The present invention relates to a sustained type human growth hormone conjugate preparation comprising: a sustained type human growth hormone (hGH) conjugate resulting from conjugation between the immunoglobulin Fc region and a human growth hormone (hGH) constituting a bioactive peptide; a buffer solution; a nonionic surfactant; and a sugar alcohol. More specifically, the present invention relates to a sustained type human growth hormone conjugate freeze dried preparation and liquid preparation, to a production method for the freeze dried preparation, to a method of reconstituting the freeze dried preparation, and to a kit comprising the freeze dried preparation and a reconstituting solution.

Human growth hormone (hereinafter referred to as "hGH") is a polypeptide hormone consisting of 191 amino acids having a molecular weight of about 22,000, being secreted from the anterior pituitary gland. The human growth hormone has been mostly used for the treatment of pediatric pituitary dwarfism. Conventionally, hGH extracted from the human pituitary gland has been used but only a very limited number of people have been treated due to its limited supply. Also, since the reports of Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease, a degenerative neurological disorder, found in some of the patients treated with the hGH extracted from the pituitary gland, the use of hGH extracted from the pituitary glands has been banned. Currently, the development of genetic engineering techniques has enabled production of hGH in E. coli and yeast, and the biosynthetic hGH medicines produced therefrom have been approved in several countries since 1985 and become commercially available after passing toxicological and clinical tests.
In general, polypeptides such as hGH have low stability and thus are easily denatured. Also, they are readily degraded by serum proteases and removed by the kidneys or liver. Thus, protein drugs containing polypeptides as pharmaceutical ingredient have to be frequently administered to patients to maintain its blood concentration and titer. However, since the protein drugs are often administered in the form of injection, frequent injection of the protein drugs to maintain the optimal blood concentration of the active polypeptides causes a lot of pain to the patients. To solve these problems, there have been many attempts to increase the stability of a protein drug in blood and maintain its blood concentration at high level for a long period of time to maximize the therapeutic effects of the medicine.
Recently, Korean Patent No. 10-0567902 (Physiologically Active Polypeptide Conjugate Having Improved In Vivo Durability) and Korean Patent No. 10-0725315 (Protein Complex Using An Immunoglobulin Fragment And Method For The Preparation Thereof) disclosed conjugates prepared by linking physiologically active polypeptides with an immunoglobulin Fc region and a non-peptidyl polymer, as long-acting formulations of protein drugs, enabling both a minimal reduction of protein activity and an increase in protein stability. According to these methods, hGH may be used as a physiologically active polypeptide to prepare a long-acting hGH conjugate. For commercializing the drug containing the long-acting hGH conjugate, it is essential to prevent physicochemical changes such as denaturation, aggregation, adsorption, or hydrolysis due to degradation induced by light, heat or impurities in additives during storage and transport processes, while retaining the in-vivo activities of hGH. Since the long-acting hGH conjugate has a larger size and increased molecular weight compared to a hGH polypeptide, it is difficult to stabilize the conjugate.
Lyophilization (freeze-drying) is commonly used to preserve proteins by removing water from the protein preparation of interest. Lyophilization is a process by which the material to be dried is first frozen and then the ice or frozen solvent is removed by sublimation. An excipient may be included in a pre-lyophilized formulation to maintain or enhance protein stability during the lyophilization process or to improve stability of the lyophilized product during storage. However, the composition of a lyophilized formulation applicable to one protein is often not applicable to other proteins due to the difference in properties of the proteins to be preserved. Specifically, different proteins may be inactivated under different conditions during the storage, lyophilization and reconstitution processes owing to their different chemical properties. That is, the enhancement in stability provided by the materials used for stabilization is not identical for different proteins and, accordingly, the suitable ratios, concentrations and kinds of the stabilizers used to provide stability during the storage, lyophilization and reconstitution processes vary depending on the physicochemical properties of the proteins. When different stabilizers are used in combination, an unwanted negative effect may be derived due to their competition or adverse reactions and an unexpected effect may occur due to the change in the nature or concentration of the protein during the lyophilization or storage processes. Therefore, protein stabilization requires a lot of effort and precautions.
Particularly, since a long-acting hGH conjugate having improved in vivo durability and stability has a form in which the human growth hormone as a physiologically active peptide is linked to the immunoglobulin Fc region, its molecular weight and volume differs greatly from those of the human growth hormone. Therefore, a special composition is required for stabilizing the protein. Also, since each of the physiologically active peptide hGH and the immunoglobulin Fc region has different physicochemical properties, they should be stabilized simultaneously. However, as described above, different peptides or proteins may be gradually inactivated under different ratios and conditions due to the difference in their physicochemical properties. Also, when stabilizers suitable for each peptide or protein are used simultaneously, they may cause adverse results due to competitive interactions between them and side effects. Furthermore, as the properties and concentration of the stored protein may change during its storage, the stabilizers may exhibit unexpected side effects. Therefore, for a long-acting hGH conjugate, it is difficult to find a composition suitable for a stabilizer capable of stabilizing both the physiologically active peptide hGH and the immunoglobulin Fc region simultaneously. In addition, for a lyophilized formulation, the methods of lyophilization and reconstituting should be controlled in various ways to maintain protein stability and activity upon reconstitution. These methods may also vary depending on the composition of the formulation and the protein used thereof.
Additionally, when a lyophilized formulation comprises a protein at high concentration, the protein may aggregate during lyophilization because of the high concentration, and its handling also becomes difficult. Therefore, a protein at high concentration had been conventionally obtained by preparing a lyophilized formulation comprising the protein at low concentration and then reconstituting it with a small volume instead of performing lyophilization followed by reconstitution of the high-concentration protein. However, if the protein is reconstituted with a small volume, not only the protein but also other ingredients included therein become too concentrated and too hypertonic for the formulation to be directly applicable to patients. Accordingly, there is a need for the development of a formulation that allows lyophilizing of the high-concentration protein as it is.
Recently, formulations of proteins and peptides that can be used repeatedly for the patients' convenience have been developed. However, these multi-use formulations should contain a preservative to prevent microbial contamination after repeated administration and prior to disposal. The multi-use formulation containing a preservative has a few advantages over a single-use formulation. For example, as for the single-use formulation, a large amount of drug may be wasted depending on the dosage, which may be reduced when the multi-use formulation is used. Furthermore, the multi-use formulation can be used several times without the concern about microbial growth during a given time period and, since it can be supplied in a single container, packaging can be minimized, leading to economic benefits. However, use of the preservative may affect the protein stability. The most well-known problem associated with the use of a preservative is formation of precipitates. Precipitation of the protein may reduce the therapeutic effect of the drug and induce an unexpected immune response when administered to the body. Therefore, it is critical to select an appropriate type and concentration of the preservative that maintain the ability of microbial contamination without affecting the protein stability.
In general, a formulation in solution state is developed in a syringe form. The most commonly-used type is a prefilled syringe, and a more convenient autoinjector is also frequently used. In addition, a pen injector which allows automated injection of a required dosage to a patient is used mainly for growth hormone, insulin, etc. Although these injection devices are convenient for administration of formulations in solution state, they cannot be used for the drugs which must be lyophilized because of low stability.
In general, a lyophilized formulation is prepared in a reinforced glass vial separately from a solvent for dissolution. The two are mixed to dissolve the lyophilized formulation immediately prior to injection using a syringe. The recent trend is from a lyophilized vial (e.g., a reinforced glass vial) toward a single-use or multi-use syringe for the patients' convenience. Examples include the dual chamber cartridge of Vetter (Germany).

Liquid formulation of long-acting human growth hormone immunoglobulin conjugate


A process and an arrangement for controlling an air conditioner utilize an evaporator protected against icing and a refrigerant circulating system which includes at least one compressor and the evaporator. The evaporator temperature is sensed continuously and the compressor is deactivated when the evaporator temperature falls below a defined switch-off temperature. The compressor is activated again when the evaporator temperature exceeds a defined switch-on temperature which is at least equal to the switch-off temperature. The evaporator temperature gradient is determined by a corresponding control unit from the continuous sensing of the evaporator temperature. The switch-off temperature is variably defined as a function of the determined temperature gradient and is selected so as to rise with a negative evaporator temperature gradient, having an amount which increases, during operating phases with an activated compressor and/or with a falling positive evaporator temperature gradient during operating phases with a deactivated compressor.

