but not mixed with the second solvent, and an electric field applied to the first solvent is controlled so as to control the blocking area of the first solvent with respect to the optical incident surface and control optical transmittance.

A variety of conventional techniques for adjusting light transmittance have been introduced.
First, one example thereof is a technique for adjusting light transmittance using polymer dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC). The polymer dispersed liquid crystal controls transmission of light according to a scattering intensity of the light. When no voltage (i.e., electric field) is applied thereto, the direction of molecules of the liquid crystal becomes irregular to generate scattering on an interface having a refractive index different from that of the medium, so that the light transmittance is decreased. When a voltage is applied thereto, the direction of the liquid crystal becomes regular to make the refractive indices the same at the interface, so that the light transmittance is increased. However, according to the above conventional technique, there occurs a problem that when attempting to realize a transparent state by applying a voltage, it is difficult to achieve high light transmittance close to 100% due to the light scattering caused by the liquid crystal. There also occurs a problem that when the thickness of cells is not great, contrast cannot be ensured, consequently increasing a driving voltage.
Next, another example is a technique of adjusting light transmittance using a suspended particle device (SPD). According to this technique, light transmittance is adjusted by applying an electric field to control the arrangement of particles dispersed in a liquid. However, according to the above conventional technique, there occurs a problem that it is difficult to achieve high light transmittance close to 100% due to the particles extensively dispersed in the liquid.
Next, yet another example is a technique of adjusting light transmittance using an electrowetting display (EWD). According to this technique, light transmittance may be controlled by applying an electric field to a first liquid including a light blocking agent (e.g., a dye or the like) and a second liquid not being mixed with the first liquid to control the wettability between the first liquid and a substrate. However, according to the above conventional technique using the electrowetting display, light is blocked using a dye dispersed in a liquid and it is difficult to reliably block the light only with the dye, which causes a problem that increase in the degree of the light blocking is limited and an optical density (OD) is also low. Further, there occurs a durability problem, for example, that the dye is degenerated by infrared light or the state of a substrate surface is repeatedly changed (e.g., from hydrophilic to hydrophobic or vice versa) so that the reproducibility of the surface state is reduced.
Next, still another example is a technique of adjusting light transmittance using an electrophoretic display (EPD). According to this technique, light transmittance may be adjusted by applying an electric field to charged particles to move the particles and adjusting the degree of light blocking by means of the moved particles. However, according to the above conventional technique, the moving speed of the particles is not sufficiently high due to the movement resistance of the particles in a solvent, which causes a problem that the operation of adjusting the light transmittance becomes slower.
In this regard, the inventors of the present invention have conceived a method for adjusting light transmission, which may accelerate the switching of light transmittance, increase an optical density, and achieve high light transmittance close to 100%, as well as a device for adjusting light transmission and a method for manufacturing the same.

Method for controlling optical transmissions, device for controlling optical transmissions, and method for manufacturing same


A system and method are provided for visualizing a scene that is monitored for substance contamination. The scene is scanned with a substance detector to detect a substance, such as a harmful chemical or biological substance. The position of the substance is determined. Graphical element data that represents the detected substance in the scene is generated. A displayed view of the scene is augmented with the graphical element data based on the position of the detected substance to show the detected substance in the view of the scene and provide the user with the location and type of detected substance shown with reference to the environment.

In the field of chemical or biological sensing or detecting, it is desirable to quickly detect substances at a contaminated scene and report information about the substances in order to prevent others from coming into contact or influence with the detected substance. There are standoff chemical detectors heretofore known that display information associated with the detection process independently from the scene where the chemicals are detected.
There are many shortcomings associated with the above-mentioned devices. Unless the contaminated scene is properly marked, a user carrying and controlling the detection equipment is the only one that can confirm the presence or absence of a substance at a specific location by performing a real-time measurement at the given location. The user carrying and controlling the detection equipment relies only on memory and visual markers to conduct a high spatial resolution delineation of the contamination patch. To visualize and remember the exact location of threat-chemical detection events, the user needs to physically mark the location of these events with a chemical-specific marking. Thus, the chance that the contaminated scene can become disrupted is high. Further, for large search/detection missions that can include walls, floors, and ceilings, the task of keeping track of already surveyed areas becomes quickly intractable.
No substance detection system is heretofore known that provides for real-time AR display of a scene as it is being scanned for contaminations.

Method and system for geo-referencing and visualization of detected contaminants


A single crystal silicon plate-shaped body as cut out from an upper portion of a straight body portion of a CZ method single crystal silicon ingot has an interstitial oxygen concentration in a crystal is 25 ppma to 45 ppma and a substitutional carbon concentration is 0.5 ppma or less in a radial center. In the radial center, oxygen precipitates are not observed in a bulk in an image of 200,000 times by a transmission electron microscope, and after heating the single crystal silicon plate-shaped body at 950° C. for 60 minutes, oxygen precipitates are observed in an image of the 200,000 times, and a shape of the oxygen precipitates is observed in a polyhedral structure in an image of 2,000,000 times.

