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Mobile display unit for street traders |
A mobile display unit (1) for street traders is described, which is particularly recommended to contain, conserve, transport and display goods, i.e. objects or foodstuffs in travelling markets. The mobile unit (1) is formed by a structure composed of a base frame (2a) from which uprights (2b) are detached to which a second frame (2c) is attached that forms the upper surface and a third frame (2d) placed between the other two frames (2a, 2c). The structure accommodates at least one pair of warehouse cases (7, 8) or sliding containers on guides, placed one above the other in the rest mode and side by side in the operative mode. |
1. Mobile display unit for street traders of the type that includes a structure (2), produced in sections of aluminium or stainless steel with joints in molten aluminium and essentially composed of a base frame (2a) from which a plurality of uprights (2b) are detached on which a second frame (2c) is mounted that forms an upper surface, from a first pair of horizontal struts (3a) and a second pair of horizontal struts (3b) placed above the first and by a third frame (2d) placed between the two pairs of horizontal struts, characterized by the fact that they have: the telescopic type base frame (2a), equipped with a pair of linear guides (5) that accommodate at least one large warehouse case (7), the structure (2) is equipped with least one second large warehouse case (8) placed above the large warehouse case (7) and able to slide on guides (9) that are attached to the third frame (2d), the structure (2) including on each side, a pair of connecting rods (10) provided for the movement of the large warehouse case (7), each pair of connecting rods (10) assisted by at least one actuating means (11), the said mobile unit is designed to change from a rest mode where it is closed with the smaller warehouse case (7) placed inside the structure (2) and with the larger warehouse case (8) placed above and parallel, to an operative mode where the smaller warehouse case (7) ends up outside the structure (2) and next to the large warehouse case (8). 2. Mobile display unit according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that each pair of connecting rods (10) has a first connecting rod (10a) attached, with one end, to the second frame (2c) and, with the other, to the upper edge of the smaller warehouse case (7) and a second connecting rod (10b) attached respectively with one end to the second horizontal strut (3b) and with the other end to a prearranged point on the lateral wall of the smaller warehouse case (7), said pair of connecting rods being designed to carry out a rotation so that they pass from a vertical rest position to a horizontal one when operative. 3. Mobile display unit according to claim 2, characterized by the fact that to each second connecting rod (10b), essentially in correspondence with the centre line of the same, is engaged one end of the actuating means (11) the other end of which is fixed to the first horizontal strut (3a). 4. Mobile display unit according to claim 3, characterized by the fact that said actuating means (11) is composed of gas springs or by electrical, pneumatic or hydraulic actuators. 5. Mobile display unit according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that two stabilizing wheels (6) are attached to the frame (2a), in the telescopic portion, while two other wheels (6a) are connected to the frame in the fixed portion. 6. Mobile display unit according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that on the base frame (2a) there is a pair of matching means (5a) that allow the frame itself to move when the warehouse case (7) is moved. 7. Mobile display unit for street traders of the type that includes a structure (2), produced in sections of aluminium or stainless steel with joints in molten aluminium and essentially composed of a base frame (2a) from which a plurality of uprights (2b) are detached to which a second frame (2c) is connected, which forms an upper surface and by a third frame (2d) placed between the base frame and the second frame, characterized by the fact that it has: a pair of linear guides (5) which make the frame telescopic and are attached to the base frame (2a), the structure (2) which is fitted with a pair of lateral guides (50) placed underneath the third frame (2d) and is designed to slide a warehouse case (7) towards the outside from the front part until doubling the depth, the structure (2) is equipped with at least one second warehouse case (8) placed above the warehouse case (7), the structure (2) includes, on each side, a pair of levers (10) provided for the movement of the warehouse case (7) where each pair of levers (10) is assisted by at least one actuating means (11), said mobile unit being designed to change from a rest mode where it is closed with the warehouse case (7) positioned inside the structure (2) and with the warehouse case (8) positioned above and parallel, to an operative mode where the warehouse case (7) is positioned externally to the structure (2) and next to the large warehouse case (8) following an upwards rotation. 8. Mobile display unit according to claim 7, characterized by the fact that each pair of levers (10) presents a first lever (10a) and a second lever (10b) which are positioned parallel to each other respectively presenting an end rotatably attached to the linear guides (50) and the other end attached to the warehouse case (7), said pair of levers being designed to change from a rest position, where the levers are vertical, to an operative position where they are rotated by over 180°. 9. Mobile display unit according to claim 7, characterized by the fact that said warehouse case (7) is provided with a handle (7a) for easy grip and movement of the same. 10. Mobile display unit according to claim 7, characterized by the fact that said actuating means (11) are allocated on the base frame (2a) in the telescopic portion. 11. Mobile display unit according to claim 7, characterized by the fact that it includes a drawer case placed beneath the two large warehouse cases (7 and 8). 12. Mobile display unit according to claim 7, characterized by the fact that two stabilizing wheels (6) are attached to the frame (2a), in the telescopic portion, while two other wheels (6a) are attached to the frame in the fixed portion. 13. Mobile display unit of the type including a structure (2), produced in sections of aluminium or stainless steel and essentially composed of a base frame (2a) from which a plurality of uprights (2b) are detached to which a second frame is engaged (2c) which forms a first surface display and a third frame (2d) positioned between the base frame and the second frame, characterized by the fact that it presents: the structure (2) provided with four movable uprights (2e) that are rotatably attached to the base frame and to the third frame which forms a second surface display, the third frame (2d) provided with at least two support elements (2f) capable of forming a ground support to the frame itself, the first display surface composed of a first container (15) having a parallelepiped configuration where one side is open with the internal edge missing and having a partial cover that forms a work surface (15a) for a street trader, said container sliding on guides, the second display surface composed of a second container (16) having a parallelepiped configuration where one side is open with the internal edge missing, said container sliding on guides; the first and second containers designed to produce a single containment surface when the two containers are placed side by side in the operative mode, a cover (19) for the display surface produced in transparent material i.e. lexan or plexiglass having an essentially trapezoidal configuration composed of a first portion (19a) which is attached to the external edge (16a) of the second container (16), a second rectangular portion (19b) which detaches from the first portion and finishes parallel to the bottom surface of the second container, a third cover portion (19c) that closes the display surface and is attached on one side to the work surface (15a) and with the other to the second portion (19b) and a pair of lateral portions (19d) provided to laterally close the cover 19, a large warehouse case (22) allocated on the base frame (2a) which is designed to slide on guides to be easily extracted, said large warehouse case (22) being provided with a lid (22a), the first container (15), the second container (16) and the large refrigerated warehouse case (22), said mobile unit being designed to change from a rest mode where it is closed with the second container (16) positioned above the first container (15) and the movable uprights (2e) in a vertical position, to an operative mode where the first and second containers are positioned side by side forming a single and containing display surface following a downwards rotation of the second container. 14. Mobile display unit according to claim 13, characterized by the fact that the third portion (19c) is composed of two sliding doors on guides (20) that serve the street trader to access the display surface. 15. Mobile display unit according to claim 13, characterized by the fact that the first and second containers present the respective lateral edges (15b and 16b) equipped at the top with a U-guide respectively (20a and 20b), to house the lateral covering portion (19d). 16. Mobile display unit according to claim 13, characterized by the fact that on the base frame (2a) there is a second large warehouse case to store various types of objects, packaging and other items that the street trader may need or alternatively to the case there is an empty space (23), again to store objects or equipment. 17. Mobile display unit according to claim 13, characterized by the fact that the first and second containers on the open side have an isolation element (17) formed by a gasket. 18. Mobile display unit according to claim 13, characterized by the fact that the first and second containers are equipped with coupling devices (18) to attach to the edges designed to make contact with each other to form a single display surface. 19. Mobile display unit according to claim 18, characterized by the fact that said coupling devices (18) include a ring (18a) on one edge that attaches to a hook (18b) positioned on the other edge. 20. Mobile display unit according to claim 13, characterized by the fact that the first (15) and second (16) containers are produced in metal and all the walls are insulated to maintain the temperature inside the display surface. 21. Mobile display unit according to claim 13, characterized by the fact that the first (15) and second (16) containers are produced in fibreglass covered with gelcoat. 22. Mobile display unit according to claim 13, characterized by the fact that the refrigeration of the first (15) and second (16) containers and the large warehouse case (22) is obtained by means of at least two refrigerating elements substantially known in the art, one inserted into the large warehouse case (22) and at least one, but preferably two, into the display surface obtained by joining the first (15) and second (16) containers. 23. Mobile display unit according to claim 13, characterized by the fact that it is provided with a pair of actuating means (11) each of which has one end attached to a movable upright (2e) corresponding with the third frame (2d) and the other end on the other movable upright almost corresponding with the second frame (2c). 24. Mobile display unit according to claim 13, characterized by the fact that the structure (2) presents blocking devices (18c) designed to block the sliding of the containers (15e 16) and a blocking ratchet (24) able to block the second container in the rest position. 25. Mobile display unit according to claim 13, characterized by the fact that the second container (16) has an external edge (16a) that is lower than the height of the lateral edges and the first covering portion (19a) presents an additional portion that closes the part of the missing edge. 26. Mobile display unit for street traders of the type that includes the structure (2), produced from sections of aluminium of stainless steel and essentially composed of a base frame (2a) from which a plurality of uprights (2b) are detached to which a second frame (2c) is attached, that forms a display surface and by a third frame (2d) positioned between the base frame and the second frame, characterized by the fact that it presents: the second frame (2c) designed to hold a first pair of extractable display surfaces designed to exit the structure laterally and the third frame (2d) designed to accommodate a second pair of display surfaces one of which is designed to exit from the front part and the other from the rear part of the structure of the mobile unit, the structure (2) is equipped with a first pair of horizontal struts (3a) positioned above at a prearranged distance from the second frame (2c) and parallel to the frame itself and a second pair of horizontal struts (3b) placed above the first pair and positioned so that they form an essentially triangular element with the horizontal strut (3a), a plurality of display surfaces (30a, 30b, 40a and 40b) where the first surfaces (30a and 30b) are respectively allocated, one in the front part of the mobile unit and the other in the rear part; they are positioned symmetrically to each other with respect to the longitudinal centre line of the mobile unit and the second surfaces (40a and 40b) are allocated one in the front part of the mobile unit and the other in the rear part respectively and these are also positioned symmetrically to each other with respect to the longitudinal centre line of the mobile unit, said mobile unit being designed to change from a rest mode where it is closed, and the first surfaces (30a and 30b) are placed parallel to the base frame (2a) and are positioned side by side and bound by a blocking element that attaches the two surfaces together, while the second surfaces (40a and 40b) are also side by side and placed above and parallel respectively to the surfaces (30a and 30b), to an operative mode where the surfaces (30a, 30b, 40a and 40b) end up sloped like the horizontal strut (3b) and the other display surfaces exit laterally, and at the front and back. 27. Mobile display unit according to claim 26, characterized by the fact that the first surface (30a) is attached to the structure (2) by means of a pair of levers (10) where each lever has an end which is rotatably attached to the horizontal strut (3a) and the other end to the surface at a predetermined point. 28. Mobile display unit according to claim 27, characterized by the fact that the pair of levers presents the end attached to the surface (30a) that is slightly open with respect to those attached to the horizontal strut (3a) and similarly for the surface (30b). 29. Mobile display unit according to claim 26, characterized by the fact that the second surface (40a) is attached to the structure (2) by means of a pair of angular elements (100) where each element presents an end which is rotatably attached to the horizontal strut (3b) and the other end to the relevant support portion (100a) underneath the second surface (40a) when it is in the closed position. 30. Mobile display unit according to claim 26, characterized by the fact that the second surface (40a) is rotatably attached to a longitudinal horizontal strut (3c) that connects the two horizontal struts (3b) and similarly for the second surface (40b). 31. Mobile display unit according to claim 26, characterized by the fact that the surfaces (30a, 30b, 40a and 40b) have perpendicularly folded edges to avoid the shoes sliding off when the mobile unit is in operative mode. 32. Mobile display unit according to claim 26, characterized by the fact that all the surfaces are produced in transparent material i.e. lexan or plexiglass. 33. Mobile display unit according to claim 26, characterized by the fact that it is equipped with wheels (6) for its easy movement. |
<SOH> BACKGROUND ART <EOH>As is widely known, currently, in retail to present goods on sale to the public, street traders use wooden or metal work surfaces on which the sale goods are displayed. The said structures have many drawbacks: each time the street trader has to set up the work surface, he has to arrange the goods on arrival at the market and replace them into boxes and the lorry at the end of the working day. Besides, the spare stock remains in the lorry and is out of easy reach. In addition to the aforementioned, the presence of at least two operators is frequently required to set up and replace all the goods with considerable loss of time on each occasion, particularly if the objects to handle and set up are very small, and the repetition of such operations entails the wear and tear of the coverings and causes fingermarks which ruin the aesthetic appearance of the objects and packaging. Currently, to overcome the drawbacks illustrated above, on the market there are mobile display units illustrated in the patent for industrial invention no. 1287735 by the same Applicant which overcome the aforementioned problems. In fact, the mobile units described in the patent no. 1287735 allow the goods on sale to always be contained tidily and permanently displayed using containers acting as a warehouse, thus completely avoiding the set-up and display demobilization time. In particular, the mobile units illustrated in the said patent are essentially composed of a support casing which includes a first quadrangular frame that forms the perimeter of a base surface from which four vertical uprights are detached which engage a second frame that forms the perimeter of a first display surface. Besides, the said casing us fitted with four mobile uprights mounted on the first frame and engaging to a third frame that forms the perimeter of a second display surface. In greater detail, the first and second display surfaces are made of polyvinylchloride, which also proves to be easy to clean and, when the mobile unit is in operative mode, create a single and practical display surface to exhibit the goods, while on the base surface one or more sliding warehouse cases are housed to contain the spare stock at the disposal of the street trader. The mobile unit is designed to pass from a resting condition, that is, closed, when it is transported, with the second display surface placed above the first surface, to an operative mode, that is, open, with the first and second surfaces placed side by side, thus creating a single horizontal surface. The second surface, in operative mode, is supported by two support elements that form two legs and prevent it from tipping over, and by the support of the mobile upright against a stopping element present on the support casing. From the said mobile unit, even though it overcomes the known technical problems previously illustrated, other technical problems have arisen. The first problem derives from the fact that the mobile units illustrated in the patent are recommended for containing different types of objects but are not suitable for containing, for example, foodstuffs. In fact, for the correct storage of foodstuffs, closed containers are necessary to avoid contact with the public, insects, dust and other items which would cause their deterioration, as well as the fact that certain temperatures are required for their correct conservation. Another problem found in the sale of foodstuffs in travelling markets derives from the fact that the vans currently used are specially designed for the transport and storage of foodstuffs but such preparations involve considerable costs. Another problem encountered emerges from the fact that, at times, the objects contained are heavy, so the street trader must exert a certain physical effort to put the mobile unit into operative mode, that is, when he has to rotate the second surface display, lowering the third frame until the two support elements touch the ground and the two surfaces are placed side by side. Besides, the mobile units are currently of a height that does not conform to the regulations that require a maximum height of 100 cm for the sale of foodstuffs. Finally, the said mobile units, even though allowing good display of the goods on sale, do not allow good arrangement, for example, of shoes that need a sloping surface for their optimum presentation to the public. |
Steel cord structure in heavy duty tires |
The present invention provides structure of steel cord in heavy duty tires, in which the adhesive strength between filament and rubber, and penetrating property of rubber are improved by making the twist direction of core and strand different in the steel cord comprising core and strand filament, and by making the pitch or the twist period of core and strand different. In particular, this structure is applied to steel cord of 3+8*d(HT) which is used in heavy duty tires. In this application, twist direction of core filament is in the S direction and twist direction of strand filament is in the Z direction, and the ratio of the pitch of core filament (CP) and the pitch of strand filament (SP) is between 0.50 and 0.94. |
1. A steel cord structure in heavy duty tires, wherein the steel cord comprises core and strand filaments, the core and strand filaments having different twist directions and different twist pitch lengths. 2. The steel cord structure in heavy duty tires of claim 1, wherein the steel cord has the structure of 3*d1+8*d2(HT), where d1 and d2 are diameters of the core and strand filaments respectively. 3-8. (Cancelled). 9. The steel cord structure in heavy duty tires of claim 1, wherein the filament of the steel cord has carbon content of from about 0.82 weight % to about 0.92 weight %. 10. The steel cord structure in heavy duty tires of claim 2, wherein the filament of the steel cord has carbon content of from about 0.82 weight % to about 0.92 weight %. 11. The steel cord structure in heavy duty tires of claim 1, wherein the twist direction of the core filament is in the S direction and the twist direction of the strand filament is in the Z direction. 12. The steel cord structure in heavy duty tires of claim 2, wherein the twist direction of the core filament is in the S direction and the twist direction of the strand filament is in the Z direction. 13. The steel cord structure in heavy duty tires of claim 1, wherein the ratio of the twist pitch length of the core filament, CP, to the twist pitch length of the strand filament, SP, is CP/SP and equals from about 0.50 to about 0.94. 14. The steel cord structure in heavy duty tires of claim 2, wherein the ratio of the twist pitch length of the core filament, CP, to the twist pitch length of the strand filament, SP, is CP/SP and equals from about 0.50 to about 0.94. 15. The steel cord structure in heavy duty tires of claim 1, wherein the preforming ratio is from about 100% to about 150%. 16. The steel cord structure in heavy duty tires of claim 2, wherein the preforming ratio is from about 100% to about 150%. 17. The steel cord structure in heavy duty tires of claim 1, wherein the diameters of the core filament d1 and strand filament d2 are from about 0.15 to about 0.40 mm with d2≧d1. 18. The steel cord structure in heavy duty tires of claim 2, wherein the diameters of the core filament d1 and strand filament d2 are from about 0.15 to about 0.40 mm with d2≧d1. 19. The steel cord structure in heavy duty tires of claim 13, wherein the twist pitch length of the core filament is from about 6 mm to about 12 mm and the twist pitch length of the strand filament is from about 12 mm to about 18 mm. 20. The steel cord structure in heavy duty tires of claim 14, wherein the twist pitch length of the core filament is from about 6 mm to about 12 mm and the twist pitch length of the strand filament is from about 12 mm to about 18 mm. |
<SOH> BACKGROUND ART <EOH>Generally, steel cord for reinforcing a tire is produced as follows: First, steel wires are classified according to their strength and the surface of the wire is cleaned. Then, the wires are treated while elongating one to three times to obtain required thickness, and after plated with brass which is an alloy of two metals of copper and zinc, the wires are elongation treated finally to prepare steel filaments. A steel cord is produced by twisting the filaments with required structure. The steel wire used is normal tensile steel with carbon content of 0.73%, high tensile steel with carbon content of 0.825, and super high tensile steel with carbon content of 0.92. Normal tensile steel and high tensile steel are generally used for the carcass of normal tire, and high tensile steel and super high tensile steel are used for belts. For use in the tire belt of heavy duty tire, normal tensile steel is generally used, and the steel core structure of 3+9+15*d+w (d: diameter of the filament, w: spiral wrap) has been employed for fatigue characteristics and dispersion of stress due to repeated impact. However, high tensile steel and steel cord with simple structure is used in order to increase strength and reduce weight. The typical shape of steel cord with simple structure is 3+8*d, which has the same twist direction of core (inner cord of the steel cord, corresponding to 3 in this structure) and strand (outer cord of steel cord, corresponding to 8 in this structure), and the same twist pitch length. This structure is disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Publication Hei 5-19394 and Japanese Patent Publication Sho 63-275788. Further, the structure with different twist pitch length of the core and strand is disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication Hei 10-53980 and Hei 7-109685. In addition, the structure with different preforming ratio, the twisted extent of the core and strand, is disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication Hei 8-1994487, Hei 8-158274, Hei 10-131065 and Hei 8-176978 respectively. In the above disclosed arts, the shape, twisted extent of the steel cord, twist pitch length of the core and strand are modified in order to enhance the adhesion of the tire and steel cord by increasing the penetration of rubber into the steel cord. It is known that the durability of the tire employing these structure is enhanced compared to conventional tires. However, the above mentioned methods depend mainly on the amount of difference in twist pitch length between core and strand, and preforming ratio, the twisted extent, so having limit in enhancing the adhesion force. Especially when the preforming ratio becomes excessive to enhance adhesiveness, the preforming ratio is varied by tensile force applied to cord during rolling process of the rubber, lowering efficiency and reducing manufacturing capacity. |
<SOH> SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION <EOH>Therefore, the object of the present invention is to solve the problem of the prior arts and to provide a steel cord structure which can enhance the adhesiveness of the rubber and steel cord. In order to accomplish this object, the inventors of the present invention have carried out a lot of research repeatedly, and finally invented a steel cord structure for use in heavy duty tires, taking notice of the fact that the penetration of the rubber is enhanced and adhesiveness of the rubber and steel cord is increased when the twist direction of the core and strand filaments are different in the adhesion structure of the rubber and steel cord. The steel cord of the present invention comprises a core and strand filaments, the core and strand filaments having different twist directions and different twist pitch lengths. The present invention will now be described in more detail. The steel cord structure of the present invention can be applied to various kinds of steel cords which comprises core and strand filaments. The effect can be increased when the diameter of the core filament is the same or larger than that of strand filament since this structure can solve the problem that can be caused by the difference in the twist direction and can increase the penetration of the rubber. It is because the penetration of rubber into the cord affects the adhesiveness of the rubber and cord, and also affects fatigue characteristics and corrosion by the defacement between filaments. Moreover, by making different the twist pitch length and twist direction of the core and strand filaments, space is formed between the core and strand filaments enhancing the penetration of a rubber and increasing the adhesiveness of the rubber. The diameter of filament is preferably 0.15˜0.40 mm. In the present invention, the steel cord of 3+8*d(HT) which has been developed recently is employed and modified to 3*d 1 +8*d 2 (HT) (where d 1 and d 1 are diameters of the core and strand filaments with d 2 ≧d 1 ). In the present invention, the number of the filaments is the same as that of 3+8*d(HT) steel cord, but the twist direction of the core and strand filaments are different, the twist direction of the core filament being in the S direction (left handed screw direction) and the twist direction of the strand filament in the Z direction (right handed screw direction). Also the twist pitch lengths of the core and strand filaments are made to be different with CP/SP=0.5˜0.94(where, CP is the core pitch length and SP is the strand pitch length). In this way, the penetration of rubber into the steel cord is increased improving the durability. The steel wire use has carbon content of 0.82˜0.92 weight %, and the twist pitch length of the core filament is 6˜12 mm and the twist pitch length the strand filament is 12˜18 mm. Further, the preforming ratio which represents the extent of twist and affects the rubber rolling process in the production of tires is preferably maintained in the range of 100˜150% to facilitate the manufacturing process and to maintain stable shape after manufacturing. Here, the preforming ratio is the ratio of the theoretical diameter of completely twisted filament(D 0 ) to the measured diameter of the actually twisted filament(D 1 ). detailed-description description="Detailed Description" end="lead"? |