This invention relates to a particular process and a particular arrangement for controlling an air conditioner with an evaporator protected against icing.
Processes and arrangements of this type are used particularly in motor vehicles. Icing phenomena on the evaporator are prevented by deactivating the compressor when the evaporator temperature is too low, that is, when the evaporator temperature falls below a defined switch-off temperature. The compressor will be activated again when the evaporator temperature exceeds a given switch-on temperature which is selected to be higher than the switch-off temperature. As a result, a desired switch-off hysteresis is provided which protects the compressor from too frequent switch-off and switch-on operations during protection against icing.
From German Published Patent Application DE 195 07 667 A1, it is known for a process and an arrangement of this type to define the switch-off temperature so that it falls dynamically as a function of the output of a fan assigned to the evaporator and/or of the temperature of the air taken in by the evaporator fan with a rising fan output or a rising intake temperature. In addition, it is suggested to define the switch-on hysteresis so that it is constant or decreases with a higher fan output and/or a higher intake air temperature. Such a dynamic adaptation of the switch-off temperature and, optionally, also of the switch-on temperature permits the output potential of the air conditioner to be utilized better than at a fixedly defined switch-off temperature. The reason for this is that, in the latter case, the temperature must be selected to be sufficiently high so that icing of the evaporator is reliably avoided also in critical operating points of the system, which, in many other less critical operating conditions, leads to an unnecessarily early compressor switch-off.
Another process and another arrangement of the initially mentioned type with a dynamic protection against icing is described in European Published Patent Application EP 0 557 747 A2. The suction pressure of the compressor, or its rate of increase after deactivating the compressor, which consists of disengaging an electrically controllable coupling by which the compressor is mechanically coupled with the driving engine of a motor vehicle, is used as a relevant measurable variable for dynamic protection against icing in this process and arrangement. In this case, the compressor suction pressure corresponds to the refrigerant pressure at the evaporator outlet. The compressor is deactivated when the suction pressure falls below a defined switch-off pressure, and is activated again when the suction pressure rises above a defined switch-on pressure which is higher than the switch-off pressure. Simultaneously, the time period from the switch-off point in time until the compressor is switched on again is measured. The switch-off pressure will then be updated in a variable manner as a function of this measured time period, in which case the pressure is selected to be lower as the measured time period becomes longer.
The present invention addresses the technical problem of providing a process and an arrangement of the initially mentioned type and provides a way in which, in a comparatively simple manner, icing of the evaporator is reliably avoided and the output potential of the air conditioner is utilized as well as possible.
This invention solves this problem by providing a particular process for controlling an air conditioner with an evaporator protected against icing and a refrigerant circulating system which includes at least one compressor and an evaporator. The process includes the steps of continually sensing an evaporator temperature, deactivating the compressor when the evaporator temperature falls below a defined switch-off temperature, and activating the compressor again when the evaporator temperature exceeds a defined switch-on temperature which is higher than or equal to the switch-off temperature. An evaporator temperature gradient is determined from continuously sensing the evaporator temperature during operating phases with a deactivated compressor and/or an activated compressor, and the switch-off temperature is variably defined as a function of the evaporator temperature gradient determined so that the switch-off temperature is selected to rise with a negative evaporator temperature gradient, with an amount which increases, during operating phases with an activated compressor and/or with a falling positive evaporator temperature gradient during operating phases with a deactivated compressor.
A particular arrangement for controlling an air conditioner with an evaporator protected against icing and a refrigerant circulating system which includes at least one compressor and an evaporator is also provided. The arrangement includes an evaporator temperature sensor and a control unit to which evaporator temperature information is supplied by the evaporator temperature sensor, which deactivates the compressor when the evaporator temperature falls below a defined switch-off temperature, and which activates the compressor again when the evaporator temperature exceeds a switch-on temperature which is at least equal to the switch-off temperature. The control unit determines, from the continuously supplied evaporator temperature information, an evaporator temperature gradient during operating phases with a deactivated and/or activated compressor and variably defines the switch-off temperature as a function of the evaporator temperature gradient determined. The switch-off temperature rises with a negative evaporator temperature gradient, whose amount increases, during operating phases with an activated compressor and/or with a falling positive evaporator temperature gradient during operating phases with a deactivated compressor.
In the process, the evaporator temperature is sensed continuously and, from the temperature, the evaporator temperature gradient is determined during operating phases with a deactivated and/or an activated compressor. The compressor is deactivated when the evaporator temperature falls below a switch-off temperature which is variably defined as a function of the determined evaporator temperature. In particular, when using the evaporator temperature course during operating phases with an activated compressor, during which the evaporator temperature gradient is negative, the switch-off temperature is selected in a rising manner with an evaporator temperature gradient having an amount which increases. In contrast, when using the evaporator temperature course during operating phases with a deactivated compressor, during which the evaporator temperature gradient is positive, the switch-off temperature is selected so as to rise with a falling evaporator temperature gradient. By this approach, a true evaporator temperature control is implemented with respect to dynamic evaporator icing protection since the evaporator temperature course is fed back for determining the respective optimal compressor switch-off temperature. The arrangement is suitable for implementing this process, for the purpose of which the corresponding control unit has a suitable design.
By using the evaporator temperature as a relevant measurable variable, a dynamic icing protection control can be implemented comparatively easily. In particular, sensing of the evaporator temperature gradient, while the required precision of the icing protection measurement is given, is easier than, for example, sensing the rate of change of the compressor suction pressure. Another advantage is the option of also being able to use, for setting the switch-off temperature, the evaporator temperature gradient during the active compressor operating phases; this evaporator temperature gradient may be used either alone or in conjunction with an additional analysis of this evaporator temperature gradient during deactivation phases of the compressor. By using both types of information, as required, a redundancy or an increased precision can be provided.
In a further developed process, the switch-on hysteresis, that is, the difference between the switch-on temperature and the switch-off temperature, is also defined to be variable as a function of the determined evaporator temperature gradient such that it rises when the amount of the negative evaporator temperature gradient increases or the amount of the positive evaporator temperature gradient falls, which also applies for the switch-off temperature. In the case of a slowly falling evaporator temperature during a compressor activation phase, the switch-off temperature can therefore be lowered and the switch-on hysteresis can be selected to be small without having the evaporator ice up. In contrast, when a rapidly falling evaporator temperature is present while the compressor is activated, which corresponds to a low air conditioner load, a sufficiently high switch-off temperature is set with a larger switch-on hysteresis in order to prevent icing of the evaporator.
Advantageous embodiments of the invention are described in the following with reference to the drawings.

Process and arrangement for an air conditioner control with an evaporator protected against icing


The present invention relates to methods of selecting, screening, engineering, making and modifying antibodies that have improved bioavailability upon subcutaneous administration to a human. Antibodies and variant antibodies with improved bioavailability upon subcutaneous administration to a human are also described.

Subcutaneous (SC) administration of an antibody drug product involves administration into the extracellular space of the subcutaneous tissue (hypodermis). SC administration has many advantages such as self-administration, improved patient compliance, and decreased health care costs. Once administered, antibody drug products use a variety of mechanisms of action. Despite the prevalence of the SC route of administration, there is still little understanding of bioavailability of antibodies upon administration. Bioavailability (BA) is the percentage of drug that reaches the systemic circulation and is influenced by the relative rates of pre-systemic catabolism and systemic absorption. Pathways for systemic absorption include indirect transport through lymphatic vessels to the blood, and direct transport via diffusion into blood vessels around the site of injection. It generally takes 2 to 8 days for subcutaneously administered antibodies to reach the peak plasma concentration. The BA of antibodies typically ranges between 40-85%.
Thus, BA affects the total amount of antibody drug product required to be administered, which therefore influences the cost of goods. With the limited volume that can be delivered subcutaneously (1-1.5 ml), and concentrations limited by viscosity and aggregation propensity, improving BA can increase the effective dose that is administered.
However, there is currently no way of accurately predicting the BA of an antibody drug product prior to human clinical trials. Pre-clinical animal models such as rodents, Cynomolgus monkeys, and Gottingen minipigs are not always reliably predictive of human BA.
Therefore, there is a need in the art to predict the bioavailability of an antibody drug product upon subcutaneous administration in a human subject.

GLAXOSMITHKLINE INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT LIMITED


Provided is a zoom lens barrel including a plurality of lens groups, each having at least one lens arranged in an optical axis direction, an actuating mechanism capable of moving the lens groups in an optical axis direction, and a shutter unit including an opening portion for exposure, a blade capable of adjusting the degree of opening of the opening portion, and an electronic actuating apparatus capable of actuating the blade to adjust the degree of opening of the opening portion according to the distance between the shutter unit and one of the lens groups adjacent to the shutter unit when the distance is shorter than a predetermined distance.

This application claims the priority of Korean Patent Application No. 2003-89367, filed on Dec. 10, 2003, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a zoom lens barrel for a camera such as a digital camera, and more particularly, to a zoom lens barrel having a total length which is remarkably reduced.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, a lens barrel used for a camera such as a digital camera, capable of zooming and having an accommodation function, includes a first lens group, a second lens group, and a third lens group arranged in an optical axis direction from an object to be photographed, and an actuating mechanism to move the lens groups in the optical axis direction. The zoom lens barrel further includes a shutter unit having an opening portion for exposure, a blade capable of adjusting a degree of opening of the opening portion, and an electronic drive source to drive the blade. Recently, it is a trend to make a camera such as a digital camera thinner and smaller.
In a conventional film camera, however, since the opening portion needs to be shielded by closing the blade of the shutter unit to prevent film from being exposed to light when the camera is in a zoom state or in an accommodation state, the shutter unit and the lens groups cannot be overlapped. Accordingly, there is a limit in reducing the total length of the lens barrel so that it is difficult to make the camera thinner and smaller.
In the conventional typical digital camera, since the inner diameter of the opening portion of the shutter unit is less than the outer diameter of a lens frame, the shutter unit and the second lens group cannot be overlapped and the shutter unit is fixed by being separated a predetermined distance from the second lens group. In the accommodation state as in the zoom state, the shutter unit needs to maintain a predetermined distance from the second lens group. Thus, there is a limit in making the camera thinner and smaller by reducing the total length of the lens barrel.
Japanese Patent Publication No. 2003-121720 discloses a structure of a lens barrel of a camera in which the shutter unit is fixed to the first lens group. In the lens barrel, since the inner diameter of the opening portion of the shutter unit is less than the lens frame of the second lens group, even if they are overlapped at their maximum, only a very small portion of a leading end of the second lens group overlaps the opening portion of the shutter unit so that there is a limit in reducing the total length of the lens barrel. Furthermore, in the accommodation state as in the zoom state, since the maximum open size of the blade of the shutter unit remains the same, it is difficult to make the shutter unit and the second lens group completely overlapping each other.