Single crystal silicon is widely used as a substrate material of semiconductor devices for integrated circuits, power control, or the like and solar cells. As a method of producing an ingot of single crystal silicon having high purity, no dislocation, and a large diameter, a CZ method is a mainstream method.
In the production of the single crystal silicon ingot by the CZ method, solid polycrystalline silicon as a raw material is filled in a crucible made of quartz, heated to a melting point or above of silicon, and melted. Then, after a seed crystal of silicon is brought into contact with a surface of the silicon melt in the crucible, the silicon melt is coagulated below the seed crystal by a so-called pulling up method of pulling up the seed crystal slowly, and is grown into a crystal to produce single crystal silicon.
In the pulling up of such a single crystal silicon ingot, first, the seed crystal is brought into contact with the melt surface, and then the crystal is pulled up while narrowing the diameter to eliminate a dislocation occurring by thermal shock in the seed crystal (necking). Thereafter, a shoulder (enlarging diameter portion) is made by pulling up while enlarging the crystal diameter to a target diameter, and a crystal is grown in a constant diameter to pull up a straight body portion (constant diameter portion) having a target length. Thereafter, the single crystal ingot is detached from the silicon melt while making a tail (reducing diameter portion) by reducing the crystal diameter, and is pulled upward in a CZ apparatus and cooled. A substrate (wafer) for semiconductor devices or solar cells is obtained by slicing the straight body portion of the single crystal ingot obtained in this way into a plate-shaped body having a target thickness.
In the CZ method, since the raw material silicon melt and an inner wall of the quartz crucible are in contact at high temperature, the inner wall surface of the quartz crucible reacts with the silicon melt and dissolves, and oxygen melts into the silicon melt. Therefore, oxygen of about 10 ppma to 50 ppma (ASTM F121-79) is taken into the pulled up single crystal silicon. The oxygen in the single crystal silicon is supersaturated in a heating treatment process performed in a production process of semiconductor devices or solar cells, precipitates in the crystal as oxygen precipitates, and forms a fine defect. In the production of semiconductor devices such as integrated circuits, since the formed oxygen precipitates effectively act as a gettering site of harmful metal impurities, the formed oxygen precipitates are called internal gettering and are widely used. On the other hand, since the oxygen precipitates are a recombination center of minority of carriers, a minority carrier lifetime (hereinafter referred to as "lifetime") is shortened, and decreasing conversion efficiency of the solar cells and a leak defect in a power device for power control are caused.
As described above, since the oxygen forming the oxygen precipitates is derived from dissolution of the quartz crucible to the silicon melt, in so far as the quartz crucible is used for pulling up the single crystal silicon ingot, it is unavoidable to mix a substantial amount of oxygen into the single crystal. In particular, an upper portion of the ingot, that is, an upper portion of the straight body portion grown in an initial pull-up stage is pulled up when an amount of oxygen eluted from the quartz crucible is large because, at the initial pulling-up stage, an amount of silicon melt in the quartz crucible is large and a contact area between the crucible inner wall surface and the silicon melt is large.
As the pulling up of the single crystal ingot proceeds, in other words, since the silicon melt in the quartz crucible decreases while the straight body portion of the ingot grows, the contact area between the crucible inner wall surface and the silicon melt decreases, and the oxygen incorporated into the single crystal also decreases. As a result, the oxygen concentration distribution in the pull-up (vertical) direction in the single crystal silicon ingot is uneven, and a concentration of the oxygen is higher in the upper portion. Specifically, in a region of the upper portion of the ingot, an oxygen concentration between lattices in the crystal is usually 25 ppma to 45 ppma, and is about 25 ppma to 40 ppma even an incorporation amount thereof is suppressed. Therefore, an amount of the oxygen precipitates formed in the wafer sliced from the upper portion of the ingot increases, and a proportion defective of the substrate when formed into a solar cell or a power device increases.
It is known that such oxygen precipitates are easily generated when an impurity carbon in the single crystal silicon act as a precipitation nucleus, and as a concentration of substitutional carbon increases, number density of the oxygen precipitates rises. Usually, in the upper portion of the ingot, the substitutional carbon concentration is about 0.001 ppma to 1 ppma, and a lower one of 0.5 ppma or less is preferable in view of reducing the oxygen precipitates.