Droplet deposition apparatus |
An ink supply system for a droplet deposition apparatus wherein the pressure at the nozzle is controlled by a remote point, said remote point being positioned in parallel with said print head. The flow restrictions in the printhead arm and the pressure control arm of the circuit being selected to achieve this. |
1. A droplet deposition apparatus comprising: at least one print head each having at least one nozzle for ejecting fluid from that print head; fluid supply means for supplying fluid under pressure to said at least one print head; and pressure control means, located in said fluid supply means in parallel with the or each print head, for adjusting fluid pressure within said fluid supply means in order to control the fluid pressure at the or each nozzle. 2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein pressurizing means are located in said fluid supply means in parallel with the or each print head and said pressure control means. 3. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a junction is provided in said fluid supply means downstream of said pressurizing means, wherein said junction divides said fluid supply means into at least two arms, and where downstream of said junction said pressure control means are located in one arm and the or each print heads are located in a different arm. 4. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein a further junction is provided in said fluid supply means downstream of said pressure control means and wherein said further junction combines fluid in the arm from said pressure control means and fluid in the arm from the or each print head into a combined conduit. 5. Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said combined circuit supplies said pressurizing means with fluid. 6. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said pressurizing means is a pump. 7. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the resistance of the arm between said junction and said pressure control means and said junction and said nozzle in the or each print head is substantially the same. 8. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the resistance of the arm between said pressure control means said further junction and said nozzle in the or each print head and said further junction is substantially the same. 9. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said pressure control means is a reservoir containing a fluid having a surface open to atmospheric pressure. 10. Apparatus according to claim 9, wherein means are provided that can raise or lower said reservoir. 11. Apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said surface is at a lower altitude that said nozzles. 12. Apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said surface is at a higher altitude that said nozzles. 13. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said nozzle is located in an ejection chamber. 14. Apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said ejection chamber is supplied with fluid from an inlet manifold and ink is removed from said ejection chamber by an outlet manifold, said inlet and said outlet manifolds being different manifolds. 15. A method of providing a flow of ink through an ink chamber having an ink inlet port, an ink ejection orifice, and an ink outlet port comprising establishing a positive ink pressure at the ink inlet port, establishing a negative ink pressure at the outlet port, and flowing ink external to the chamber through a series connection of a first flow restrictor, a reference pressure device, and a second flow restrictor to define respective positive and negative ink pressures at the ends of the first and second flow restrictors remote from the reference pressure device, and applying said positive and negative ink pressures to the inlet and outlet ports, respectively, of the ink chamber. 16. A method according to claim 15, comprising operating the reference pressure device through exposure of an ink surface to a defined air pressure. 17. A method according to claim 16, wherein the defined air pressure is controllable. 18. A method according to claim 17, wherein the defined air pressure is atmospheric pressure. 19. A method according to claim 18, wherein the height of said ink surface is controllable. 20. A method according to claim 15, comprising balancing the first and second flow restrictors with the restriction to ink flow in the chamber between the ink inlet port and the ink ejection orifice and between the ink ejection orifice and the ink outlet port so that the ink pressure at the ink ejection orifice is defined by the reference pressure device. 21. A method according to claim 15, wherein the flow of ink through said series connection is greater than the flow of ink through the ink chamber. 22. A method according to claim 15, comprising applying the respective positive and negative ink pressures to a common ink inlet port and a common ink outlet port of a plurality of ink chambers connected in parallel. 23. Method of supplying ink to a print head comprising controlling the pressure at the nozzle by a remote point, said remote point being positioned in parallel with said print head. 24. A method of supplying ink to an ink chamber having a nozzle, comprising establishing parallel flows in the ink chamber and in a pressure control path; and balancing the parallel flows such that the pressure at the nozzle is defined by the pressure applied at a reference point in the pressure control path. 25. A method according to claim 24, wherein the pressure control path comprises a series connection of a first flow restrictor, a reference pressure device defining said reference points and a second flow restrictor. 26. A method according to claim 25, comprising operating the reference pressure device through exposure of an ink surface to a defined air pressure. 27. A method according to claim 26, wherein the defined air pressure is controllable. 28. A method according to claim 26, wherein the defined air pressure is atmospheric pressure. 29. A method according to claim 28, wherein the height of said ink surface is controllable. 30. A method according to claim 15, wherein the flow of ink through said pressure control path is greater than the flow of ink through the ink chamber. 31. A droplet deposition apparatus comprising: a first fluid circuit arm containing at least one print head having at least one nozzle for ejecting fluid from that print head; a second fluid circuit connected in parallel with said first fluid circuit arm and containing a fluid pump; and a third fluid circuit arm connected in parallel with said first and second fluid circuit arms and containing a pressure control device; wherein the flow resistance in the first fluid circuit arm upstream of the nozzle is substantially equal to the flow resistance in the third fluid circuit arm upstream of the pressure control device, and wherein the flow resistance in the first fluid circuit arm downstream stream of the nozzle is substantially equal to the flow resistance in the third fluid circuit arm downstream of the pressure control device. 32. Apparatus according to claim 31, wherein said pressure control device is a reservoir containing a fluid having a surface open to atmospheric pressure. 33. Apparatus according to claim 32, wherein said reservoir is adjustable in height. |
Methods and devices for producing homogeneous mixtures and for producing and testing moulded bodies |
The invention relates to methods and devices for the rapid preparation of homogenous mixtures of multi component systems, e.g. plastics mixtures, and for the production and testing of mouldings made therefrom. A device for the production of mouldings comprises: a supply and rough mixer means (40) including conveying means (41) having one or more inlets (42) for at least one of the viscous or pasty fluids of the multi component systems as a material for a primary flow (43) which can supply the material as a primary flow (43) with a constant and selectable throughput in a predetermined flow direction (44), and a rough mixer means (45) comprising: a main inlet (47) for the primary flow (43) from the conveying means (41), inlets (48) for the other components of the multi component system (A or B) disposed substantially in the same plane (52) transverse to the flow direction (44) of the primary flow (43), and introduction means (49) connected to the inlets (48) and formed so that the other components of the multi component system can be introduced into the primary flow (43) in the form of secondary flows (50, 51), and mixer means (53) having a radial mixing effect as well as possibly a moulding tool. |
1. Method for the rapid preparation of homogenous or semi-homogenous mixtures having predetermined compositions from component systems (A) of two or more viscous or pasty fluids or (B) of one or more viscous or pasty fluids and one or more additives comprising the following process steps in the given sequence: (I) generation of a flow having a constant and selectable throughput of at least one of the viscous or pasty fluids of the component system (A or B) (primary flow), (II) introduction of the other components of the component system (A or B) in the form of one or more secondary flows having a constant and selectable throughput into the primary flow on substantially the same axial level with respect to a plane transverse to the flow direction of the primary flow so that the flow directions of the secondary flows are approximately parallel to the flow direction of the primary flow while forming a rough mixture flow of the components of the component system (A or B) having a substantially uniform overall composition corresponding to the predetermined composition within volume elements extending across the cross section of the rough mixture flow, and (III) supply of a predetermined and selectable volume of the rough mixture flow through a mixer means having a radial mixing effect while obtaining a homogenous or semi-homogenous mixture of the component system (A or B). 2. Method according to claim 1, comprising the following additional process step following process step III: (IV) preparation of one or more mouldings from the obtained homogenous or semi-homogenous mixture. 3. Method according to claim 2, wherein the production of the moulding or the mouldings is carried out in a paced manner, wherein the process steps I to III are carried out in a mixture preparation stroke and mouldings are produced from the homogenous or semi-homogenous mixture in one or more following moulding strokes, after which the above sequence of a mixture preparation stroke and one or more following forming strokes can be repeated as often as desired. 4. Method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the flow direction remains the same in the process steps (I), (II) and (III) and possibly also in process step (IV). 5. Method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the process step (III) and, if applicable, also in process step (IV) the delivery of the rough mixture flow through the mixer means is effected in a flow direction opposed to the flow direction of the primary flow in process step (I) and of the rough mixture flow in process step (II). 6. Method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein in case of shaping by injection moulding the process step (III) and, if applicable, the process step (IV) as well are carried out with a higher mass or volume speed or with a higher throughput than the process steps (I) and (II). 7. Method according to claim 1, wherein a mixer means having a radial and an axial mixing effect or a combination of mixer means having a radial and/or an axial mixing effect is used in process step (III). 8. Method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the homogenous or semi-homogenous mixture obtained after process step (III) is subjected to a reaction in a reactor or a reaction sector, if appropriate before a following process step (IV) is carried out. 9. Method according to claim 1 further comprising: the introduction of the components of the component system (A or B) in predetermined quantity ratios into an injection unit (1) in which the viscous or pasty state of the component system remains unchanged, the homogenisation or semi-homogenisation of the component system (A or B) in a mixer means (2) and the production of one or more mouldings from the homogenised or semi-homogenised mixture, comprising the use of an injection unit (1) substantially consisting of a cylinder (4) and piston (5) which can be axially shifted therein, the simultaneous introduction of the components of the component system (A or B) into a volume element extending across the radial cross section of the cylinder (4) at the outlet side end (9) of the cylinder (4) of the injection unit (1) above the piston (5) while, at the same time, the piston (5) is returned from an uppermost stroke position to a lower stroke position, and preparation of a rough mixture of the components of the component system (A or B) having a substantially uniform overall composition corresponding to the predetermined composition within volume elements (VEi) extending across the radial cross section of the cylinder (4), the transport of the rough mixture through the mixer means (2) by advancing the piston (5) from the lower stroke position into an upper stroke position, and the homogenisation or semi-homogenisation of the rough mixture in a mixer means (2) having a radial mixing effect, particularly in a static mixer device. 10. Method according to claim 1 further comprising: the introduction of the components of the component system (A or B) in predetermined quantity ratios into an injection unit (1) in which the viscous or pasty state of the component system remains unchanged, the homogenisation or semi-homogenisation of the component system (A or B) in a mixer means (2), and the production of one or more mouldings from the homogenised or semi-homogenised mixture, comprising the use of an injection unit (1) substantially consisting of a cylinder (4) and piston (5) which can be axially shifted therein, the simultaneous introduction of the components of the component system (A or B) into the cylinder (4) of the injection unit (1) above the piston (5) while, at the same time, the piston (5) is returned from its uppermost stroke position to a lower stroke position, and preparation of a rough mixture of the components of the component system (A or B) having an overall composition which corresponds to the predetermined composition, the transport of the rough mixture through the mixer means (2) by advancing the piston (5) from the lower stroke position into an upper stroke position, and the homogenisation or semi-homogenisation of the rough mixture in a mixer means (2) having a radial and an axial mixing effect. 11. Method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the viscous or pasty fluids is a molten plastic material, preferably a plastomer or a thermoplastic elastomer or the production of the mouldings is carried out by injection moulding or extruding. 12. Method according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the components of the component system (A or B) is a matrix material, particularly a molten plastic material, and at least one of the other components is an-additive, selected from the group consisting of fillers, colouring agents, polymer components, stabilisers, catalysers, flow and demoulding agents, lubricants and reactive components. 13. Method according to claim 1, wherein the components of the component system (A or B) are metered during their introduction into the cylinder (4) or that the primary flow (43) and the secondary flows (50, 51) are metered. 14. Method according to claim 1, wherein the introduction of at least one, of the components of the primary flow (43) and the secondary flows (50, 51) is controlled according to type, metering amount, metering speed, or a combination thereof. 15. Method according to claim 2, further comprising the execution of one or more of the following steps after process step (VI): (a) sequential and/or parallel supply of the mouldings to a conveying system (35), possibly including the retrieval from a magazine (34); (b) conveying the mouldings to one or more testing means (29), the transport to a plurality of testing means (29) being carried out sequentially and/or in parallel; (c) implementation of the corresponding test(s) in one or more testing means (29), the mouldings being tested sequentially and/or in parallel in the testing means (29) if a plurality of tests are carried out; (d) sequential or parallel removal of the mouldings or products prepared therefrom from the testing means (29) and insertion into a magazine (34), an archiving storage or a garbage container after the implementation of the test(s); preferably including one or more of the detection, processing or transfer of test results in or after step (c). 16. Method according to claim 15, wherein at least one conveying operation, particularly in steps (a), (b) or (d), or the tests in step (c) or the detection, processing, evaluation or transfer of test results are controlled by a control means (26) preferably using central data collection and data processing, particularly using one or more of a computer system or a micro processor system or a programmable logic control. 17. Device for the rapid preparation of homogenous or quasi-homogenous mixtures having a predetermined composition from component systems (A) of two or more viscous or pasty fluids or (B) one or more viscous or pasty fluids and one or more additives, particularly for the implementation of the method according to claim 1 comprising a supply and rough mixer means (40) including conveying means (41) having one or more inlets (42) for at least one of the viscous or pasty fluids of the component systems (A or B) as a material for a primary flow (43) which can supply the material as a primary flow (43) with a constant and selectable throughput in a predetermined flow direction, and a rough mixer means (45) preferably disposed on the downstream end (46) of the conveying means (41) and comprising a main inlet (47) for the primary flow (43) from the conveying means (41), one or more inlets (48) for the other components of the component system (A or B) disposed substantially in the same plane (52) transverse to the flow direction (44) of the primary flow (43) and preferably positioned near the main inlet (47) or at the main inlet (47), and introduction means (49) connected to the inlets (48) and formed so that the other components of the component system (A or B) cam be brought in contact with and/or introduced into the primary flow (43) in the form of one or more secondary flows (50, 51), as well as mixer means (53) having a radial mixing effect the inlet (54) of which is disposed at the outlet (55) of the rough mixer means (45) and at the outlet (56) of which the homogenous or semi-homogenous mixture of the component system (A or B) is discharged. 18. Device according to claim 17, wherein the main inlet (47) of the rough mixer means (45) for the primary flow (43) is disposed on the outlet side of the rough mixer means on substantially the same axial level (51) as the inlets (48) for the secondary flows (50, 51), the rough mixer means (45) comprises an own conveyor means (5, 6) having two opposed, reversible supply directions and can be filled with the material of the primary flow (43) and the secondary flow(s) (50) in the first conveying direction (44, 1.), at which occasion the primary flow (43) contacts the secondary flows (50, 51), while in the second conveying direction (44, 2.) the rough mixture of the components of the component system (A or B) formed in the rough mixer means (45) can be conveyed into or through the mixer means (53). 19. Device according to claim 17 further comprising a moulding tool (21) connected or connectable to the outlet (56) of the mixer means (53), preferably an injection moulding or continuous casting tool. 20. Device according to claim 18 wherein the conveying means (5, 6) of the rough mixer means (45) substantially consists of a piston (5) disposed in a cylinder (4) provided therein and a piston drive (6) (injection unit), the piston being axially reciprocable within the cylinder (5), a rough mixture of the components of the component system (A or B) being formed from the primary flow (43) and the secondary flow(s) (50) flowing in a first flow direction (44, 1.) when the piston (5) is returned into a lower stroke position which rough mixture can be conveyed into or through the mixer device when the piston (5) is then advanced into an upper stroke position. 21. Device according to claim 17, wherein the rough mixer (45) is formed as a substantially cylindrical element provided, at the circumference, with one or more orifices or nozzles (57) opening into the primary flow (43) for introducing secondary flows (50, 51) through the inlets (48), or as a shutter-like plate or disk (58) disposed perpendicular to the flow direction (44) of the primary flow (43) through, or around, or through and around which the primary flow can flow, said plate or disk (58) comprising openings or nozzles (57) opening into the primary flow axially in the flow direction or in a direction perpendicular to the flow direction (44) of the primary flow (43) on the downstream side (59) of the plate or disk (58) for introducing secondary flows (50, 51) through the inlets (48) or as a preferably substantially rotationally symmetric flow body (60) disposed in the primary flow (43), the primary flow (43) flowing around said flow body, and provided with openings or nozzles (57) opening into the primary flow (43) downstream of the flow body (60) for introducing secondary flows (50, 51) through the inlets (48). 22. Device according to claim 17, further comprising a modular construction, the supply means (41), the rough mixer means (45) and the mixer means (53) as well as possibly the moulding tool (21) being formed as modules which are preferably detachably connected to each other by means of quick-action fastenings. 23. Device according to claim 17, wherein the conveying means (41) substantially consists of a unit formed by a plasticizer screw (61) and a piston (63). 24. Device according to claim 17, comprising the following features: the conveyor means (41) comprises a screw plasticizer unit (71) which can be supplied with the material for the primary flow through an inlet (42), the outlet side end of the screw plasticizer unit (71) being connected to the rough mixer (45); the plasticizer screw (61) of the plasticizer unit (71) is provided with an axial through hole through which a piston rod (62) passes which can be axially moved therein, a piston (63) being disposed at the end of the piston rod (62) at the outlet side end of the plasticizer unit; the rough mixer means (45) is connected to the housing (65) of the plasticizer unit (71) at its main inlet (47); at the main inlet (47) of the rough mixer means (45) a cylinder is provided into which the piston (63) can be moved when it is axially advanced by the piston rod (62), said cylinder being connected to the rough mixer means (45) or being a part of the rough mixer means (45); the piston rod (62) and the piston (63) as well as the plasticizer screw (61) are driven by a drive unit (66) so that they are independently controllable whereby in the lower stroke position of the piston (63) the plasticized material of the primary flow (43) supplied by the plasticizer unit (71) through an annular clearance (64) provided between the piston (63) and the housing (65) can enter the rough mixer means (45) in the flow direction (44) and be brought in contact with the secondary flows (50, 51), and the annular clearance (64) and the inlets (48) of the rough mixer means (45) for the other components of the component system (A or B) are closed by the piston (63) when the piston is axially advanced by the piston rod 62, the piston (63) conveying the resulting component system (A or B) enclosed in the rough mixer means (45) through the mixer means (53) when the piston (63) is further advanced. 25. Device according to claim 17, comprising the following features: the conveyor means (41) comprises a screw plasticizer unit (71) which can be supplied with the material for the primary flow through an inlet (42), the outlet side end of the screw plasticizer unit (71) being connected to the rough mixer (45); the plasticizer screw (61) of the plasticizer unit (71) is fixedly connected to a piston (63) at the outlet side end, the piston (63) being disposed in a cylinder (70) so as to be axially movable, the cylinder (70) being connected to the rough mixer (45) or forming a part of said rough mixer (45); the piston (63) is provided with a central axial smelt channel (67) which is provided with a valve (69) at the free end of the piston (63), opens into the rough mixer means (45) and ends in radially positioned inlet orifices (68) in the area of the connection to the plasticizer screw (61) at its other end; the plasticizer screw (61) and the piston (63) connected thereto are controllably driven by a drive unit (66) and can be axially shifted whereby in the lower stroke position of the piston (63) the plasticized material of the primary flow (43) supplied by the plasticizer unit (71) can enter the axial smelt channel (67) through the radial inlet orifices (68), be discharged into the rough mixer means (45) at its outlet side end and be brought in contact with the secondary flows (50, 51), and the inlet of the primary flow (43) leading into the rough mixer means (45) is closed by the valve (69) and the inlets (48) of the rough mixer means (45) for the other components of the component system (A or B) are closed by the piston (63) when the piston (63) is axially advanced by the plasticizer screw (61), the piston (63) conveying the resulting component system (A or B) enclosed in the rough mixer means (45) through the mixer means (53) when the piston (63) is further advanced. 26. Device according to claim 17, comprising the following features: the conveyor means (41) comprises a screw plasticizer unit (71) which can be supplied with the material for the primary flow through an inlet (42), the outlet side end of the screw plasticizer unit (71) being connected to the rough mixer means (45); the plasticizer screw (61) of the plasticizer unit (71) comprises an axial through hole through which a piston (63) passes which can be axially shifted therein, extends further on the outlet side end of the plasticizer unit (71) and is axially movable in a cylinder (70) which is connected to the rough mixer means (45) or is a part of the rough mixer means (45); the piston (63) includes a central axial smelt channel (67) in the part disposed in the cylinder (70), said central axial smelt channel (67) is provided with a valve (69) at the free end of the piston (63), and it opens into the rough mixer means (45) and ends in radially positioned inlet orifices (68) at its other end which is disposed in the area of the outlet side end of the plasticizer unit (71); the plasticizer screw (61) as well as the piston (63) are driven by a drive unit (66) so that they are independently controllable whereby in the lower stroke position of the piston (63) plasticized material of the primary flow (43) supplied by the plasticizer unit (71) can be introduced into the axial smelt channel (67) through the radial inlet orifices (68), and be discharged into the rough mixer means (45) at its outlet side end and brought in contact with the secondary flows (50, 51), and the radial inlet orifices (68) and the inlets (48) of the rough mixer means (45) for the other components of the component system (A or B) are closed by the piston (63) when the piston (63) is axially advanced by the plasticizer screw (61), the piston (63) conveying the resulting component system (A or B) enclosed in the rough mixer (45) means through the mixer means (53) when the piston (63) is further advanced. 