Systems and methods for resuming data transformations, such as broken or otherwise unsuccessful data transformations, are described. In some example embodiments, the systems and methods receive a message that indicates a broken data transformation of a data table between a source database and a destination database, identify a maximum and/or largest and greatest value for a date attribute contained within an index column for all rows of the data table that were successfully loaded to the destination database during the data transformation, and select a group of rows of data of the data table stored in the source database by querying the source database to identify rows that include a value for the date attribute that is greater than the identified value.

Typically, a transformation of a large set of data (e.g., a table having millions or billions of rows) from one database to another database is time-consuming, and uses a large time window within which to complete all tasks, such as data reading tasks, data loading tasks, and so on. Because the time window is large, issues (e.g., network problems, component failures, and so on) often arise during the transformation. These issues may cause the transformation to fail or otherwise be unsuccessful, which may lead to the restarting of the transformation and may prevent any transformations of very large amounts of data, because issues arising during a large or big data transformation may be highly probable.


A portable computer system includes a housing, a lid supported on the housing for movement between open and closed positions, a keyboard supported on the housing below the lid, and a display provided on the lid. When the lid is opened, the keyboard is accessible and the display is visible, whereas when the lid is closed the keyboard and display are hidden and protected. The computer system includes a processor disposed within the housing and having a first operational mode in which it executes instructions and a second operational mode in which it is in a reduced power suspend state from which it can automatically exit in response to a predetermined condition. The system includes an arrangement responsive to closing of the lid when the processor is in its first operational state for switching the processor to its second operational state.

Portable computers of the type commonly referred to as "laptop" computers and "notebook" computers are becoming very popular They typically include a housing with a lid which is movable between open and closed positions, a display which is mounted on the lid, and a keyboard which is mounted on the housing beneath the lid, the keyboard and display being exposed when the lid is in the open position and being hidden and protected when the lid is in the closed position These systems also include a battery which serves as a source of power. If a user inadvertently closes the lid without remembering to turn off the power, the system can continue to operate and will run down the battery.
One solution to this problem is to provide a lid switch which, in response to movement of the lid to the closed position, shuts off power to the system. However, this can be disadvantageous because, if the user unintentionally bumps the lid and causes it to close, the contents of the volatile semiconductor memory in the computer will be lost, and thus the user may lose important data or program information which he or she did not wish to lose.
An alternative known approach is to respond to the close of the lid by producing an audible beep rather than shutting off power to the system. This permits the user to reopen the lid and continue operation without any loss of data or program information. Nevertheless, if the user does not hear the beep or forgets to open the lid following the beep, the battery may run down and cause the contents of the semiconductor memory to be lost.
A recently-developed microprocessor has the capability to save the status of an operating computer system, then shut off power to almost all of the system, and then enter a low power suspend state, and has the capability to exit the suspend state at a subsequent time, restore power to the system, restore the saved state of the system, and then resume operation from the point at which the system was interrupted. To date, systems using this microprocessor have effected entry to and exit from the suspend mode based on a manually operable push-button switch or on other internal criteria such as expiration of a timer. In these known computer systems, closing of the lid during system operation results only in generation of an audible beep, with the same disadvantages mentioned above.
An object of the invention is therefore to provide an arrangement for causing a system to enter and subsequently exit suspend mode in response to closing and subsequent opening of a lid.

System suspend on lid close and system resume on lid open

Berrien Springs, Oronoko Township, Berrien County


A capsule containing a tag gas in a zircaloy body portion having a hemispical top curved toward the bottom of the body portion. The hemispherical top has a rupturable portion upon exposure to elevated gas pressure and the capsule is positioned within a fuel element in a nuclear reactor.

Fuel failures that occur during routine operation of nuclear reactors can lead to lengthy shutdowns to find the leaking assemblies using current failed-fuel identification means (fuel sipping and eddy-current testing). This can lead to lost revenue and increased radiation exposure for the plant staff during sipping operations. Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) has developed a system called gas tagging for accurate and inexpensive identification of failed fuel assemblies. The gas tagging method consists of the addition of small quantities of enriched noble gas isotopes to each fuel pin in the reactor during pin manufacturing. By systematically varying the compositions of tag gas isotopes from one fuel assembly to another throughout the reactor, each assembly is characterized by it's own unique "tag". If a fuel pin develops a defect during subsequent operation, its tag gas is released to the coolant system along with fission gases that build up inside the pin. Analysis of an off gas sample from the reactor using a mass spectrometer pinpoints the assembly containing the failed pin.
Gas tagging allows failed fuel to be identified during full power operation, thereby saving the utility critical pathway down time, minimizing worker radiation exposure, and enabling core management activities to be initiated in advance of a shutdown. Gas tagging will increase industrial competitiveness for the U.S. nuclear utilities, and hold down electricity costs for consumers and U.S. industrial customers.
Although gas tagging requires only a small quantity of gas for each fuel pin (1 ml or less), the gas itself is expensive and any wastage of gas during fuel pin manufacturing must be minimized. Estimates of wasted gas range from 3 ml to 200 ml per pin, depending upon the fuel vendor. For a wastage of 3 ml, gas tagging is still economically attractive to utility customers. However, for wastage in the range of 200 ml/pin, the cost of tagging would be prohibitive. (Tag gas will cost between $0.10 and $1.25 per ml, and a typical pressurized water reactor core contains 10.sup.5 pins per core).
Current options available to fuel vendors for addressing this problem include (1) modifying their fuel fabrication line to minimize gas wastage; (2) add a laser-puncture unit down stream of the fuel fab line to puncture the pin, add the tag gas, and reseal the puncture; and (3) integrate Argonne National Laboratory's fluid-based technology for recovery of the wasted tag gas. However, none of these options is appropriately viable at this time.

One-way implodable tag capsule with hemispherical beaded end cap for LWR fuel manufacturing

The United States of America as represented by the Department of Energy


The present invention provides a new subcutaneous injection dosing regimen for erythropoietin to treat anemia. The new erythropoietin treatment regimen of the present invention results in improved hemoglobin levels with less frequent dosing.

Erythropoietin (EPO) is a glycoprotein hormone secreted by the kidneys in response to tissue hypoxia, which stimulates red blood cell production in the bone marrow (1). The gene for EPO has been cloned and expressed in Chinese hamster ovary cells (2,3). This recombinant human erythropoietin (epoetin alfa, rhEPO) has an amino acid sequence identical to that of human urinary erythropoietin, and the two are indistinguishable on the basis of functional and immunological assays, although differences exist regarding protein glycosylation, affecting in vivo efficacy (4,5).
In clinical trials to date, rhEPO has been evaluated in normal subjects as well as in patients with various anemic conditions (6,7). EPO induces a brisk hematologic response in normal human volunteers, provided that adequate supplies of iron are available to support increased hemoglobin synthesis (8). The majority of trials have investigated the safety and effectiveness of rhEPO in the treatment of chronic renal failure maintained on dialysis and in those not yet on maintenance dialysis. Other indications approved in the US include anemia secondary to chemotherapy treatment in cancer and anemia associated with zidovudine treatment of human immunodeficiency virus infection. Worldwide, EPO has been used to treat anemia associated with rheumatoid arthritis, prematurity, myelofibrosis, sickle cell anemia, bone marrow transplantation, thermal injury, β-thalassemia, as a facilitator of presurgical autologous blood donation, and use as a presurgical adjuvant (6,7). Although rhEPO is generally well tolerated, occasional skin rashes and urticaria have been observed suggesting allergic hypersensitivity to some components of the Epoetin alfa formulation, likely human serum albumin. Further, despite blood screening, there exists a risk of infection with a transmissible agent when a pharmaceutical agent is formulated using human blood products. Therefore pharmaceutical formulations of rhEPO that are stable and are free of human blood products, such as albumin are needed.
Epoetin alfa has been effectively and safely used to raise and maintain target hemoglobin when dosed weekly. Recent efforts have attempted to decrease dosing frequency by increasing the dose level and/or by modifying erythropoietin (EPO) to increase the serum half-life. We sought to address the following questions in a non-human primate model system. 1.) Is a target hemoglobin level achieved faster with a weekly dosing regimen as compared to high dose EPO administration given less frequently? 2.) Is rHuEPO effective at maintaining hemoglobin level with a less frequent dosing interval if initiated at an elevated hemoglobin level? A cohort of cynomolgus primates were dosed weekly, 5000 IU/kg sc until a 3–4 g/dL increase in hemoglobin was achieved. Animals were then randomized into two different EPO dose level groups (17,000 or 25,000 IU/kg) given every two or three weeks. At the time of randomization, a second cohort of primates was dosed with EPO at either 17,000 IU/kg or 25,000 IU/kg administered every two or three weeks. Animals remained in the study for 145 days with CBC analysis performed twice weekly. A 3 –4 g/dL rise in hemoglobin was observed after 28 days if EPO was given 5,000 IU/kg weekly while the same increase was observed after 50 days if given every two weeks at either 17,000 or 25,000 IU/kg. However, once the target hemoglobin level was achieved, 3 –4 g/dL above baseline, it was maintained within 1 g/dL of the target level if EPO was given every two or three weeks. We conclude that target hemoglobin was achieved faster if dosed with a weekly dosing regimen compared to increasing the dose level given less frequently. Secondly, rHuEPO is effective at maintaining target hemoglobin with a two or three week dosing regimen if initiated at elevated hemoglobin levels. Our results show that an alternate dosing regimen whereby hemoglobin is raised by a weekly dosing regimen then switched to either a once every two weeks or once every three weeks dosing regimen is an effective and safe mechanism that provides both convenience and efficacy to the patient population.

