The invention relates to a method for operating a household dishwasher, said dishwasher being equipped with a program selection device and a combined device for adding a detergent and a clear rinse agent to the washing area. The aim of the invention is to improve the cleaning effect. To this end, the clear rinse agent is added not only once during the last wash cycle, but on several occasions at various times during the wash program. Each of these processes is characterized by an adjustable number of equal quantities or a non-adjustable number of variable quantities of a clear rinse agent. A metering device for carrying out the inventive method comprises a reservoir, a temporary storage unit and a metering chamber. Both the temporary storage unit and the metering chamber can be configured with an adjustable volume.

The invention relates to a method for operating a household dishwasher and to a metering device which is suitable for carrying out this method.
In household dishwashers, it has been known for many years to add a cleaning agent once during the wash program sequence and to add a clear-rinsing agent at the end of the program sequence in the clear-rinsing section of the program, so that the rinsing water runs off the dishes without leaving drops, so that no spots of limescale remain behind and so that the dishes shine beautifully.
The one-off addition of clear-rinsing agent has led most manufacturers to develop a type of clear rinsing agent metering device which can be described as follows. A small metering chamber, which is also known as the scoop chamber, since it is filled up from a larger reservoir by pivoting the device through 90xc2x0, is provided. For this purpose, the metering device is installed in the loading door of the dishwasher, with the result that the metering chamber is filled when the door is opened, i.e. after the program has finished. A valve pin which closes an outlet opening of the metering chamber is lifted at the desired moment by an actuator, e.g. a lifting magnet, so that the entire contents of the metering chamber are able to flow out into the rinsing chamber. In these devices, the volume of the metering chamber, and therefore the amount of agent metered, is determined by means of a displacement member which is allowed to project to a greater or lesser extent into the metering chamber.
German Patent document DE 75 03 703 again proposed a variable metering in which a metering chamber is able to adopt different volumes with the assistance of a displaceable metering piston. In order to rule out the possibility of sealing problems between the metering chamber and the reservoir, in this document a so-called interim store chamber was provided as the outlet chamber into which the metering chamber empties when the-dishwasher door is closed. In this device, the metering chamber can only be filled once, the metered quantity being varied by complex adjustment of the metering piston.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,867,224 describes a metering device which is arranged beneath the base of the rinsing chamber and in which multiple metering of a specific metered quantity is possible with the aid of a pump device using a bimetallic component and a heater device in order to form the bimetallic component.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,013,568 discloses a device in which a metering chamber, dependent on the desired metered quantity, can be filled up a number of times and emptied into the interior of the dishwasher. Owing to the direct contact between the reservoir and the metering chamber, in this device there is the risk of the entire reservoir being emptied into the dishwasher in the event of a leak in the metering valve.
The invention is based on the object of proposing a variable metering device which can be realized with little outlay and, at the same time, avoids the risk of the reservoir being emptied.
Starting from a device of the type mentioned in the introduction, this object is achieved by the fact that an interim chamber is provided, which has a line connection leading to the metering chamber and a refill connection leading to the reservoir, the volume of the interim store being a multiple of the metering-chamber volume.
The interim chamber separates the metering chamber from the reservoir, so that the reservoir is prevented from emptying in the event of a defective metering valve. Large quantities of clear-rinsing agent in a dishwasher have the serious consequence of uncontrolled amounts of foam being formed and emerging from the machine, causing damage. The volume of the interim store only allows a considerably smaller amount of clear-rinsing agent to emerge, so that this risk is avoided.
At the same time, the possibility of multiple filling and emptying of the metering chamber provides the option of an inexpensive yet variable metering device. The efforts to provide a variable metering device are based on the recognition that, in the cleaning or interim rinsing operations, some of the dirt carried in the drops remains attached to the dishes and is thus transferred from one washing liquor to the next. This can be counteracted by adding a small amount of clear-rinsing agent at the end of each of these individual sections of the program which follow one another in the course of the overall program, so that the rinsing liquid and the food residues contained therein drain out better and can thus be pumped away more completely.
The method can be developed in two variants, the practical application being dependent on the control technology used in the dishwasher. On the one hand, it is proposed for the clear-rinsing agent which is introduced within a specific section of the program to be composed of a selectable number of quantities of equal size which are metered in individual, successive metering operations.
A metering chamber whose volume is invariable and whose valve arrangement, when actuated, closes off the inlet opening and opens the outlet opening, is emptied during each metering operation, and thus supplies the same quantity each time. Such a multiple-dose metering device is suitable for modern, electronically controlled dishwashers, in which it is readily possible to fix the number of control pulses as desired in the individual sections of the program and, possibly, to take into account other parameters, such as the type and quantity of load in the dishwasher, the water hardness and the like. Suitable sensors may be provided for the parameters.
In the case of dishwashers with mechanical timers, it is also possible to provide a plurality of successive control pulses within the individual sections of the program. However, it is not possible to vary the number of these control pulses. Therefore, it is proposed for the clear-rinsing agent, which is introduced within a specific section of the program, to be composed of an invariable number of quantities of adjustable sizes, which are metered in individual, successive metering operations. This method variant therefore requires a variable metering chamber.
Advantageously, the interim store is designed as a scoop chamber, which is filled, as is known per se, by pivoting of the metering device, e.g. as a result of the loading door being opened, if the metering device is installed in this door.
Since manufacturing economies require the production of large numbers, the possibility of using a combined metering appliance in a very wide variety of dishwashers is extremely important. As has been mentioned, a simple metering chamber with an invariable volume is sufficient for an electronically controlled dishwasher. In order to be able to use the same metering appliance even for dishwashers with a mechanical timer, it is proposed for the metering chamber to have a variable volume.
Finally, the multiple-application of a metering appliance which has an unchangeable clear-rinsing agent metering chamber can be widened by making the volume of the interim store variable. Such an appliance can be used to add clear-rinsing agent only during the final, so-called clear-rinsing operation, in which case, although the metering takes place in individual quantities, the overall amount is ultimately determined by the volume of the interim store. For example, the timer always emits six control pulses. However, it may be that the interim store, if set accordingly, is empty after the third control pulse, and the metering valve then operates a further three times in the empty state.
The invention is based on the stipulation that a multiple-dose metering device of the type described above is integrated in a combined metering appliance. Combined metering appliances arose in view of the need for economic manufacture and fitting and are contained in virtually all commercially available household (domestic) dishwashers. They comprise a device for introducing a cleaning agent, which is mostly used in powder form, and a device for introducing a liquid clear-rinsing agent into the rinsing chamber; it is already known to actuate both devices by means of the same actuator, in particular by means of a lifting magnet or a bimetallic actuator. The type of electric signal or some other method is used to differentiate whether the cleaning-agent dispenser or the clear-rinsing agent metering device is to be actuated.
The known combined metering appliances are designed in such a way that the cleaning-agent dispenser is actuated first, followed by the clear-rinsing agent metering device. This corresponds to the natural program sequence and represents an important precondition for the conversion, which is proposed by the invention, of the known single-dose metering appliances into multiple-dose metering appliances. Once the cleaning-agent dispenser has been released, there is nothing standing in the way of repeated actuation of the clear-rinsing agent metering device.

Method and metering device for operating a household dishwasher


A relational pulse oximetry alarm system and method is presented for earlier identification of the occurrence of an adverse clinical event. The system includes a pulse oximeter based microprocessor alarm system which provides an alarm based on a relational conformation of a plurality of time series and further based on the recognition of specific dynamic patterns of interaction between a plurality of corresponding and related time series including the occurrence of pathophysiologic divergence of two or more time series outputs. The processor is programmed to compare a first time series to a second time series to produce a comparison result, to identify a relationship between the first time series and the second time series, to identify a relational threshold breach, and to output an alarm based on the relational threshold breach. The system can include an oximeter testing system for predicting the timeliness of the response of the alarm of a pulse oximeter to the occurrence of an adverse clinical event.