27. Device according to claim 17, comprising the following features: the conveyor means (41) comprises a screw plasticizer unit (71) controllably driven by a drive (66) and comprising a plasticizer screw (61) to which the material for the primary flow can be supplied through an inlet (42) as well as a cylinder (70) including a piston (63) axially movable therein, the cylinder (70) being connected to the rough mixer means (45) or forming a part of the rough mixer means (45); the cylinder (70) is provided with an inlet (72) disposed at the side, preferably perpendicular to the axis of cylinder (70) in the area of the end directed to the rough mixer means (45), said inlet (72) being connected to the outlet side end of the plasticizer unit (71) via a smelt channel (73); the piston (63) comprises a lateral inlet orifice (74) preferably positioned radially perpendicular to the axis of the piston (63) to which a preferably orthogonally curved smelt channel (75) is connected which, starting at the inlet orifice (74), preferably first extends in the radial direction and then centrally in the axial direction of the piston (63) and opens into the rough mixer means (45); the piston (63) is driven by a controllable drive unit (76) so that it is axially movable, whereby the inlet orifice (74) of the piston (63) is aligned with the inlet (72) of the cylinder (70) in the lower stroke position of the piston (63) so that plasticized material of the primary flow (43) supplied by the plasticizer unit (71) through the smelt channel (73) can be introduced into the smelt channel (75) of the piston (63) through the inlet (72) and the inlet orifice (74), from there flow into the rough mixer means (45) and there be brought in contact with the secondary flows (50, 51), the piston (63) conveying the resulting component system (A or B) enclosed in the rough mixer means (45) through the mixer means (53) when the piston (63) is further advanced. 28. Device according to claim 17, comprising the following features: the conveyor means (41) comprises a screw push extruder (77) including a push screw (78) to which the material for the primary flow can be supplied through an inlet (42), the outlet side end of said screw push extruder (77) being connected to the rough mixer (45); the push screw (78) is controllably driven by a drive unit (66), the conveyed, plasticized material of the primary flow (43) being conveyed into the rough mixer means (45) in the lowest stroke position of the push screw (78) to be brought in contact with the secondary flows (50, 51), the resulting component system (A or B) being conveyed into the mixer means (53) and filled into the moulding tool (21) when the push screw (78) is advanced. 29. Device according to claim 17, wherein one or more of the supply means (14, 15, 16, 16′) or one or more introduction means (49) for secondary flows (50, 51) or the conveyor means (41) or a combination thereof have a metering function or comprise a metering means. 30. Device according to claim 17, comprising a conveying system (35) and one or more testing means (29) for testing the properties of the mouldings wherein the conveying system (35) can carry out at least one of the following functions: (i) gathering or receiving mouldings from a moulding tool (21), a cutting or punching device (36), a magazine system (24), a magazine (34) and/or an archiveing storage (37), (ii) conveying mouldings to one or more testing means (29), (iii) conveying mouldings from one or more testing means (29) to one or more other testing means (29), (iv) conveying mouldings from one or more testing means (29) to a magazine system (24), a magazine (34), an archiving storage (37) and/or a garbage container, (v) conveying mouldings from one magazine system (24) or magazine (34) to another magazine system (24) or magazine (34), (vi) application of a code to mouldings or magazines (34) and/or reading codes on mouldings or magazines (34) and controlling the conveying operations depending on the codes, (vii) conveying magazines in which mouldings can be stored to discharging or returning locations wherein preferably one or more of the functions (i) to (vii) can be carried out sequentially, in parallel, or a combination thereof. 31. Device according claim 30, comprising a magazine system (24) comprising one magazine (34) or a plurality of magazines (34) in which produced mouldings can be stored or intermediately stored. 32. Device according to claim 17, wherein one or more introduction means (49) for secondary flows (50, 51) or the conveyor means (41) for the primary flow (43) or a combination thereof is a device according to claim 17 or 18. 33. Device according to claim 17, comprising a control means (26) controlling one or several or all functions of the device. |
Stable Concentrated and Dilute, Oil-In-Water Emulsions, Their Process of Preparation, and Formulation Process Employing These Emulsions |
The invention relates to a stable oil-in-water emulsion which is obtained from an air/water pre-emulsion containing: a preferably-nonionic surfactant; a cosurfactant selected from hydrophilic compounds, preferably comprising at least one hydroxyl group, which are chosen, for example, from the polyol family; and an aqueous phase. According to the invention, the aforementioned three elements are used in ratios that are selected from the ordered liquid crystal structure zone of the phase diagram of said three elements and/or in ratios that arc selected such that the structure of the mixture of said three components when observed under a microscope in polarised light displays birefringence characteristics. Moreover, a simple or complex fatty substance is added to the above-mentioned pre-emulsion by means of mild stirring, preferably without exerting a shear force. The invention also relates to the method of preparing such emulsions and to a simple formulation method making use of said emulsions. |
1. A stable oil-in-water emulsion obtained from an air-in-water pre-emulsion comprising: a surfactant; a cosurfactant selected from the group consisting of hydrophilic compounds; an aqueous phase; in ratios chosen within the region of ordered liquid crystal structure of the phase diagram of these three components or in ratios chosen so that the structure of the mixture of these three constituents, observed under an optical microscope in polarized light, exhibits birefringence characteristics, a simple or complex fatty substance being added to said pre-emulsion by moderate mixing, preferably without exerting a shear force, said fatty substance being chosen from the group comprising in particular fatty acid esters, waxes, butters, wax esters, natural, synthetic or mineral oils, hydrogenated oils and their mixtures. 2. The emulsion according to claim 1, wherein the air-in-water pre-emulsion is a white paste, the constituent air globules of which can be observed in polarized light, their surfaces exhibiting birefringence characteristics. 3. The emulsion according to claim 1, wherein the surfactant is a glycerol derivatives selected from the group consisting of lecithin derivatives, and polyglycerol fatty acid esters which are optionally ethoxylated, and in that the cosurfactant is a polyol. 4. The emulsion according to claim 1, wherein the air-in-water pre-emulsion comprises, per 100 parts by weight of water, from 300 to 50, parts of surfactant and from 300 to 50, parts of cosurfactant. 5. A process for the preparation of a stable oil-in-water emulsion the process comprising the successive steps of: a) choosing a surfactant, and a cosurfactant; b) moderately mixing, preferably without exerting a shear force, the surfactant, the cosurfactant and an aqueous phase in proportions given by the ordered liquid crystal region of the phase diagram of these constituents or in proportions chosen so that the structure of the mixture of these three constituents observed under a microscope in polarized light exhibits birefringence characteristics, the mixing being carried out until a white air-in-water pre-emulsion is obtained which is visible by observation under a microscope in polarized light, the surface of the air globules exhibiting birefringence characteristics; c) incorporating in this air-in-water pre-emulsion a fatty substance by moderately mixing, preferably without exerting a shear force, until a gel is obtained; d) optionally adding an oily phase; and e) optionally adding an aqueous phase, so as to obtain a white emulsion. 6. The process according to claim 5, wherein the simple or complex fatty substance is added in successive fractions with slow stirring without exerting a shear force. 7. The process according to claim 5, comprising a subsequent stage f) diluting using an aqueous phase optionally comprising a hydrophilic active substance by moderately mixing, preferably without exerting a shear force. 8. The process according to claim 5 comprising an additional stage g) of adding by moderately mixing, preferably without exerting a shear force, the stable oil-in-water emulsion with a second stable oil-in-water emulsion selected from the group consisting of an emulsion prepared according to claim 5 and a conventional oil-in-water emulsion. 9. A process for the formulation of a complex oil-in-water emulsion, the method comprising the steps of: determining the desired properties and functions of the final oil-in-water emulsion; choosing individual emulsions each exhibiting at least one of the properties or functions which have to be exhibited by the final emulsion; optionally diluting at least one of the individual emulsions with an aqueous phase; mixing the various individual emulsions, some of which have optionally been diluted beforehand; optionally diluting the mixture with an aqueous phase; diluting and mixing stages preferably being carried out without exerting a shear force; each of said individual emulsions being a stable oil-in-water emulsion as claimed in claim 1. 10. The emulsion according to claim 1 wherein the mean diameter of the oil particles or droplets is less than 10 μm approximately, preferably less than 1 μm approximately and more preferably still between 150 and 750 nm approximately. 11. The emulsion according to claim 1 comprising at least one lipophilic active compound or at least one hydrophilic active compound. 12. The emulsion according to claim 1 wherein the content of surfactant is at most approximately 20% by weight, preferably at most approximately 10% by weight and more preferably still at most approximately 5% by weight. 13. The emulsion according to claim 1 wherein the oil content is between 0.05% and 95% by weight of oil, preferably from 30 to 92% by weight of oil. 14. The emulsion according to claim 1 wherein the amount of water-soluble active agents, which are present in the aqueous phase, is at most approximately 80% by weight of the total weight of the emulsion, more generally at most approximately 10% and preferably of the order of approximately 5%, and the amount of fat-soluble active agents, which are present in the oily phase, is at most approximately 92% by weight, preferably from 30 to 50% by weight and more preferably still from 1 to 10% by weight of the total weight of the emulsion. 15. The emulsion prepared according to the process of claim 5, wherein the mean diameter of the oil particles or droplets is less than 10 μm approximately, preferably less than 1 μm approximately and more preferably still between 150 and 750 nm approximately. 16. The emulsion prepared according to the process of claim 5, comprising at least one lipophilic active compound Gor at least one hydrophilic active compound. 17. The emulsion prepared according to the process of claim 5, wherein the content of surfactant is at most approximately 20% by weight, preferably at most approximately 10% by weight and more preferably still at most approximately 5% by weight. 18. The emulsion prepared according to the process of claim 5, wherein the oil content is between 0.05% and 95% by weight of oil, preferably from 30 to 92% by weight of oil. 19. The emulsion prepared according to the process of claim 5, wherein the amount of water-soluble active agents, which are present in the aqueous phase, is at most approximately 80% by weight of the total weight of the emulsion, more generally at most approximately 10% and preferably of the order of approximately 5%, and the amount of fat-soluble active agents, which are present in the oily phase, is at most approximately 92% by weight, preferably from 30 to 50% by weight and more preferably still from I to 10% by weight of the total weight of the emulsion. 20. The emulsion according to claim 1, wherein the surfactant is a nonionic surfactant selected from the group consisting of polyglycerol fatty acid esters which are optionally ethoxylated and of alcohol ethoxylates. 21. The process according to claim 5, wherein the surfactant is a nonionic surfactant selected from the group consisting of polyglycerol fatty acid esters which are optionally ethoxylated and of alcohol ethoxylates. 22. The emulsion according to claim 1, wherein the cosurfactant is a hydrophilic compound comprising at least one hydroxyl group, which is selected from the family of the polyols. 23. The process according to claim 5, wherein the cosurfactant is a hydrophilic compound comprising at least one hydroxyl group, which is selected from the family of the polyols. 24. The emulsion according to claim 3, wherein the surfactant is a decaglycerol fatty acid ester with an HLB of greater than or equal to 13, selected from the group consisting of decaglycerol laurate, myristate, stearate, isostearate or oleate, and their mixtures. 25. The emulsion according to claim 3, wherein the cosurfactant is diglycerol. 26. The emulsion according to claim 4, wherein the air-in-water pre-emulsion comprises, per 100 parts by weight of water, from 200 to 120 parts of surfactant and from 180 to 100 parts of cosurfactant. |
Dye composition and the use of the same for dyeing powder coatings |
The invention relates to a powdery dye composition consisting essentially of C.I. Pigment Red 170 (C.I. No. 12475) and barium sulfate, said barium sulfate being added before or during the production process of the C.I. Pigment Red 170. The inventive addition of barium sulfate enables non-homogeneities and caking to be avoided in the mixer. |
1. A powderous colorant composition consisting essentially of C.I. Pigment Red 170 (C.I. No. 12475) and barium sulfate, wherein the barium sulfate has been added before or during preparation of C.I. Pigment Red 170. 2. A colorant composition as claimed in claim 1, consisting essentially of from 60% to 99% by weight of C.I. Pigment Red 170 and from 1% to 40% by weight of barium sulfate. 3. A colorant composition as claimed in claim 1 having a particle size distribution (D50%) of between 0.1 μm and 1.5 μm. 4. A process for preparing a colorant composition as claimed in claim 1, comprising the steps of adding barium sulfate before or during the preparation of C.I. Pigment Red 170, and homogenizing the mixture. 5. The process as claimed in claim 5, wherein the barium sulfate is added during the synthesis of C.I. Pigment Red 170 and/or immediately before, during and/or immediately after a finish of C.I. Pigment Red 170 crude pigment. 6. The process as claimed in claim 5, wherein the barium sulfate is added after the finish of the C.I. Pigment Red 170 crude pigment but before the C.I. Pigment Red 170 crude pigment is dried. 7. The process as claimed in one claim 4, wherein the barium sulfate has a particle size distribution (d50%) of between 0.1 μm and 10 μm. 8. A powder coating material colorant comprising a colorant composition as claimed in claim 1. 9. A powder coating formulation comprising a colorant composition as claimed in claim 1 and a binder. 10. A powder coating formulation as claimed in claim 9, consisting essentially of from 0.1% to 30% by weight of the colorant composition, from 45% to 80% by weight of a binder, wherein the binder includes a curing agent, wherein the binder is selected from the group consisting of epoxy resins, polyester resins, polyurethane resins, acrylate resins, and combinations thereof, and from 0% to 50% by weight of at least one additive selected from the group consisting of shading dyes, surfactants, fillers, charge control agents for controlled setting of the electrostatic charge, dispersants, standardizers, waxes, defoamers, antidust agents, extenders, preservatives, rheology control additives, wetting agents, antioxidants, UV absorbers, light stabilizers, antistats, lubricants and devolatilizers. 11. A process for preparing a powder coating formulation as claimed in claim 9 comprising the steps of mixing the colorant composition and the binder to form a mixture, extruding the mixture to form an extrudate, and cooling and grinding the extrudate. 12. The process as claimed in 11, further comprising adding at least one additive to the mixture. 13. An electrophotographic toner colorant comprising a colorant composition as claimed in claim 1. |
Anti-cancer agents comprising disintegrin genes and the treating methods |
The present invention relates to liposome complex comprising a novel disintegrin, saxatilin, gene derived from Agkistrodon saxatilis and methods for curing and preventing tumors by transferring the complexes to a living body. |
1. A lipoplex for inhibiting cancer growth, which comprises (a) cationic liposome and (b) expression vector containing saxatilin gene of sequence information 1. 2. The lipoplex according to claim 1, wherein said cationic liposome is one liposome selected from the group consisting of liposome containing DMDK and cholesterol, liposome containing DMEK and cholesterol, liposome containing DOTMA and cholesterol, liposome containing DC-Chol and DOPE and liposome containing DOTAP and cholesterol. 3. The lipoplex according to claim 1, wherein the expression vector is PAAV-CMA or pFLAG-CMV-1. 4. A method for inhibiting cancer growth by using saxatilin gene, which comprises steps of (a) mixing cholesterol with DOTAP, suspending the mixture in aqueous medium to prepare cationic liposome, and introducing saxatilin gene of sequence information 1 to eukaryotic expression vector; (b) mixing the cationic liposome and said expression vector in aqueous medium and homogenizing to prepare lipoplex; and (c) introducing the lipoplex to a cancer tissue. 5. The method for inhibiting cancer growth by using saxatilin gene according to claim 4, wherein the aqueous medium is phosphate buffer solution or aqueous dextrose solution. 6. The method for inhibiting cancer growth by using saxatilin gene according to claim 4, wherein the eukaryotic expression vector is PAAV-CMA or pFLAG-CMV-1. 7. The method for inhibiting cancer growth by using saxatilin gene according to claim 4, wherein the mixing ratio of liposome and expression is from 2:1 to 20:1 (w/w). |
<SOH> BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION <EOH>1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to anti-cancer agent showing the activities of inhibiting metastasis of cancer, angiogenesis and growth of cancer tissue, and a method for treating cancers by using the same. More specifically, the present invention relates to liposome complexes for inhibiting growth of cancer cells, which comprises gene of saxatilin, a novel disintegrin derived from Agkistrodon saxatilis originated from Korea, and a method for preventing or treating cancers by introducing the complexes into a living body. 2. Description of the Prior Art A cancer is a disease that causes by very complex and various factors, being one of the main factors of death of the modems. Normal cells are transformed to cancer cells by various factors, and unlimited growth of cancer cells (differently from normal cells) is progressed to form a cancer tissue. A certain size of cancer tissue induces angiogenesis to supply necessary nutrients to the tissue, and the tissue is subjected to metastasis through the vessels formed by angiogenesis, and attached to certain organ of the body and grows. In particular, it is known that a cancer tissue by cancer cells occurred from the first place secretes a kind of inhibiting factor that can inhibit generation of cancer in another place. The initial stage of cancer, of which the size is not less than 3 mm, can be easily observed by clinical diagnosis, and can be removed by surgical operation at this stage. Even though the cancer can be surgically removed by operation, the operation has a danger of rather promoting metastasis of the cancer in case that if surgically unremoved cancer cells are in the course of metastasis. Thus, most of the patients for cancer operation should be treated by anti-cancer agent or radiotherapy, except some very specific cases, in order to prevent the secondary cancer by metastasis that may followed by the operation. Though very effective anticancer agents have been developed and clinically used up to the present, most of them are inhibitors of cell growth which cannot distinguish cancer cells from normal cells. No anticancer agent that intercepts metastasis of cancer and inhibits growth of cancer has been developed or employed yet. Angiogenesis means a series of processes to form new blood vessels from existing vessels, which is a normal and essential process for supply of nutrients and oxygen. Angiogenesis can be observed in recovery of injuries, woman's menstruation, proliferative retinopathy, rheumatic arthritis, ischemic cardiovascular disease, cancer, or the like. Since angiogenesis appears very characteristically during the course of growth of cancer cells and metastasis, it is known as principal purpose of treating cancer tissues capillary vessels comprised of collagen, glycoprotein and heterogeneous extracellular matrix (ECM) are formed by the effect of promoting factors for blood vessel formation such as bFGF secreted from cancer cells, and endothelial cells migrate to the capillary vessels cells by the effect of integrin to combine with the capillary vessels. In the process of angiogenesis, the cell fusion material, integrin known as αvβ 3 and αvβ5 is very important. It is reported that if treated with the disintegrin protein having amino acid sequence of Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) which selectively antagonize integrin, angiogenesis can be inhibited. Saxatilin is a disintegrin discovered from snakes venom originated from Korea, and has the effect of inhibiting angiogenesis. It was reported that recombinant saxatilin that has been recently expressed from E. coli inhibits angiogenesis of cancer cells mediated by αvβ3 integrin, but does not affect on the process of physiological formation of blood vessels that is indispensable for normal embryogenesis in chorioallantoic membrane (CAM). In addition, it was demonstrated that day after day inoculation of saxatilin protein inhibited growth of cancer cells and generation of blood vessels. However, this method is disadvantageous in that it is very difficult to retain constant concentration in order to keep anticancer effect with trouble of everyday injection. In order to overcome the disadvantages, simultaneous use of various anticancer treatments has been employed. However, the present inventors newly confirmed the fact that anticancer effect can be simply obtained for a long time by employing recently spotlighted genetic therapy, to develop the present invention. |
<SOH> SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION <EOH>The present inventors performed intensive studies to develop a method to maintain the anticancer effect of saxatilin for a long time, and as a result, we found that if lipoplex prepared by mixing cationic liposome and cDNA of saxatilin gene is treated to cancer tissue to perform genetic therapy, growth of cancer cells can be inhibited for a long period. The primary object of the present invention is to provide a substance for inhibiting growth of cancer cells. Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for inhibiting growth of cancer cells by using said substance. In order to achieve said objects, the present invention provides liposome complex (lipoplex) for inhibiting growth of cancer cells, which comprises cationic liposome and expression vector comprising saxatilin gene of sequence information 1. The cationic liposome of the present invention is preferably one selected from the group consisting of liposome containing DMDK (lysine-aspartate-tetradecanol) and cholesterol, liposome containing DMEK (lysine-glutarate-tetradecanol) and cholesterol, liposome containing DOTMA (N-[1-(2,3-dioleyloxy)propyl]-N,N,N-triethylammonium chloride) and cholesterol, liposome containing DC-Chol (3β-[N-(N′N′dimethylaminoethane)carbamoyl]cholesterol) and DOPE (dioleoylphosphatidylethanolamine), and liposome containing DOTAP (1,2-dioleoyloxypropyl-3-N,N,N-trimethylammonium chloride) and cholesterol. The saxatilin gene of the present invention comprises not only the base sequence of sequence information 1, but also its mutants and its active segments. As the expression vector of the present invention, any conventional expression vectors can be used. Particularly, an eukaryotic expression vector is preferably one selected from the group consisting of pAAV-CMV and pFLAG-CMV-1. In addition, the present invention provides a method for inhibiting growth of cancer cells by using saxatilin gene, which comprises steps of mixing cholesterol with DOTAP, suspending the mixture in aqueous medium to prepare cationic liposome and preparing expression vector for expressing saxatilin by introducing saxatilin gene of sequence information 1 to eukaryotic expression vector; mixing the cationic liposome and said expression vector in aqueous medium and homogenizing to prepare lipoplex; and introducing the lipoplex to a cancer tissue. |
Method and device for preparing a sample of biological origin in order to determine at least one constituent contained therein |
The invention relates to a method of preparing an original sample (3) of biological origin with a view to detecting at least one component contained in it, whereby the original sample (3) is enclosed in a first container (1) and at least a part of this original sample (3) is transferred from the first container (1) into at least one reaction container, a reagent (9) or reagent mixture being placed beforehand in at least one of the reaction containers in order to prepare the original sample (3) and the component to be detected. In order to transfer at least a part of the original sample (3), two respective containers (1, 6) are connected to one another to form a closed, airtight system at least until at least the component(s) to be detected has (have) been rendered stable by reacting it (them) with the reagent (9) or reagent mixture at room temperature. |