Erythropoietin dosing regimen for treating anemia


A disc drive has rotatable recording disc and a transducing head on a slider arranged to fly over a surface of the disc when the disc is rotated. The slider is supported by an actuator arm operatively coupled to an actuator motor to position the transducing head over a selected track of the disc. The slider is arranged to land on the disc surface when the disc is not rotated. Dithering means vibrates the slider when the slider is on the disc surface to reduce stiction between the slider and the disc surface thereby reducing the torque required to commence flying of the slider.

This invention relates to stiction reduction in a magnetic disc drive, and particularly to the use of microvibration in an actuator arm of a disc drive to reduce stiction.
In magnetic disc drives, the transducing head is ordinarily carried on a slider having an air bearing surface that permits the slider to "fly" a small distance over the disc surface. The slider, which is supported by a gimbal spring, which in turn is attached to an actuator arm, is permitted to "land" on the disc surface when the disc drive is inactive. Hence, when the disc is not rotating, the slider "lands" on the surface, usually at a landing or parking zone dedicated to that purpose. When the disc drive is rotated at its operational velocity, the spinning disc creates windage, causing the slider to "fly" a small distance above the disc surface. The air bearing surface of the slider and the surface of the disc are ultra smooth, enabling the slider to fly the transducing head only a few microinches or less above the disc surface.
However, a problem arises when the slider has landed on the disc. Stiction between the ultra smooth disc surface and ultra smooth air bearing surface of the slider inhibits the startup of rotation of the disc, requiring a significant amount of torque in the disc spindle motor to overcome. Stiction is the result of the adherence of the slider to the disc and is aggravated by the adhering qualities of lubricants and contaminants on the disc surface causing the slider to "stick" to the disc surface. Numerous techniques are employed in disc drives to reduce the problem of stiction. For example, it is common to provide the landing or parking zone of the disc surface with a textured or rough surface to admit air under the slider so that the air bearing surface of the slider is not in full contact with the disc surface. Another technique is to operate the voice coil motor associated with the actuator arm to move the slider radially with respect to the landing zone on the disc simultaneously with operation of the spindle motor to rotate the disc relative to the slider.
There is a need to increase data capacity on discs by increasing the density of data recorded along a track of a disc and by decreasing the spacing of concentric tracks to thereby increase the number of tracks on the disc. The increase in data capacity results in the need for even smoother discs and air bearing sliders to permit the head to fly even closer to the disc surface, as well as increased precision of the speed of the motors driving the disc spindle and the actuator arm. However, increased smoothness presents the risk of increasing stiction, and increased speed precision of the motors can only be accomplished at a sacrifice of torque, which is needed to overcome stiction. Hence, a need exists to overcome the effects of stiction without sacrificing smoothness of the disc and air bearing surfaces and without sacrificing speed precision requirements of the motors. As a result, if stiction can be overcome, the spindle motor may be designed for speed, rather than torque.

Dither microactors for stiction release in magnetic disc drives


A longitudinal bar is mountable on a drop-style bicycle handlebar to provide additional comfortable hand positions conducive to the improvement of the cyclist's aerodyanamic profile. The bar is attached to the drop-style handlebar either in, or above, the substantially horizontal plane defined by the rearwardly extending handgrip section of the drop-style handlebar. The ends of the bar are provided with longitudinally slidable clamps for adjusting the length of the bar in attaching it to the drops or to the handgrips of the drop-style handlebar.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an auxiliary attachment for a bicycle drop-style handlebar, and in particular to an auxiliary bar conducive to the cyclist's comfortable improvement of his aerodynamic profile.
2. Description Relative to the Prior Art
Cycling has been developing from a casual, relaxed pastime into a highly sophisticated, high technology sport. Modern racing bicycles are engineered for light weight, structural strength and mechanical efficiency. Additionally, the position of the cyclist on the bicycle, as well as his posture is of extreme importance in determining the aerodynamic drag experienced while cycling at high speed.
The steering mechanism universally used on today's racing bicycles is the drop-style handlebar. The drop-style handlebar consists of a crossbar terminating in two downwardly extending branches, ( known as "drops"), which then transition into two rearwardly extending handgrips. Referring to FIG. 1, in the prior art a cyclist 10 mounted on a bicycle 12 utilizing a drop-style handlebar 14, positions his hands on the readwardly extending hand grips 16,18. In this position, the cyclist 10 has a limited degree of control of the area that his forward facing body elements present to the on-coming mass of air. While the cyclist 10 can bend forward, thereby lowering his head position and reducing his forward facing aerodynamic profile to a certain extent, the position of his hands on the outwardly located hand grips 16,18 does not provide control over the lateral aspect of his forward facing profile. It is to the further reduction of the aerodynamic area presented by the cyclist's body, and the attendant reduction of aerodynamic drag, that the teaching of the present invention is directed.

Bicycle handlebar conducive to rider aerodyanmic efficiency


A water habitat platform is created from converted trash and rubbish found within the oceans. A process separates the trash from water to identify the raw materials, which are then converted into building blocks. The blocks are used to create platforms or islands that sustain themselves using power generated from tidal forces. The islands are connected to each other and movable.

It is known that a large accumulation of trash and debris has accumulated in the oceans of the world. Especially in the Pacific Ocean, large areas of trash have built up within one or more gyres. A gyre is a large system of rotating currents. Trash and debris are trapped within the gyres and then amassed in a vortex. The problem impacts all of us because the detrimental effect on the ocean ecosystem. Toxic chemicals and the breakdown of plastics or other rubbish exacerbates this problem as sea life ingests these chemicals. This act either kills the sea life or ends up on our dinner table.
Looking at another topic, several instances of floating platforms for all season ocean use have been proposed. For example, large ocean-going vessels may provide living quarters year around for residents. Other examples include artificial islands and parks that cater to an exclusive crowd. These floating islands and large ships also will produce a large amount of trash, debris and rubbish, thereby contributing to the problems discussed above. None of these proposed platforms address the need to reduce waste accumulating in the oceans.

Water platform infrastructure and method of making


A head restraint assembly comprising a frame assembly including a retention member. A pillow coupled to the frame assembly with the pillow configured to allow access to the retention member. A cover assembly having a back end and a front end envelopes and conforms to the shape of the pillow with the cover assembly including a flat strip member coupled to the back end and a barb strip member coupled to the front end of the cover assembly. The flat strip member and the barb strip member couple with each other in the retention member closing the cover assembly over the pillow. Also, a method for making a head restraint assembly.

This invention relates to seating assemblies and more particularly to head restraint assemblies and a method for the manufacture of a head restraint assembly.
Head restraint assemblies, or headrests of various designs and construction are used in vehicles, and particularly in automobiles and trucks for head support. Such headrests typically consist of a metal or plastic body surrounded by suitable padding and a cover supported on a post extending from the motor vehicle seat back. The body provides a framework to support the padding and cover of the headrest assembly. Such headrest may be adjustable with respect to the seat back.
One method of manufacturing of head restraint assemblies is to use what is referred to as a foam-in-place method. The hot material is injected into a covering assembly which includes the lamination of a dense foam of about 3 mm to the inner surface of the covering material by an adhesive layer. As a result of the various material types involved in a foam-in-place headrest, a "soft touch" feel is not achieved. In addition, as the foam-in-place material cools, it tends to shrink which produces a mapping effect which is deemed unacceptable for aesthetic purposes. Further, a foam-in-place process tends to penetrate the back of the covering material particularly if the cover material is leather which creates a hard, crusty feel to the leather, also which is not acceptable for aesthetic reasons. One technique that is used to avoid some of these problems, when the covering material of the head restraint assembly is leather, is to utilize only the best portion of the hide which has the tightest, densest fiber structure, typically the center portion, however, using such material is costly and inefficient.
Previous headrests typically require various fasteners, such as bolts and nuts for attaching the headrest body or pillow to the support rod and require bushings to allow the pivoting of the headrest body or pillow with respect to the support rod. Also, the aesthetic properties of the headrest have to be of a quality that is commensurate with other features of the vehicle such as the seats and interior assemblies. Particularly in high-end motor vehicles, generally referred to as luxury vehicles, any level of wrinkling or grandfathering of the material covering the headrest pillows is not tolerated.
Thus there is a need for a head restraint assembly that uses a closure of the covering assembly that is neat and will not fail in use. There is a further need for a head restraint assembly that can be assembled in a minimal amount of time to keep costs of assembly at a minimum. There is also a need for a method of manufacturing a head restraint assembly that eliminates wrinkling or grandfathering of the covers.