Furthermore, it is known that a morphology of the oxygen precipitates is influenced and changed by thermal history during pulling up and cooling of the single crystal in a CZ method ingot pulling up device in the production process of the single crystal ingot. By controlling cooling conditions of the single crystal ingot in the pulling up device considering this knowledge, it is possible to reduce the amount of the oxygen precipitates formed when the single crystal ingot is removed from the pulling up device (as-grown). In particular, since a temperature range of 700° C. to 600° C. during cooling of the single crystal ingot in the pulling up device affects the formation of the oxygen precipitates, it is effective to rapidly cool this temperature range to shorten staying time as much as possible. As described above, since the oxygen concentration in the single crystal is higher in the upper portion of the ingot and the oxygen precipitates are easily formed, an effect of the rapid cooling is particularly high in the upper portion of the ingot.
In order to realize such specific temperature history, in an upper space in a main chamber of a device which pulls up the single crystal silicon ingot, a heat insulating material or a temperature control device are provided so as to surrounding the pulled-up ingot to enable precise temperature control (see Patent Literatures 1, 2, and the like). When the heat insulating material or the temperature control device is provided in the upper space in the main chamber of the pulling up device in this way, cooling of the single crystal silicon ingot during crystal growth can be precisely performed until the upper portion of the ingot reaches the upper space of the main chamber, and slow cooling of the ingot from the initial growth stage to 700° C. can be well performed. After the growth of the ingot is completed, that is, after a growth interface between the single crystal ingot and the silicon melt is detached, the entire ingot is pulled up into a pull chamber above the CZ device and cooled, so that rapid cooling in a temperature range of 700° C. to 600° C. can be efficiently performed.
A substrate obtained by slicing the single crystal silicon ingot pulled by the CZ method into a plate-shaped body is used as a substrate for devices such as various semiconductors and solar cells. However, oxygen precipitation may be generated due to thermal history of the device production process or heat treatment corresponding thereto, and lifetime of the substrate may decrease. In general, it is known that when a single crystal silicon substrate is heat treated, a shape of the oxygen precipitates formed and grown in a crystal is a thin plate.
That is, when heat treated at a high temperature higher than 1100° C. for a long time, oxygen precipitates having a large polyhedral structure of several 100 nm grows, but the oxygen precipitates grow into a thin plate shape at a lower temperature. Thus, the oxygen precipitates having a polyhedral structure have a small distortion exerting on surroundings thereof, and a few dislocations generating from the oxygen precipitates occur. Therefore, even if the oxygen precipitates having a polyhedral structure is formed, decrease in lifetime of the single crystal silicon is difficult to occur. On the other hand, since a strong compression stress is generated on an interface between the thin plate-shaped oxygen precipitates and a surrounding silicon crystal mother phase, a distortion field is large and it is easy to induce a dislocation. In particular, in the vicinity of 1000° C., the plate-shaped oxygen precipitates is easily generated, and a dislocation often occurs. Regarding number density of oxygen precipitates to be formed, it is known that number density of polyhedral oxygen precipitates is low and number density of the plate-shaped oxygen precipitates is very high (see, for example, Non Patent Literature 1).
According to Patent Literatures 3 and 4, the single crystal silicon substrate is heat treated at a temperature of about 800° C. for several hours and then heat treated further for several hours at a temperature of 1000° C. or above, so that a single crystal silicon substrate having polyhedral oxygen precipitates and a few dislocations can be obtained. After nuclei of the plate-shaped oxygen precipitates formed in the crystal disappear by the treatment for several hours at about 800° C., since the substrate is further subjected to a specific heating operation of treatment for several hours under high temperature conditions of 1000° C. or higher, the oxygen precipitates grow into the polyhedral structure. However, also in the substrate used in these examples, the plate-shaped oxygen precipitates grow by heating treatment at a relatively low temperature such as various production processes (dopant diffusion, thermal oxidation, or the like) of the solar cell and the power device. As a result, after the heating treatment under such low temperature conditions, a lifetime of the substrate decreased, and satisfactory properties were not obtained.