Delay in recognition of respiratory instability and and/or arrest is a very common cause of unexpected death in the US hospitals. Many adverse reactions to medication and complications of surgery cause death by inducing respiratory arrest, which must be recognized early if death is to be reasonably prevented. In addition most serious diseases, such as, for example, stroke, pneumonia, blood born infections and urinary infections ultimately cause death by progression to respiratory arrest and this progression can occur very suddenly. The period of respiratory instability preceding respiratory arrest is highly variable ranging from more than 24 hours to less than a minute. Respiratory instability is painless and generally causes shortness of breath, which is often discounted by hospital personnel since this symptom is so common patients in the hospital. For these reasons the significance of the warning symptoms and signs of impending respiratory arrest are often missed by physicians and nurses since the symptoms are thought to simply be due to, for example, anxiety, postoperative pain, or fever.
It has long been known that, if patient survival is to be reasonably achieved, respiratory arrest must be reversed very quickly—before it progresses to cardiac arrest. In many cases respiratory arrest can be readily reversed and the patient stabilized by a simple bag and mask or even simple mouth to mouth resuscitation. However, once respiratory arrest induces cardiac arrest chest compressions and cardiopulmonary resuscitation becomes necessary and the success of such resuscitation in this setting is very low. The progression of respiratory arrest to cardiac arrest is perhaps best termed as a state of "dual (oxygen depletion) arrest".
To compare the significance of dual arrest it is important to contrast the process of sudden cardiac arrest as the primary event with that of a sudden primary respiratory arrest. In contrast with the dual arrest state described above, oxygen stores in arteries, veins, and lungs are retained after a sudden cardiac arrest. If the heart can be restarted (which can often be achieved within seconds by defibrillation) these oxygen stores are immediately available to restore oxygen to the brain and heart muscle and normal ventilation generally spontaneously returns. If on the other hand a respiratory arrest is the initial event, the body oxygen stores are depleted as the heart pumps the remaining oxygen stores to keep the brain and heart muscle alive after the cessation of breathing. (The heart rate generally slows during this period to reduce the use of oxygen be the heart muscle). When the oxygen stores are depleted the heart muscle stops contracting or cardiac electrical instability develops producing a secondary cardiac arrest the state of dual arrest. Upon progression to the state of dual arrest the restarting of only one system (heart or lungs) will not induce survival. Both must be restarted and this takes much more time and is much less successful. For example once dual arrest occurs, the simple restarting of the heart (as with defibrillation), will be generally unsuccessful (and useless in any regard), since the oxygen within the body has been depleted and the pumping of blood will not restore oxygen to the brain or heart muscle or restore spontaneous breathing (as would occur if the cardiac arrest was primary). In addition after dual arrest has occurred ventilating the simple ventilation of the patient, which might have easily saved the life of the patient, only seconds earlier will now be useless if not combined with complicated and often poorly successful cardiac resuscitation maneuvers.
Patients who are pregnant, obese, or have heart or lung disease may have lower oxygen stores at the time of the respiratory arrest. This means that depletion and progression to dual arrest can occur very rapidly in these patients. To understand the critical limitation of time between the onset of respiratory arrest and the development of dual arrest due to oxygen depletion in the real world, consider the case of respiratory arrest (as, for example, due to an adverse drug reaction) of a mother at near term pregnancy. After the respiratory arrest both the baby and the mother are rapidly depleting the mother's oxygen stores (which is already low due to the reduced size of the lungs due to size of the full term baby). Both the low oxygen stores and the more rapid depletion of those stores can greatly shorten the time to dual arrest, an occurrence which, if not prevented by timely ventilation, would likely result in death of both the mother and the baby. Here it can be seen that the time between the onset of the respiratory arrest and the sounding of the alarm is pivotal toward determining whether the mother and baby can be saved by simple ventilation or subjected to complex and commonly unsuccessful CPR.
Upon the recognition that it was actually respiratory arrest, which was the major leading cause of unexpected death in the hospital, the monitoring companies began to enhance electrocardiographic (EKG) monitors by combining them with pulse oximetry so both adverse cardiac events and adverse respiratory events could be identified. Today, telemetry and bedside monitors with both pulse oximetery and EKG are in wide use on hospital wards as early warning devices. Unfortunately while the alarm systems of the EKG components of the multimode monitors are excellent for immediately identifying cardiac arrest, the alarms of the incorporated pulse oximeters are very poorly suited for early identification of respiratory arrest, and in the present art these devices provide a false sense of security because they alarm in response to a respiratory arrest only after a prolonged delay—a point wherein progression to dual arrest is very near. For these reasons, a patient experiencing a respiratory arrest on a telemetry ward in US hospitals today, even though monitored by combined telemetry EKG and pulse oximetry, has a high probability of progressing to dual arrest before simple respiratory arrest is identified and reversed.
The occurrence of important delays in oximeter detection of critical clinical events has been known for many years (see "Delayed detection of hypoxic events by pulse oximeters: computer simulations", Verhoeff F, Sykes M. K. Anaesthesia February 1990; 45(2):103-9). One of the factors contributing to this delay has been the high false alarm rate of pulse oximeters. Pulse oximeters have traditionally produced an output, which can be affected by motion and other sources of artifact. U.S. Pat. No. 6,206,830 entitled "signal processing apparatus and method", the contents of which is incorporated by reference as if completely disclosed herein, provides background for some of the deficiencies associated with the present art of monitoring patients using pulse oximetry. To address these deficiencies, in the present art, the output signal is subjected to a wide range of signal processing including different filters such as low pass and averaging filters as well as adaptive filters. These filters, while reducing false alarms, may significantly decrease the dynamic response of the oximeter so that the true alarm may be delayed. Since, as noted, pulse oximeters are now being coupled with telemetry units for transmission of the oxygen saturation values to a central station the transmission may be intermittent (for example to save battery power) with the central station updated only at predetermined intervals. This can result in an additional delay. Each of these delays can be additive and this can seriously reduce the remaining time available to hospital personnel after the alarm to reverse the respiratory arrest before the onset of the much less reversible dual arrest state.
Since thousands of patients die every year from delayed recognition of respiratory arrest, scientists in the field of pulse oximetry have been working hard to improve patient monitoring in this environment. Much of the work has focused on the adverse effect induced by excessive false alarms on the timeliness of the response to a true alarm. In response manufacturers have provided selectable delays with some pulse oximeters to reduce the number of false alarms, but the disclosed methods reduce false alarms by producing a further delay in response to true alarms. U.S. Pat. No. 5,865,763 entitled, "Method and apparatus for nuisance alarm reductions" (the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference as if completely disclosed herein) shows one such selectable delay system and provides additional background for the present invention.
However, since the delay in the disclosed method and apparatus which mitigates false alarms also results in a delay in alarm response to a respiratory arrest, this new alarm system reduces false alarms at the expense of providing less time to prevent progression to the highly fatal state of dual arrest.
When monitored by the basic conventional hospital montage (which includes electrocardiogram, pulse oximetry, and chest wall impedance, EKG), the human physiologic system produces a large array of highly interactive time series outputs, the dynamic relational configurations of which have substantial relevance when monitored over both brief and long time intervals and which can be used to generate improved alarm response.
Critical illness is one example of a complex dynamic timed process characterized by a plurality of interactive primary and compensatory outputs. When human physiologic stability is under threat, it is maintained by a complex array of interactive physiologic systems, which control the critical time dependent process of oxygen delivery to the organism. Each system (e.g. respiratory, cardiac or vascular) has multiple biochemical and/or mechanical controls, which operate together in a predictable manner to optimize oxygen delivery under conditions of threat. For example, a respiratory arrest (as with breath holding) causes a fall in heart rate to protect the heart muscle from the fall in oxygen. In addition to the basic control of a single system, other systems interact with the originally affected system to producing a predictable pattern of response.
Each system generally also has a plurality of predicable compensation responses to adjust for pathologic alteration or injury to the system and these responses interact between systems. For example the development of infectious injury to the lung will generally result in an increase in respiratory rate to compensate for the loss of functional surface area This increase in ventilation rate can then induce a synergistic increase in both stroke volume and heart rate.
Finally a pathologic process altering one system will generally also induce an alteration in one or more other systems and these processes are all time dependent. Sub acute or acute life threatening conditions such as sepsis, pulmonary embolism, or hemorrhage generally affect the systems in cascades or predictable sequences which may have a time course range from as little as 20 seconds or more than 72 hours. For example, the brief development of airway collapse induces a fall in oxygen saturation and a fall in heart rate. If the patient survives to arouse this causes a compensatory hyperventilation response, which causes a rise in heart rate and all of this may occur in over as little as 20-30 seconds alternately if they fail to arouse (as due to an adverse drug reaction) the respiratory arrest progressive fall in oxygen coupled with a fall in heart rate may progress to the state of dual arrest. The progression to this state may be greatly accelerated by the presence of poor ventricular function, electrical or conduction instability, or coronary disease. An infection, on the other hand, has a more prolonged time course often over a course of 48-72 hours—inducing a rise in respiration rate, a rise in heart rate, and then a progressive fall in oxygen saturation and finally respiratory arrest and a terminal fall in heart rate. As effective physiology compensation becomes exhausted, the final event of respiratory failure and arrest can occur precipitously during the night (when hospital staffing is low) thereby surprising the hospital staff with, what appears to be a sudden respiratory arrest.
As discussed in detail below, the present inventor recognized that precipitous pathophysiologic catastrophic events such as respiratory arrest are generally preceded by at least a brief episode of instability, which falls within a rage of definable patterns. He further recognized that both the instability and the catastrophic occurrence involves multiple interactive organ systems which produce definable relational patterns indicative of the occurrence which could then be exploited using a microprocessor to more timely recognize the adverse occurrence. Upon this realization he developed a system and method which provided signal integration and/or comparison of multiple signals, and in particular the patterns defined by multiple signals to define alarm threshold provided a better means to improve timely response to a catastrophic occurrences such as a respiratory arrest. According to the preset invention, the recognition of combined deviation of at least one parameter in combination with a fall in oxygen saturation (especially if the other parameter is identified and/or confirmed by another method such as EKG) can be used to generate an earlier alarm and a more reliable alarm.
As discussed in co pending application "Centralized hospital monitoring system for automatically detecting upper airway instability . . . ", filed May 17, 2002 (Which is incorporated by reference in its entirety, as if completely disclosed herein) and assigned to the present inventor, during health and disease, organs have a basal state (such a diastole, or functional residual capacity) and a variation (a reciprocation), away from, and back to, that basic state. At the organ level a physiologic control system, which can be anatomic, electrical, or chemical attempts to maintain normal ranges of the basal state and induces return toward the basal state. At higher levels a general basal state of the entire organism, and the interactive collective basal state of each organ, is generally maintained by a combination of interactive chemical, neural, and anatomic control. Upon variation from the basal state the physiologic control system will attempt to reverse the variation thereby producing reciprocation. The variation produces a compensatory response, which comprises a "companion reciprocation" which can be recognized by the processor and which improves the specificity of the recognition of the primary reciprocation. It can be seen that during very severe disease the attempt to achieve reversal may be unsuccessful so that reciprocations have the characteristic of being complete or incomplete. Interactive companion reciprocations operative from the cellular level to the organism level and exist across the entire range of time series scales and represent the fundamental link between the time series output of an organ or organism and the characterization of the operative control systems controlling that organ or organism, and the pathophysiologic process impacting the organ or organism.
As described in detail in provisional applications 60/291687 and 60/291691 (the contents of each of which are incorporated by reference as if completely disclosed herein), the present inventor recognized that the onset of the development of a catastrophic event represents the onset of a unique and critical relational time series of multiple signals (such as pulse rate, respiratory rate, and oxygen saturation) which is best considered as a relational process and tracked in close detail to generate a more specific output such as an alarm and so that the physician or nurse arriving to respond to the alarm can be immediately be provided with an interpreted output of the evolution of all of the monitored interactive parameters upon the onset of the occurrence which generated the alarm. The value of a monitoring device as a early warning system is therefore direct and close function of its ability to timely alarm in response to the actual onset of the occurrence of a precipitous life threatening event rather than the timeliness of its response to the occurrence of one or more threshold breaches along a single parameter (such as oxygen saturation). This is distinct from traditional thinking with respect to oximetry (see U.S. Pat. No. 5,865,763) where the focus has been to define the alarm either as a simple function of the occurrence of one or more crossings of a particular threshold value (such as an oxygen saturation below 85-90%) or as a function of the occurrence of a cumulative magnitude of values below a simple threshold. In fact the controversy within the standards committee of the FDA for oximetry alarm guidelines has been focused not defining the relationship of the alarm response to the relational outputs of a catastrophic occurrence, but rather upon defining which one-dimensional alarm warning threshold value of oxygen saturation should be uses (such as below 90% or below 85%). Such controversy misses the point, since, in the presence of precipitous catastrophic occurrence is not a given arbitrary threshold alarm value which is critical to functional survival but rather it is the value of time between the onset of the catastrophic event and the onset of the alarm which is best defined by the relational evolution of multiple parameters.
The present inventor recognized physicians, manufacturers, and hospitals have had a long unfulfilled need for an apparatus and method to alarm in response to the dynamic, real world pathophysiologic occurrences.
The present invention comprises a method and apparatus for providing an alarm based on a relational conformation of a plurality of time series and can include a pulse oximeter based microprocessor alarm system for the recognition of specific dynamic patterns of interaction between a plurality of corresponding and related time series, the system comprising a processor, the processor programmed to; process a first time series to produce to identify a first primary threshold breach based on said first time series, process at least a second time series, compare at least a portion of said first time series to at least said second time series to produce a comparison result, identify a relationship between said first time series and said second time series to identify a relational threshold breach, output an alarm based on at least one of said primary and said relational threshold breaches. The first time series is preferably oxygen saturation and the second time series can be pulse. Alternatively, the first time series can be the oxygen saturation of arterial blood and the second time series can be the respiration rate and or amplitude or a derivative of both the rate and amplitude (as by chest wall impedance). The relational breach can be a fall in oxygen saturation coupled with a fall in pulse. Another relational breach can be a fall in oxygen saturation coupled to a rise in respiration rate.
In one embodiment, the physician can select from a menu, which signals are to be included in the alarm response so that the alarm is tailored to the patient. According to the present invention, the system includes the conventional threshold based alarms to provide a floor of protection with the relational alarm system of the present invention included to provide more timely response upon the occurrence of instability or a precipitous life-threatening event such as respiratory arrest.
It is the purpose the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for providing dynamic alarm function of oximeters in response to precipitous catastrophic occurrences.
It is further the purpose of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for promoting the sale of improved oximeters, which provide enhanced early warning characteristics, features, and functionality.