1-65. (Canceled) 66. Method of preparing an original sample of biological origin with a view to detecting at least one of the components contained in it, e.g. a nucleic acid or a protein, whereby the original sample is enclosed in a first container and at least a part of this original sample is transferred from the first container into at least one reaction container via a piercing means, a reagent or reagent mixture being placed beforehand in at least one of the reaction containers in order to prepare the original sample and the component to be detected, wherein in order to transfer at least a part of the original sample, two respective containers are connected to one another in a closed, airtight system until the component(s) to be detected has (have) been rendered stable by reacting it (them) with a reagent or reagent mixture at room temperature and when the containers are subsequently separated, the piercing means remains on the first container. 67. Method as claimed in claim 66, wherein the reagent or reagent mixture is selected from a group consisting of a lysing buffer for cells, such as blood cells for example, a stabilising buffer for nucleic acids and proteins, a releasing buffer, a preserving buffer and the solid salts of these buffers. 68. Method as claimed in claim 66, wherein, in order to separate the component(s) to be detected, a purification device with a matrix enclosed in it, e.g. a purification column, is connected to a reaction container and it, together with the purification device, is transferred to another container or the other container is connected to the purification device, and the reaction mixture is transferred through the matrix to the other container under the effect of a force so that the component(s) to be detected is (are) retained by the matrix. 69. Method as claimed in claim 68, wherein once the component(s) to be detected has (have) been separated from the reaction mixture, a washing container containing a washing fluid for the component(s) is attached to the purification device instead of the reaction container, and the washing fluid is transferred through the matrix into the other container under the effect of a force. 70. Method as claimed in claim 68, wherein the component(s) to be detected is (are) eluted from the matrix into another container with the aid of an eluting agent from an elution container connected in the place of the reaction container or washing fluid container. 71. Method as claimed in claim 68, wherein the active force is a force generated by vacuum pressure or a pressure above atmospheric pressure and/or centrifugal force. 72. Device for establishing a closed, airtight flow connection between an interior of a first container and an interior of at least one other container, with a connecting region for the first container and at least one other connecting region for the at least one other container, a flow passage being disposed between the connecting regions, and with a respective piercing means for piercing a container seal in the connecting regions, wherein at least the connecting region (26) for the first container (1) has a retaining device for releasably securing the first container, by means of which a retaining force can be exerted on the first container (1) which is greater than the force counteracting separation of the other container (6) in the other connecting region (25) from the other connecting region (25). 73. Device for establishing a closed, airtight flow connection between an interior of a first container and an interior of at least one other container, with a first connecting region for the first container and at least one other connecting region for the at least one other container, a flow passage being disposed between the connecting regions, and with a respective piercing means for piercing a container seal in the connecting regions, wherein a shut-off element (70) is disposed in the flow passage (38), by means of which the flow connection can be interrupted. 74. Device as claimed in claim 73, wherein the shut-off element (70) has a rotatable passage which can be displaced to establish a flow connection with the flow passage (38). 75. Device as claimed in claim 72, wherein the flow passage (38, 128, 154) is a double-ended cannula and the cannula ends serve as the means for piercing a container seal (115, 140), such as a septum (13, 28, 75, 87, 110, 146) for example. 76. Device as claimed in claim 72, wherein a middle region (27) is provided between the connecting regions (25, 26) and the flow passage (38, 128, 154) is secured in this middle region (27) with the aid of one or more locking devices. 77. Device as claimed in claim 72, wherein a cavity (43) is disposed between these two connecting regions (25, 26), through which the flow passage (38, 128, 154) is inserted, the volume of which is so dimensioned that at least a part of an airtight elastically deformable protective cap (46) secured to a part of the flow passage (38, 128, 154) projecting into the connecting region (26), in particular in the cavity (43), and made from a self-closing, elastic material which can be pierced, e.g. a valve bellows, can be accommodated by the cavity (43). 78. Device as claimed in claim 72, wherein the connecting region(s) (25, 26) is or are at least partially provided in the form of an at least substantially cylindrical wall (31, 32), and an internal diameter of the cylindrical wall (31, 32) may be so dimensioned that a friction lock is created between an internal surface of the cylindrical wall (31, 32) and a container surface. 79. Device as claimed in claim 78, wherein a catch mechanism is provided on the internal face of the cylindrical wall (31, 32) for receiving a part of the container (1, 6, 83, 98, 136), in particular for a part of a cap of a blood sample tube. 80. Device as claimed in claim 78, wherein the cylindrical wall (31, 32) is made from a deformable material, which conforms to the external contours of the inserted container (1, 6, 83, 98, 136) when inserted. 81. Device as claimed in claim 72, wherein a cross-sectional tapered region (42) is disposed in the middle region (27) between the first and the second connecting region (25, 26). 82. Device as claimed in claim 81, wherein an external device surface in the region of the cross-sectional tapered region (42) is provided with knurling. 83. Device as claimed in claim 72, wherein a sealing device, e.g. a sealing ring, is disposed on the device surface in the second connecting region (26) for the second container (6, 83, 98, 136). 84. Device as claimed in claim 72, wherein the flow passage (38) is retained so that it can slide. 85. Device as claimed in claim 72, wherein the flow passage (38, 128, 154) is made up of two parts and a flow passage part (61, 62) co-operates with each connecting region (25, 26). 86. Device as claimed in claim 85, wherein a spring element (63) is disposed between the two flow passage parts (61, 62). 87. Device as claimed in claim 86, wherein the spring force of the spring element (63) is greater than the force needed to pierce the container seal (115, 140), in particular the septum (13, 28, 75, 87, 110, 146). 88. Device as claimed in claim 86, wherein a releasable locking device (64) co-operates with the spring element (63), which holds the spring element (63) in a biased state. 89. Device as claimed in claim 72, wherein it is made up of at least two parts which are joined to one another by means of a releasable connection. 90. Device as claimed in claim 89, wherein the releasable connection is a screw connection, a bayonet fitting, a friction-locking connection or similar. 91. Device as claimed in claim 72, wherein the flow passage (38, 128, 154) has several, in particular mutually inter-connecting, part-flow passages (112) at least in the region of a connecting region (25, 26) and of a device for piercing a container seal, and these part-flow passages (112) serve as the device for piercing a container seal. 92. Container with an interior which is at least partially enclosed by a container base and a container wall, the container wall having an inlet opening which is preferably disposed opposite the container base in the direction of a container longitudinal mid-axis, wherein the inlet opening (123) is provided in the form of a device (125) for establishing a closed, airtight connection to another container or the device fits into or on the inlet opening (123), this device (125) having a connecting region (132) for releasably attaching another container, such as a screw connection, a bayonet fitting, in which a means for piercing a container seal of the other container is disposed. 93. Container as claimed in claim 92, wherein at least one other opening is provided in the container base (120) and/or in the container wall (121) and is designed as a device (125) for establishing an airtight connection to another container or the device (125) is disposed in or on the opening. 94. Container as claimed in claim 92, wherein the container base (120) and/or the container wall (121) is of an elastically deformable design. 95. Container as claimed in claim 92, wherein at least a part of the container base (120) is designed as a liquid-tight, sealing plunger. 96. Container as claimed in claim 92, wherein a reagent (9) or reagent mixture is disposed in its interior, such as a lysing buffer, an eluting fluid, for example. 97. Container as claimed in claim 92, wherein at least one dividing wall is disposed in the interior. 98. Container as claimed in claim 92, wherein a displaceable plunger is disposed in at least one of the part-volumes created by the dividing wall, the maximum cross section of which matches the cross section of the part-volume. 99. Container as claimed in claim 95, wherein the plunger can be locked in at least one of its end positions. 100. Container as claimed in claim 95, wherein a hollow plunger rod incorporating a chamber is disposed on the side of the plunger remote from the part-volume. 101. Container as claimed in claim 100, wherein a receptacle containing a matrix is disposed in the chamber. 102. Container as claimed in claim 101, wherein the matrix is intended as a means of separating a component from at least a part of the original sample. 103. Container as claimed in claim 101, wherein the matrix is disposed in a receptacle incorporating an outlet. 104. Container as claimed in claim 103, wherein the outlet is fitted with a barrier device, which can be moved from a position in which it seals the outlet to a position in which it releases it. 105. Container as claimed in claim 98, wherein a device is disposed in an end region of the plunger rod remote from the part-volume in order to receive another container. 106. Container as claimed in claim 98, wherein a reagent (9) or reagent mixture is placed in a second part-volume beforehand. 107. Container as claimed in claim 98, wherein the two part-volumes are linked to one another via a transfer passage. 108. Container as claimed in claim 107, wherein the transfer passage can be closed off by at least one barrier mechanism. 109. Container as claimed in claim 98, wherein at least one part-volume has an opening which is sealed by a septum. 110. Container as claimed in claim 92, wherein at least one membrane, e.g. an air bellows, is disposed in the interior and is provided with a connecting piece for a supply line via an airtight valve system which can be shut off. 111. Container as claimed in claim 92, wherein the flow passage (128) is a hollow needle. 112. Container as claimed in claim 92, wherein a cavity is disposed below the connecting region (132) in the direction towards the interior through which the flow passage (128) is inserted and its volume is so dimensioned that at least a part of a protective cap (129) is accommodated by this flow passage (128), the former being secured in the latter in particular. 113. Container as claimed in claim 92, wherein the connecting region (132) is an open cylinder with a wall. 114. Container as claimed in claim 113, wherein the internal diameter of the cylinder is such that a friction lock is created between an internal surface of its wall and the other container. 115. Container as claimed in claim 113, wherein a catch mechanism is provided on the internal surface of the wall of the cylinder, in particular for the cap of a blood sample tube. 116. Container as claimed in claim 113, wherein the wall of the cylinder is made from a material which conforms to the external contours of the other container when the latter is inserted. 117. Container as claimed in claim 92, wherein the flow passage (128) is retained so that it can slide. 118. Device for cutting a sample of biological origin into smaller pieces, comprising a container with an interior which is at least partially bounded by a container wall and a container base, wherein at least one cutting device (142), e.g. a blade, is disposed on a surface of the container wall (138) and/or the container base facing the interior (137). 119. Device for cutting a sample of biological origin into smaller pieces, incorporating a sealing device for a container, such as a blood sample vessel, a centrifuge vessel, for example, with a sealing body with and end region facing the container to be sealed, wherein a cutting device (142) is disposed in the region of the end region and a drive shaft (148) of the cutting device (142) is inserted through the sealing body in order to establish a connection to a drive unit (150), such as a motor for example. 120. Device as claimed in claim 119, wherein the sealing body is provided at least partially in the form of a self-closing septum (146). 121. Device as claimed in claim 119, wherein the drive shaft (148) is a tube and the end region lying opposite the cutting device (142) may optionally be designed to pierce a septum. 122. Device as claimed in claim 119, wherein the sealing body is retained by a screw cap. 123. Analysis kit consisting of at least a first container enclosing a first interior which is designed as the sample vessel and is designed in particular to contain samples of biological origin and biological matrices, such as blood and phases separated therefrom for example, another container enclosing a second interior in which at least one reagent is placed, such as a lysing buffer for cells such as blood cells for example, a stabilising buffer for nucleic acids and proteins, a releasing buffer, a preserving buffer and the solid salts of these buffers, and, optionally, a device for connecting the first interior to the second interior, wherein at least one container is of the type as recited above and the device for connecting the interiors is of the type as claimed in claim 72. 124. Analysis kit as claimed in claim 123, wherein it incorporates a third container enclosing a matrix (15) to which sample constituents such as nucleic acids, proteins, are bonded, in particular by adsorption. 125. Buffer for preserving and/or releasing at least one component from an original sample of biological origin, e.g. a nucleic acid, a protein, containing ammonium sulphate in a quantity within a range having a lower limit of 10% w/v , preferably 25% w/v, in particular 30% w/v, and an upper limit of 100% w/v, preferably 80% w/v, in particular 60% w/v, a chaotropic salt in a concentration selected from a range with a lower limit of 1 mol/l, preferably 2 mol/l, in particular 2.5 mol/l, and an upper limit of 6 mol/l, preferably 5 mol/l, in particular 3.5 mol/l, and a buffer substance in a concentration selected from a range with a lower limit of 0.1 mol/l, preferably 0.2 mol/l, in particular 0.25 mol/l and an upper limit of 0.5 mol/l, preferably 0.4 mol/l, in particular 0.3 mol/l, and optionally a detergent and/or a complexing agent. 126. Use of the device as claimed in claim 66, for analysing samples of biological origin or containing biological matrices. 127. Use of the device as claimed in claim 66, for detecting nucleic acid. 128. Use of the container as claimed in claim 92, for analysing samples of biological origin or containing biological matrices. 129. Use of the container as claimed in claim 92, to detect nucleic acid. 130. Use of the device as claimed in claim 118, to cut tissue samples into smaller pieces. 131. Use of the analysis kit as claimed in claim 123, for analysing samples of biological origin or containing biological matrices. |
Molecular memory and method for making same |
A molecular memory including a substrate made of silicon; a set of condensers, each condenser including two conductive layers constituting armatures of the condensers and between which is placed a dielectric layer; and a connector to provide electric contacts with external circuits, wherein the dielectric layer comprises at least partially a polymer containing triazole derivatives, a spin transition phenomenon support material or a spin transition molecular complex; and a method for manufacturing a molecular memory including covering a substrate with a conductive layer; coating a dielectric material on the conductive layer; covering the dielectric material with the conductive layer; impregnating by immersion a buffer in an inking solution of hexadecanethiol; drying and washing the impregnated buffer; creating a protective monolayer on the conductive layer by application of the impregnated, dried and washed buffer; and creating a chemical etching on the sample. |
1. Molecular memory constituted by a substrate (4), preferably made of silicon, of a set of condensers, each condenser comprising two conductive layers (9, 10) constituting the armatures of said condensers and between which is placed a dielectric layer (1), as well as connection means intended to provide electric contracts with the external circuits, characterized in that said dielectric material (1) is constituted at least partially by a polymer containing triazole derivatives, a spin transition phenomenon support material or a spin transition molecular complex. 2. Molecular memory according to claim 1, characterized in that said dielectric material (1) is constituted at least partially by the compound [Fe(NH2trz)3](NO3)2. 3. Molecular memory according to claim 1, characterized in that said dielectric material (1) is constituted at least partially by the compound [Fe(Htrz)2(trz)](NO3)2. 4. Molecular memory according to claim 1, characterized in that said dielectric material (1) is constituted at least partially by the compound [Fe(NH2trz)3](Br)2. 5. Molecular memory according to claim 1, characterized in that said dielectric material (1) is constituted at least partially by an alloy of ligands or anions. 6. Molecular memory according to claim 5, characterized in that said dielectric material (1) is constituted by the compound [Fe)Htrz)3-3x(NH2trz)3x](ClO4).H2O or the compound [Fe(NH2trz)3](NO3)1.7(BF4)0.4. 7. Molecular memory according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said dielectric material (1) is constituted by a mixture of said polymer containing triazole derivatives, of said spin transition complex or said spin transition phenomenon support material with another polymer. 8. Molecular memory according to claim 7, characterized in that said dielectric material (1) is obtained by the mixture of 40% of said polymer containing triazole derivatives and 60% of polyvinyl acetate in acetonitrile. 9. Molecular memory according to claim 7, characterized in that said dielectric material (1) is obtained by the mixture of said spin transition complex with said polymer in the solvent of said spin transition complex, or the mixture of said spin transition phenomenon support material with said polymer in the solvent of said material. 10. Molecular memory according to claim 1, characterized in that said armatures are made of gold. 11. Method for manufacturing a molecular memory according to any one of claims 1 to 10, said method comprising successively a step of covering said substrate (4) with said conductive layer (9), a step of coating said dielectric material (1) on said conductive layer (9) and a step of covering said dielectric material (1) with said conductive layer (10), characterized in that said method furthermore comprises the following steps: a) impregnation by immersion of a buffer (5) in an inking solution (6) of hexadecanethiol; b) drying and washing of the impregnated buffer (5); c) creation of a protective monolayer on said conductive layer (10) by application of said impregnated, dried and washed buffer (5); d) creation of a chemical etching on the sample obtained after step c). 12. Method for manufacturing a molecular memory according to claim 11, characterized in that said inking solution (6) presents a molar concentration comprised between 0.01 mol·L−1 and 0.1 mol·L−1. 13. Method for manufacturing a molecular memory according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that said inking solution (6) is brought to a temperature comprised between 30° C. and 50° C. 14. Method for manufacturing a molecular memory according to claim 11, characterized in that said chemical etching takes place in an aqueous medium (7) at ambient temperature. 15. Method for manufacturing a molecular memory according to claim 11, characterized in that said buffer (5) is transparent. 16. Method for manufacturing a molecular memory according to claim 15, characterized in that said buffer (5) is polydimethylsiloxane. 17. Method for storage in memory and reading of information, implemented by means of a molecular memory according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the memory storage and information reading are based on the hysteretic variations in the capacity and the conductivity of said dielectric material (1). |
Selective herbicide comprising a tetrazolinone derivative |
The invention relates to novel herbicidal synergistic active compound combinations comprising a known tetrazolinone derivative and known herbicidally active compounds and/or safeners, which compositions can be used with particularly good results for the selective control of weeds in various crops of useful plants. |
1-9. (canceled) 10. A composition comprising an effective amount of an active compound combination comprising (a) the compound 4-(2-chlorophenyl)-N-cyclohexyl-N-ethyl-4,5-dihydro-5-oxo-1H-tetrazole-1-carboxamide (fentrazamide) of formula (I) and (b) one or more compounds selected from a second group of herbicides consisting of 2,6-bis[(4,6-dimethoxy-2-pyrimidinyl)oxy]benzoic acid and its salts, diphenylmethanone O-[2,6-bis[(4,6-dimethoxy-2-pyrimidinyl)oxy]-benzoyl]oxime (pyribenzoxim), 7-[(4,6-dimethoxy-2-pyrimidinyl)thio]-3-methyl-1 (3H)-isobenzofuranone (pyriftalid), 1-(3-chloro-4,5,6,7-tetrahydropyrazolo-[1,5-a]pyridin-2-yl)-5-(methyl-2-propynylamino)-1H-pyrazole-4-carbonitrile (pyraclonil), N-(2,6-dichloro-3-methylphenyl)-5,7-dimethoxy-[1,2,4]-triazolo-[1,5-a]pyrimidine-2-sulphonamide (metosulam), 2-[[[[(4-methoxy-6-methyl-1,3,5-triazin-2-yl)amino]carbonyl]amino]sulphonyl]benzoic acid (metsulphuron), methyl 3-chloro-5-[[[[(4,6-dimethoxy-2-pyrimidinyl)amino]-carbonyl]amino]sulphonyl]-1-methyl-1H-pyrazole-4-carboxylate (halosulphuron), α-2-dichloro-5-[4-(difluoromethyl)-4,5-dihydro-3-methyl-5-oxo-1H-1,2,4-triazol-1-yl]-4-fluorobenzenepropanoic acid esters, 4-[2-chloro-3-(4,5-dihydroisoxazol-3-yl)-4-methylsulphonylbenzoyl]-5-hydroxy-1-methyl-1H-pyrazole, 1-methylethyl 5-[4-bromo-1-methyl-5-(trifluoromethyl)-1H-pyrazol-3-yl]-2-chloro-4-fluorobenzoate (fluazolate), 2-[1-[[2-(4-chlorophenoxy)propoxy]amino]butyl]-5-(tetrahydro-2H-thiopyran-3-yl)-1,3-cyclohexanedione (clefoxydim), N-(2,4-difluorophenyl-1,5-dihydro-N-1-propyl-5-oxo-1-[(tetrahydro-2H-pyran-2-yl)methyl]-4H-1,2,4-triazole-4-carboxamide (HOK-201), 4-(7-chloro-2,4-dimethyl-5-benzofuranyl)-2,4-dihydro-2-methyl-5-trifluoromethyl-3H-1,2,4-triazol-3-thione (OK-701), [2-chloro-3-(4,5-dihydro-3-isoxazolyl)-4-methylsulphonylphenyl]-(5-hydroxy-1-methyl-1H-pyrazol-4-yl)methanone, [3-(4,5-dihydro-3-isoxazolyl)-2-methyl-4-methylsulphonylphenyl]-(5-hydroxy-1-methyl-1H-pyrazol-4-yl)methanone, [3-[2-chloro-3-[(2,6-dioxocyclohexyl)carbonyl]-6-ethylsulphonylphenyl]-5-isoxazolyl]acetonitrile, 2-[2-chloro-4-methylsulphonyl-3-[(2,2,2-trifluoroethoxy)methyl]benzoyl]-1,3-cyclohexanedione, and 2-[[5,8-dimethyl-1,1-dioxido-4-(2-pyrimidinyloxy)-3,4-dihydro-2H-thiochromen-6-yl]-carbonyl]-1,3-cyclohexanedione; and, optionally, (c) one or more compounds that improves crop plant compatibility selected from the group consisting of the compounds α-(1,3-dioxolan-2-ylmethoximino)phenylacetonitrile (oxabetrinil), α-(cyanomethoximino)phenylacetonitrile (cyometrinil), 4-chloro-N-(1,3-dioxolan-2-ylmethoxy)-α-trifluoroacetophenone oxime (fluxofenim), 4,6-dichloro-2-phenylpyrimidine (fenclorim), 4-dichloroacetyl-3,4-dihydro-3-methyl-2H-1,4-benzoxazine (benoxacor), 1-methylhexyl 5-chloroquinoxaline-8-oxyacetate (cloquintocet), 2,2-dichloro-N-(2-oxo-2-(2-propenylamino)ethyl)-N-(2-propenyl)acetamide (DKA-24), 1,8-naphthalic anhydride, ethyl 1-(2,4-dichlorophenyl)-5-trichloromethyl-1H-1,2,4-triazole-3-carboxylate (fenchlorazole ethyl), phenylmethyl 2-chloro-4-trifluoromethylthiazole-5-carboxylate (flurazole), 3-dichloroacetyl-5-(2-furanyl)-2,2-dimethyloxazolidine (furilazole, MON-13900), 4-dichloroacetyl-1-oxa-4-azaspiro[4.5]-decane (AD-67), 2-dichloromethyl-2-methyl-1,3-dioxolane (MG-191), 2,2-dichloro-N-(1,3-dioxolan-2-ylmethyl)-N-(2-propenyl)acetamide (PPG-1292), 2,2-dichloro-N,N-di-2-propenylacetamide (dichlormid), N-(4-methylphenyl)-N′-(1-methyl-1-phenylethyl)urea (dymron), 1-dichloroacetylhexahydro-3,3,8a-trimethyl-pyrrolo[1,2-a]pyrimidin-6(2H)one (BAS-145138), N-(2-methoxybenzoyl)-4-(methylaminocarbonylamino)benzenesulphonamide, ethyl 4,5-dihydro-5,5-diphenyl-3-isoxazolecarboxylate (isoxadifen-ethyl), (4-chloro-2-methylphenoxy)acetic acid (MCPA), 2-(4-chloro-2-methylphenoxy)propionic acid (mecoprop), diethyl-1-(2,4-dichlorophenyl)-4,5-dihydro-5-methyl-1H-pyrazol-3,5-dicarboxylate (mefenpyr-diethyl) and 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) and its derivatives, 4-(2-chlorobenzoylaminosulphonyl)-N-propyl-benzamide, N-(phenylsulphamoyl)benzamide derivatives of formula (II) in which R1 represents hydrogen, (C1-C6)-alkyl, (C3-C6)-cycloalkyl, (C2-C6)-alkenyl, (C5-C6)-cycloalkenyl, phenyl, or 3- to 6-membered heterocyclyl having up to 3 hetero atoms selected from the group consisting of nitrogen, oxygen, and sulphur, where the radicals R1 other than hydrogen are optionally substituted by one or more identical or different substituents selected from the group consisting of halogen, (C1-C6)-alkoxy, (C1-C6)-haloalkoxy, (C1-C2)-alkylsulfinyl, (C1-C2)-alkylsulfonyl, (C3-C6)-cycloalkyl, (C1-C4)-alkoxycarbonyl, (C1-C4)-alkylcarbonyl, and phenyl and the cyclic radicals are optionally also substituted by (C1-C4)-alkyl or (C1-C4)-haloalkyl; R2 represents hydrogen, (C1-C6)-alkyl, (C2-C6)-alkenyl, (C2-C6)-alkynyl, where the radicals R2 other than hydrogen are optionally substituted by one or more identical or different substituents selected from the group consisting of halogen, hydroxyl, (C1-C4)-alkyl, (C1-C4)-alkoxy, and (C1-C4)-alkylthio; R3 represents halogen, (C1-C4)-haloalkyl, (C1-C4)-haloalkoxy, nitro, (C1-C4)-alkyl, (C1-C4)-alkoxy, (C1-C4)-alkylsulphonyl, (C1-C4)-alkoxycarbonyl, or (C1-C4)-alkylcarbonyl; R4 represents hydrogen or methyl; R5 represents halogen, nitro, (C1-C4)-alkyl, (C1-C4)-haloalkyl, (C1-C4)-haloalkoxy, (C3-C6)-cycloalkyl, phenyl, (C1-C4)-alkoxy, cyano, (C1-C4)-alkylthio, (C1-C4)-alkylsulphinyl, (C1-C4)-alkylsulphonyl, (C1-C4)-alkoxycarbonyl, or (C1-C4)-alkylcarbonyl; n represents 0, 1, or 2, and m represents 1 or 2, or salts thereof, and 2-methoxy-N-[4-(methoxybenzoylsulphamoyl)phenyl]acetamide and other N-acylsulphonamide derivatives of formula (III) in which R1 represents hydrogen, (C1-C6)-alkyl, (C3-C6)-cycloalkyl, furanyl, or thienyl, where each of the radicals R1 other than hydrogen is unsubstituted or substituted by one or more substituents selected from the group consisting of halogen, (C1-C4)-alkoxy, halo-(C1-C6)-alkoxy, and (C1-C4)-alkylthio and the cyclic radicals are optionally also substituted by (C1-C4)-alkyl and (C1-C4)-haloalkyl; R2 represents hydrogen or methyl; R3 represents halogen, halo-(C1-C4)-alkyl, halo-(C1-C4)-alkoxy, (C1-C4)-alkyl, (C1-C4)-alkoxy, (C1-C4)-alkylsulphonyl, (C1-C4)-alkoxycarbonyl, or (C1-C4)-alkylcarbonyl; R4 represents hydrogen or methyl; R5 represents halogen, (C1-C4)-alkyl, halo-(C1-C4)-alkyl, halo-(C1-C4)-alkoxy, (C3-C6)-cycloalkyl, phenyl, (C1-C4)-alkoxy, cyano, (C1-C4)-alkylthio, (C1-C4)-alkylsulphinyl, (C1-C4)-alkylsulphonyl, (C1-C4)-alkoxycarbonyl, or (C1-C4)-alkylcarbonyl; n represents 0, 1, or 2, and m represents 1 or 2, or alkali metal salts thereof. 11. A composition according to claim 10 wherein component (b) is bispyribac-sodium and/or pyribenzoxim. 12. A composition according to claim 10 wherein component (b) is bispyribac-sodium. 13. A composition according to claim 10 wherein component (b) is pyribenzoxim. 14. A composition according to claim 10 wherein from 0.01 to 1,000 parts by weight of the active compound of component (b) are present per part by weight of the active compound of formula (I). 15. A composition according to claim 10 wherein from 0.001 to 1,000 parts by weight of component (c) are present per part by weight of the active compound of formula (I) or mixtures of the active compound of formula (I) with active compounds of component (b). 16. A method for controlling unwanted vegetation comprising allowing an effective amount of a composition according to claim 10 to act on plants and/or their habitat. 17. A process for preparing a composition according to claim 10 comprising mixing active compounds of components (a) and (b) and, optionally, component (c) with one or more extenders and/or surfactants. |
Adjustable spanner |
The present invention relates to an adjustable spanner (2) having a first fixed jaw (4) and a second moveable jaw (8). The second jaw (8) can be locked in fixed relation to the first jaw (4) by a locking means (16). This locking means (16) is moveable between a first position in which the second jaw (8) is fixed in relation to the first jaw (4) and a second position in which the second jaw (8) is permitted to move with respect to the first jaw (4). |