Single crystal silicon plate-shaped body


A composite structure includes a substrate with pores of a first mean pore size and a coating on at least one surface of that substrate. This coating has pores of a second mean pore size where the first mean pore size is equal to or greater than said second mean pore size. When the pore size of the coating is effective to capture particulate greater than 0.2 micron, the composite may be formed into a filter effective to remove microbes from a fluid medium. One method to form the porous coating on the substrate includes: (1) forming a suspension of sinterable particles in a carrier fluid and containing the suspension in a reservoir; (2) maintaining the suspension by agitation; (3) transferring the suspension to an ultrasonic spray nozzle; (4) applying a first coating of the suspension to the substrate; and (5) sintering the sinterable particles to the substrate.

1. Field
Disclosed herein is a method to form a porous metallic coating on a substrate. More particularly, a suspension of nanosize particles in a carrier fluid is deposited on the substrate and heated to evaporate the carrier fluid while sintering the particles to the substrate.
2. Description of the Related Art
There are numerous applications requiring a porous open cell structure including filtration and gas or liquid flow control. These structures are typically formed by compacting metallic or ceramic particles to form a green compact and then sintering to form a coherent porous structure. Particle size, compaction force, sintering time and sintering temperature all influence the pore size and the structure strength. When the pore size is relatively large, such as microsize (having an average diameter of one micron (m) or greater), the structure thickness relative to pore size is modest for sufficient strength to be handled and utilized in industrial applications. When the pore size is relatively small, such as nanosize (having an average diameter of less than one micron), the structure thickness is much greater than pore size for sufficient strength to be handled and utilized in industrial applications. As a result, the structure has high resistance to passing a gas or liquid through the long length, small diameter pores and there is a high pressure drop across the filter. Note that for this application, the diameter is to be measured along the longest axis passing from one side of a particle to the other side and also passing through the particle center.
A number of patents disclose methods for depositing a porous coating on a substrate. U.S. Pat. No. 6,544,472 discloses a method for depositing a porous surface on an orthopedic implant. Metallic particles are suspended in a carrier fluid. The carrier fluid may contain water, gelatin (as a binder) and optionally glycerin (as a viscosity enhancer). Evaporation of the water results in the metallic particles being suspended in a gelatinous binder. Heating converts the gelatin to carbon and sinters the metallic particles to the substrate.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,652,804 discloses a method for the manufacture of a thin openly porous metallic film. Metal particles with an average particle diameter between one micron and 50 microns are suspended in a carrier fluid having as a primary component an alcohol, such as ethanol or isopropanol, and a binder. This suspension is applied to a substrate and heated to evaporate the alcohol component. A green film of microparticles suspended in the binder is then removed from the substrate and heated to a temperature effective to decompose the binder and sinter the metallic particles.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,702,622 discloses a porous structure formed by mechanical attrition of metal or ceramic particles to nanosize and then combining the nanosized particles with a binder, such as a mixture of polyethylene and paraffin wax to form a green part. The green part is then heated to a temperature effective to decompose the binder and sinter the particles.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,544,472; 6,652,804; and 6,709,622 are all incorporated by reference in their entireties herein.
In addition to the thickness constraint discussed above, the inclusion of a binder and optional viscosity enhancer may further increase the pressure drop across a structure. During sintering, the binder and viscosity enhancer decompose, typically to carbon. This carbonatious residue may in whole or in part block a significant number of pores necessitating a high pressure drop across the structure to support adequate flow.
There remains, therefore, a need for a method to deposit a thin nano powder layer on a substrate that does not suffer from the disadvantages of the prior art.


An alarm clock system including an alarm clock circuit having an alarm output signal; a radio transmitter circuit responsive to the alarm output signal of the alarm clock circuit in a manner to transmit a transmitted alarm signal; and an ear insert including an audible output transducer positioned within an ear insert housing, a radio receiving and alarm generating circuit tuned to receive the transmitted alarm signal and in electrical connection with the audible output transducer, the radio receiving and alarm generating circuit generating a signal to the audible output transducer in response to receipt of the transmitted alarm signal. In one preferred embodiment the radio transmitter is electrically coupled to the alarm clock circuit. In another preferred embodiment the radio transmitter circuit includes an audio pick-up, the alarm clock circuit includes a speaker, and the radio transmitter circuit is coupled to the alarm clock circuit through the speaker and the audio pick-up. When audio coupling is used, it is preferred to provide a mechanism for muting the output of the alarm circuit speaker.

Many individuals suffer from a hearing loss sufficient to prevent them from hearing a conventional alarm clock wake-up alarm. In addition, many individuals share a bed with a spouse or a room with another person who are awoken or disturbed when an alarm clock sounds a wake-up alarm that is only needed by one of the people. It would be a benefit, therefore, to have an alarm clock system that included an ear insert having an audible output that could be inserted into the ear of the person needing to be awoken. Because on some days all of the people sleeping in the room must be awoken at the same time, it would be a further benefit to have such an alarm clock system that included a convention speaker output for sounding a general wake-up alarm.


The present invention relates to compounds of the following formula (I) or pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof. The present invention also relates to use for a cognitive-enhancing agent of compounds of the following formula (I) or pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof and to a process for preparing the same. Further, the present invention relates to use for a congnitive-enhancing agent of decursin of the following formula (II) or pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof. In addition, the present invention relates to extracts of Angelica gigantis Radix comprising decursin of the following formula (II), having cognitive-enhancing effects.