Pulse oximetry relational alarm system for early recognition of instability and catastrophic occurrences


A double endobronchial catheter that is suited for one lung isolation anesthesia and surgery that has an outer sheath that is adapted to be introduced into the patient such that the distal end of the sheath is positioned within the patient and the proximal end remains exterior of the patient. A pair of catheters are slidingly retained in separate lumens within the outer sheath lumen. Each of the catheters has an inflatable balloon at the distal end thereof with the proximal ends extending outwardly from the proximal end of the outer sheath. A stylet is removably positioned within each of the catheters so that each catheter can be manipulated independently of the other catheter within the confines of the outer sheath so that the distal ends of the catheters can be positioned at a site within the bronchi of the patient and, upon inflation of the balloons, one of the patient""s lungs can be isolated and ventilation and anesthesia administered to the other lung.

The present invention relates to catheters, and more particularly, to a double endobronchial catheter that is used to isolate one lung of a patient during anesthesia and surgery.
There are many operations that are carried out or performed today on a patient that require one lung of that patient to be isolated, that is, one of the patient""s lungs must be kept relatively immobilized during the operation so that the surgery can be performed. Typical of such operations include thoracoscopic lung surgery, minor or major lung resection, thoracic aorta repair or reconstruction, esophageal surgery and anterior thoracic spine surgery.
The need to isolate such lungs in order to operate stem from the very nature of a surgical operation performed under general anesthesia. In such operations, an anesthesia apparatus actually breathes for the patient by means of an anesthesia ventilator that acts in conjunction with an anesthesia machine. The anesthesia ventilator provides a timed, intermittent flow of gas to the patient to force that gas into the patient to expand the lungs, while the gas is expelled from the lungs as the lungs deflate. The anesthesia machine adds the anesthetic, in the form of a vapor, to the gas so that the anesthetic laden gas is provided to the patient to carry out the induction and maintenance of anesthesia in the patient during the operation. Thus under normal operation, both lungs are continually expanded and contracted during the inhalation and exhalation of the anesthetic laden gases in accordance with the normal cycling of the anesthesia ventilator.
Obviously, with the aforelisted operations where it is undesirable to have one of the lungs in motion, it becomes necessary to isolate that lung for the entire operation so that it is not subject to the normal expansion and contraction that is caused by the anesthesia ventilator. Therefore, the lung to be operated on is normally isolated by occluding the bronchus of that lung such that the anesthesia machine breathes the anesthetic laden gas into and from the other lung without affecting the lung subject to the operation. Thus the patient can be anesthetized and the operation can be carried out on the isolated lung. One of the difficulties, however, is to fully and effectively occlude the mainstream bronchus leading into the lung that is to be subject to the surgery.
One of the more common techniques currently used to provide the necessary isolation for one lung is through the use of a double lumen endotracheal tube. With the use of a double lumen endotracheal tube, however, there are certain drawbacks to its use.
In particular, there can be a considerable drawback in its insertion in the event of an unanticipated difficult airway visualization or the presence of a paralyzed vocal cord. Further, the anesthesiologist may choose to abandon the use of a double endotracheal tube in the event some anatomical problem is encountered in its placement, such as tracheal narrowing, which could preclude the proper positioning of the double lumen endotracheal tube. In addition, with many procedures, there is a difficult situation where the risk of gastric aspiration is high and a double lumen endotracheal tube needs to be replaced by a standard single lumen tube after the conclusion of the operation.
Thus, in accordance with the present invention, there is provided a double endobronchial catheter that is relatively easy to use with a patient and yet which provides effective isolation of a single lung of the patient so that surgery can be performed on that lung without interference caused by movement of that lung during the normal general anesthesia involving the ventilation of the lung.
With the present invention, there is an outer sheath that can be intubated into the trachea of the patient either external to a standard single lumen endotracheal tube or embodied within it and which outer sheath has a plurality of individual lumens formed therein. In the preferred embodiment, there are but two lumens within the outer sheath and they are formed by being molded into the outer sheath with an integrally molded divider separating the individual lumens. Within each of those two lumens there is positioned a catheter that is free to slide within the individual lumens of the outer sheath. In order to allow ease of movement within the lumens of the outer sheath, the outer surfaces of each catheter is preferably coated with a lubricious material, such as silicone. At the distal end of both of the catheters, there is an inflatable balloon and an inflation passage is provided so that each balloon can be individually inflated by the user by means of an inflation device at or near the proximal end of each catheter.
The individual catheters are flexible and can be manipulated by the user proximal to the patient after intubation of the outer sheath and a stylet can be associated with each catheter that passes through each of the catheters to aid in the manipulation of the individual catheters. In the preferred embodiment, the stylets are removable from the catheter after the proper positioning of the catheters.
Each of the catheters also includes a suction passageway that comprises a means of applying suction at the distal end of the catheters by a vacuum source or system connected to the proximal end of the catheters so that suction can be applied to a lung as desired.
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a double endobronchial catheter that can be used in many instances where the prior art double lumen endotracheal tube is not appropriate or feasible. For example, the present invention can be a smaller device than the current double lumen endotracheal tube and thus can be used where a double endotracheal tube cannot be intubated through the vocal cords because of unanticipated difficult airway visualization or the presence of a paralyzed vocal cord. Too, the present invention can be used if the physician encounters lower airway anatomical problems, such as narrowing of the passageways, that would otherwise preclude the use of a double lumen endotracheal tube. Further, in the event of a patient who cannot open the mouth well or one with a known difficult intubation so as to make the placement of a double lumen endotracheal tube difficult, the present invention can be used in an xe2x80x9cawake fiberoptic intubationxe2x80x9d using a single lumen endotracheal tube followed by the use of the present double endobronchial catheter.
Also, due to the presence of through orifices in the catheters used with the present invention, in cases where selective lobar blockade is desired (partial one-lung collapse), the present double endobronchial catheter can be used and later the lung converted to full collapse if so desired. Partial collapse may be chosen in patients with marginal pulmonary function reserve prior to surgery that will not tolerate full collapse.
In addition, the present double endobronchial catheter can be made with smaller, softer, lower pressure balloons than those found on the present single or double lumen endotracheal tubes and thus can be used where intubation of the former tubes is difficult due to the anatomy of the patient. Too, with the use of the present invention, there is no need to replace a double lumen endotracheal tube with a single lumen endotracheal tube and thus the risk of aspiration is virtually eliminated where caused by that action.
Other features of the overall endobronchial catheter will become more apparent in light of the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