1. An adjustable spanner comprising: a first jaw ; a second jaw mounted for slidable movement relative to said first jaw; a locking member movable between a locking position in which it engages said second jaw so as to lock the second jaw in position relative to the first jaw and a release position in which it releases said second jaw; biasing means for biasing the locking member towards its locking position; and release means for moving said locking member out of said locking position towards its release position against the force of said biasing means; said locking member and said second jaw having interlocking ratchet teeth provided thereon; said ratchet teeth extending along opposed surfaces of the second jaw and the locking member; wherein the said opposed surfaces are parallel to the direction of movement of the second jaw; and in that said ratchet teeth are backwardly sloped relative to the opposed surfaces, such that in the event that a force is applied to the second jaw in a direction which tends to increase the separation between the jaws the teeth act to force the locking member and the second jaw further into engagement in said locking position. 2. An adjustable spanner as claimed in claim 1, wherein said locking member is arranged to move in a direction generally perpendicular to the direction of movement of the second jaw. 3. An adjustable spanner as claimed in claim 2 wherein said locking member is arranged in a slot which extends through the head of the spanner. 4. An adjustable spanner as claimed in claim 3 wherein said slot extends generally parallel to the direction of movement of the second jaw. 5. An adjustable spanner as claimed in claim 4 comprising means for adjustably positioning said locking member within the slot. 6. An adjustable spanner as claimed in claim 5 wherein said positioning means comprise adjustment screws. 7. An adjustable spanner as claimed in claim 6 wherein said adjustment screws are received in a threaded bore extending along said slot. 8. An adjustable spanner as claimed claim 1 wherein the biasing means comprises a spring. 9. An adjustable spanner as claimed in claim 8, wherein said spring is a coil spring. 10. An adjustable spanner as claimed in claim 8 wherein said spring is a leaf spring. 11. An adjustable spanner as claimed in claim 10 wherein said leaf spring is bow shaped. 12. An adjustable spanner as claimed in claim 10 wherein said leaf spring is generally V-shaped. 13. An adjustable spanner as claimed claim 1 wherein said locking member comprises means for locating said biasing means. 14. An adjustable spanner as claimed in claim 13 wherein said location means comprises a notch for receiving a projection formed on the biasing means. 15. An adjustable spanner as claimed claim 1 wherein said release means comprises a release member coupled to the locking member and which extends from the spanner for operation by a user. 16. An adjustable spanner as claimed in claim 15 wherein the release member comprises a button which extends through a slot in a face of the spanner head and which is movable in the direction away from the second jaw to release the locking means. 17. An adjustable spanner as claimed in claim 16 wherein said button is screw fitted onto said locking member through said slot. |
Interactive product selection system |
The present invention involves an interactive selection system for a consumer product that improves the consumer's ability to quickly sort through numerous criteria in a complex decision making process and determine whether that particular consumer product is appropriate for his or her purchase and use. The interactive selection system is designed for a consumer product wherein the product is appropriate for less than all consumers comprising: (a) an interface; (b) at least one product selection device associated with the interface, wherein each product selection device is comprised of: (i) decision criteria that are relevant to appropriate selection or deselection of the product, (ii) at least two selectable responses associated with each decision criteria, wherein there is at least one positive selectable response and at least one negative selectable response for each decision criteria, and (iii) selection indicia associated with each selectable response; (c) directive instructions which direct an operator to manipulate each product selection device to choose a consumer applicable response from the available selectable responses per decision criteria; and (d) interpretive instructions which explain how to interpret the pattern of selection indicia which is observably associated with the chosen one or more consumer applicable responses to assist with determining whether or not the product is appropriate for the consumer's purchase or use. |
1. An interactive selection system for a consumer product wherein the product is appropriate for less than all consumers comprising: (a) an interface; (b) at least one product selection device associated with the interface, wherein each product selection device is comprised of: (i) decision criteria that are relevant to appropriate selection or deselection of the product, (ii) at least two selectable responses associated with each decision criteria, wherein there is at least one positive selectable response and at least one negative selectable response for each decision criteria, and (iii) selection indicia associated with each selectable response; (c) directive instructions which direct an operator to manipulate each product selection device to choose a consumer applicable response from the available selectable responses per decision criteria; and (d) interpretive instructions which explain how to interpret the pattern of selection indicia which is observably associated with the chosen one or more consumer applicable responses to assist with determining whether or not the product is appropriate for the consumer's purchase or use. 2. The system of claim 1 wherein the operator is the consumer whose personally applicable responses are chosen from the selectable responses. 3. The system of claim 1 wherein the system assists with determining whether or not the product is appropriate for the consumer's purchase. 4. The system of claim 1 wherein the system assists with determining whether or not the product is appropriate for the consumer's use. 5. The system of claim 1 wherein an opposite pair of selection indicia comprised of one positive selection indicia and one negative selection indicia is employed, wherein the positive selection indicia is repeatedly associated with each of the positive selectable responses and the negative selection indicia is repeatedly associated with each of the negative selectable responses. 6. The system of claim 5 wherein the consumer product is an OTC pharmaceutical. 7. The system of claim 6 wherein the OTC pharmaceutical is selected from alendronate sodium and oxybutynin chloride. 8. The system of claim 6 wherein the OTC pharmaceutical is a lipid management drug. 9. The system of claim 8 wherein the lipid management drug is an HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor. 10. The system of claim 9 wherein the HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor is selected from the group consisting of lovastatin, simvastatin, pravastatin, atorvastatin, fluvastatin, and the pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof. 11. The system of claim 10 wherein the HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor is lovastatin. 12. The system of claim 10 wherein the HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor is simvastatin. 13. The system of claim 1 wherein the one or more product selection devices, the directive instructions and the interpretive instructions are all associated with the same interface. 14. The system of claim 13 wherein the interface is the product packaging. 15. The system of claim 13 wherein the interface is releasably associated with an item selected from the group consisting of the product packaging, a point of sale display and a kiosk. 16. The system of claim 13 wherein the interface is independent from the product packaging. 17. The system of claim 1 wherein the one or more product selection devices and the directive instructions are each on a different interface. 18. The system of claim 1 wherein the one or more product selection devices and the interpretive instructions are on different interfaces. 19. The system of claim 1 wherein the interface associated with the one or more product selection devices is a platform for non-electronic interaction between the operator and the one or more product selection devices, and the one or more product selection devices are in non-electronic format. 20. The system of claim 1 wherein the interface associated with the one or more product selection devices is a platform for electronic interaction between the operator and the one or more product selection devices, and the one or more product selection devices are in electronic format. 21. The system of claim 1 comprised of at least two product selection devices. 22. The system of claim 21 comprised of from two to six product selection devices. 23. The system of claim 1 wherein the decision criteria for each product selection device is selected from the group consisting of gender, age, total cholesterol level, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol level, high density lipoprotein cholesterol level, pre-existing physical and medical conditions, concurrent medication usage, alcohol intake over a specified period of time and combinations thereof. 24. The system of claim 1 wherein the directive instructions convey that either (a) the product is appropriate for purchase and use by the consumer, or (b) the product is not appropriate for purchase and use by the consumer. 25. The system of claim 1 wherein the directive instructions convey that either (a) the product may be appropriate for purchase and use by the consumer but that additional action must be taken in order to make a correct final decision, or (b) the product is not appropriate for purchase and use by the consumer. 26. The system of claim 1 wherein the directive instructions convey that either (a) the product is appropriate for purchase and use by the consumer, or (b) the product may be inappropriate for purchase and use by the consumer and the consumer should consult someone with specialized knowledge with respect to the particular product before purchase or use. 27. The system of claim 26 wherein the person with specialized knowledge is selected from a pharmacist and a medical caregiver. 28. The system of claim 1 wherein the directive instructions convey that either (a) the product may be appropriate for purchase and use by the consumer but that additional action must be taken in order to make a correct final decision, or (b) the product may be inappropriate for purchase and use by the consumer and the consumer should consult someone with specialized knowledge with respect to the particular product before purchase or use. 29. The system of claim 28 wherein the person with specialized knowledge is selected from a pharmacist and a medical caregiver. 30. A method for assisting a consumer with determining whether or not a consumer product is appropriate for their purchase or use comprising: (a) observing one or more decision criteria that are relevant to appropriate selection or deselection of the product, wherein each decision criteria is associated with at least two selectable responses and at least one of the selectable responses is a positive selectable response and at least one of the selectable responses is a negative selectable response per decision criteria, and wherein each positive selectable response is associated with an observable positive selection indicia and each negative selectable response is associated with an observable negative selection indicia; (b) choosing a consumer applicable response for each decision criteria from the selectable responses associated with each decision criteria; (c) observing the pattern of selection indicia observably associated with the chosen one or more consumer applicable responses; (d) reading interpretive instructions which explain how to interpret the pattern of selection indicia regarding whether or not the product is appropriate for purchase or use by the consumer; and (e) interpreting the pattern of selection indicia to determine whether or not the product is appropriate for purchase or use by the consumer. 31. The method of claim 30 wherein the system assists with determining whether or not the product is appropriate for the consumer's purchase. 32. The method of claim 30 wherein the system assists with determining whether or not the product is appropriate for the consumer's use. 33. The method of claim 30 wherein an opposite pair of selection indicia comprised of one positive selection indicia and one negative selection indicia is employed, wherein the positive selection indicia is repeatedly associated with each of the positive selectable responses and the negative selection indicia is repeatedly associated with each of the negative selectable responses. 34. The method of claim 33 wherein the consumer product is an OTC pharmaceutical. 35. The method of claim 34 wherein the OTC pharmaceutical is selected from alendronate sodium and oxybutynin chloride. 36. The method of claim 34 wherein the OTC pharmaceutical is a lipid management drug. 37. The method of claim 34 wherein the lipid management drug is an HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor. 38. The method of claim 37 wherein the HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor is selected from the group consisting of lovastatin, simvastatin, pravastatin, atorvastatin, fluvastatin, cerivastatin and the pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof. 39. The method of claim 38 wherein the HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor is lovastatin. 40. The method of claim 39 wherein the HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor is simvastatin. 41. The method of claim 30 wherein the decision criteria, selectable responses, negative selection indicia, positive selection indicia, and interpretive instructions are in non-electronic format. 42. The method of claim 30 wherein the decision criteria, selectable responses, negative selection indicia, positive selection indicia, and interpretive instructions are in electronic format. 43. The method of claim 30 wherein the one or more decision criteria are selected from the group consisting of gender, age, total cholesterol level, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol level, high density lipoprotein cholesterol level, pre-existing physical and medical conditions, concurrent medication usage, alcohol intake over a specified period of time and combinations thereof. 44. The method of claim 30 wherein the directive instructions convey that based on the pattern of selection indicia either (a) the product may be appropriate for purchase and use by the consumer but that additional action must be taken in order to make a correct final decision, or (b) the product is not appropriate for purchase and use by the consumer. 45. The method of claim 30 wherein the directive instructions convey that based on the pattern of selection indicia either (a) the product is appropriate for purchase and use by the consumer, or (b) the product may be inappropriate for purchase and use by the consumer and the consumer should consult someone with specialized knowledge with respect to the particular product before purchase or use. 46. The method of claim 45 wherein the person with specialized knowledge is selected from a pharmacist and a medical caregiver. 47. The method of claim 1 wherein the directive instructions convey that based on the pattern of selection indicia either (a) the product may be appropriate for purchase and use by the consumer but that additional action must be taken in order to make a correct final decision, or (b) the product may be inappropriate for purchase and use by the consumer and the consumer should consult someone with specialized knowledge with respect to the particular product before purchase or use. 48. The method of claim 47 wherein the person with specialized knowledge is selected from a pharmacist and a medical caregiver. 49. Interactive packaging for a consumer product wherein the product is appropriate for less than all consumers comprising: (a) an enclosure for the product; (b) at least one manipulatable product selection device integrated with the enclosure, wherein each product selection device is comprised of: (i) a display of decision criteria that are relevant to appropriate selection or deselection of the product, (ii) a display of at least two selectable responses associated with each decision criteria, wherein there is at least one positive selectable response and at least one negative selectable response for each decision criteria, and (iii) a display of selection indicia associated with each selectable response, wherein positive selection indicia is associated with each positive selectable response and negative selection indicia is associated with each negative selectable response; (c) directive instructions displayed on the enclosure which direct an operator to manipulate each product selection device to choose a consumer applicable response from the available selectable responses per decision criteria; and (d) interpretive instructions displayed on the enclosure which explain how to interpret the pattern of selection indicia which is associated with the chosen one or more consumer applicable responses to assist with determining whether or not the product is appropriate for the consumer's purchase or use. 50. The interactive packaging of claim 49 wherein the enclosure is a box or carton. 51. The interactive packaging of claim 49 wherein an opposite pair of selection indicia comprised of one positive selection indicia and one negative selection indicia is employed, wherein the positive selection indicia is repeatedly associated with each of the positive selectable responses and the negative selection indicia is repeatedly associated with each of the negative selectable responses. 52. The interactive packaging of claim 51 wherein the opposite pair of selection indicia comprised of a first symbol selected from an alphanumeric graphic, a pictorial graphic, a color and combinations thereof as the positive selection indicia, and a second, different symbol selected from an alphanumeric graphic, a pictorial graphic, a color and combinations thereof as the negative selection indicia. 53. The interactive packaging of claim 52 wherein the opposite pair of selection indicia is comprised of a first color as the positive selection indicia and a second, different color as the negative selection indicia. 54. The interactive packaging of claim 51 wherein a decision wheel displays the selectable responses and their associated selection indicia, wherein there is one decision wheel associated with each display of decision criteria, and wherein the decision wheel is rotatably mounted on a portion of the enclosure. 55. The interactive packaging of claim 54 further comprising one window in a portion of the enclosure for each decision wheel, wherein the window overlays a portion of the decision wheel and is aligned with the decision wheel so as to be capable of visually exposing one entire selectable response and its associated selection indicia at a time when the wheel is rotated. 56. The interactive packaging of claim 55 wherein the opposite pair of selection indicia is comprised of a first color as the positive selection indicia and a second, different color as the negative selection indicia. 57. The interactive packaging of claim 49 comprised of at least two product selection devices. 58. The interactive packaging of claim 57 comprised of from two to six product selection devices. 59. The interactive packaging of claim 49 wherein the consumer product is an OTC pharmaceutical. 60. The interactive packaging of claim 59 wherein the OTC pharmaceutical is selected from alendronate sodium and oxybutynin chloride. 61. The interactive packaging of claim 59 wherein the OTC pharmaceutical is a lipid management drug. 62. The interactive packaging of claim 61 wherein the decision criteria displayed for each product selection device is selected from the group consisting of gender, age, total cholesterol level, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol level, high density lipoprotein cholesterol level, pre-existing physical and medical conditions, concurrent medication usage, alcohol intake over a specified period of time and combinations thereof. 63. The interactive packaging of claim 61 wherein the lipid management drug is an HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor. 64. The interactive packaging of claim 63 wherein the HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor is selected from the group consisting of lovastatin, simvastatin, pravastatin, atorvastatin, fluvastatin, cerivastatin and the pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof. 65. The interactive packaging of claim 64 wherein the HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor is lovastatin. 66. The interactive packaging of claim 65 wherein the HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor is simvastatin. |
<SOH> BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION <EOH>Several consumer products, particularly over-the-counter (OTC) pharmaceuticals, require careful consideration before purchase. Consumption of such products without proper screening has the potential for adverse affects on the consumer or can cause ill will toward the seller if the product is ineffective in treating the consumer's condition. Despite the recent increase in television and print advertising of pharmaceuticals and conditions treated by them, consumers still lack knowledge about the appropriateness of certain pharmaceuticals for their use. The same is true of other consumer products which require selection at the point of sale. Various attempts have been made to assist this consumer selection of products. For example, Unger, et al. U.S. Pat. No. 6,093,027, describes a system for selection from among hundreds of feminine hygiene products of that which is best suited for a given consumer. In preferred embodiments of this patent, the collection of information from a consumer and the selection of a system of feminine hygiene products may be performed using a computer, World Wide Web, an interactive display, a telephone system, published questionnaires, or through literature distributed to health care providers (column 15, lines 1-29). The packaging described in the Unger, et al. patent merely identifies, e.g., by package color, which product corresponds to the various systems selected by the customer on the computer, web, etc.(column 15, lines 29-44). Another consumer selection system is described in Segerstrom U.S. Pat. No. 5,520,203. This patent describes a process that generally comprises the steps of determining the prospective user's hair color, skin color, skin type, etc., and making a recommendation regarding cosmetics using a decision tree (see FIG. 2 therein). The recommendation corresponds to a tailored kit containing a complete set of cosmetics for the user's type. The decision tree can be part of an order form in a mail-order catalogue, or an in-store display including a poster or electronic display (col. 3, lines 20-26; col. 6, lines 51-53). Weinstein U.S. Pat. No. 5,848,976 discloses a 3-part system combining graphical indicia and medicinal dosages, in which a patient is presented with written questions regarding allergenic substances and conditions (step 1), then provided recommendations regarding allergen avoidance (step 2), followed by provision of allergy medicine in timed dosages (step 3). A permanent record is created when the patient is treated using this system. While the disclosure states that, “step 3 provides at least one sequential array of dosage units, which effect a medication regimen that is timed as a finction of steps 1 and 2,” (col. 2, lines 44-47), there does not appear to be any interactive decision making within this process. The same medication is dispensed to the patient as part of a total package, regardless of the outcome of steps 1 and 2. Other pharmaceutical packaging currently available typically contains printed text thereon describing dosage information, side effects and drug interaction information. More detailed information on these topics is typically included in package inserts. However, the suitability of the packaged pharmaceutical for a particular consumer's health condition is typically not readily evident from the packaging without extensive scrutiny. There is currently no process that allows potential consumers to input personal information pertinent to the condition treated by the consumer product and receive feedback on whether or not to purchase that product. Consumers are presented with an ever-increasing amount of information regarding consumer products, with many complex factors that need to be considered in order to make a correct purchase decision. Consumers need help in making these complex purchase decisions, and/or guidance directing them to contact a more knowledgeable third party or expert to address their needs if it turns out that the product is not appropriate for them. For example, in the selection of over-the-counter pharmaceuticals, consumers must consider many factors to determine whether that medicine is right for them. The potential for unwanted side effects from an improperly selected medicine exists, as well as the risk that their condition will not be adequately treated. Also, a flawed selection process can result in a waste of the consumer's money or ill-will toward the seller if the medicine doesn't work. The present invention addresses this need. |
<SOH> SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION <EOH>The present invention involves an interactive selection system for a consumer product that improves the consumer's ability to quickly sort through numerous criteria in a complex decision making process and determine whether that particular consumer product is appropriate for his or her purchase and use. This interactive selection system for a consumer product preferably offers a visible and prominent display that allows potential consumers of the product to input personal information at the point of sale and obtain specific feedback on whether the consumer product is appropriate for the consumer. The invention informs the consumer whether or not they should purchase the consumer product based on each consumer's set of personal characteristics. The invention has the distinct advantage of helping a consumer focus on the factors of greatest importance from all the information available concerning a given product, making the information easier to comprehend and use toward making a correct purchase decision. It has the further advantage of providing a clear and definitive answer regarding whether or not the product is appropriate for purchase or use by that consumer. It also permits a very quick and accurate purchase decision without first having to read paragraphs of print copy on, or inside, the package. Most present day consumers are pressed for time and therefore unwilling, or unlikely, to spend the time needed to read extensive copy as a predicate to their purchase decision. One object of the present invention is to provide an interactive selection system for a consumer product wherein the product is appropriate for less than all consumers comprising: (a) an interface; (b) at least one product selection device associated with the interface, wherein each product selection device is comprised of: (i) decision criteria that are relevant to appropriate selection or deselection of the product, (ii) at least two selectable responses associated with each decision criteria, wherein there is at least one positive selectable response and at least one negative selectable response for each decision criteria, and (iii) selection indicia associated with each selectable response; (c) directive instructions which direct an operator to manipulate each product selection device to choose a consumer applicable response from the available selectable responses per decision criteria; and (d) interpretive instructions which explain how to interpret the pattern of selection indicia which is observably associated with the chosen one or more consumer applicable responses to assist with determining whether or not the product is appropriate for the consumer's purchase or use. Another object is to provide a method for assisting a consumer with determining whether or not a consumer product is appropriate for their purchase or use comprising: (a) observing one or more decision criteria that are relevant to appropriate selection or deselection of the product, wherein each decision criteria is associated with at least two selectable responses and at least one of the selectable responses is a positive selectable response and at least one of the selectable responses is a negative selectable response per decision criteria, and wherein each positive selectable response is associated with an observable positive selection indicia and each negative selectable response is associated with an observable negative selection indicia; (b) choosing a consumer applicable response for each decision criteria from the selectable responses associated with each decision criteria; (c) observing the pattern of selection indicia observably associated with the chosen one or more consumer applicable responses; (d) reading interpretive instructions which explain how to interpret the pattern of selection indicia regarding whether or not the product is appropriate for purchase or use by the consumer; and (e) interpreting the pattern of selection indicia to determine whether or not the product is appropriate for purchase or use by the consumer. Additional objects will be evident from the following detailed description. |