Senile dementia has recently been recognized as a degenerative central nerve system disorder. The number of patients suffering from the disease has been increased to become a serious social problem, and so the prevention, amelioration, and treatment of the disease are now considered very important.
Alzheimer's disease, vascular diseases, Parkinson's disease, hypothyroidism, and alcoholic dementia are known as disorders which may cause dementia, but more than 50% of the patients suffering from senile dementia are found to suffer from Alzheimer's disease. The central nerve system of the patients suffering from Alzheimer's disease is generally impaired, and particularly, cholinergic neuron is most severely impaired. Thus, the studies to develop therapeutic agents to improve cholinergic neuronal functions have been vigorously conducted.
A method to improve the functions of impaired cholinergic neuron is to administer cholinergic receptor agonist or acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitor to inhibit degradation of acetylcholine (ACh), a cholinergic neurotransmitter, and thereby to maintain the concentration of synaptic ACh.
However, cholinergic receptor agonist has a disadvantage to be readily degraded in vivo, and thus, AChE inhibitor is generally used. That is, AChE inhibitor ameliorates the conditions of senile dementia by preventing the degradation of AChE by inhibiting the activity of AChE, an enzyme to degrade ACh, and maintaining the concentration of synaptic Ach, and thereby sustaining a series of cholinergic receptor-mediated reactions.
This is supported by the fact that most of the drugs that have been developed as therapeutic agents for Alzheimer's disease and currently on clinical use or trial are AChE inhibitors. AChE inhibitors that have been approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration and used as therapeutic agents of dementia are exemplified by tacrine (THA, Cognex®), donepezil (Aricept®), rivastigmaine (Exelon®), and galanthamine (Reminyl®) that is most recently approved. However, these AChE inhibitors are known to have such problems as hepatotoxicity, short half-life, low bioavailability, etc. Thus, more studies have been performed to develop a novel AChE inhibitor.
The present inventors have tested various natural products for AChE inhibitory activity to identify the activity with using in vivo experimental models by finding a substance with AChE inhibitory activity from the natural products that have been used as traditional Korean folk medicines for a long time. As a result, the present inventors found out that a methanolic extract of Angelicae gigantis Radix has significant AChE inhibitory activity and cognition-enhancing activity.
Angelicae gigantis Radix is an herbal medicine used as a sedative, an analgesic, or a tonic agent, and particularly an essential drug used after childbirth for anemia and women's diseases, etc. by sedative and menstruation-promoting actions. In Korea, the dried root of Angelica gigas Nakai has been used as Angelicae gigantis Radix.
Further, the present inventors isolated and purified active ingredients showing AChE inhibitory and cognition-enhancing activities from Angelicae gigantis Radix, and synthesized many compounds by using the active ingredients as starting materials and tested them for their cognition-enhancing activity. As a result, they found out pyranocoumarin derivatives of the general formula (I) have cognition-enhancing activity. Therefore, the present inventors completed the present invention.


An image forming system includes a post-processing unit capable of performing a post-processing on the sheet on which the toner image is formed. The image forming system is capable of executing a transfer cleaning operation to move toner from a transfer member to an image bearer by electrostatic force caused by cleaning bias applied by a bias applying unit in a state where the image bearer and the transfer member are rotated, to clean the transfer member, as an inter-sheet operation performed when at least one of inter-sheet areas that exist on the image bearer during a successive image forming period. The image forming system is capable of executing a rotation stop operation to stop rotation of the image bearer and the transfer member, as the inter-sheet operation when the post-processing is performed, in addition to the transfer cleaning operation, before or after the transfer cleaning operation is executed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming system.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, an image forming device that forms a transfer nip by bringing a transfer member into contact with the surface of an image bearer, applies transfer bias output from a transfer bias power supply to the transfer member, and transfers a toner image on the image bearer to a recording member conveyed to the transfer nip is known.
The image forming device described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2012-42641 includes a photoconductor, which is a rotatable image bearer on which a toner image is formed, a transfer roller, which is a rotatable transfer member that comes into contact with the photoconductor and forms a transfer nip, and a power supply that applies bias to the transfer roller. The toner image on the photoconductor is transferred onto a sheet, by passing the sheet through the transfer nip, and applying transfer bias having a polarity reverse to the regular charge polarity of the toner to the transfer roller from the power supply. A transfer cleaning operation for cleaning the transfer roller is also executed as an inter-sheet operation, performed when at least one of inter-sheet areas that exist on the photoconductor passes through the transfer nip during a successive image forming period. In the transfer cleaning operation, while the photoconductor and the transfer roller are rotated, cleaning bias having the same polarity as the regular charge polarity of the toner is applied to the transfer roller from the power supply, and the transfer roller is cleaned by electrostatically moving the toner adhering on the transfer roller to the photoconductor.
An image forming system that ejects a sheet, on which an image is formed by the image forming device such as the above, from the image forming device to a post-processing device, and that can selectively execute a post-processing such as a binding processing and a folding processing on the sheet by the post-processing device is also known.
In the image forming system, to extend an interval between the sheets ejected from the image forming device to the post-processing device, so as to ensure post-processing time in the post-processing device, the length of the inter-sheet area is extended in the rotating direction of the photoconductor, compared with that when the post-processing is not performed in the post-processing device. Therefore, when the post-processing time is increased, an inter-sheet time, which is time that the inter-sheet area takes to pass the transfer nip, is increased. As a result, the inter-sheet time sometimes becomes longer than the time required to sufficiently clean the transfer roller by performing the transfer cleaning operation. When the post-processing that significantly increases the inter-sheet time as described above is performed as the inter-sheet operation, if the photoconductor and the transfer roller are kept rotating exceeding the time required to sufficiently clean the transfer roller by performing the transfer cleaning operation, the lives of the photoconductor and the transfer roller are shortened.