Double endobronchial catheter for one lung isolation anesthesia and surgery


A micromechanical diaphragm is described which has a partially n-doped p-substrate on its surface and a top n-epitaxial layer, one or more n-epitaxial layers which are p-doped in the diaphragm area being arranged on the p-substrate.

The present invention relates to a micromechanical diaphragm having a partially n-doped p-substrate on its surface, a topmost layer being an n-epitaxial layer.
In micromechanical pressure sensors, a diaphragm is defined by anisotropic etching with a pn-etch stop. The etch front stops at the boundary surface between the p-doped substrate and an n-doped layer. The clamping of the diaphragm is defined by the edge of the etched pit. The pressure-dependent deflection of the diaphragm is measured via the change in resistance of piezoresistive resistors on the surface of the diaphragm. Of critical importance for the sensitivity of the resistors is the position of the resistors relative to the clamping of the diaphragm.
A micromechanical diaphragm is already known from German Published Patent Application No. 43 09 207. This publication describes a semiconductor device with a piezoresistive pressure sensor having a diaphragm formed by a conductive epitaxial layer (epitaxy layer) and applied to a semiconductor substrate of opposite conductivity. At least one piezoresistor is provided on the diaphragm surface facing away from the semiconductor and an opening penetrating the semiconductor substrate has been etched into the inner surface of the diaphragm. A conductive intermediate layer having an annular structure has been inserted between the semiconductor substrate and the epitaxial layer, the intermediate layer defining the area of the opening adjacent to the inner surface of the diaphragm. The intermediate layer possesses a conductivity which is opposite to that of the semiconductor substrate. This diaphragm with varying dopings ensures that there are only limited differences in thickness in the diaphragm which are determined by the penetration depth of the doping. In addition, the diaphragm described here has only one epitaxial layer.
An object of the present invention is to design and arrange a micromechanical diaphragm in such a way that precisely formed clampings or diaphragm areas with strongly varying stiffness are ensured.
This object is achieved according to the present invention in that one or more n-epitaxial layers which are p-doped in the diaphragm area are arranged on the p-substrate. This ensures that the clamping or support points of the diaphragm are defined during the subsequent etching of the diaphragm, i.e. the p-doped area, and not by the underetching of the lateral surfaces. The edge area of the etching within the p-doped substrate is located below the additionally arranged n-epitaxial layers and does not influence the behavior or the clamping of the diaphragm. A precise definition of the clamping of the diaphragm is, for example, very important for pressure sensors since the position of the piezoresistive resistors relative to the clamping (diaphragm edge) influences the sensitivity with respect to pressure.
It is advantageous in this regard that the substrate is locally n-doped before the n-epitaxial layer is deposited and that the n-epitaxial layer is n-doped during the deposition and is then locally p-doped or p-doped during the deposition and then locally n-doped in the edge area or the epitaxial layer is deposited undoped and subsequently the edge area is provided locally with an n-doping and the center area of the epitaxial layer is provided with a p-doping. This type of doping makes continuous doping possible so that the individual n-epitaxial layers are thicker. The variable number of n-epitaxial layers presented here also permits clearly greater thicknesses of the clamping of the diaphragm.
According to a further development, an additional possibility is that an n-doped diaphragm layer or the diaphragm is in contact with the locally p-doped n-epitaxial layer or the locally n-doped p-substrate. The diaphragm thus formed or stiffening of the diaphragm is substantially thicker in the clamping area and accordingly significantly more stabile.
In addition, it is advantageous that the p-doped area of the various n-epitaxial layers or of the locally n-doped p-substrate is formed with a varying size in the individual n-epitaxial layers or in the doping layer or extending from the diaphragm layer or a diaphragm, it has a larger or smaller surface area than in the preceding layer. It is thus possible to design any desired stiffening form below the diaphragm and the diaphragm can be adapted corresponding to its field of application.
It is also advantageous in this regard that the p-doped area of the various n-epitaxial layers or of the locally n-doped p-substrate is arranged in various subareas of the respective layer, such as the center of the micromechanical diaphragm or below the diaphragm and the n-doped areas and the p-doped areas, always in alternation with an n-epitaxial layer, are arranged side by side and/or symmetric to the center of the micromechanical diaphragm.
According to a preferred embodiment of the device according to the present invention, it is also provided that the various n-epitaxial layers are formed with varying thicknesses.
It is of particular significance for the present invention that the areas previously identified as n-doped may also be p-doped and the areas previously identified as p-doped may also be n-doped. Accordingly, the base doping of the various layers may be selected freely and the corresponding locally provided doping may be adapted.
Finally, it is of advantage that the diaphragm layer is formed as an n-epitaxial layer and the side of the p-substrate directed to the outside has an etch mask which opens up the area to be exposed below the diaphragm to the etching agent.
Lastly, it is of advantage that one side of a p-substrate is locally n-doped in the edge area; an n-epitaxial layer is deposited on or applied to this layer, the center of the n-epitaxial layer being p-doped corresponding to the preceding substrate layer, and a second n-epitaxial layer is applied corresponding to the first n-epitaxial layer, the second n-epitaxial layer being p-doped in the diaphragm area or in additional areas. After that, a purely n-doped diaphragm layer is deposited on or applied to the n-epitaxial layer, an etch mask being applied to the exposed surface of the substrate.


Computer-implemented methods of creating and maintaining stock indexes are provided. For a stock index of a particular size, a band is defined around the upper and/or lower limits of the stock index. To be added to, or dropped from, a particular stock index, the stocks must fall outside of the bands for that particular stock index size. Stock migration is controlled using a systematic stock migration process so that stocks are gradually added and deleted from an index. Stock investment style is determined in a multi-dimensional process, instead of a linear process. Furthermore, the number of stocks in the stock index need not be a fixed value, but may depend upon how many stocks meet predefined criteria at any given point in time.