Nucleic acid compositions conferring herbicide resistance |
The present invention relates to nucleic acid and amino acid sequences that confer herbicide resistance in plants, as well as herbicide resistance in plants, plant seeds, plant tissues and plant cells comprising such sequences. In a preferred embodiment, the sequences of the present invention confer a tolerant phenotype in plants in response to a chronic and/or acute inhibitin dose of auxinic herbicides. The present invention also provides homologous sequences with a high degree of functional similarity. |
1. An isolated nucleic acid selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 1-365 and nucleic acid sequences that hybridize to any thereof under conditions of low stringency, wherein expression of said isolated nucleic acid in a plant results in a herbicide resistance phenotype. 2. A vector comprising the isolated nucleic acid of claim 1. 3. The vector of claim 2, wherein said isolated nucleic acid is operably linked to a plant promoter. 4. A vector according to claim 2, wherein said isolated nucleic acid is in sense orientation. 5. A vector according to claim 2, wherein said isolated nucleic acid is in antisense orientation. 6. A plant transfected with an isolated nucleic acid according to claim 1. 7. A seed from the plant of claim 6. 8. A leaf from the plant of claim 6. 9. An isolated nucleic acid according to claim 1, for use in conferring herbicide resistance. 10. A process for making a transgenic plant comprising: a. providing a vector according to claim 2 and a plant, b. and transfecting said plant with said vector. 11. A process for providing herbicide resistance in a plant or population of plants comprising: a. providing a vector according to claim 2 and a plant, b. and transfecting said plant with said vector under conditions such that a herbicide resistant phenotype is conferred by expression of said isolated nucleic acid from said vector. 12. An isolated nucleic acid selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 1-365 and nucleic acid sequences that hybridize to any thereof under conditions of low stringency for use in producing a herbicide resistant plant. 13. Cancelled. |
<SOH> BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION <EOH>Weeds are the most prevalent and universally present pests encountered by modern crop producers. Approximately 10 to 30% of crop yields are lost annually to weed infestation. Therefore, weed control is one of the first concerns a grower must consider in a farming operation. Farmers have come to increasingly rely on herbicides as their primary means of weed management. The growth regulator herbicides are the oldest class of synthetic organic herbicides. Originally discovered in the 1930's, most of the synthetic auxins are primarily useful for annual and perennial broadleaf weed control, with little effect on grasses. Essentially, there are four categories of synthetic auxin herbicides, benzoic acids, phenoxy carboxylic acids, pyridine carboxylic acids, and quinoline carboxylic acids. General symptoms of injury include epinastic growth (leaf and stem twisting, cupping, and curling), abnormal root growth, and eventually chlorosis and necrosis. By mimicking native auxins, the synthetic auxin compounds disrupt natural auxin-regulated growth processes, thereby enabling herbicidal activity. The exact mechanisms are still unknown. With inherent tolerance to many auxinic herbicides in agronomically valuable monocot species, these compounds have been and continue to be used for weed management in small grain, rice, corn, and sorghum farming. Such selective herbicides, however, may be limited in their efficacy against weeds closely related to the naturally resistant crop (e.g., red rice and drill-seeded or water-seeded rice). In contrast, broad-spectrum (“nonselective”) herbicides offer control over a wide range of weed species, but are deleterious to crop species as well. An ideal herbicidal compound can be described as having a broad spectrum of grass and broadleaf weed control, selectivity (non-harmful) to many crops, soil and foliar activity, low use rate requirements, low toxicity to mammals and other non-target organisms, novel mode of action, and low probability of natural resistance developing. Although many good quality herbicides exist, none meet all of these criteria. Thus, the development of herbicide tolerant crops (HTC) has been the focus of conventional breeding and selection efforts for over two decades. A more recent solution to this dilemma has been to develop chemicals meeting most of the criteria above, then engineer crop selectivity through introduction of a herbicide tolerance trait. Crops expressing transgenes that provide resistance to nonselective, post-emergent herbicides offer the farmer effective and simplistic weed control programs. Crops resistant to the nonselective herbicide glyphosate have been widely adopted in agricultural production, accounting for 68% of all 75.4 million US soybean acres (51.3 million acres) and 7% of all 76.1 million US corn acres (5.3 million acres). Other herbicide tolerance traits include resistance to glufosinate, imazethapyr/imazapyr, and sethoxydim. Additionally, reports exist of resistance being developed for novel inhibitors of protoporphyrinogen oxidase (PPO). None of these herbicide resistance input traits meet all of the criteria listed above. Glyphosate and glufosinate are non-residual herbicides that must be applied multiple times within a growing season to provide adequate control. Resistant weeds represent a significant threat to the efficacy of the imidazolinone and sulfonylurea (and other ALS-inhibiting) herbicide families. Sethoxydim does not control broadleaf weeds and grassy weeds have developed resistance to this and other ACCase inhibiting herbicides. PPO-inhibiting herbicides affect heme synthesis in addition to chlorophyll synthesis, raising questions regarding toxicity to mammals. A novel group of auxinic herbicides, 4-aminopicolinates, picloram derivatives within the pyridine carboxylic acid chemistry, has been disclosed as nonselective compounds with an excellent opportunity for developing HTC traits. These compounds are highly active (low use-rate) herbicides with soil and foliar activity. They are related to other pyridine molecules having low mammalian toxicity, so it is likely that the 4-aminopicolinates will also have low toxicity. These compounds have typical auxin symptomology; however, they also control many grasses indicating a novelty to this class of chemicals. Although resistance to some auxin analogs has been reported since their initial use in the 1940's, none represent an agronomically important pest. Accordingly, what is needed in the art are gene sequences and polypeptide sequences whose expression in plants provides tolerance to novel, broad-spectrum herbicidal pyridine analogs, as well as traditional auxin chemistries. |
<SOH> SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION <EOH>This invention relates to nucleic acid and amino acid sequences that confer herbicide resistance phenotypes in plants, as well as herbicide resistant plants, plant seeds, plant tissues and plant cells comprising such sequences. In some embodiments, the present invention provides polynucleotides and polypeptides that confer herbicide resistance phenotypes when expressed in plants (for example, resistance to: auxinic herbicides, ALS-inhibitors, EPSPS-inhibitors, GS-inhibitors, PPO-inhibitors, ACCase-inhibitors, etc.). The present invention is not limited to any particular polypeptide or polynucleotide sequences that confer herbicide resistance phenotypes. Indeed, a variety of such sequences are contemplated. Accordingly, in some embodiments the present invention provides an isolated nucleic acid selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 1-365 and nucleic acid sequences that hybridize to any thereof under conditions of low stringency, wherein expression of the isolated nucleic acid in a plant results in a herbicide resistance phenotype. The present invention is not limited to sequences that provide tolerance to any particular herbicide. Indeed, the present invention contemplates the introduction into plants of tolerance to a wide variety of herbicides, including, but not limited to, growth regulator herbicides (for example, synthetic auxin herbicides, benzoic acids, phenoxy carboxylic acids, and pyridine carboxylic acids) and broad spectrum herbicides (for example, glyphosphate, glufosinate, imazethapyr/imazapyr, and sethoxydim). In further preferred embodiments, the present invention provides vectors comprising the foregoing polynucleotide sequences. In still further embodiments, the foregoing sequences are operably linked to an exogenous promoter, most preferably a plant promoter. However, the present invention is not limited to the use of any particular promoter. Indeed, the use of a variety of promoters is contemplated, including, but not limited to, 35S and 19S of Cauliflower Mosaic virus, rice actin, ubiquitin, Cassava Vein Mosaic virus, heat shock and rubisco promoters. In some embodiments, the nucleic acid sequences of the present invention are arranged in sense orientation, while in other embodiments, the nucleic acid sequences are arranged in the vector in antisense orientation. In still further embodiments, the present invention provides a plant comprising one of the foregoing nucleic acid sequences or vectors, as well as seeds, leaves, and fruit from the plant. In some particularly preferred embodiments, the present invention provides at least one of the foregoing sequences for use in conferring herbicide tolerance or resistance in a plant. In still other embodiments, the present invention provides processes for making a transgenic plant comprising providing a vector as described above and a plant, and transfecting the plant with the vector. In other preferred embodiments, the present invention provides processes for providing a herbicide tolerance or resistance phenotype in a plant or population of plants comprising providing a vector as described above and a plant, and transfecting the plant with the vector such that a herbicide resistant phenotype is conferred by expression of the isolated nucleic acid from the vector. In still further embodiments, the present invention provides an isolated nucleic acid selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 1-365 and nucleic acid sequences that hybridize to any thereof under conditions of low stringency for use in producing a herbicide resistant plant. In other embodiments, the present invention provides an isolated nucleic acid, composition or vector substantially as described herein in any of the examples, figures or claims. |
Optical processing |
To operate an optical device comprising an SLM with a two-dimensional array of controllable phase-modulating elements groups of individual phase-modulating elements are delineated, and control data selected from a store for each delineated group of phase-modulating elements. The selected control data are used to generate holograms at each group and one or both of the delineation of the groups and the selection of control data is/are varied. In this way upon illumination of the groups by light beams, light beams emergent from the groups are controllable independently of each other. |
1. a method of operating an optical device comprising an SLM having a two-dimensional array of controllable phase-modulating elements, the method comprising delineating groups of individual phase-modulating elements; selecting, from stored control data, control data for each group of phase-modulating elements; generating from the respective selected control data a respective hologram at each group of phase-modulating elements; and varying the delineation of the groups and/or the selection of control data whereby upon illumination of said groups by respective light beams, respective emergent light beams from the groups are controllable independently of each other: 2. A method of operating an optical device according to clam 1, wherein control of said light beams is selected from the group comprising: control of direction, control of power, focussing, aberration compensation, sampling and beam shaping. 3. A method of operating an optical device according to claim 1, wherein each phase modulating element is responsive to a respective applied voltage to provide a corresponding phase shift to emergent light, the method further comprising controlling said phase-modulating elements of the spatial light modulator to provide respective actual holograms derived from the respective generated holograms, wherein the controlling step comprises: resolving the respective generated holograms modulo 2pi. 4. A method of operating an optical device according to claim 1, comprising: providing a discrete number of voltages available for application to each phase modulating element; on the basis of the respective generated holograms, determining the desired level of phase modulation at a predetermined point on each phase modulating element and choosing for each phase modulating element the available voltage which corresponds most closely to the desired level. 5. A method of operating an optical device according to claim 1, comprising: providing a discrete number of voltages available for application to each phase modulating element; determining a subset of the available voltages which provides the best fit to the generated hologram. 6. A method of operating an optical device according to claim 1, further comprising the step of storing said control data wherein the step of storing said control data comprises calculating an initial hologram using a desired direction change of a beam of light, applying said initial hologram to a group of phase modulating elements, and correcting the initial hologram to obtain an improved result. 7. A method of operating an optical device according to claim 1, further comprising the step of providing sensors for detecting temperature change, and performing said varying step in response to the outputs of those sensors. 8. A method of operating an optical device according to claim 1, in which the SLM is integrated on a substrate and has an integrated quarter-wave plate whereby it is substantially polarisation insensitive. 9. A method of operating an optical device according to claim 1, wherein the phase-modulating elements are substantially reflective, whereby emergent beams are deflected from the specular reflection direction. 10. A method of operating an optical device according to claim 3 comprising, for at least one said group of phase-modulating elements, providing control data indicative of two holograms to be displayed by said group and generating a combined hologram before said resolving step. 11. An optical device comprising an SLM and a control circuit, the SLM having a two-dimensional array of controllable phase-modulating elements and the control circuit having a store constructed and arranged to hold plural items of control data, the control circuit being constructed and arranged to delineate groups of individual phase-modulating elements, to select, from stored control data, control data for each group of phase-modulating elements, and to generate from the respective selected control data a respective hologram at each group of phase-modulating elements, wherein the control circuit is further constructed and arranged to vary the delineation of the groups and/or the selection of control data, whereby upon illumination of said groups by respective light beams, respective emergent light beams from the groups are controllable independently of each other. 12. An optical device according to claim 11, having sensor devices arranged to detect light emergent from the SLM, the control circuit being responsive to signals from the sensors to vary said delineation and/or said selection. 13. An optical device according to claim 11, having temperature responsive devices constructed and arranged to feed signals indicative of device temperature to said control circuit, whereby said delineation and/or selection is varied. 14. An optical routing device having at least first and second SLMs and a control circuit, the first SLM being disposed to receive respective light beams from an input fibre array, and the second SLM being disposed to receive emergent light from the first SLM and to provide light to an output fibre array, the first and second SLMs each having a respective two-dimensional array of controllable phase-modulating elements and the control circuit having a store constructed and arranged to hold plural items of control data, the control circuit being constructed and arranged to delineate groups of individual phase-modulating elements, to select, from stored control data, control data for each group of phase-modulating elements, and to generate from the respective selected control data a respective hologram at each group of phase-modulating elements, wherein the control circuit is further constructed and arranged, to vary the delineation of the groups and/or the selection of control data whereby upon illumination of said groups by respective light beams, respective emergent light beams from the groups are controllable independently of each other. 15. A device for shaping one or more light beams in which the or each light beam is incident upon a respective group of pixels of a two-dimensional SLM, and the pixels of the or each respective group are controlled so that the corresponding beams emerging from the SLM are shaped as required. 16. An optical device comprising one or more optical inputs at respective locations, a diffraction grating constructed and arranged to receive light from the or each optical input, a focussing device and a continuous array of phase modulating elements, the diffraction grating and the array of phase modulating elements being disposed in the focal plane of the focussing device whereby diverging light from a single point on the diffraction grating passes via the focussing device to form beams at the array of phase modulating elements, the device further comprising one or more optical output at respective locations spatially separate location from the or each optical input, whereby the diffraction grating is constructed and arranged to output light to the or each optical output. 17. A method of filtering light comprising applying a beam of said light to a diffraction grating whereby emerging light from the grating is angularly dispersed by wavelength, forming respective parallel beams from said emerging light by passing the emerging light to a focussing device having the grating at its focal plane, passing the respective parallel beams to an SLM at the focal plane of the focussing device, the SLM having a two-dimensional array of controllable phase-modulating elements, selectively reflecting light from different locations of said SLM and passing said reflected light to said focussing device and then to said grating. 18. A method according to claim 17 comprising delineating groups of individual phase-modulating elements to receive beams of light of differing wavelength; selecting, from stored control data, control data for each group of phase-modulating elements; generating from the respective selected control data a respective hologram at each group of phase-modulating elements; and varying the delineation of the groups and/or the selection of control data. 19. An optical add/drop multiplexer having a reflective SLM having a two-dimensional array of controllable phase-modulating elements, a diffraction device and a focussing device wherein light beams from a common point on the diffraction device are mutually parallel when incident upon the SLM, and wherein the SLM displays respective holograms at locations of incidence of light to provide emergent beams whose direction deviates from the direction of specular reflection. 20. A test or monitoring device comprising an SLM having a two-dimensional array of pixels, and operable to cause incident light to emerge in a direction deviating from the specular direction, the device having light sensors at predetermined locations arranged to provide signals indicative of said emerging light. 21. A test or monitoring device according to claim 20, further comprising further sensors arranged to provide signals indicative of light emerging in the specular directions. 22. A power control device for one or more beams of light in which the or each beam is incident on respective groups of pixels of a two-dimensional SLM, and power-control holograms are applied to the respective groups so that the emergent beams have power reduced by comparison to the respective incident beams. 23. An optical routing module having at least one input and at least two outputs and operable to select between the outputs, the module comprising a two dimensional SLM having an array of pixels, with circuitry constructed and arranged to display holograms on the pixels to route beams of different frequency to respective outputs. 24. A routing device having an input and plural outputs, the input constructed and arranged to receive a light beam having plural wavelengths, the device comprising an optical device for selecting the wavelengths of the input beam to appear in the outputs, wherein each output may contain any desired set of the plural wavelengths. 25. A routing device according to claim 24, wherein the members of the desired set may be varied in use. 26. A routing device according to claim 24, wherein at least two of the outputs contain at least one common wavelength. 27. A routing device having plural input signals and an output, the output constructed and arranged to deliver a signal having plural wavelengths, the device comprising a device for combining the wavelengths from the input signals to appear in the output, wherein each input signal may contain any desired set of the plural wavelengths of the output. 28. A method of filtering light comprising spatially distributing the light by wavelength across an array of phase-modulating elements to form plural beams, delineating a group of said phase-modulating elements to be aligned with the centre frequency of a desired channel whereby the group truncates the beams according to wavelength, controlling the group to provide images of the truncated light beams incident on the group at a selected output waveguide wherein the original centres of the truncated light beams are substantially coincident with the centre of the output waveguide. |
<SOH> BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION <EOH>It has previously been proposed to use so-called spatial light modulators to control the routing of light beams within an optical system, for instance from selected ones of a number of input optical fibres to selected ones of output fibres. Optical systems are subject to performance impairments resulting from aberrations, phase distortions and component misalignment. An example is a multiway fibre connector, which although conceptually simple can often be a critical source of system failure or insertion loss due to the very tight alignment tolerances for optical fibres, especially for single-mode optical fibres. Every time a fibre connector is connected, it may provide a different alignment error. Another example is an optical switch in which aberrations, phase distortions and component misalignments result in poor optical coupling efficiency into the intended output optical fibres. This in turn may lead to high insertion loss. The aberrated propagating waves may diffract into intensity fluctuations creating significant unwanted coupling of light into other output optical fibres, leading to levels of crosstalk that impede operation. In some cases, particularly where long path lengths are involved, the component misalignment may occur due to ageing or temperature effects. Some prior systems seek to meet such problems by use of expensive components. For example in a communications context, known free-space wavelength multiplexers and demultiplexers use expensive thermally stable opto-mechanics to cope with the problems associated with long path lengths. Certain optical systems have a requirement for reconfigurability. Such reconfigurable systems include optical switches, add/drop multiplexers and other optical routing systems where the mapping of signals from input ports to output ports is dynamic. In such systems the path-dependent losses, aberrations and phase distortions encountered by optical beams may vary from beam to beam according to the route taken by the beam through the system. Therefore the path-dependent loss, aberrations and phase distortions may vary for each input beam or as a function of the required output port. The prior art does not adequately address this situation. Other optical systems are static in terms of input/output configuration. In such systems, effects such as assembly errors, manufacturing tolerances in the optics and also changes in the system behaviour due to temperature and ageing, create the desirability for dynamic direction control, aberration correction, phase distortion compensation or misalignment compensation. It should be noted that the features of dynamic direction control, phase distortion compensation and misalignment control are not restricted to systems using input beams coming from optical fibres. Such features may also be advantageous in a reconfigurable optical system. Another static system in which dynamic control of phase distortion, direction and (relative) misalignment would be advantageous is one in which the quality and/or position of the input beams is time-varying. Often the input and output beams for optical systems contain a multiplex of many optical signals at different wavelengths, and these signals may need to be separated and adaptively and individually processed inside the system. Sometimes, although the net aim of a system is not to separate optical signals according to their wavelength and then treat them separately, to do so increases the wavelength range of the system as a whole. Where this separation is effected, it is often advantageous for the device used to route each channel to have a low insertion loss and to operate quickly. It is an aim of some aspects of the present invention at least partly to mitigate difficulties of the prior art. It is desirable for certain applications that a method or device for addressing these issues should be polarisation-independent, or have low polarisation-dependence. SLMs have been proposed for use as adaptive optical components in the field of astronomical devices, for example as wavefront correctors. In this field of activity, the constraints are different to the present field—for example in communication and like devices, the need for consistent performance is paramount if data is to be passed without errors. Communication and like devices are desirably inexpensive, and desirably inhabit and successfully operate in environments that are not closely controlled. By contrast, astronomical devices may be used in conditions more akin to laboratory conditions, and cost constraints are less pressing. Astronomical devices are unlikely to need to select successive routings of light within a system, and variations in performance may be acceptable. |