A system, program storage device, and method of optimizing data placement on a storage device, the method comprising establishing a specified time constraint for which the storage device is to delete data stored thereon; dividing a data object into a plurality of data bits; programming a block of data and the data bits with a logic operand if the storage device is incapable of deleting the data within the specified time constraint; creating an encoded block of data from the programmed block of data and the data bits; organizing the encoded block of data and the data bits in the storage device according to data deletion requirements; and removing the data bits from the storage device if the data bits are organized within a specified data deletion requirement, wherein the data bits are removed using a data shredding process, and wherein the logic operand comprises an exclusive-or (XOR) operator.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention generally relates to computer storage systems and methods of storage retrieval, and more particularly to a system and method for quickly and securely deleting an object from a rewriteable storage device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Data that is written once and seldom retrieved is classified as "Reference Data". The growth of reference data is increasing at a faster rate than traditional customer data like on-line transaction processing (OLTP) data. In reference storage systems, the customers specify an expiration date for their data. The reference storage system has to ensure that this data cannot be accidentally removed and that the data is physically removed from the storage media after the expiration date. For example, many companies prefer to delete regulatory documents immediately after the government regulated mandatory retention time period.
Reference data can be stored on write-once (WORM) media like DVDs or WORM-tapes, or it can also be stored on non-WORM media like disks and tapes. Physical deletion of data on WORM media usually amounts to the physical destruction of the DVDs or CDs, whereas, physical deletion of data on non-WORM media requires the storage system to over-write the existing data multiple times with random data.
When customers have large amounts of data, the physical deletion of data after the expiration date can take many hours/days (depending upon the amount of data). In many traditional storage systems, when a user requests that an object be deleted from storage, the computer system marks that the space storing the object may be reused, but actually the computer system does not really remove the bits from the media. An investigator or malicious user can use special tools to retrieve data that has been marked for deletion but not yet overwritten. This is a liability for users with sensitive or valuable data.
To guard against the disclosure of data after it has been deleted, the Department of Defense has developed a standard to ensure that detected data is actually unrecoverable. The standard requires that storage used to record data be overwritten when the data is deleted, not simply marked for reclamation. In fact, to ensure that the storage does not contain the magnetic signature of the original data, the standard requires that the storage be overwritten multiple times. While this ensures that the data is securely removed, the cost of removing data is several times the cost of writing data normally.
Another conventional approach is to interleave a file's blocks with one another. Then, securely deleting a subset of the blocks of storage actually destroys data from throughout the file. The problem with this approach is that the rest of the file remains readable. This could allow investigators or malicious users to extract valuable information from the remnants of the data that remain.
However, due to the drawbacks and limitations of the conventional systems and methods there remains a need for a system and method for quickly and securely deleting an object from a rewriteable storage device.

System and method for fast, secure removal of objects from disk storage

International Business Machines Corporation


A method for converting carboxylic acids (including carboxylic acids derived from biomass) into hydrocarbons. The produced hydrocarbons will generally have at least two oxygen containing substituents (or other substituents). In one example of application, the electrolysis converts alkali salts of carboxylic acids into diols which can then be used as solvents or be dehydrated to produce dienes, which can then be used to produce elastic polymeric materials. This process allows custom synthesis of high value chemicals from renewable feed stocks such as carboxylic acids derived from biomass.

The above-recited patent applications teach methods of forming hydrocarbons and other molecules using an electrochemical decarboxylation process ("EDP"). The reader is presumed to be familiar with the disclosure and content of these prior applications.
Many organic molecules are used in industry and in commercial processing. One type of these molecules are dienes, such as, for example, 1, 3-butadiene. Butadiene has a structure CH2CHCHCH2. Dienes have two double bonds in the molecule.
Commercially, diene monomers are produced by one of the four conventional methods; 1) by catalytic dehydrogenation of concentrate n-butylenes, 2) by catalytic dehydrogenation of n-butane, 3) as a by-product in low yields from severe high-temperature cracking of liquid hydrocarbons, and 4) from alcohols and/or diols by a combination of catalytic dehydrogenation and/or hydration. U.S. Pat. No. 3,992,471 describes the production of dienes and is incorporated herein by reference.)
One of the most widely used methods to produce dienes is the dehydration of the corresponding diol, for example 1,3-butadiene is obtained from the dehydration of either 1,4-butanediol or 2,3-butanediol. Such diol molecules are conventionally obtained using the Reppe reaction, hydrolysis of halogenated compounds, or the hydrogenation of anhydrides. All of these conventional pathways involve multiple processes which require high temperature catalytic reactions using petroleum based feedstock.
It would be advantageous to find a manufacturing method to produce diene monomers for the vastly important elastic materials from non-petroleum sources, such as bio generated feedstock and using more economically sustainable processes, for example processes that do not relay on expensive catalysis, high temperatures and pressures. It is the aim of the disclosed invention to synthesize diene monomers starting from biomass, which are then electrochemically converted to diols followed by the conversion to dienes by a dehydration step. Such a process affords a non-petroleum source of diene monomers using a methodology that requires only one catalytic high temperature process.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Device and method of obtaining diols and other chemicals using decarboxylation


A method at a network node for compensating for inter-frequency coverage disparity between multiple cells operating across a coverage area of a wireless communications network. The method determines a disparity in signal coverage over the coverage area between a first cell and a second cell, wherein the first cell operates at a different frequency spectrum or frequency band from the second cell and wherein the network node determines the disparity in signal coverage by analyzing network data collected for the first and second cells. The method determines when the disparity in signal coverage meets a set criterion; and when the disparity in signal coverage meets the set criterion, adjusting coverage shape of one of the first cell and the second cell over the coverage area to reduce the disparity, wherein the adjusting of the coverage shape is performed by tilting signal coverage of the antenna at the transmission point.