Method for making a head restraint assembly


Methods and apparatus for determining the phase of a signal in a measurement device having a digital signal processor are described. The signal is digitised and the digitised signal, or a signal derived therefrom, is numerically correlated with a numerically generated reference signal. In one embodiment, the reference signal has a predetermined phase. In a further embodiment, the numerically generated reference signal has a reference phase and the phase is determined from the result of the correlation. The techniques described herein may reduce the amount of information lost in determining the signal phase.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to measuring devices, in preferred embodiments to electromagnetic flow meters or Coriolis mass flow meters. As used herein, the term "flow meter" is intended to encompass flow meters for measuring flow of a liquid.
2. Description of Related Art
Electromagnetic flow meters are well known in the art. Very briefly, in an electromagnetic flow meter one or more excitation coil(s) are arranged in or around a measurement duct for generating a magnetic field across the fluid flowing through the measurement duct. This causes electric charges within the fluid to be displaced transversely to the direction of the magnetic field and the direction of flow, which results in a potential difference between opposite sides of the measurement duct. This potential difference can be measured and provides an indication of the flow through the measurement duct.
In an AC electromagnetic flow meter (i.e. an electromagnetic flow meter whose coils are energised by an AC current) the measured signal will also generally be an AC signal.
Coriolis mass flow meters are known for example from U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,422,338, 5,423,221, 4,856,346, 5,394,758, 4,192,184 and U.S. re-issue Pat. No. 31450, the disclosures of each of which are herein incorporated by reference.
Briefly, in an AC Coriolis mass flow meter a measurement duct is caused to oscillate, for example by twisting the duct by means of AC electromagnetic excitation. This displacement of the measurement duct at various positions along the duct is indicative of mass flow through the measurement duct. The measured signal indicative of displacement will also generally be of AC nature.
In an AC Coriolis mass flow meter it is important to know the phase between the AC excitation and the measured signal since a measure of mass flow can be derived from the phase. In an electromagnetic flow meter phase sensitive detectors can be used to improve accuracy.
There are other instances in measuring devices where an accurate phase measurement or phase sensitive detection may be required.
In a conventional approach the phase is determined, using a zero-crossing technique. Another conventional approach employs peak detection. Phase locked loops may also be used.
Modern measuring devices often include a digital signal processor (DSP) for digitally generating an excitation signal, digitally filtering a measured signal and this can be used to carry out digital zero-crossing detection and peak detection.


A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, includes: forming a film, wherein the act of forming a film includes: transferring a substrate to a process chamber; supplying a first gas to the substrate; and supplying a second gas to the substrate by converting the second gas to plasma with a first high-frequency wave; and performing an adjustment after the act of forming the film, wherein the act of performing includes: measuring a charging condition of the substrate, setting a second high-frequency wave based on the measured charging condition, supplying a third gas to the substrate by converting the third gas to plasma with the second high-frequency wave, and adjusting the charging condition of the substrate.

Along with the high integration of a semiconductor device represented by a large scale integrated circuit (hereinafter referred to as an LSI), a dynamic random access memory (DRAM), a flash memory or the like, miniaturization of a circuit pattern is underway. In a manufacturing process of a semiconductor device, plasma processing is performed as processing for the realization of miniaturization.
Along with the miniaturization, it is required that processing be uniformly performed within a substrate plane. However, depending on the charging condition of the substrate, there may be a case where an activated gas is not uniformly supplied within the substrate plane. In this case, it is difficult to form a uniform film within the substrate plane.

Method of manufacturing semiconductor device


A pest control system for tracking and locating the nest of the pest to improve the efficiency of pest control. The pest control system comprising a detector for detecting pests which have consumed a conducting tracking material; the detector comprising a sensing head comprising an electrical conductance loop; and a pest sensing circuit configured to sense the electrical continuity of the presence of the conducting tracking material to generate a first pest signal and comprising at least one indicator configured to indicate the first pest signal received from the sensing head. The pest control system also comprises a sensor probe comprising a body configured for inserting into a substrate to indicate the presence of a pest colony; and at least one sensor electrically connected to the pest sensing circuit and configured to generate a second pest signal to be indicated on the at least one indicator.

Pests can cause significant damage to structures such as buildings and retaining walls through feeding and/or seeking shelter. Often the damage is not apparent until manual inspection of the structure is made as subterranean pests, such as subterranean termites, enter the structure via the surrounding soil. Known pest control methods include laying physical traps or chemical traps to prevent entry of the pests to the structure or to enable poisoned food to be taken back by the pest to the nest to feed other pests. However, such traps require regular maintenance by operators which can be costly. Further these methods of pest control do not ensure the pest population is completely eradicated as they do not directly locate the nests. In addition, chemical poisons can pose an environmental risk to other animals and/or humans.
Accordingly, there is a clear need for improved methods of pest control particularly the tracking of pests and location of nests to improve the efficiency of eradication of pest populations.
It will be clearly understood that, if a prior art publication is referred to herein, this reference does not constitute an admission that the publication forms part of the common general knowledge in the art in Australia or in any other country.


A lock with locking function released by inserting a key card with a magnetized region, in which the end edge (8') of the key card (8) drives a slide (25) which is released by the magnetic tumbler pins (31). There is at least one member which is displaceable by the movement of the slide, one end of the member scanning a profile of the key card (8). The member comprises a pin (62) which is tapered on both ends, the pin being displaceable parallel to the tumbler pins (31) in a borehole (61) in the slide (25) within a region which is free of the magnetic tumbler pins (31).

The present invention relates to a lock with locking function released by inserting a key card with a magnetized region, in which the front edge of the key card entrains a slide which is released by the magnetic tumbler pins.
The known locks of this type are developed in the manner that they possess a slide having a magnetic tumbler pin. For the accommodation of the tumbler pins, mounting recesses are provided in the slide and the tumbler pins cooperate with a suitably polarized key card. By the insertion of the proper key card, the magnetic tumbler pins leave a blocking plate so that a displacement of the slide can be effected by means of the key card.

Lock with locking function released by inserting a key card with a magnetized region