In 1896, Charles Dow created the Dow Jones Industrial Average, establishing the first broad measure of stock market performance and the first benchmark for portfolio performance. Limited by the technology of its times, the Dow painted a skeletal picture of the U.S. stock market. It initially consisted of just 12 stocks, weighted by their prices. As the original index, the Dow became the yardstick for relative performance.
Over the ensuing century, new technologies made it possible to create indexes that more accurately captured the performance of the U.S. stock market: for example, the Standard & Poor's 500 Index, the Russell 3000 Index, and the Wilshire 5000 Total Market Index (in ascending order of comprehensiveness). These indexes are weighted not by prices but by the market value of their constituents, and thus better represent the universe of securities available to U.S. investors.
In the mid- to late-1970s, however, a burgeoning industry of investment consultants recognized that these broad market indexes were inappropriate benchmarks for professional money managers. Most managers oversee portfolios that track not the broad market, but discrete sectors of it—stocks of a particular size, for example, or stocks with pronounced growth or value characteristics.
The consultants addressed the mismatch between managers and benchmarks by creating indexes of stocks in various capitalization ranges and of different investment styles. Since then, the industry has created multiple indexes to track every sector, industry, and sub-industry. The same has happened with bonds. There are few sectors of the financial markets that are not being sliced, diced, and tortured by an ever-growing list of index creators.
Despite the proliferation of indexes, these benchmarks have not precisely reflected the way managers actually invest. On balance, they measure the wrong set of securities or, if not that, then the wrong way of managing those securities. As evidence, research shows that the correlation between the performance of growth and value managers is much higher than the correlation between growth and value indexes. In other words, the growth and value indexes reflect a degree of difference in investment styles that doesn't exist in the real world. The same problems exist with indexes that represent other subsectors of the broad market.
It is indeed puzzling that two different indexes designed to provide insight into the same sector of the market—large-cap (capitalization) value stocks, for example—can provide very different results. The discrepancies arise because of differences in the methodologies used to create the indexes. Over long periods, different value and growth indexes generally, though not always, provide similar results. In the short run, however, their differences cause confusion and limit their usefulness as benchmarks.
A better approach to creating and maintaining indexes that provide meaningful benchmarks for money managers is needed.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Computer-implemented method of constructing a stock index


A composition and method for treating keratinous fibers. The composition contains a wax component and is formulated as an aerosol spray. Other components in the composition are at least one emulsifier and at least one propellant.