In early cellular networks, a spatial area serviced by a cell tower generally contained several coverage areas commonly referred to as cells or sectors. A number of individual sectors circumscribed the cell tower to provide wireless radio coverage. A particular radio access technology serviced the sector in providing communications services to mobile devices, typically referred to as user equipment (UE). However, in many of these instances, a single cell provided coverage over a particular coverage area (e.g., sector). Therefore, ensuring adequate signal coverage over a given sector involved sampling signal strength at various locations about a cell tower and making fixed electrical or physical adjustments pertaining to the cell tower or signals being transmitted from the cell tower.
However, as technology evolved, spatial areas are now covered by more than one cell. Whether by spatial diversity or frequency diversity, a given sector can be in signal coverage by more than one cell. For example, with carrier aggregation, a UE may receive multiple carriers at a given location, where each carrier can be sent via different cells. The transmitting point for the different carriers can be the same cell tower or different cell towers. Having more than one cell in a coverage area poses additional concerns in attempting to maintain good signal coverage for all the cells present in the coverage area.
Today, the version of radio access technology currently in prevalent use under the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) is the 3GPP Long Term Evolution (LTE), or Fourth Generation (4G), radio access technology. However, a newer radio access technology now being deployed is the Next Generation Mobile Networks Alliance for the 5th generation of mobile telecommunications standards (e.g., 5G), which is also referred to as New Radio (NR). The 5G/NR access technologies employ much higher frequency spectrum or bands than LTE, which limits the range of signal transmission. When a transmission point, such as a cell tower, transmits both LTE signals and 5G/NR signals, there could a significant disparity of signal strength and/or coverage between the cell from LTE and the cell for 5G/NR.
One solution is to attempt to improve coverage via radio frequency shaping using remote electrical tilt device optimization. These are typically based on a policy driven architecture and identify areas of poor cellular coverage. To adjust a single cell, a remote electrical tilt device is up tilted to assist with improvement of the identified poor coverage area. In a similar way, detected areas with sector overshooting or interference issues are fixed by down tilting the appropriate remote electrical tilt device.
However, as noted above, when cellular networks become more complex, there may be a multitude of different frequency layers or carriers, multiple different radio access technologies and/or different cell types, making the network more heterogeneous. With the addition of any new radio access technology (such as 5G/NR), there is the need for an improved technique to support a network. Under such circumstances, radio frequency shaping becomes more challenging. There is also a need for existing systems to become new radio access technology aware as deployment of 5G/NR radio access technology expands. Also, the policies surrounding the handling of network coverage need to take into consideration the cellular coverage of the support nodes and the new radio access technology in the decision-making process.

Radio access technology aware cellular network inter-frequency coverage orchestrator


The present invention is a stay for retaining cables or other long, flexible structures in a coiled or bundled condition. The stay retains an end of the cable in an shape in which the end is wrapped around the coil or bundle when desired, such that a user of the cable can wrap the end of the cable around the coil or bundle and have the end retained in such position without having to knot the end to keep it wrapped around the cable or bundle. The stay may use a ductile or malleable element oriented along an end of the cable, such that the cable end to which the stay is affixed may be bent into a position in which the end is wrapped around a cable coil or bundle. The stay may use a helical form such that an end of a cable forms a helical shape, such that helical shape may be wrapped around a cable coil or bundle to retain the end around the coil or bundle. The stay may use a selectively engageable feature such as alternating hook and pile surfaces on the exterior of the stay to allow successive wraps to be retained against successive wraps.

The present invention pertains generally to the organization and storage of flexible tubes and cables, and more particularly to devices for releasably constraining flexible tubes and cable together in a manner amenable to quick and easy storage and deployment.
The need to coil or bundle wires, cables, flexible tubes, ropes and hoses exists throughout industry and home life. Devices such as extension cords, cables, air hoses, ropes, and other long, flexible articles (hereinafter referred to generically as "cables") present a storage problem, where coiled cables often become tangled due to the lack of constraints to keep the cables properly coiled. The traditional storage method is to wrap the cables around a person's elbow and between the thumb and forefinger.
Once the cable has been coiled, some means for retaining the strap in the coiled condition may be necessary to prevent the coiled cable from uncoiling or becoming tangled. External devices for retaining the cable in a coiled condition include straps which surround the cable to prevent it from becoming unbundled. Such straps may take the form of wire ties, plastic wire ties, or cable straps having a feature to allow the strap to be closed around a bundle. While each of these devices solve the problem of the cable becoming unbundled to one degree or another, each has the problem that the bundling device is physically separate from the cable being bundled, and accordingly may be lost. When these devices are attached to a cable, the devices may create features which snag on objects if the feature is pulled past such an object. Additionally, separate cable bundling devices may also require two hands for operation, such that releasing a coiled or bundled cable in order to operate the tie could allow the cable to become uncoiled or unbundled.
Alternately, the end of the coiled or bundled cable could be tied around the coil or bundle to keep the coil or bundle from uncoiling. In order to keep the end in place, a knot would typically be formed in the end of the cable to allow the cable end to be retained around the coiled or bundled cables. Such knots, however, may become difficult to untie, especially if the knot becomes over-tightened.