Food heating operations and manual manipulations associated with a cooking appliance are controlled by a computer system connected to displays and input switches which arranged in physically associated pairs, each pair having a display and a switch and the pairs are physically located at diverse locations on the grill in proximity to the location of the performance of the manual operations they signal. Other inputs provide data inputs for appliance attributes, food heating attributes and mode selections. Control of cooking and staging occurs and the work product is tracked beginning from entry of raw food work product onto the grill all the way through removal of the work product for assembly into a sandwich or diversion to holding for subsequent chili preparation.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to food cooking appliances and more particularly to an automated food cooking appliance which is most advantageous for assisting in the preparation of safe, uniform and high quality food products in high volume restaurants although using moderately trained operators.
2. Description of the Related Art
Cooking appliances have developed over many millennia for assisting the cooking of food products for human consumption. In the last century, automated features have been added, particularly for controlling the cooking temperature and for signaling the cooking time. Cooking temperatures have long been controlled by closed loop feedback control systems which include a temperature sensor and a relay or a solenoid controlled valve for controlling electric or gas fueled heaters. Feedback control systems are commonly implemented in both analog and digital circuits. The development of the electronic computer and microcontrollers, which are special purpose computers for controlling a particular apparatus, has made possible the implementation of control systems under the control of computer software.
The past half century has seen the development of numerous chains of high volume, rapid service, specialty restaurants. Such restaurants are characterized by a specialized menu of prepared food products having a quality which is uniform throughout the chain. This uniformity of quality reassures customers that they will receive the same high quality products at any restaurant in the chain. Reputable restaurants are also quite concerned about the maintenance of safe health standards because even a single problem can cause extensive damage to their reputation.
In order to make the food products available at an affordable price, such restaurants ordinarily employ large numbers of employees who are not highly trained in food preparation. Therefore, in order to maintain high standards of safety, quality and uniformity, it is desirable that the cooking procedures be closely controlled by the responsible, central authority, typically a franchisor. Maintenance of food sanitation and safety and compliance with health regulations are important reasons that cooking and other aspects of food preparation be controlled by the franchisor.
One way of controlling the food preparation procedures so they are uniformly practiced in the best manner is to automate the procedures. Consequently, the prior art has seen temperature controls and the use of independent timer systems which signal the elapse of a timing cycle for a cooking procedure, such as the frying of french fries. However, the audible signals or the computer screen displays generated by the completion of such a timing cycle are typically not closely physically associated with the equipment upon which the cooking procedure is being performed. For example, a computer display may be located above or beside an appliance and often above a group of appliances.
A grill is one of the most common cooking appliances, particularly in restaurants of the type described. A grill is often the cooking appliance upon which the most featured product of the restaurant is prepared, such as a hamburger, for a restaurant known for its unique or featured hamburgers. Modem grills have automated temperature controls and are also used with independent timing and signaling systems. Grills are also known which, after the operator places food products on the grill and depresses a button, the grill automatically lowers an upper platen upon the food products, initiates a timing cycle and automatically raises the upper platen when a stored cooking time has elapsed. From a control perspective, such a system is not unlike a conventional electric toaster into which a piece of bread is placed, an actuating handle is depressed to lower the bread into the cooking zone and, after a timing interval, the bread is automatically raised to a position out of the cooking zone for removal by the operator. These systems control a single food heating operation at a single location on the grill.
Food products heated on grills, however, often require a series of related heating and manipulative operations which must be coordinated, each with its own timing requirements and therefore its own opportunities for error. For example, after a food product is properly cooked, if it is not served immediately, it must be held on the grill so that it will remain hot and moist. This holding operation is also referring to as staging. Because each customer expects the rapid service for which the restaurant is known, and because there are large fluctuations in the rate of customer orders during a typical day, the cooking process often must be initiated in advance of customer orders and the rate of serving varies and can be unpredictable. Therefore, a major part of the grill operation is commonly devoted to the proper holding of the cooked food products. However, in order to maintain quality and freshness, the held food products must not be held too long and, when the holding time standard of the operator or franchiser has been exceeded, the food products must be diverted to other uses or discarded.
Prior art systems do not have control systems which are integrated with multiple zones on the grill and are capable of controlling the entire series of food product heating and physical manipulation from placement of the food product on the grill through its removal from the grill. As a result, either at least some of the operations on the grill are left entirely to the knowledge of and timely action by the operator, or, if a separate timing and display system is used, its signals and displays must be interpreted by the operator requiring the operator to know the place the operations are to be performed. Additionally, after a timer has signaled the elapse of a time interval, there is commonly no way to signal that a manual operation has actually been performed by the employee. Therefore, if an employee fails to take an action, fails to take the action at the proper location or fails to take the action within the appropriate time after the action is supposed to be performed, food product quality and possibly food safety can be reduced. Thus, with prior art systems there are excessive opportunities for human errors and resulting departures from the preparation of food products of optimum quality and safety.
It is therefore an object and feature of the invention to provide a grill which not only automatically controls the grill itself, but also controls the interaction of the grill with the operator who performs manual operations on the food products on the grill.
A further object and feature of the invention is to provide a grill control system which has a computer control which controls the interaction of the human operator with the grill to establish control over not only the entire cooking process but also any subsequent holding, serving and diversion to chili operations which may be associated, for example, with the preparation of hamburgers. The control and the cooking equipment are integrated to control performance of the cooking process. Control of cooking and holding (staging) occurs and the work product is tracked beginning from entry of raw food work product onto the grill all the way through removal of the work product for assembly into a sandwich or diversion to holding for subsequent chili preparation.

Double sided grill with automated control including localized prompting and confirmation of manual operations


A color image sensor includes a plurality of pixel cells arranged in a pixel array. A plurality of color filters is arranged in a color filter array disposed over the pixel array. Each color filter is aligned with a corresponding underlying pixel cell. An optical isolation grid is disposed over the color filter array such that incident light is directed through the optical isolation grid prior to be being directed through the color filter array to the pixel array. The optical isolation grid includes a plurality of sidewalls arranged to define a plurality of openings in the optical isolation grid. Each opening is aligned with a corresponding color filter such that each color filter is optically isolated by the optical isolation grid to receive incident light only through a corresponding aligned one of the plurality of openings.

1. Field of the Disclosure
This invention is related to image sensors, and more particularly, to color filter arrays for use in color image sensors.
2. Background
Image sensors have become ubiquitous. They are widely used in digital still cameras, cellular phones, security cameras, as well as, medical, automobile, and other applications. The technology used to manufacture image sensors, and in particular, complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) image sensors (CIS), has continued to advance at a great pace. For example, the demands for higher resolution and lower power consumption have encouraged the further miniaturization and integration of these image sensors.
In conventional color image sensors, incident light is typically directed through microlenses and then through color filters of a color filter array to pixel cells of a pixel array. The pixel cells include photosensitive elements to convert the incident light into electrical signals that are proportional to the intensity of the incident light. Color image sensors use the color filter arrays to help capture the color information in the incident light. A color filter array includes a pattern of different colored filters to filter the light that reaches each pixel cell in the underlying color image sensor.
As the pixel cell sizes in color image sensors become smaller, it becomes increasingly challenging for the microlenses to focus all of the incident light through specific color filters of the color filter array to the underlying pixel cells. As a result, there can be undesired crosstalk among the underlying color filters as light that is directed into one color filter ends up leaking into a different unintended color filter in the color filter array. This also causes unwanted crosstalk among the underlying pixel cells. Crosstalk among the color filters in a color filter array, and/or among the underlying pixel cells in the pixel array creates undesirable noise in the image sensor and therefore degrades overall image quality of images captured by the image sensor.
Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding components throughout the several views of the drawings. Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of various embodiments of the present invention. Also, common but well-understood elements that are useful or necessary in a commercially feasible embodiment are often not depicted in order to facilitate a less obstructed view of these various embodiments of the present invention.

Optical isolation grid over color filter array


Embodiments of the present invention provide systems, methods, and apparatuses for providing dedicated spray coverage for silverware and dishware positioned within a silverware basket. In an example embodiment, the dishwasher includes a tub configured to receive dishware and a circulation system configured to circulate fluid within the tub. The dishwasher further includes a silverware basket disposed within the tub and comprising a handle portion and a basket portion. The basket portion is configured to receive dishware therein. The handle portion defines at least one spray jet opening that is configured to be in fluid communication with the circulation system and configured to direct fluid toward the basket portion.

Dishwashers have become an integral part of everyday household use. Consumers place dishware and other utensils onto dishwasher racks inside dishwashers for cleaning. Dishwashers typically clean the dishware with wash systems that utilize spray arms and spray jets to propel wash water onto the dishware to remove food particles and otherwise clean the dishware.
Dishwashers often include a basket for silverware and other dishware. Properly cleaning dishware within a silverware basket, however, may be difficult. A number of factors can decrease the efficiency of the cleaning process of dishwashers that utilize spray arms with spray jets. For example, the spray of fluid may only sporadically interact with the dishware inside the silverware basket such that ineffective spray coverage of the silverware basket within the dishwasher tub results. Additionally, the structure of the silverware basket may block at least a portion of the spray of fluid. Along these lines, in some situations, a consumer may inadvertently block a spray jet of a spray arm by improperly loading dishware. As such, dishware contained in the silverware basket may not be fully cleaned during the wash cycle and multiple cycles or re-positioning of the dishware may be required.
Thus, there is a need for techniques for enhanced spray coverage of dishware contained in the silverware basket within a dishwasher tub to improve wash performance.

Silverware basket with integral spray jets for a dishwasher


The invention relates to an apparatus (1) for catalytic decomposition of nitrous oxide in a gas stream derived from exhalation air from a patient. The apparatus (1) comprises an inlet arrangement (2) with a gas inlet (3) for the exhalation air, an outlet arrangement (11) with a gas outlet (12) for an outlet gas, and between these arrangements a through-flow decomposition chamber (9) containing a catalyst material. According to the invention the apparatus is provided with a nitrous oxide adsorption/desorption means (4) in the inlet arrangement (2) for level out variations in the concentration of nitrous oxide fed to the decomposition chamber (9).