<SOH> SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION <EOH>According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of operating an optical device comprising an SLM having a two-dimensional array of controllable phase-modulating elements, the method comprising delineating groups of individual phase-modulating elements; selecting, from stored control data, control data for each group of phase-modulating elements; generating from the respective selected control data a respective hologram at each group of phase-modulating elements; and varying the delineation of the groups and/or the selection of control data whereby upon illumination of said groups by respective light beams, respective emergent light beams from the groups are controllable independently of each other. In some embodiments, the variation of the delineation and/or control data selection is in response to a signal or signals indicating a non-optimal performance of the device. In other embodiments, the variation is performed during a set up or training phase of the device. In yet other embodiments, the variation is in response to an operating signal, for example a signal giving the result of sensing non-performance system parameters such as temperature. An advantage of the method of this aspect of the invention is that stable operation can be achieved in the presence of effects such as ageing, temperature, component, change of path through the system and assembly tolerances. Preferably, control of said light beams is selected from the group comprising: control of direction, control of power, focussing, aberration compensation, sampling and beam shaping. Clearly in most situations more than one of these control types will be needed—for example in a routing device (such as a switch, filter or add/drop multiplexer) primary changes of direction are likely to be needed to cope with changes of routing as part of the main system but secondary correction will be needed to cope with effects such as temperature and ageing. Additionally such systems may also need to control power, and to allow sampling (both of which may in some cases be achieved by direction changes). Advantageously, each phase modulating element is responsive to a respective applied voltage to provide a corresponding phase shift to emergent light, and the method further comprises; controlling said phase-modulating elements of the spatial light modulator to provide respective actual holograms derived from the respective generated holograms, wherein the controlling step comprises; resolving the respective generated holograms modulo 2pi. The preferred SLM uses a liquid crystal material to provide phase shift and the liquid crystal material is not capable of large phase shifts beyond plus or minus 2pi. Some liquid crystal materials can only provide a smaller range of phase shifts, and if such materials are used, the resolution of the generated hologram is correspondingly smaller. Preferably the method comprises: providing a discrete number of voltages available for application to each phase modulating element; on the basis of the respective generated holograms, determining the desired level of phase modulation at a predetermined point on each phase modulating element and choosing for each phase modulating element the available voltage which corresponds most closely to the desired level. Where a digital control device is used, the resolution of the digital signal does not provide a continuous spectrum of available voltages. One way of coping with this is to determine the desired modulation for each pixel and to choose the individual voltage which will provide the closest modulation to the desired level. In another embodiment, the method comprises: providing a discrete number of voltages available for application to each phase modulating element; determining a subset of the available voltages which provides the best fit to the generated hologram. Another technique is to look at the pixels of the group as a whole and to select from the available voltages those that give rise to the nearest phase modulation across the whole group. Advantageously, the method further comprises the step of storing said control data wherein the step of storing said control data comprises calculating an initial hologram using a desired direction change of a beam of light, applying said initial hologram to a group of phase modulating elements, and correcting the initial hologram to obtain an improved result. The method may further comprise the step of providing sensors for detecting temperature change, and performing said varying step in response to the outputs of those sensors. The SLM may be integrated on a substrate and have an integral quarter-wave plate whereby it is substantially polarisation insensitive. Preferably the phase-modulating elements are substantially reflective, whereby emergent beams are deflected from the specular reflection direction. In some aspects, for at least one said group of pixels, the method comprises providing control data indicative of two holograms to be displayed by said group and generating a combined hologram before said resolving step. According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided an optical device comprising an SLM and a control circuit, the SLM having a two-dimensional array of controllable phase-modulating elements and the control circuit having a store constructed and arranged to hold plural items of control data, the control circuit being constructed and arranged to delineate groups of individual phase-modulating elements, to select, from stored control data, control data for each group of phase-modulating elements, and to generate from the respective selected control data a respective hologram at each group of phase-modulating elements, wherein the control circuit is further constructed and arranged, to vary the delineation of the groups and/or the selection of control data whereby upon illumination of said groups by respective light beams, respective emergent light beams from the groups are controllable independently of each other. An advantage of the device of this aspect of the invention is that stable operation can be achieved in the presence of effects such as ageing, temperature, component and assembly tolerances. Embodiments of the device can handle many light beams simultaneously. Embodiments can be wholly reconfigurable, for example compensating differently for a number of routing configurations. Preferably, the optical device has sensor devices arranged to detect light emergent from the SLM, the control circuit being responsive to signals from the sensors to vary said delineation and/or said selection. In some embodiments, the optical device has temperature responsive devices constructed and arranged to feed signals indicative of device temperature to said control circuit, whereby said delineation and/or selection is varied. In another aspect, the invention provides an optical routing device having at least first and second SLMs and a control circuit, the first SLM being disposed to receive respective light beams from an input fibre array, and the second SLM being disposed to receive emergent light from the first SLM and to provide light to an output fibre array, the first and second SLMs each having a respective two-dimensional array of controllable phase-modulating elements and the control circuit having a store constructed and arranged to hold plural items of control data, the control circuit being constructed and arranged to delineate groups of individual phase-modulating elements, to select, from stored control data, control data for each group of phase-modulating elements, and to generate from the respective selected control data a respective hologram at each group of phase-modulating elements, wherein the control circuit is further constructed and arranged, to vary the delineation of the groups and/or the selection of control data whereby upon illumination of said groups by respective light beams, respective emergent light beams from the groups are controllable independently of each other. In a further aspect, the invention provides a device for shaping one or more light beams in which the or each light beam is incident upon a respective group of pixels of a two-dimensional SLM, and the pixels of the or each respective group are controlled so that the corresponding beams emerging from the SLM are shaped as required. According to a further aspect of the invention there is provided an optical device comprising one or more optical inputs at respective locations, a diffraction grating constructed and arranged to receive light from the or each optical input, a focussing device and a continuous array of phase modulating elements, the diffraction grating and the array of phase modulating elements being disposed in the focal plane of the focussing device whereby diverging light from a single point on the diffraction grating passes via the focussing device to form beams at the array of phase modulating elements, the device further comprising one or more optical output at respective locations spatially separate from the or each optical input, whereby the diffraction grating is constructed and arranged to output light to the or each optical output. This device allows multiwavelength input light to be distributed in wavelength terms across different groups of phase-modulating elements. This allows different processing effects to be applied to any desired part or parts of the spectrum. According to a still further aspect of the invention there is provided a method of filtering light comprising applying a beam of said light to a diffraction grating whereby emerging light from the grating is angularly dispersed by wavelength, forming respective beams from said emerging light by passing the emerging light to a focussing device having the grating at its focal plane, passing the respective beams to an SLM at the focal plane of the focussing device, the SLM having a two-dimensional array of controllable phase-modulating elements, selectively reflecting light from different locations of said SLM and passing said reflected light to said focussing element and then to said grating. Preferably the method comprises delineating groups of individual phase-modulating elements to receive beams of light of differing wavelength; selecting, from stored control data, control data for each group of phase-modulating elements; generating from the respective selected control data a respective hologram at each group of phase-modulating elements; and varying the delineation of the groups and/or the selection of control data. According to a still further aspect of the invention there is provided an optical add/drop multiplexer having a reflective SLM having a two-dimensional array of controllable phase-modulating elements, a diffraction device and a focussing device wherein light beams from a common point on the diffraction device are mutually parallel when incident upon the SLM, and wherein the SLM displays respective holograms at locations of incidence of light to provide emergent beams whose direction deviates from the direction of specular reflection. In a yet further aspect, the invention provides a test or monitoring device comprising an SLM having a two-dimensional array of pixels, and operable to cause incident light to emerge in a direction deviating from the specular direction, the device having light sensors at predetermined locations arranged to provide signals indicative of said emerging light. The test or monitoring device may further comprise further sensors arranged to provide signals indicative of light emerging in the specular directions. Yet a further aspect of the invention relates to a power control device for one or more beams of lights in which the said beams are incident on respective groups of pixels of a two-dimensional SLM, and holograms are applied to the respective group so that the emergent beams have power reduced by comparison to the respective incident beams. The invention further relates to an optical routing module having at least one input and at least two outputs and operable to select between the outputs, the module comprising a two dimensional SLM having an array of pixels, with circuitry constructed and arranged to display holograms on the pixels to route beams of different frequency to respective outputs. According to a later aspect of the invention there is provided an optoelectronic device comprising an integrated multiple phase spatial light modulator (SLM) having a plurality of pixels, wherein each pixel can phase modulate light by a phase shift having an upper and a lower limit, and wherein each pixel has an input and is responsive to a value at said input to provide a phase modulation determined by said value, and a controller for the SLM, wherein the controller has a control input receiving data indicative of a desired phase modulation characteristic across an array of said pixels for achieving a desired control of light incident on said array, the controller has outputs to each pixel, each output being capable of assuming only a discrete number of possible values, and the controller comprises a processor constructed and arranged to derive, from said desired phase modulation characteristic, a non-monotonic phase modulation not extending outside said upper and lower limits, and a switch constructed and arranged to select between the possible values to provide a respective one value at each output whereby the SLM provides said non-monotonic phase modulation. Some or all of the circuitry may be on-chip leading to built-in intelligence. This leads to more compact and ultimately low-cost devices. In some embodiments, some or all on-chip circuitry may operate in parallel for each pixel which may provide huge time advantages; in any event the avoidance of the need to transfer data off chip and thereafter to read in to a computer allows configuration and reconfiguration to be faster. According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a method of controlling a light beam using a spatial light modulator (SLM) having an array of pixels, the method comprising: determining a desired phase modulation characteristic across a sub-array of said pixels for achieving the desired control of said beam; controlling said pixels to provide a phase modulation derived from the desired phase modulation, wherein the controlling step comprises providing a population of available phase modulation levels for each pixel, said population comprising a discrete number of said phase modulation levels; on the basis of the desired phase modulation, a level selecting step of selecting for each pixel a respective one of said phase modulation levels; and causing each said pixel to provide the respective one of said phase modulation levels. The SLM may be a multiple phase liquid crystal over silicon spatial light modulator having plural pixels, of a type having an integrated wave plate and a reflective element, such that successive passes of a beam through the liquid crystal subject each orthogonally polarised component to a substantially similar electrically-set phase change. If a non-integrated wave plate is used instead, a beam after reflection and passage through the external wave plate will not pass through the same zone of the SLM, unless it is following the input path, in which case the zero order component of said beam will re-enter the input fibre. The use of the wave plate and the successive pass architecture allows the SLM to be substantially polarisation independent. In one embodiment the desired phase modulation at least includes a linear component. Linear phase modulation, or an approximation to linear phase modulation may be used to route a beam of light, i.e. to select a new direction of propagation for the beam. In many routing applications, two SLMs are used in series, and the displayed information on the one has the inverse effect to the information displayed on the other. Since the information represents phase change data, it may be regarded as a hologram. Hence an output SLM may display a hologram that is the inverse of that displayed on the input SLM. Routing may also be “one-to-many” (i.e. multicasting) or “one-to-all” (i.e. broadcasting) rather than the more usual one-to-one in many routing devices. This may be achieved by correct selection of the relevant holograms. Preferably the linear modulation is resolved modulo 2pi to provide a periodic ramp. In another embodiment the desired phase modulation includes a non-linear component. Preferably the method further comprises selecting, from said array of pixels, a sub-array of pixels for incidence by said light beam. The size of a selected sub-array may vary from switch to switch according to the physical size of the switch and of the pixels. However, a typical routing device may have pixel arrays of between 100×100 and 200×200, and other devices such as add/drop multiplexers may have arrays of between 10×10 and 50×50. Square arrays are not essential. In one embodiment the level-selecting step comprises determining the desired level of phase modulation at a predetermined point on each pixel and choosing for each pixel, the available level which corresponds most closely to the desired level. In another embodiment, the level-selecting step comprises determining a subset of the available levels, which provides the best fit to the desired characteristic. The subset may comprise a subset of possible levels for each pixel. Alternatively the subset may comprise a set of level distributions, each having a particular level for each pixel. In one embodiment, the causing step includes providing a respective voltage to an electrode of each pixel, wherein said electrode extends across substantially the whole of the pixel. Preferably again the level selecting step comprises selecting the level by a modulo 2pi comparison with the desired phase modulation. The actual phase excursion may be from A to A+2pi where A is an arbitrary angle. Preferably the step of determining the desired phase modulation comprises calculating a direction change of a beam of light. Conveniently, after the step of calculating a direction change, the step of determining the desired phase modulation further comprises correcting the phase modulation obtained from the calculating step to obtain an improved result. Advantageously, the correction step is retroactive. In another embodiment the step of determining the desired phase modulation is retroactive, whereby parameters of the phase modulation are varied in response to a sensed error to reduce the error. A first class of embodiments relates to the simulation/synthesis of generally corrective elements. In some members of the first class, the method of the invention is performed to provide a device, referred to hereinafter as an accommodation element for altering the focus of the light beam. An example of an accommodation element is a lens. An accommodation element may also be an anti-astigmatic device, for instance comprising the superposition of two cylindrical lenses at arbitrary orientations. In other members of the first class, the method of the invention is performed to provide an aberration correction device for correcting greater than quadratic aberrations. The sub-array selecting step may assign a sub-array of pixels to a beam based on the predicted path of the beam as it approaches the SLM just prior to incidence. Advantageously, after the sub-array is assigned using the predicted path, it is determined whether the assignment is correct, and if not a different sub-array is assigned. The assignment may need to be varied in the event of temperature, ageing or other physical changes. The sub-array selection is limited in resolution only by the pixel size. By contrast other array devices such as MEMS have fixed physical edges to their beam steering elements. An element of this type may be used in a routing device to compensate for aberrations, phase distortions and component misalignment in the system. By providing sensing devices a controller may be used to retroactively control the element and the element may maintain an optimum performance of the system. In one embodiment of this first class, the method includes both causing the SLM to route a beam and causing the SLM to emulate a corrective element to correct for errors, whereby the SLM receives a discrete approximation of the combination of both a linear phase modulation applied to it to route the beam and a non-linear phase modulation for said corrections. Synthesising a lens using an SLM can be used to change the position of the beam focused spot and therefore correct for a position error or manufacturing tolerance in one or more other lenses or reflective (as opposed to transmissive) optical elements such as a curved mirror. The method of the invention may be used to correct for aberrations such as field curvature in which the output ‘plane’ of the image(s) from an optical system is curved, rather than flat. In another embodiment of the first class, intelligence may be integrated with sensors that detect the temperature changes and apply data from a look-up table to apply corrections. In yet another embodiment of this class, misalignment and focus errors are detected by measuring the power coupled into strategically placed sensing devices, such as photodiode arrays, monitor fibres or a wavefront sensor. Compensating holograms are formed as a result of the discrete approximations of the non-linear modulation. Changes or adjustments may then be made to these holograms, for example by applying a stimulus and then correcting the holograms according to the sensed response until the system alignment is measured to be optimised. In embodiments where the method provides routing functions by approximated linear modulation, adaptation of non-linear modulation due to changes in the path taken through the system desirably takes place on a timescale equivalent to that required to change the hologram routing, i.e. of the order of milliseconds. A control algorithm may use one or more of several types of compensation. In one embodiment a look-up table is used with pre-calculated ‘expected’ values of the compensation taking account of the different routes through the system. In another embodiment the system is trained before first being operated, by repeated changes of, or adjustments to, the compensating holograms to learn how the system is misaligned. A further embodiment employs intelligence attached to the monitor fibres for monitoring and calculation of how these compensating holograms should adapt with time to accommodate changes in the system alignment. This is achieved in some embodiments by integrating circuitry components into the silicon backplane of the SLM. In many optical systems there is a need to control and adapt the power or shape of an optical beam as well as its direction or route through the optical system. In communications applications, power control is required for network management reasons. In general, optical systems require the levelling out or compensation for path and wavelength-dependent losses inside the optical system. It is usually desirable that power control should not introduce or accentuate other performance impairments. Thus in a second class of embodiments, the modulation applied is modified for controlling the attenuation of an optical channel subjected to the SLM. In one particular embodiment, the ideal value of phase modulation is calculated for every pixel, and then multiplied by a coefficient having a value between 0 and 1, selected according to the desired attenuation and the result is compared to the closest available phase level to provide the value applied to the pixels. In another embodiment, the method further comprises selecting by a discrete approximation to a linear phase modulation, a routing hologram for display by the SLM whereby the beams may be correctly routed; selecting by a discrete approximation to a non-linear phase modulation, a further hologram for separating each beam into main and subsidiary beams, wherein the main beam is routed through the system and the or each subsidiary beam is diffracted out of the system; combining the routing and further holograms together to provide a resultant hologram; and causing the SLM to provide the resultant hologram. The non-linear phase modulation may be oscillatory. In yet another embodiment, the method further comprises selecting by a discrete approximation to a linear phase modulation, a routing hologram for display by the SLM whereby the beams may be correctly routed; selecting by a discrete approximation to a non-linear phase modulation, a further hologram for separating each beam into main and subsidiary beams, wherein the main beam is routed through the system and at least one subsidiary beam is incident on an output at an angle such that its contribution is insignificant; combining the routing and further holograms together to provide resultant hologram; and causing the SLM to display the resultant hologram. The non-linear phase modulation may be oscillatory. In a closely allied class of embodiments, light may be selectively routed to a sensor device for monitoring the light in the system. The technique used may be a power control technique in which light diverted from the beam transmitted through the system to reduce its magnitude is made incident on the sensor device. In another class of embodiments, a non-linear phase modulation profile is selected to provide beam shaping, for example so as to reduce cross-talk effects due to width clipping. This may use a pseudo amplitude modulation technique. In a further class of embodiments, the method uses a non-linear modulation profile chosen to provide wavelength dependent effects. The light may be at a telecommunications wavelength, for example 850 nm, 1300 nm or in the range 1530 nm to 1620 nm. |
Displacement assay for detecting ligate-ligand association events |
Described is a method for detection of ligate-ligand association events, the method comprising the steps: providing a modified surface, the modification consisting in the attachment of at least one type of ligate; providing signal ligands; providing a sample having ligands; bringing a defined quantity of the signal ligands into contact with the modified surface and bringing the sample into contact with the modified surface; detecting the signal ligands; and comparing with reference values the values obtained from the detection of the signal ligands. |