Roller clamps provide an economical and effective means to achieve steady and uniform current distribution through the anodes and cathode of an Hall-Heroult electrolytic cell during the pre-heat cycle. The roller clamps, which replace conventional bar clamps that are used in normal operation, have rollers adapted to bias anode support rods against electrical contacts on an anode bus bar with sufficient pressure to maintain desired electrical contact between the anode and contact; and to permit the anode supports to move to accommodate thermal expansion or deflections of cell components as the cell is heated.

Essentially all primary aluminum production takes place in electrolytic cells commonly referred to as Hall-Heroult cells, after the American and French inventors of the process. In these cells, aluminum oxide is dissolved in a bath of molten cryolite, maintained at a temperature of approximately 1,000.degree. C. The aluminum oxide is reduced to metallic aluminum by electric current passing through the bath from carbon anodes suspended in the bath to carbon cathodes that line the bottom of the cells. In the process, the carbon anodes are gradually consumed.
When in operation, these cells are operated 24 hours a day, seven days a week, because of the cost of starting and stopping operation. However, the cells must be shut down periodically to repair or replace the cathodes, to adjust production to meet demand, or for various other reasons.
When a Hall-Heroult cell is started, or restarted, the cell is typically heated by passing electrical current through the cell for 14-24 hours. During this period the cathode temperature is brought from ambient temperature to a temperature of 600.degree.-700.degree.. It is desirable to heat the cathodes, and other cell components, gradually and uniformly over this period to avoid thermal shock to and undue stresses on the cathode blocks from alternating hot and cold areas of the cathode created by uneven distribution of the 10,000 or more KWH applied to heat it.
The life of a cell, i.e. the length of time the cell can be operated before it must be rebuilt again, depends in part on how well the cell is baked-out and started. The life of the individual cell can be reduced by up to 25% by poor bake-out and start-up procedures. With the cost of rebuilding a cell approaching $100,000.00, the need for proper bake-out procedures is obvious.
Increasing cell life also reduces the amount of spent potlining that is generated. Disposal of these wastes is another significant cost.
There is no aluminum or bath in the cell to complete the electric circuit during the pre-heat cycle, and the anode blocks are commonly spaced from the cathodes by resistive carbon containing material between the anode blocks and the cathode. The anodes, cathode, and other components of the cell expand as they are heated. The rods that support the anodes (an individual cell may contain 24 anodes) do not all take current at exactly the same rate, and therefore do not all heat and expand at the same rate. With the rods clamped tightly against the anode bus, in accordance with conventional practice, as one or more rods grow and push up on the cell superstructure, they can and do lift adjacent rods off the resistive material between the anodes and cathode. This accentuates the differences in anode support rod expansion, and creates cool and hot spots in the cathode. The resultant thermal stress may cause cracking of cathode blocks and premature failure of the cell.
In addition, as the cathode begins to heat up, it tends to arch up in the center and middle while each end of the cathode actually moves down. The corner and end anodes can actually be held off the resistive material, while the center or middle anodes push down with the weight of the entire superstructure against the middle cathode blocks, held in place by tamping paste which is now in a plastic state. These forces and stress on the cathode can cause premature cracking and even result in metal infiltration of the cathode, reducing the operating efficiency and shortening the life of the pot or cell.
In a typical prior art cell utilizing 24 anodes per cell, each supported by an anode support rod clamped to a contact button on the anode bus, clamps may be loosened and retightened every hour during the 14-24 hours of the pre-heat cycle. A standard procedure calls for a worker to loosen the clamps on 12 anodes on one side of the cell with a pneumatic impact wrench, retighten all 12, and then repeat the procedure for the 12 anodes on the other side of the cell. This physically demanding work requires an extra worker for each pot that is being pre-heated. The voltage readings on the anode support rods frequently indicate that, in the middle or toward the end of the pre-heat cycle, the anodes actually need to be loosened and retightened more frequently then once per hour.
Systems for supporting anodes in a Hall-Heroult cells so that the anodes can be adjusted individually have been proposed, e.g. in U.S. Pat. No. 4,394,242 to Clark, U.S. Pat. No. 4,414,070 to Spence, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,465,578 to Duclaux et al. Most of these systems are expensive, however, and none provide a mechanism for adjusting the position of a group of anodes in response to thermal expansion of cell components during a pre-heat cycle.