Mixtures of nitrous oxide (N2O) and oxygen (O2) are widely used in medicine for pain relief.
Within health care units, nitrous oxide is used within surgery, dental care, maternity care during delivery etc. due to its anaesthetic and analgesic effects on patients. The typical patient is allowed to inhale a gas mixture (inhalation air) in which the main components are nitrous oxide, typically in concentrations≥10%, such as ≥20% and/or ≤80%, such as ≤70% (v/v) and oxygen.
The composition of the air exhaled by a patient receiving nitrous oxide is essentially the same as the composition of the inhaled air except that there typically are increases in moisture content (water) and carbon dioxide. Exhaled air from patients inhaling nitrous oxide is typically handled in a waste gas handling system which is common for several rooms/patients. In this kind of system, the exhaled air is typically diluted with ambient air (e.g. 2-50 times), and the exhaled air is finally treated at the health care unit, e.g. in an apparatus for removal of nitrous oxide and/or is passed into the environment.
In cases when a waste gas handling system is not used exhaled residual nitrous oxide has usually been released into the room/surroundings in which the patient is treated which means that also personnel such as doctors, dentists, nurses, for instance, is exposed to nitrous oxide, or directly into the environment via an exhaust system. Nitrous oxide exposition over a long period of time, however, can be harmful to such personnel even at very low concentrations in case of frequent exposition over many years. Occupational health limits have been set to 15-25 ppm.
Furthermore, nitrous oxide is an air pollutant which is considered at least 300 times more effective than carbon dioxide as a "greenhouse gas".
Nitrous oxide as such spontaneously decomposes when heated to temperatures of about 600° C. or higher into nitrogen and oxygen in a molar ratio of 2:1 with significant amounts of undesired by-products such as nitrogen oxides other than nitrous oxide, e.g. NOx (where x is 1 or 2). The reaction is strongly exothermic, and at concentrations of nitrous oxide higher than about 1-2% problems may occur. Also, the reaction rate increases with increasing temperature. This means that once the reaction is started, strict temperature control will be required if the reaction is to be used for the removal/decomposition of nitrous oxide in waste gases containing elevated concentrations of nitrous oxide. Specific precautions are needed in order to control the amounts of NOx since discharge of NOx to the environment is strictly regulated.
It is known that by using catalysts promoting decomposition of nitrous oxide an acceptable decomposition can be accomplished at lower concentrations of nitrous oxide (below 1-2%) and at temperatures significantly below 600° C.
With proper selection of catalysts acceptable levels of undesired by-products, such as NOx, can easily be accomplished. Should the nitrous oxide to be dealt with have a high concentration this implies problems with its destruction at a health care unit.
During treatments involving administration of nitrous oxide, the patient is periodically inhaling air containing nitrous oxide, and the frequency of inhaling depends upon the desired pain relief. Exhalation air will thus contain very high concentrations of nitrous oxide interrupted with irregular periods of zero concentration of nitrous oxide. This means that precautions are required when decomposing nitrous oxide in exhaled air from a single patient (close to the patient), particularly when using a mobile nitrous oxide catalytic decomposition unit. During periods of high concentrations, the catalytic decomposition unit has increased risks of a) overheating and explosion due to an uncontrolled acceleration of the temperature, and b) formation of undesired levels of harmful by-products, such as NOx. The irregular switches between high and zero concentration of nitrous oxide further complicate the situation since this will mean uncontrolled switches in outcome of the reaction (products/by-products), reaction rate, concentrations, temperature etc.
There is a demand for a mobile apparatus for decomposition of nitrous oxide derived from exhalation air containing nitrous oxide where the decomposition is carried out
a) at exothermic conditions, and/or
b) close to the patient, i.e. with the patient directly connected to the apparatus for decomposition of nitrous oxide.
An important demand on the apparatus is that the processed gas discharged from the apparatus must have an acceptable composition and temperature for being delivered into the room in which the patient and/or other people are present and/or the apparatus is placed.
The apparatus should therefore be able to provide sufficiently high reduction levels of nitrous oxide and formation of sufficiently low levels of nitrogen oxides, such as NOx.
Other demands include that the flow velocity, amount, temperature etc. of the discharged gas shall be acceptable for the ventilation of the room in which the patient and/or personnel and/or the apparatus are present. Still other demands relate to effective control of the exothermic self-sustaining decomposition reaction that occurs at higher concentrations of nitrous oxide.
A further demand relates to heating the decomposition reactor when no nitrous oxide is feed to the decomposition reaction, i.e. during stand-by phases of the apparatus for decomposition of nitrous oxide when the patient is not exhaling air containing nitrous oxide, since the reactor must have a certain minimum temperature to be able to decompose the nitrous oxide properly.
EP 2 165 756 B1 relates to a method for decomposition of nitrous oxide in a gas stream. In said document the problem of maintaining a certain minimum temperature of the decomposition reactor during stand-by phases of the apparatus for decomposition of nitrous is described, i.e. during periods when the patient is receiving pain relief but not exhaling air containing nitrous oxide. This problem is solved according to said document by during stand-by phases passing heated gas substantially free of nitrous oxide through the nitrous oxide decomposition reactor so as to maintain the necessary decomposition temperature of the decomposition reactor.
A further problem with catalytic decomposition of nitrous oxide is that, in case high concentrations of nitrous oxide is feed to the decomposition reactor, the temperature of the decomposition reactor may be too high which may destroy the catalyst of the decomposition reactor. In practice, this may have significant implications at levels of nitrous oxide exceeding concentrations of 15 000 to 20 000 ppm. In particular, this applies at very high concentrations of nitrous oxide in excess of 50 000 to 200 000 ppm. At these concentrations, local hot spots (local high temperature rise) can occur in the catalyst which can be destructive.
A solution to this problem is also disclosed in EP 2 165 756 B1. The device for catalytic decomposition of nitrous oxide according to said document may comprise a mixing means upstream of the nitrous oxide decomposition reactor for mixing the incoming gas with a diluting gas, preferably with ambient air, wherein the quantity of the diluting gas can be controlled between 0% and 100% so as to reduce the concentration of the nitrous oxide fed to the reactor.
Said document also discloses the possibility to buffer the nitrous oxide containing gas exhaled by a patient e.g. in a rigid or elastic gas chamber, a hydraulic chamber or in a pressure tank by which it is possible to reduce peaks or fluctuations in the flow rate, e.g. caused by breathing of the patient and thus to smoothen the flow-rate of nitrous oxide containing gas further processed in the decomposition device.

Apparatus for catalytic decomposition of nitrous oxide in a gas stream


A computer program according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises: a grouping module configured to group the plurality of objects into a plurality of groups; a reference point determination module configured to determine a reference point and a group fixation point in the virtual space for each of the plurality of groups; a viewpoint control module configured to control positions of the viewpoint and the fixation point in the virtual space; and a display control module configured to display, on the display device, the view of the virtual space as viewed from the viewpoint toward the fixation point. While events are generated in the particular group among the plurality of groups, the viewpoint control module according to an embodiment of the present invention fixes the viewpoint at the reference point of the particular group and the fixation point at a group fixation point of the particular group.

It has been conventional in the field of video games and virtual reality to generate a view of a three-dimensional virtual space for display on a client terminal such as a smartphone and a game console. Ordinarily, a virtual space contains various objects including objects of a player character. A virtual space is generated based on various parameters such as parameters related to visual representation of the objects, parameters related to visual representation of a field or ground on which the objects are arranged, and parameters related to display position of the objects in the field.
A view of a virtual space is a visual representation of the virtual space as viewed from a virtual viewpoint (also referred to as "a virtual camera") in the virtual space toward a fixation point. A user can interact with the virtual space through a view of the virtual space displayed on the display device. For example, a user can operate a user character in the virtual space to generate an event in the virtual space.
The view of the virtual space changes at any time in accordance with the movement of the viewpoint. For example, in some video games (e.g., first person shooting games), the viewpoint moves to follow the movement of a player character in the virtual space, and views corresponding to the positions of the viewpoint are generated. In video games having a virtual space containing a plurality of objects (e.g., strategic simulation games), the viewpoint moves sequentially to the positions of the objects generating events (movement, attack, use of an item, etc.) to display the events generated by the objects; and views corresponding to the positions of the viewpoint are generated.
However, when the viewpoint follows an object moving fast or when a plurality of objects generate events within a short time, the display screen changes fast or frequently in accordance with the position of the viewpoint and users watching the view sometimes feel uncomfortable. Such uncomfortable feeling is also called camera sickness. Since camera sickness may reduce the satisfaction of users, it is required to improve the control of how a viewpoint moves in a virtual space.
To relieve the camera sickness, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2008-212208 (Patent Literature 1) proposes that time and speed for a viewpoint to move in parallel is limited and, when the limit is exceeded, the parallel movement is cut short.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

System, program, and method for generating image of virtual space


An optical semiconductor device includes: a first conductivity type first semiconductor region; a first conductivity type second semiconductor region formed on the first semiconductor region; a second conductivity type third semiconductor region formed on the second semiconductor region; a photodetector section formed of the second semiconductor region and the third semiconductor region; a micro mirror formed of a trench formed selectively in a region of the first semiconductor region and the second semiconductor region except the photodetector section; and a semiconductor laser element held on the bottom face of the trench. A first conductivity type buried layer of which impurity concentration is higher than those of the first semiconductor region and the second semiconductor region is selectively formed between the first semiconductor region and the second semiconductor region in the photodetector section.