The invention relates to a preparation for treating keratinous fibers, in particular human hair, in the form of an aerosol spray and to the use of this preparation for treating keratinous fibers, in particular human hair.
Keratinous fibers, in particular human hair, are subjected to a large number of treatments nowadays. The treatments, which are used for permanent or temporary styling of the hair, play an important part. Temporary styling which should give a good hold without impairing the healthy appearance of the hair, for example its shine, may be achieved, for example, by hairsprays, hair waxes, blow-dried waves etc.
Hair sprays usually contain synthetic polymers as the styling component. Preparations containing a dissolved or dispersed polymer may be applied to the hair by means of propellant gases or by a pump mechanism. A satisfactorily uniform distribution of the polymer over the hair is generally achieved in the process; application from spray or pump containers is simple and clean.
As the styling component, hair waxes generally contain vegetable, animal or mineral waxes and are sold as solid formulations, generally in pots. For application these products are firstly rubbed in the hand and then distributed over the hair. These hair waxes based on natural raw materials produce a good hold of the hair, simultaneously conferring a strong shine. Nevertheless, commercially available hair waxes cannot yet completely satisfy the user""s wish for simple application and easy distribution over the hair. Rubbing on the hand necessitates either the use of gloves or subsequent intensive cleaning of the hands to remove the greasy feel of product residues. Furthermore, very uniform distribution of the product over the hair may only be achieved with difficulty and is very time-consuming.
Finally, there are also so-called shine sprays on the market. These may convey a particular shine, in particular to human hair, owing to their content of vegetable, mineral and/or synthetic oils. As the conventional synthetic and natural film-forming substances in these oils are practically insoluble, these shine sprays have no styling properties. The possibility of incorporating film-forming substances into shine sprays with the aid of solvents, for example large amounts of ethanol, does not lead to satisfactory results, as the additional styling properties may only be achieved at the cost of a significantly worse shine and feel.
It has now surprisingly been found that the waxes used in hair waxes may also be formulated and used as aerosol sprays. The product may therefore be applied to the hair much more easily and uniformly than conventional solid formulations. Furthermore there were no problems with respect to blockage of the nozzle by the wax components even when the spray cans were completely emptied. The problem of xe2x80x9cgreasy handsxe2x80x9d after application of the product is also completely eliminated.
The present invention therefore relates to preparations for treating keratinous fibers, in particular human hair, for spraying in the form of an aerosol spray, characterized in that they contain
at least one wax with a melting point in a range of 40xc2x0 C. to 90xc2x0 C.
at least one emulsifier and
at least one propellant
The first essential component of the preparations according to the invention is a wax with a melting point in a range of 40 to 90xc2x0 C. In principle any physiologically acceptable waxes may be used which melt in the above-mentioned temperature range and satisfy the general definition for waxes as detailed, for example, in Ullmans Encyklopxc3xa4die der technischen Chemie, 4th Edition, Vol. 24, page 3, left-hand column.
However, the waxes are preferably selected from vegetable, animal and mineral waxes, preferred waxes having a melting point in the range of 50xc2x0 to 85xc2x0 C., in particular 60xc2x0 C. to 75xc2x0 C.
Combinations of common types of wax are found in known chemical dictionaries, for example Ullmann""s above-mentioned encyclopedia.
According to the invention, particularly preferred waxes include beeswax (Cera Alba), carnauba wax, candelilla wax, montan wax, microcrystalline waxes (microcrystalline paraffins) and cetyl palmitate.
The teaching according to the invention also covers the combined use of a plurality of waxes. An addition of a small amount of carnauba wax may thus be used to increase the melting and dropping point of another wax and to reduce its tackiness. A number of wax mixtures, optionally mixed with further additives, are also commercially available. Waxes known by the names xe2x80x9cSpezialwachs 7686 OExe2x80x9d (a mixture of cetyl palmitate, beeswax, microcrystalline wax and polyethylene with a melting range of 73 to 75xc2x0 C., produced by Kahl and Co.), Polywax(copyright) GP200 (a mixture of stearyl alcohol and polyglycol distearate with a melting point of 47 to 51xc2x0 C., produced by Croda) and xe2x80x9cWeichceresin(copyright) FL 400xe2x80x9d (a Vaseline/Vaseline oil/wax mixture with a melting point of 50 to 54xc2x0 C., produced by Parafluid Mineralxc3x6lgesellschaft) are examples of preferably used mixtures according to the invention.
Apart from the compounds conventionally defined as waxes (see above), so-called xe2x80x9cliquid waxesxe2x80x9d, for example jojoba oil, may also be used in a specific embodiment of the invention provided that the melting point of this xe2x80x9cwax mixturexe2x80x9d is not less than 40xc2x0 C.
The preparations according to the invention contain the waxes preferably in amounts of 1.5 to 60% by weight, based on the total preparation. Amounts of 5 to 40% by weight, in particular 10 to 25% by weight, are particularly preferred.
The preparations according to the invention contain at least one emulsifier as the second essential component. Examples of possible emulsifiers include, in principle, both anionic and ampholytic, zwitterionic, cationic and nonionic surface-active compounds which are suitable for use on the human body. The use of anionic and nonionic surface-active compounds is preferred according to the invention.
Anionic surface-active compounds are characterized by a water-solubilizing anionic group, for example a carboxylate, sulfate, sulfonate or phosphate group and a lipophilic alkyl group containing about 10 to 22 carbon atoms. Glycol or polyglycol ether groups, ester, ether and amide groups and hydroxyl groups may also be contained in the molecule.
Examples of suitable anionic surface-active compounds, each in the form of sodium, potassium, magnesium and ammonium and mono-, di- and trialkanol ammonium salts containing 2 or 3 carbon atoms in the alkanol group, include linear fatty acids (soaps), ether carboxylic acids of the formula Rxe2x80x94Oxe2x80x94(CH2xe2x80x94CH2O)xxe2x80x94CH2xe2x80x94COOH, in which R is a linear alkyl group containing 10 to 22 carbon atoms and x=0 or 1 to 16, amide ether carboxylates of the formula [Rxe2x80x94NH(xe2x80x94CH2xe2x80x94CH2xe2x80x94O)nxe2x80x94CH2xe2x80x94COO]mZ, in which R represents a linear or branched, saturated or unsaturated acyl radical containing 2 to 29 carbon atoms, n represents integers from 1 to 10, m represents the numbers 1 or 2 and Z is a cation from the group comprising alkali or alkaline-earth metals, acyl sarcosides, acyl taurides, acyl isethionates, sulfosuccinic acid mono- and dialkyl esters, sulfosuccinic acid monoalkyl polyoxyethyl esters, linear alkane sulfonates, linear alpha-olefin sulfonates, alpha-sulfofatty acid methyl esters, alkyl sulfates and alkyl polyglycol ether sulfates of the formula Rxe2x80x94O(CH2xe2x80x94CH2O)xxe2x80x94SO3H, in which R is a preferably linear alkyl group containing 10 to 18 carbon atoms and x=0 or 1 to 12, mixtures of surface-active hydroxysulfonates, sulfated hydroxyalkyl polyethylene and/or hydroxyalkylene propylene glycol ethers, sulfonates of unsaturated fatty acids, alcohol-containing tartaric acid and citric acid esters, representing addition products of about 2 to 15 molecules of ethylene oxide and/or propylene oxide to fatty alcohols containing 8 to 22 carbon atoms, coconut monoglyceride sulfates, phosphoric acid mono-, di- and triesters of alkoxylated fatty alcohols and mixtures thereof, for example the products sold under the trade mark Hostaphat(copyright), and esters of hydroxy-substituted bi- or tri-carboxylic acids containing polyhydroxylated organic compounds selected from the group comprising etherified (C8-C18) alkyl-polysaccharides containing 1 to 6 monomeric saccharide units and etherified aliphatic (C6-C16) hydroxyalkyl polyols containing 2 to 16 hydroxyl radicals and disclosed in European Patent EP-B1-0 258 814 to which reference is expressly made.
Preferred anionic surface-active compounds are ether carboxylic acid salts and phosphate group-containing compounds, in particular the phosphoric acid mono-, di- and triesters of ethoxylated C10-C18, in particular C12-C14, fatty alcohols with degrees of ethoxylation of 2 to 10, in particular 3 to 5.
As the hydrophilic group, nonionic surface-active compounds contain, for example, a polyol group, a polyalkylene glycol ether group or a combination of polyol and polyglycol ether group. Compounds of this type are, for example,
addition products of 2 to 30 mol ethylene oxide and/or 0 to 5 mol propylene oxide to linear fatty alcohols containing 8 to 22 carbon atoms, to fatty acids containing 12 to 22 carbon atoms and to alkyl phenols containing 8 to 15 carbon atoms in the alkyl group,
C12-C22 fatty acid mono- and diesters of addition products of 1 to 30 mol ethylene oxide to glycerin,
C8-C22 alkyl mono and oligoglycosides and the ethoxylated analogues thereof and
addition products of 5 to 60 mol ethylene oxide to castor oil and hardened castor oil.
Preferred nonionic surface-active compounds include the addition products of alkylene oxide, in particular ethylene oxide, to fatty alcohols and fatty acids.
Substances which carry at least one quaternary ammonium group and at least one xe2x80x94COO(xe2x88x92)xe2x80x94 or xe2x80x94SO3(xe2x88x92) group in the molecule are called zwitterionic surface-active compounds. The so-called betaines such as the N-alkyl-N,N-dimethyl ammonium glycinates, for example coconut alkyl dimethyl ammonium glycinate, N-acyl-aminopropyl-N,N-dimethyl ammonium glycinates, for example coconut acyl aminopropyl dimethyl ammonium glycinate, and 2 alkyl-3-carboxyl methyl-3-hydroxyethyl-imidazolines each containing 8 to 18 carbon atoms in the alkyl or acyl group and coconut acyl aminoethyl hydroxyethyl carboxymethyl glycinate are particularly suitable zwitterionic surfactants. The preferred zwitterionic surfactant is the fatty acid amide derivative known by the INCI name cocamidopropyl betaine.
Substances which contain at least one free amino group and at least one xe2x80x94COOH or xe2x80x94SO3H group, in addition to a C8-C18 alkyl or acyl group, in the molecule and are capable of forming inner salts are understood as ampholytic surface-active compounds. Examples of suitable ampholytic surfactants include N-alkyl glycines, N-alkyl propionic acids, N-alkyl aminobutyric acids, N-alkyl iminodipropionic acids, N-hydroxyethyl-N-alkyl amidopropyl glycines, N-alkyl-taurines, N-alkyl sarcosines, 2-alkyl aminopropionic acids and alkyl aminoacetic acids each containing about 8 to 18 carbon atoms in the alkyl group. N-coconut alkyl aminopropionate, coconut acyl aminoethyl aminopropionate and C12-18 acylsarcosine are preferred ampholytic surfactants.
Examples of cationic surface-active compounds include, in particular, quaternary ammonium compounds. Ammonium halides, in particular chlorides and bromides, such as alkyl trimethyl ammonium chlorides, dialkyl dimethyl ammonium chlorides and trialkyl methyl ammonium chlorides, for example cetyl trimethyl ammonium chloride, stearyl trimethyl ammonium chloride, distearyl dimethyl ammonium chloride, lauryl dimethyl ammonium chloride, lauryl dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride and tricetyl methyl ammonium chloride are preferred. The readily biologically degradable quaternary ester compounds, as sold for example under the trade mark Dehyquart(copyright) range and quaternized hydrolyzed proteins and silicone compounds may also be used according to the invention.
The compounds with alkyl groups used as surfactants may be unitary substances in each case. However, it is generally preferred to start from natural vegetable and animal raw materials in the production of these materials, so substance mixtures with different alkyl chain lengths depending on the respective raw material are obtained.
In the case of the surfactants which are addition products of ethylene and/or propylene oxide to fatty alcohols or derivatives of these addition products, products with a xe2x80x9cnormalxe2x80x9d homolog distribution as well as those with a narrowed homolog distribution may be used. xe2x80x9cNormalxe2x80x9d homolog distribution refers to mixtures of homologues which are obtained in the reaction of fatty alcohol and alkylene oxide using alkali metals, alkali metal hydroxides or alkali metal alkoxides as catalysts. Narrowed homolog distributions are obtained, on the other hand, when, for example, hydrotalcites, alkaline-earth metal salts of ether carboxylic acids, alkaline-earth metal oxides, hydroxides or alkoxides are used as catalysts.
The preparations according to the invention contain the emulsifiers in amounts of 0.1 to 10% by weight, based on the total preparation. Amounts of 0.5 to 5, in particular 0.7 to 3% by weight are preferred.
The third essential component of the preparations according to the invention is the propellant.
The propellant is advantageously selected in such a way that it simultaneously serves as the solvent for the wax components. The propellant may serve as the solvent for the wax components if the wax components are soluble therein to at least 1% by weight, based on the propellant at 20xc2x0 C.
Preferred propellants according to the invention are alkanes containing 3 to 5 carbon atoms, such as propane, n-butane, iso-butane, n-pentane and iso-pentane; N-butane and propane are particularly preferred.
According to a preferred embodiment, the preparations according to the invention contain said alkanes or mixtures of said alkanes as the only propellant. However, the invention expressly also covers the concurrent use of a propellant of the chlorofluorocarbon type, but in particular fluorinated hydrocarbons. Dimethyl ether in amounts of less than 5%, based on the total preparation, may be contained as additional propellant in the preparations according to the invention.
The propellants are preferably contained in the preparations according to the invention in amounts of 40 to 98% by weight, based on the total preparation. Amounts of 50 to 95% by weight, in particular 60 to 90% by weight are particularly preferred.
The preparations according to the invention may consist solely of the three mentioned essential constituents. In particular, they contain the wax as the only styling component and are free of polymers, in particular polymers with a styling effect.
It has surprisingly also been found that the oil components used in shine sprays may also be incorporated into the preparations according to the invention. Therefore, an improved shine may be conferred to the hair by applying preparations according to the invention in accordance with this embodiment. Moreover, the object of providing conventional shine sprays with additional styling properties may be achieved by preparations according to this embodiment. Vegetable as well as mineral or synthetic oils may be used as the oil component.
Therefore preparations which also contain at least one oil component, selected from vegetable, mineral or synthetic oils, are a preferred embodiment of the present invention. This oil component or these oil components are advantageously contained in the preparations according to this preferred embodiment in amounts of 0.5 to 50% by weight, in particular 5 to 50% by weight, based on the total preparation. Amounts of 10 to 40% by weight may be particularly preferred.
Triglycerides and mixtures of triglycerides are generally used as natural oils. Preferred natural oils are kukuinu oil, (sweet) almond oil, walnut oil, peach kernel oil, avocado oil, tea tree oil, soya oil, sesame oil, sunflower oil, zubaki oil, evening primrose oil, rice bran oil, palm kernel oil, mango kernel oil, lady""s smock oil, thistle oil, macadamia oil, grape nut oil, apricot kernel oil, babassu oil, olive oil, pumpkin oil, mallow oil, hazelnut oil, safflower oil, canola oil, sasanqua oil and shea butter. Particularly preferred according to the invention are (sweet) almond oil, avocado oil, soya oil, sesame oil, sunflower oil, palm kernel oil, mango kernel oil, macadamia oil, apricot kernel oil, olive oil, wheatgerm oil, pumpkin oil, mallow oil and hazelnut oil.
In particular, mineral oils, paraffin and isoparaffin oils as well as synthetic hydrocarbons are used as mineral oils. A synthetic hydrocarbon which may be used according to the invention is, for example, the commercially available compound 1,3-di-(2-ethyl-hexyl)-cyclohexane (Cetiol(copyright) S). According to the invention paraffin oils are the preferred mineral oils.
Suitable synthetic oils include silicone compounds, in particular dialkyl and alkylaryl siloxanes, for example dimethyl polysiloxane and methylphenyl polysiloxane, and the hydroxy-terminated, alkoxylated and quaternized analogues thereof. Examples of silicones of this type are the products sold by Dow Corning under the names DC 190, DC 200 and DC 1401 and the commercial products DC 344 and DC 345 from Dow Corning, Q2-7224 (produced by Dow Corning; a stabilized trimethylsilyl amodimethicone), Dow Corning(copyright) 929 Emulsion (containing a hydroxyl amino-modified silicone, also called an amodimethicone), SM-2059 (produced by General Electric) and SLM-55067 (produced by Wacker). According to the invention linear and cyclic alkoxylated and non-alkoxylated dialkyl siloxanes, alkyl aryl siloxanes and siloxanes with amino groups are preferred silicone compounds.
Included in the oils which may be used according to the invention are also dialkyl ethers and dialkyl carbonates.
Dialkyl ethers which may be used according to the invention are in particular di-N-alkyl ether with a total of 12 to 36 carbon atoms, in particular 12 to 24 carbon atoms, for example di-n-octyl ether, di-n-decyl ether, di-n-nonyl ether, di-n-undecyl ether, di-n-dodecyl ether, n-hexyl-n-octyl ether, n-octyl-n-decyl ether, n-decyl-n-undecyl ether, n-undecyl-n-dodecyl ether and n-hexyl-n-undecyl ether and di-tert-butyl ether, di-isopentyl ether, di-3-ethyl decyl ether, tert-butyl-n-octyl ether, iso-pentyl-n-octyl ether and 2-methyl-pentyl-n-octyl ether. Di-n-octyl ether is commercially available under the name Cetiol(copyright) OE.
The dialkyl carbonates which may be used according to the invention may be obtained by complete transesterification of low-molecular dialkyl carbonates, for example dimethyl carbonate or diethyl carbonate, with for example fatty alcohols containing 6 to 22 carbon atoms or the ethylene oxides and/or propyleneoxide addition products thereof. The symmetrical transesterification product di-n-octyl carbonate which may be obtained by transesterification with n-octanol (capryl alcohol) and is sold under the trade mark Cetiol(copyright) CC is particularly suitable according to the invention. Further dialkyl carbonates which may be used according to the invention have branched alkyl groups. An industrially available product of this type is, for example, di-(2-hexyl decyl)-carbonate which is obtained by transesterification of diethyl carbonate with 2-hexyldecanol, a Guerbet alcohol and also called a xe2x80x9cGuerbet carbonatexe2x80x9d. A further preferred dialkyl carbonate with branched alkyl chains is di-(2-ethylhexyl) carbonate.
Although liquid oils are generally used at room temperature, i.e. at 25xc2x0 C., the invention nevertheless also covers the use of mixtures of liquid and solid oil components, if these mixtures are liquid at room temperature.
In the preparations according to the invention of this preferred embodiment the proportion of wax components and oil components is not subject to any fundamental restrictions. The content of wax components, based on the total of wax and oil components, is generally in the range of 0.5 to 99.5% by weight, in particular in the range of 10 to 90% by weight. Preparations in which this wax content is in the range of 40 to 75% by weight are distinguished by particularly excellent properties.
The propellant content in the preparations according to this preferred embodiment is preferably 20 to 98% by weight, in particular 40 to 90% by weight and particularly preferably 50 to 80% by weight, based on the total preparation.
It has also been found that, when using silicone oils of the linear dialkyl siloxane type, the increase in shine on the hair is achieved without the characteristics of the wax components changing to a noticeable extent. On the other hand, when using paraffin oils, silicone oils of the cyclic dialkyl siloxane type and vegetable oils, a conditioning effect was noticed with respect to the wax components. Therefore the person skilled in the art has the possibility of using the oil component not only to increase the shine effect, but also to purposefully influence the properties of the wax component.
The preparations according to the invention generally contain further components which are conventional for the corresponding products. These further components include, in particular,
perfume oils
oil-soluble vitamins
soluble UV filters
dyes for coloring the preparation
oil-soluble or oil-dispersible direct dyes
color pigments
preservatives.
Oil-soluble vitamins which are preferred according to the invention belong to groups A, D and E. The group of substances known as vitamin A includes retinol (vitamin A1) and 3,4-didehydroretinol (vitamin A2). xcex2-carotene is the provitamin of retinol. Examples of the vitamin A component according to the invention include vitamin A acid and the esters thereof, vitamin A aldehyde and vitamin A alcohol and the esters thereof such as palmitate and acetate.
Vitamin E (tocopherols, in particular xcex1-tocopherol). Tocopherol and its derivatives including, in particular, esters such as acetate, nicotinate, phosphate and succinate are preferably contained in the agents according to the invention in amounts of 0.05 to 1% by weight, based on the total agent.
Soluble UV filters are a further optional component. UV filters which are soluble in the preparations according to the invention in amounts of at least 0.1% by weight, based on the total preparation, are soluble in the sense of the invention. UV filters of this type may be selected, for example, from substituted benzophenones, p-aminobenzoic acid esters, diphenyl acrylic acid esters, cinnamic acid esters, salicylic acid esters, benzimidazoles and o-aminobenzoic acid esters.
Examples of UV filters which may be used according to the invention include 4-aminobenzoic acid, N,N,N-trimethyl-4-(2-oxoborn-3-ylidene methyl)aniline methyl sulfate, 3,3,5-trimethyl-cyclohexyl salicylate (Homosalate), 2-hydroxy-4-methoxy-benzophenone (Benzophenone-3; Uvinul(copyright) M 40, Uvasorb(copyright) MET, Neoheliopan(copyright) BB, Eusolex(copyright) 4360), 1-(4-tert.-butylphenyl)-3-(4-methoxyphenyl)-propane-1,3-dione (Butyl methoxydibenzoylmethane; Parsol(copyright) 1789, Eusolex(copyright) 9020), ethoxylated 4-aminobenzoic acid ethyl ester (PEG-25 PABA; Uvinul(copyright) P 25), 4-dimethyl aminobenzoic acid 2-ethylhexyl ester (Octyl Dimethyl PABA; Uvasorb(copyright) DMO, Escalol(copyright) 507, Eusolex(copyright) 6007), salicylic acid-2-ethylhexyl ester (Octyl salicylate; Escalol(copyright) 587, Neoheliopan(copyright) OS, Uvinul(copyright) O18), 4-methoxycinnamic acid isopentyl ester (Isoamyl p-Methoxycinnamate; Neoheliopan(copyright) E 1000), 4-methoxycinnamic acid-2-ethylhexyl ester (Octyl Methoxycinnamate; Parsol(copyright) MCX, Escalol(copyright) 557, Neoheliopan(copyright) AV), 3-(4xe2x80x2-methyl benzylidene)-D,L-camphor (4-Methylbenzylidene camphor; Parsol(copyright) 5000, Eusolex(copyright) 6300), 3-benzylidene camphor (3-Benzylidene camphor), 4-isopropyl benzyl salicylate, 2,4,6-trianilino-(p-carbo-2xe2x80x2-ethylhexyl-1xe2x80x2-oxy)-1,3,5-triazine, 3-imidazol-4-yl-acrylic acid ethyl ester, polymers of N-{(2 and 4)-[2-oxoborn-3-ylidenemethyl]benzyl}-acrylamide, 2,4-dihydroxybenzophenone (Benzophenone-1; Uvasorb(copyright) 20 H, Uvinul(copyright) 400), 1,1xe2x80x2-diphenyl acrylonitrile acid 2-ethylhexyl ester (Octocrylene; Eusolex(copyright) OCR, Neoheliopan(copyright) Type 303, Uvinul(copyright) N 539 SG), o-aminobenzoic acid menthyl ester (Menthyl Anthranilate; Neoheliopan(copyright) MA), 2,2xe2x80x2,4,4xe2x80x2-tetrahydroxybenzophenone (Benzophenone-2; Uvinul(copyright) D-50), 2,2xe2x80x2-dihydroxy-4,4xe2x80x2-dimethoxy-benzophenone (Benzophenone-6) and 2-cyano-3,3-diphenyl acrylic acid-2-ethylhexyl ester. Benzophenone-3 is particularly preferred according to the invention.
Examples of suitable color pigments include pigments with the C.I. names Pigment Red: 57:1, Pigment Red 57:2. Pigment Red 172, Pigment Red 90:1, Pigment Yellow 100, Pigment Yellow 115, Pigment Red 174, Pigment Red 4, Pigment Blue 29, Pigment Violet 15, Pigment Violet 16, Pigment Red 29, Pigment Green 17, Pigment Green 18, Natural Red 4, Pigment White 6, Pigment White 14 and Pigment White 31.
With respect to further conventional ingredients, reference is expressly made to the monographs known to the person skilled in the art, for example K. Schrader, Grundlagen und Rezepturen der Kosmetika, Dr. Alfred Hxc3xcthig Verlag, Heidelberg.
The preparations according to the invention are produced and made up in the conventional manner known to the person skilled in the art. Initially, therefore, the wax components and the emulsifiers are melted and mixed. This mixture is then poured into aerosol cans in liquid form together with optional further components. After the valve has been applied, the propellant is finally added as the last component.
The invention also relates to the use of said preparations for treating keratinous fibers, in particular human hair.
The following examples are to describe the subject of the invention in more detail.