The present invention relates to an optical semiconductor device in which a photodetector and a semiconductor laser element are formed on a single substrate and a method for fabricating the same.
A light emitting element and a photodetector are elements for mutual conversion between an optical signal and an electric signal, and are employed in various kinds of art field. In the field of optical disks such as CDs (Compact Discs) and DVDs (Digital Versatile Disc), they are main devices in optical pickups for reading/writing signals recorded on an optical disks.
In recent years, in accordance with demand for high performance and high integration, a photodiode serving as a photodetector and various electronic elements such as a bipolar transistor, a resister, a capacitance, are formed on a single substrate to compose a so-called opto-electronic integrated circuit (OEIC) device. For further size reduction and higher integration, OEIC devices are widely used in which a semiconductor laser element as a light emitting element and a micro mirror for changing a light path of the laser beam output form the semiconductor laser element are mounted. The OEIC devices of this kind are generally formed by a bipolar transistor fabricating method. In addition, the OEIC devices are required to include both a photodetector having high photosensitivity, high-speed operability and low noise characteristics and a high-speed, highly accurate bipolar transistor.
A conventional optical semiconductor device will be described below with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 10 shows schematically a sectional construction of an optical semiconductor device, that is, an OEIC device according to the conventional example. As shown in FIG. 10, a N-type epitaxial layer 102 is formed on a principal surface of a semiconductor substrate 101 made of P-type low impurity concentration silicon.
In the semiconductor substrate 101 and the N-type epitaxial layer 102, a transistor section 200 composed of a NPN bipolar transistor, a photodetector section 220 composed of a PIN photodiode and a light emitting element section 240 including a semiconductor laser chip 125 are formed to compose the OEIC device.
The transistor section 200, which is a two-layer polysilicon self aligned type NPN transistor, is composed of: a high concentration N-type emitter region 106; a P-type base region 107 formed below the emitter region 106; a collector region 108 made of the N-type epitaxial layer 102 and formed below the base region 7; a high concentration N-type collector buried region 109 formed below the collector region 108; an emitter electrode 110 formed above the emitter region 106; a base electrode 111 connected electrically to the peripheral portion of the base region 107; and a collector electrode 112 formed above the collector buried region 109 and connected electrically to the end portion of the collector buried region 109.
The light receiving section 220 is composed of: a cathode layer 115 made of the N-type epitaxial layer 102; a high concentration N-type cathode surface layer 116 formed on the cathode layer 115; a high concentration N-type cathode contact layer 117 formed around the cathode surface layer 116; and a cathode electrode 118 formed above the cathode contact layer 117.
In each of the transistor section 200 and the photodetector section 220, an isolation oxide film 113 for electrically isolating the elements is formed by local thermal oxidation, that is, so-called LOCOS. A high concentration P+-type isolation layer 114 is formed below the isolation oxide film 113.
In the photodetector section 220, the P+-type isolation layer 114 located in the peripheral portion of the photodetector section 220 in the semiconductor substrate 101 functions as a part of an anode and is connected electrically to an anode electrode 120 with the intervention of a high concentration P-type anode contact layer 119 formed on the P+-type isolation layer 114. A portion of the low concentration P-type semiconductor substrate 101 located below the cathode layer 115 serves as an anode region, and is taken outside as a current from the anode electrode 120 through the P+-type isolation layer 114 and the anode contact layer 119. On the cathode surface layer 116 serving as a light receiving face, an anti-reflection film 121 is provided for reducing reflection of incident light 122 on the cathode surface layer 116.
In the light emitting element section 240, a micro mirror region 123 is formed which is formed of a trench formed by digging the N-type epitaxial layer 102 and the upper part of the semiconductor substrate 101 by anisotropic etching. On the bottom face of the trench, a semiconductor laser chip 125 is fixed with the intervention of a laser lower electrode 128, a laser wire 127 and a protection film 126. The laser wire 127 is lead outside the trench along the wall face from the bottom face of the trench. The protection film 126 is formed so as to cover each upper face of the transistor section 200 and the photodetector section 220.
As shown in FIG. 10, laser light emitted from a side facet of the semiconductor laser chip 125 is reflected on the surface of the micro mirror region 123 to be output in a direction approximately perpendicular to the principal surface of the semiconductor substrate 110.
The operation of the thus composed OEIC device will be described below.
Application of a current over a threshold value to the semiconductor laser chip 125 causes induced emission and oscillation, so that coherent laser light 129 is output in a direction parallel to the principal surface of the semiconductor substrate 101. In the case where the micro mirror region 123 forms an angle at 45 degrees with respect to the substrate surface, the emitted laser light 129 is reflected on the surface of the micro mirror region 123 to rise in a direction perpendicular to the substrate surface. The reflected laser light 129 is irradiated on, for example, an optical disk or the like and a part of the thus reflected light becomes incident light 122 to enter in the photodetector section 220.
The incident light 122 that enters in the photodetector section 220 is absorbed in the semiconductor substrate 101 serving as the anode and the cathode layer 115 to generate electron hole pairs. When reverse bias voltage is applied to the photodetector section 220 at that time, a depletion layer is extended toward the semiconductor substrate 101 where impurity concentration is low. The electron hole pairs generated in the extended depletion layer and the vicinity thereof diffuse and drift separately so that the electrons and the holes reach the cathode contact layer 117 and the anode contact layer 119, respectively, thereby generating a photocurrent. Upon receiving the thus generated photocurrent, an electronic circuit composed of a NPN transistor, a resistor, a capacitor and the like performs predetermined amplification and signal processing to output the photocurrent as a recording or replay signal of an optical disk.
As described above, in recent years, in optical semiconductor devices having photodetector for optical pickup used in CDs and DVDs, high photosensitivity, high-speed operability and downsizing are strongly demanded in association with high-speed driving of optical disks and increasing density of recorded signals.
In the aforementioned conventional optical semiconductor device, however, the photocurrent generated from incident light is divided to the diffusion current component and the drift current component as described above, wherein the diffusion current component is dominant diffusion that the minority carriers move up to the end portion of the depletion layer. For this reason, the response speed of the diffusion current component is lower than the drift current component drifting by the electric field in the depletion layer, which is a factor of deterioration the frequency characteristic of the photodetector section 220 made of a photodiode.
Especially, infrared light used in CDs, which has a small absorption coefficient to silicon, reaches deep inside of the semiconductor substrate 101 and carriers generated at the deep part contributes to the current, which restrict high-speed operation. In this connection, it is impossible to form the photodetector section 220 and the light emitting element section 240 integrally on a single semiconductor substrate 101 for exhibiting high photosensitivity and high-speed operation.

Optical semiconductor device and method for fabricating the same


A cross axis cable management system comprising a bird cage mechanism, a clock spring mechanism and a rolling loop mechanism positioned about a first axis, second axis and third axis of a gimbal mechanism respectively. Each mechanism provides defined channels and protective elements to prevent cable damage. The mechanisms also have one fixed end, one rotational end, and an optimized amount of slack for repeatable cable motion. The system effectively manages a large number of conventional and fiber optic cables while minimizing the friction or drag associated with the motion about the multiple axes and preventing cable damage and the resultant loss of performance.

Modern optical sensors and other electronic devices are often mounted within gimbal mechanisms to achieve free movement in multiple axes, which is especially true for many military applications. However, modern electronic devices often require hundreds or even thousands of signals to function properly, and each of these cables must be arranged in a manner that allows repeated motion in each gimbal axis without cable damage.
Further complicating this arrangement, any cross-axis cable management system must be compatible with a high number of both conventional cables and more sensitive, fiber-optic ribbon cables. Finally, friction or drag must be minimized or the additional friction leads to increased torque requirements, necessitating larger, heavier, more powerful motors.
Traditional methods of managing cables across rotational axis include slip rings and twist capsules. Slip ring is a type of electrical swivel and enables rotational motion of the cable without physically twisting the cable.
Slip rings are subject to wear due to electrical arcing, and also from being in physical contact with the rotating surfaces. Also slip rings are not suitable for transmitting high speed data nor in combustible environments due to electrical arcing. A major limiting factor to the maximum transmission rate while transmitting high frequency signals through slip rings is distortion of the waveforms due to reflections from impendence discontinuities. Impedance discontinuities can occur throughout the slip ring wherever different forms of transmissions lines interconnect and have different surge impedances.
The loss of energy through slip rings increases with frequency due to a variety of effects, such as multiple reflections from impedance mismatches, circuit resonance, distributed inductance and capacitance, dielectric losses and skin effect. Hence usage of slip rings for cable management generally limited to conventional cables and not suitable for use with fiber optic cables.
Fiber optic cables require minimum bend radii to operate within required performance specifications. The minimum bend radius of a fiber optic cable depends upon a variety of factors, including the signal handled by the fiber optic cable, the style of the fiber optic cable, and equipment to which the fiber optic cable is connected. Specialized rotational joints for fiber optic cable management have been developed for use with a gimbal, but most such joints enable the use of only a single multi mode fiber, and none can manage the high number of single mode fibers or fiber ribbons required to operate modern high resolution imaging systems.
A need therefore exists for a cable management system capable of routing large numbers of conventional and fiber optic or fiber optic ribbon cables across multiple gimbal axes without loss of performance or cable damage.

System for cross-axis management of conventional and fiber optic cables

BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration Inc.


A multi-functional fruit and vegetable shaping tool includes a main body and a separation member. The main body has a main wall surrounding a receiving space, and a plurality of cutters that have different functions and are formed in the main wall at angularly spaced-apart positions. The separation member is removably disposed in the receiving space to isolate at least one of the cutters that is selected for performing a desired function from the rest of the cutters. The separation member is connected non-rotatably to the main wall and divides the receiving space into an unshielded operative region proximal to the at least one of the cutters, and a shielded inoperative region proximal to the rest of the cutters.

European Patent No. EP 2 218 561 B1 discloses a device adapted for cutting fruits and vegetables, such as apples, radishes, carrots, beets and cucumbers. The device includes two funnel-shaped bodies with their tapered ends connected to each other to form a narrow through-hole therebetween. Each of the bodies is provided with at least one cutting unit. The cutting units of the device are formed with cutting slots of different widths for cutting the fruits and vegetables into slices or shreds.
However, these cutting units are not easily distinguishable from each other, so that a user may end up using an undesired one of the cutting units for cutting.

Multi-functional fruit and vegetable shaping tool