A method is required in which a plate-like flange member may be firmly secured at the front end of a hollow shaft member through a plastic working treatment by virtue of caulking combination, so as to manufacture a hollow shaft having a flange at one end thereof. In detail, the method comprises preparing a plate-like flange member A having an axial projection 13 including a constricted portion 13a on one side thereof; preparing a hollow shaft member B having an elongate internal space arranged in the axial direction thereof; engaging the axial projection 13 of the plate-like flange member A into a front end portion of the hollow shaft member B and at the same time inserting a mandrel 15 into the hollow shaft member B; pressing the hollow shaft member B in its axial direction towards the plate-like flange member A while performing a shear spinning treatment on the outer periphery surface of the hollow shaft member B so as to reduce the size of the hollow shaft member B in its radial direction; engaging the front portion of the hollow shaft member B with the constricted portion 13a of the axial projection 13 of the plate-like flange member A by virtue of caulking combination.

The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a hollow shaft having a flange at one end thereof.
A hollow shaft to which the present invention relates is often used as an output shaft in a planetary gearing device of a speed change gear box in a motor vehicle. Such kind of hollow shaft is usually manufactured by engaging a flange member with a hollow shaft member through plastic working treatment by virtue of caulking combination.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 58-100926 has disclosed a shaft manufacturing method in which a ring-like member is integrally formed at one end of a hot low shaft through plastic working treatment. In detail, an end portion of a cylindrical work piece engaged with a ring-like member is bent backwardly, so that the cylindrical work piece and the ring-like member may be firmly fixed together by virtue of caulking combination.
Further, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 10-156450 has disclosed another shaft manufacturing method in which a ring-like member is engaged at one end of a hollow work piece, an outer periphery portion of the hollow work piece protruding beyond the ring-like member is bent towards the ring-like member, so that the ring-like member and the hollow work piece may be firmly fixed together by virtue of caulking combination.
However, each of the above manufacturing methods requires that part of a hollow work piece protruding beyond a ring-like member (engaged with the hollow work piece) is subjected to a plastic working treatment so that the ring-like member may be pressed in the axial direction so as to be fixed in the hollow work piece. Although each of these methods is proved to be effective in securing a ring-like member (having a predetermined thickness in its axial direction) on to a hollow shaft with a predetermined strength, none of them has been provided to be effective in firmly securing a plate-like member onto a hollow shaft by virtue of caulking combination.

Method of manufacturing a hollow shaft having a flange at one end thereof


Machine for profile working of front surfaces on oblong wood workpieces resolves the problem of simple, accurate and fluent or continued working of workpieces front surfaces of various lengths and intersections, and the machine is of a compact construction. It is characteristic by the construction of the entrance turnover device transversely placed between longitudinal conveyors with carriers, which has on the periphery of rotating wheels constructed movable bearing couplings, and by them fixed guiding plates with the groove inside which there are movably inserted guided bearings of bearing couplings. In the area of the entrance turnover device there are placed under an optional angle the oblique roller conveyors, inside which there are flexibly and circularly movably inserted rolls. Between the longitudinal conveyors there is placed the endless conveying chain, which has to its entire extent fastened clamping units that have inside the fixed housing inserted the clamping mechanism, the operation of which is regulated by the control field and control indicator. Over the free corner of the longitudinal conveyor there runs the oblique conveyor with carriers tilted to the longitudinal conveyor. Between longitudinal conveyors there is transversely placed the exit turnover device, which has on the periphery of rotating wheels constructed movable bearing cranks, being through the chain connected with the control chain wheel and control panel, the guided bearing of which is movably inserted inside the channel guide fixed on the rotating wheels.

The invention relates to a machine for profile working of front surfaces on oblong wood workpieces, and is preferentially a machine to produce toothed or wedge joints on front surfaces of oblong wood workpieces of various lengths and intersections for their later series joining, wherein the entrance and exit turnover device and oblique roller conveyor are integrated, while the conveying chain of adjacent longitudinal conveyors is equipped with movable clamping units.
According to the international patent classification this invention belongs to B 27F 1/12, and additionally to B 27F 1/16, B 65 G 17/46, and to B 65G 47/22.
There are quite some known solutions of machines or devices respectively for manufacturing of front surface toothed, wedge joints for series joining of oblong workpieces. According to the oldest known solution the wood workpieces move towards the working unit lineally, in their longitudinal axis direction, they are stopped in front of the working unit and clamped in the clamping device. Thereby, they are placed in the lying position on one of their larger surfaces. Thus clamped, the workpieces then proceed their way through or against, along the vertical or horizontal movable milling working unit, by which we first work one and then another front surface of workpieces, whereby they remain inside the fixed clamping device in the same position.
With another known oldest solution to make profile front surfaces, several workpieces are simultaneously collected by the side guiding lath just before the working unit. There follows activating of the clamping device that simultaneously clamps several workpieces together. Clamped workpieces are then front surface worked, first at one end in the way that the working unit moves lineally along the front surface straightened and steady workpieces. After working, the clamping device is liberated and workpieces proceed their way lineally forward, whereby they are front surface straightened by means of the adjacent conveyer on the opposite, not yet worked end, likewise by means of the side guiding lath. Their clamping and front surfaces working on the other end operations are repeated.
Weakness and deficiency of both previously described oldest known solutions are predominantly in the fact that front surface working of wood workpieces is progressed inside working, interactively interrupted strokes, what entails the working capacity limitation on the machine, as working strokes by themselves define the number of workings in a time unit. It is further also evident that they do not make any accurate positioning or a larger number of workpieces inside the clamping device before and during clamping front surface adjustment feasible, what inevitably causes inaccuracy of profile front surface working, and therewith intolerable discrepancy or aeration inside the built up toothed joint, what entails in not quality finished toothed joints on front surfaces, and the product built up of glued workpieces greater or smaller curvature. Both solutions are also impractical, as they are exclusively applicable for profile working of smaller intersections wood workpieces front surfaces, and do not make such working of workpieces larger intersections feasible.
Pursuant to the Slovenian patent SI 9700042, and pursuant to the European patent EP 0 870 584, the solution of the machine for making toothed or wedge joints in oblong workpieces front surfaces, constructed of the line entrance conveyer, rotating working construction, and line exit conveyer is known. The working construction is constructed in the lying roll form or a rotating drum respectively with the multiple basic surface having clamped units with auxiliary conveyers and adjacent working units placed on the periphery. Workpieces are individually transmitted from the entrance conveyer in the adjacent clamping unit area, which they rigidly clamp them and further circularly convey them passing by working units, and by lagging behind they work each workpiece front surfaces by cutting toothed radial form grooves in them. This known solution weakness and deficiency are above all in the complex and very demanding construction, the capacity of which is limited due to the circular working mode, as well as in the workpieces unreliable transverse shift among working units.
The next known solution is pursuant to the German patent DE 41 09 188, whereby workpieces are one upon another or in a package piled on the horizontal plate that shifts over the rotating axis to an oblique position and lifts the entire package of workpieces into the area of the adjacent working unit. There follows front surface working of each individual workpiece separately. This known solution weakness and deficiency are in the machine capacity limit depending on intermediate operations, the machine does not make the front surface profile working of different lengths and smaller intersections workpieces feasible, and further the working is also lagged behind provided the workpieces are twisted along the longitudinal and/or transversal axis, or otherwise deformed.
The solution pursuant to the international patent PCT/SE97/00234 is also known, whereby workpieces travel individually along the longitudinal conveyer with transverse leaning laths. Thereof, they further pass over to the next conveyer set up in the same direction, and which moves with a bit lower speed. Under both mentioned conveyors there is another, at an angle set third oblique conveyor with special lifting cranks at a fixed distance. In a certain moment each single crank leans under the workpiece that in a given moment travels on another conveyor to its area and is slowly lifting it, and in a defined moment overturns it on the other side. This known solution weakness and deficiency are in the fact that it is exclusively applicable for very flat workpieces of a very low quader form with a large area basic surface, and for low speeds, which all strongly decrease the machine capacity.
All the aforesaid known solutions common characteristics that simultaneously represent an outstanding problem in the profile both sides front surface working of optional lengths and intersections oblong workpieces are above all in working limitation of various intersections and lengths workpieces, in the working stroke procedure, unreliable clamping of workpieces during working, and likewise their conveying and turnover, possibility of frequent stoppages during working owing to deformed workpieces and machine damages in connection with it, as well as a relatively low capacity of these machines.
The technical problem being solved by the invention is such a machine construction that will enable simple and continuous front surfaces of oblong and a bit longer wood workpieces profile working, or production of toothed, key front surface joints on both ends of workpieces that will travel through in the flow sequence without intermediate stroke stops, or against adjacent working units, whereby they will rigidly be clamped inside clamping units on the longitudinal conveyors chain, while the position of workpieces before, during and after working will be adjusted by the entrance and exit turnover device and oblique roller conveyor.
According to the invention the problem is solved by the machine for profile working of front surfaces on oblong wood workpieces, essentially constructed of series and parallel set up conveyors, among which an entrance or exit turnover device is preferentially integrated in front of working units, whereby longitudinal conveyors are equipped with conveying chains upon which clamping units for clamping workpieces are fastened, and over them an oblique roller conveyor, and the oblique conveyor serves for redirecting workpieces from one to another row of conveyors. The invention will be more precisely described in a preferential feasibility example, which follows.