1. A method for detection of ligate-ligand association events, comprising the steps: a) providing a modified surface, the modification consisting in the attachment of at least one type of ligate, b) providing signal ligands, c) providing a sample having ligands, d) bringing a defined quantity of the signal ligands into contact with the modified surface and bringing the sample into contact with the modified surface, e) detecting the signal ligands, f) comparing the values obtained in step e) with reference values. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein in step d), bringing a defined quantity of the signal ligands into contact with the modified surface and bringing the sample into contact with the modified surface take place simultaneously. 3. The method according to claim 1, wherein in step d) bringing a defined quantity of the signal ligands into contact with the modified surface and bringing the sample into contact with the modified surface take place separately. 4. The method according to claim 3, wherein as step d), first the step d1) bringing a defined quantity of the signal ligands into contact with the modified surface and thereafter the step d2) bringing the sample into contact with the modified surface is carried out. 5. The method according to claim 4, wherein after step d1) and before step d2) the step d3) detecting the signal ligands is carried out and in step f) the values obtained in step e) are compared with the reference values obtained in step d3) 6. The method according to claim 5, wherein after step d3) and before step d2) the step d4) washing the modified surface is carried out, and after step d2) and before step e) the step d5) bringing the signal ligands into contact with the modified surface, the identical defined quantity of signal ligands being used as in step d1) is carried out. 7. The method according to claim 6, wherein after step d3) and before step d4) the step d6) setting conditions or taking actions that lead to at least predominant dissociation of ligates and signal ligands is carried out. 8. The method according to claim 3, wherein as step d), first the step d2) bringing the probe into contact with the modified surface and thereafter the step d1) bringing a defined quantity of the signal ligands into contact with the modified surface is carried out. 9. The method according to claim 8, wherein after step e) the steps e1) setting conditions or taking actions that lead to at least predominant dissociation of ligates and ligands, e2) washing the modified surface, e3) bringing the signal ligands into contact with the modified surface, the identical defined quantity of signal ligands being used as in step d1), e4) detecting the signal ligands are carried out and in step f), the values obtained in step e) are compared with the reference values obtained in step e4). 10. The method according to claim 9, wherein in step d6) or in step e1), chaotropic salts are added. 11. The method according to any one of claims 1, 2, and 3, wherein as step a) the step a) providing a modified surface, the modification consisting in the attachment of at least two types of ligates, and the differing types of ligates being bound to the surface in spatially substantially separate regions is carried out, after step c) and before step d) the step c1) adding a ligand to the sample, the ligand being a binding partner having a high association constant of a ligate that is bound to the surface in a specific region T100, the ligand being added in a quantity that is greater than the quantity of ligands needed to completely associate the ligates of the T100 test sites is carried out and in step f), the values obtained in step e) are compared with the value obtained for the T100 region. 12. The method according to claim 11, wherein as step a) the step a) providing a modified surface, the modification consisting in the attachment of at least three types of ligates, and the differing types of ligates are bound to the surface in spatially substantially separate regions, at least one type of ligate being attached to the surface in a specific region T0, and no binding partner having a high association constant to this ligate is contained in the probe is carried out and in step f) the values obtained in step e) are compared with the value obtained for the T100 region and with the value obtained for the T0 region. 13. The method according to claim 12, wherein before step d) the step c2) adding at least one additional type of ligand to the sample, the ligand in the sample provided in step c) not being contained and the ligand exhibiting an association constant >0 to a ligate that is bound to the surface in a specific region Tn, the ligand being added in a quantity such that, after step d), n% of the ligates in the Tn region are present in associated form is carried out and in step f), the values obtained in step e) are compared with the value obtained for the T100 region, with the value obtained for the T0 region and with the values obtained for the Tn regions. 14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the signal ligands are added in a quantity that is greater than the quantity of signal ligands needed to completely associate the ligates of the T100 test sites. 15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the signal ligands are modified with a detection label. 16. The method according to claim 14, wherein the signal ligands are modified with multiple detection labels. 17. The method according to claim 16, wherein a fluorophore is used as the detection label, especially a fluorescent dye, especially Texas Red, a rhodamine dye or fluorescein. 18. The method according to claim 16, wherein a redox-active substance is used as the detection label. 19. The method according to claim 18, wherein riboflavin, a quinone, especially pyrrolloquinoline quinone, ubiquinone, anthraquinone, naphthoquinone, menaquinone, or derivatives thereof, a metallocene, especially a ferrocene or a cobaltocene, a metallocene derivative, especially a ferrocene derivative or a cobaltocene derivative, a porphyrin, methylene blue, daunomycin, a dopamine derivative, a hydroquinone derivative, especially a para- or ortho-dihydroxy-benzene derivative, a para- or ortho-dihydroxy-anthraquinone derivative or a para- or ortho-dihydroxy-naphthoquinone derivative is used as the redox-active substance. 20. The method according to claim 18, wherein a transition metal complex, especially a Cu, Fe, Ru, Os or Ti transition metal complex is used as the redox-active substance. 21. The method according to claim 20, wherein a transition metal complex having one or more ligands selected from the group consisting of pyridine, 4,7-dimethylphenanthroline, 9,10-phenanthrene quinonediimine, porphyrins and substituted porphyrin derivatives is used. 22. The method according to claim 21, wherein the modified surface is a conductive surface. 23. The method according to claim 22, wherein the detection of the signal ligands takes place through a surface-sensitive detection method. 24. The method according to claim 23, wherein the detection of the signal ligands takes place through a spectroscopic, an electrochemical or an electrochemiluminescent method. 25. The method according to claim 24, wherein the spectroscopic detection takes place through detecting the fluorescence, especially the total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF), of the signal ligands. 26. The method according to claim 24, wherein the electrochemical detection takes place through amperometry or chronocoulometry. 27. The method according to claim 26, wherein substrates, cofactors or coenzymes are used as ligands, and proteins or enzymes are used as ligates. 28. The method according to claim 26, wherein antibodies are used as ligands, and antigens or antigen-antibody complexes are used as ligates. 29. The method according to claim 26, wherein antigens are used as ligands, and antibodies are used as ligates. 30. The method according to claim 26, wherein receptors are used as ligands, and hormones are used as ligates. 31. The method according to claim 26, wherein hormones are used as ligands, and receptors are used as ligates. 32. The method according to claim 26, wherein nucleic acid oligomers are used as ligands, and nucleic acid oligomers that are complementary thereto are used as ligates. 33. The method according to claim 32, wherein in step d5) or in step e1) the temperature is raised above the melting temperature of the ligate—signal ligand—oligonucleotide. 34. The method according to claim 33, wherein in step d5) or in step e1) a potential that lies above the electrostringent potential is applied. 35. The method according to claim 34, wherein the nucleic acid oligomers used as ligates comprise 3 to 70 or 3 to 50 bases, especially 8 to 50 or 5 to 30 bases, particularly preferably 10 to 30 or 8 to 25 bases. 36. A use of substrates, cofactors, coenzymes, proteins, enzymes, antibodies, antigens, receptors, hormones and nucleic acid oligomers as ligates and/or signal ligands and/or ligands in a method according to claim 35. 37. A kit for carrying out a method of detection of ligate-ligand association events, comprising a modified surface, the modification consisting in the attachment of at least one type of ligate; and an effective quantity of signal ligands. 38. The kit according to claim 37, wherein the kit additionally comprises reference values for comparison with the values obtained from the detection of the signal ligands. 39. The kit according to claim 37, wherein the modified surface comprises at least one T0 region and at least one T100 region. 40. The kit according to claim 39, wherein the modified surface additionally comprises at least one Tn region. |
<SOH> BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION <EOH>Immunoassays and, increasingly, also DNA and RNA sequence analysis are being employed in disease diagnosis, toxicological test procedures, genetic research and development, and in the agricultural and pharmaceutical sectors. In addition to the known serial methods using autoradiographical or optical detection, increasingly, parallel detection methods by means of array technology using what are known as DNA or protein chips are being applied. For the parallel methods, too, the actual detection is based on either optical, radiographical, mass spectrometric or electrochemical methods. In addition to their applications for sequencing, oligonucleotide or DNA chips can also be used for SNP (single nucleotide polymorphism) or gene expression analysis, since they allow the activity level of a large number of individual active genes (cDNA or mRNA) of a specific cel type or tissue to be measured in parallel, which is possible with conventional (serial) gene detection methods only with difficulty or at great expense. The analysis of pathologically modified gene activities, in turn, can contribute to clarification of disease mechanisms and identification of new points of attack for therapeutic application. In addition, (only) DNA chips allow so-called pharmacogenomic studies during clinical development, which can significantly increase the effectiveness and safety of the drugs. The pharmacogenomic studies focus on the question of which genetic factors are responsible for patients displaying differing reactions to the same drug. Extensive polymorphism analyses (base-pair mismatch analyses) of genes that encode important metabolic enzymes can uncover answers to such questions. To analyze genes on a chip, a library of known DNA sequences (“probe oligonucleotides”) is attached to a surface in an ordered grid such that the position of each individual DNA sequence is known. If fragments of active genes (“target oligonucleotides”) whose sequences are complementary to specific probe oligonucleotides on the chip exist in the test solution, the target oligonucleotides can be identified (read) by detecting the appropriate hybridization events on the chip. Protein chips whose test sites carry specific antigen (or antibody) probes instead of probe oligonucleotides can be employed in proteome analysis or in parallelization of diagnostics. The use of radioactive labels in DNA/RNA sequencing is associated with several disadvantages, such as elaborate, legally required safety precautions in dealing with radioactive materials. For fluorescence and mass spectrometric detection, the cost of equipment is very high. Some of the disadvantages of labeling with radioactive elements or fluorescent dyes can be avoided if association events are detected based on the associated change in the electrochemical properties (cf. WO 97/46568, WO 99/51778, WO 00/31101, WO 00/42217). For both protein analysis and DNA analysis, it is desirable and, for the user, advantageous when the targets (antibody/antigen or DNA fragment) need not be modified with a detection label. Thus, although there are many options for detecting ligate-ligand associates, there is great need for simple, economical, and reliable detection principles that can be carried out easily, especially in the area of lower-density arrays (low-density DNA and protein chips with few to a few hundred test sites per cm 2 , e.g. for so-called POC (point-of-care) systems). |
<SOH> BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS <EOH>The invention will be explained in greater detail below by reference to exemplary embodiments in association with the drawings, wherein: FIG. 1 Shows a schematic diagram of the detection of complex-formation events by means of a displacement assay; FIG. 2 Shows a cyclovoltammogram of ferrocene carboxylic acid (gold working electrode, platinum counter electrode, Ag/AgCl (sat. KCl) reference electrode, 10 mM ferrocene carboxylic acid); FIG. 3 Shows a chronocoulometric measurement of the sequence-specific hybridization of a 20-mer nucleic acid ligate with the complementary counter strand (ligand) by detecting the ferrocene-labeled tetramer signal ligands displaced by hybridization. detailed-description description="Detailed Description" end="lead"? |
Method for producing a nanostructured funcitonal coating and a coating that can be produced according to said method |
A method for producing a nanostructured, in particular a ceramic-like functional coating on a substrate is described. To that end, using at least one plasma source, a pulsed plasma is produced with which a matrix phase and at least one nano-scale interstitial phase embedded in it are deposited on the substrate via a material input. Preferably a plurality of pulsed plasma sources that are time-correlated or synchronized with each other are used. Also proposed is a nanostructured functional coating, in particular one producible by this method, which is free of chlorine and/or sulfur, and which contains at least one metal and/or at least one element selected from the group oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen, carbon, helium, argon or neon. |
1-20. (Canceled) 21. A method for producing a nanostructure, comprising: causing at least one plasma source to produce a pulsed plasma, with which a matrix phase and at least one nano-scale interstitial phase embedded therein are deposited on a substrate via a material input. 22. The method as recited in claim 21, wherein: the nanostructure includes a ceramic-like functional coating on the substrate. 23. The method as recited in claim 21, further comprising: pulsing the at least one plasma source with a frequency of 500 Hz to 100 kHz using at least one of: pulses having a shape that is one of at least approximately rectangular, at least approximately trapezoidal, at least approximately saw-tooth, and at least approximately sine-wave pulse-shaped, and pulses having shapes with differing rising and falling functions. 24. The method as recited in claim 21, further comprising: pulsing the at least one plasma source with a frequency of 10 kHz and 90 kHz using at least one of: pulses having a shape that is one of at least approximately rectangular, at least approximately trapezoidal, at least approximately saw-tooth, and at least approximately sine-wave pulse-shaped, and pulses having shapes with differing rising and falling functions. 25. The method as recited in claim 21, further comprising: pulsing the at least one plasma source with a pulse-to-pause ratio of 1:10 to 2:1. 26. The method as recited in claim 21, further comprising: pulsing the at least one plasma source with a pulse-to-pause ratio of 1:4 to 1:1. 27. The method as recited in claim 21, further comprising: operating the at least one plasma source with a peak pulse power of 5 kW to 40 kW. 28. The method as recited in claim 21, wherein: the at least one plasma source includes a sputtering source. 29. The method as recited in claim 28, wherein: the sputtering source includes one of a magnetron sputtering source and an arc vaporization source. 30. The method as recited in claim 21, wherein: the at least one plasma source includes a plurality of plasma sources that are operated in pulsed manner and are pulsed one of in time-coordination and in synchronization with each other. 31. The method as recited in claim 30, wherein: the plasma sources are pulsed alternately, the plasma sources producing respective plasmas associated with each of them. 32. The method as recited in claim 31, wherein: the plasma sources are pulsed according to one of a unipolar operation and a bipolar operation. 33. The method as recited in claim 21, further comprising: supplying to the pulsed plasma at least one of: a plasma gas including one of argon and helium, and an at least reactive gas including one of nitrogen, oxygen, hydrogen, and a gas including carbon. 34. The method as recited in claim 33, wherein: the gas including carbon includes a hydrocarbon. 35. The method as recited in claim 21, further comprising: employing an additional power source, different from the at least one plasma source, to input power into a material deposited from the pulsed plasma onto the substrate, the power being input into the material located at least one of in front of and on the substrate. 36. The method as recited in claim 35, further comprising at least one of: inputting the power via one of a microwave unit, an ion source unit, a hollow cathode unit, a UV unit, and an electrical field produced between the at least one plasma source and the substrate; and applying a substrate voltage to the substrate. 37. The method as recited in claim 36, wherein: the substrate voltage corresponds to a high-frequency voltage. 38. The method as recited in claim 22, further comprising: producing the functional coating in a vacuum chamber at a working pressure of 10−4 mbar to 10−2 mbar. 39. The method as recited in claim 22, wherein: the functional coating is produced in such a way that at least one of the substrate and the functional coating on the substrate are heated to a maximum temperature of 250° C. 40. The method as recited in claim 22, wherein: the functional coating is produced in such a way that at least one of the substrate and the functional coating on the substrate are heated to a maximum temperature of 200° C. 41. The method as recited in claim 21, further comprising: positioning the substrate on a substrate support that is one of movable and rotating, the substrate being exposed to the pulsed plasma for the material input. 42. The method as recited in claim 41, wherein: the substrate is periodically conveyed past the at least one plasma source. 43. The method as recited in claim 21, wherein: the matrix phase is one of amorphous, metallic, microcrystalline, and crystalline, and the at least one nano-scale interstitial phase includes a nanocrystalline interstitial phase with a mean grain size of 1 nm to 100 nm. 44. The method as recited in claim 21, wherein: the matrix phase is one of amorphous, metallic, microcrystalline, and crystalline, and the at least one nano-scale interstitial phase includes a nanocrystalline interstitial phase with a mean grain size of 3 nm to 30 nm. 45. The method as recited in claim 21, wherein: the nano-scale interstitial phase is embedded in the matrix phase, the matrix phase includes one of a metal, an alloy, a silicon nitride, MoSi2, amorphous carbon, and DLC (diamond-like carbon), and the nano-scale interstitial phase includes one of a metal oxide, a metal nitride, a metal carbide, a metal carbonitride, and another hard material phase including one of zirconium nitride, silicon nitride, titanium nitride, titanium carbide, silicon carbide, titanium oxide, chromium oxide, zirconium oxide, and tantalum oxide. 46. The method as recited in claim 22, wherein: the functional coating includes a plurality of partial layers. 47. The method as recited in claim 46, wherein: at least one of the functional coating and individual ones of the partial layers thereof have a chemically graduated composition. 48. The method as recited in claim 21, wherein: the substrate includes a metallic substrate. 49. The method as recited in claim 48, wherein: the metallic substrate includes one of a component and a machining tool. 50. A nanostructure, comprising: a substrate; and a functional coating deposited on the substrate, the functional coating including a matrix phase and at least one nano-scale interstitial phase embedded in the matrix phase, wherein: the functional coating is free of at least one of chlorine and sulfur and contains at least one of a metal and at least one element corresponding to one of oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen, carbon, helium, argon, and neon. |
<SOH> BACKGROUND INFORMATION <EOH>Wear-protection coatings, in particular in the form of coatings of hard material based on a carbonitride, are known in single-layer or multiple-layer structure with layer thicknesses in the micron range, both on tools and on parts. Disadvantages of such coatings are the often relatively high coefficients of friction, occurrence of intrinsic tensions and resulting reduction of adhesive strength, and the great brittleness in comparison to the hardness. Furthermore, improving the wear-resistance of these coatings by increasing the hardness has a detrimental effect on other desired properties, such as toughness, impact resistance and substrate adhesion. In addition to hard material coatings based on a carbonitride, friction-reducing wear-resistant coatings of diamond-like carbon (DLC) and molybdenum disilicide are also known. However, their disadvantages include their relatively low abrasion resistance, inadequate resistance to media, and limited temperature resistance, less than 350° C. in the case of DLC. To overcome the named disadvantages, functional coatings that are already nanostructured have also been developed, in which a nanocrystalline phase is present that is embedded in an amorphous or crystalline matrix phase. The primary methods used to produce such nanostructured coatings are CVD (chemical vapor deposition) and PVD (physical vapor deposition). In particular, the PVD methods, such as magnetron sputtering or arc vaporization, are characterized by great flexibility in the selection of material, and hence offer the possibility of influencing or adjusting the layer structure in a controlled manner according to the desired application. It is proposed for example by R. Hauert et al., Advanced Materials, 11, No. 2 (1999), pp. 175-177, that a PACVD process (plasma activated chemical vapor deposition) be used to embed nano-scale titanium nitride particles having a particulate size of 10 nm to 20 nm in an amorphous silicon nitride matrix or a matrix of amorphous silicon. M. Diserens et al., Interface and Coatings Technology, 108 to 109 (1998), pp. 241-246, describe a PACVD method in which a nanostructured (TI, Si)N coating is produced on a substrate in a vacuum chamber at temperatures under 350° C. using a magnetron sputtering method (reactive unbalanced magnetron sputtering). Specifically, nano-scale or nanocrystalline titanium nitride particles having a mean crystallite size of around 20 nm are present there, embedded in an amorphous silicon or silicon nitride matrix. To ensure an additional input of power during deposition of the coating on the substrate, a high-frequency substrate voltage (bias voltage) between 0 V and −140 V is also applied there to the substrate being coated. Finally, German Published Patent Application No. 101 04 611 contains a description of a device for coating a substrate with a ceramic-like coating, whereby a material is deposited on a substrate using a source of material and a plasma. There, a power source that is different from the source of material is provided to input power at a defined location into the material which is in front of or on the surface. |
<SOH> SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION <EOH>The method according to the present invention for producing a nanostructured functional coating has the advantage over the related art that, because of the pulsed plasma source used, a substantially higher ion density is achieved in the plasma; i.e., it is now possible in a simple way to produce coatings that require a high ion density during deposition. The deposition of such coatings is only possible in conventional PACVD processes with the help of an additional ionization source, which may now be omitted. In particular, the particles or atoms deposited or striking the substrate initially exhibit a relatively high kinetic energy, which is sufficient to form nano-scale crystallites on the substrate through diffusion processes, or to promote microcrystallite formation there. In addition, because of the high ion energy, at least a partial shattering of microcrystallites which may be present in the produced plasmas and/or initially deposited on the substrate is achieved, which also favors the desired nanocrystalline growth of the interstitial phase. Another advantage of the method according to the present invention is that because of the pulsed plasma source employed and the resulting higher ionization of the materials or atoms utilized for coating, the surface energy in the vicinity of the substrate to be coated is adjustable in a controlled manner to a level necessary for forming the desired nanostructured texture. In addition, the method according to the present invention has the advantage of a generally simpler process technology, using a reduced number of system components. For example, it now permits a largely charge-independent and component-independent process management; that is, it is significantly more flexible than known RF techniques, i.e., methods that work with a high frequency substrate electrode voltage. Finally, another significant advantage of the method according to the present invention is that the substrate and/or the functional coating deposited on it are heated during production of the coating only to temperatures of a maximum of 250° C., in particular less than 200° C. In this respect it is often possible to dispense entirely with additional cooling of the substrate during deposition of the coating, or only a conventional cooling device having a comparatively low cooling capacity is needed. The nanostructured functional coating according to the present invention has the advantage that, in contrast to the coatings known from the related art, which are produced for example by CVD methods, it is producible free of unwanted reaction residues such as residues of chlorine or sulfur from corresponding process gases. In particular, in the functional coatings produced in particular by the method according to the present invention, besides the elements that define the composition of the functional coating produced; such as O, H, N, C and/or other metals, only the noble gas utilized as plasma gas is detectable. It is advantageous that with the method according to the present invention both single-layer and multiple-layer coatings, in particular with differing composition or differing properties, may be deposited on parts or cutting tools. In addition, the nanostructured functional coating produced, or at least a partial layer of the functional coating, may have a chemically graduated composition; i.e., the chemical composition of the coating changes as a function of the coating thickness. When pulsing the plasma source, it has proven to be advantageous, in the interest of high ion density and efficient deposition, for the plasma source to be pulsed at a frequency of 500 Hz to 100 kHz, in particular 10 kHz to 90 kHz. The shape of the pulses utilized may be varied in a simple way and adapted to the particular application; i.e., depending on the choice made in the individual case it is possible to use at least approximately rectangular, trapezoidal, sawtooth or sine-wave pulse shapes, which also have variably adjustable rising or falling functions. In addition, the pulsing of the utilized plasma sources may be either unipolar or bipolar. Finally, it is advantageous for the pulsing of the plasma source to be done with a pulse-to-pause ratio between 1:10 and 2:1, in particular 1:4 to 1:1, with the plasma source being operated with a maximum pulse power of 5 kW to 40 kW. In addition, to carry out the method according to the present invention, aside from the pulsing, advantageous use may be made of established and customary plasma sources such as sputtering sources, preferably magnetron sputtering sources, or else arc vapor sources. One particularly advantageous embodiment of the method according to the present invention provides for the use of a plurality of plasma sources that are operated in time correlation or pulsed in synchronization with each other, each of which conveys a material or a compound to the plasma associated with the plasma source for application of the material onto the substrate, possibly after reacting with a reactive gas. Two or three plasma sources are preferably utilized, which are pulsed alternately, in particular in unipolar or bipolar operation. Finally, another advantage of the method according to the present invention is that in addition to the pulsed plasma source, an additional power source which is different from the plasma source may also be used if necessary to input power into the material precipitated from the plasma on the substrate, i.e., the functional coating produced, for example to provide a source of activation energy for diffusion processes. This input of power then takes place in the manner proposed in DE 101 04 611.1-45, either in front of and/or on the substrate, by using a microwave unit, an additional ion source unit, a hollow cathode unit, a UV unit to irradiate the substrate with UV light, an electrical field produced between the plasma source and the substrate, and/or by applying a high-frequency substrate electrode voltage (bias voltage). |
Low-profile, endoluminal prosthesis and deployment device |
An implantable prosthesis for placement in hollow tubular organs is described alongwith an instrument for deploying the said prosthesis. On radial compaction, the prosthesis has a low profile, allowing introduction into the body with a deployment instrument of low calibre. The prosthesis has multiple longitudinal struts to provide longitudinal support. The prosthesis may be provided with helically configured members for circumferential support. The deployment instrument includes a retrievable tool to temporarily secure the prosthesis within the body during the implantation procedure. |
1. A device for transluminal treatment of lesions of tubular organs, that includes: (a) an implantable prosthesis comprising an uni- or multilamellar tubular member to which is attached multiple linear members whereby said prosthesis is provided with longitudinal support, and, (b) a deployment instrument for endoluminally implanting said prosthesis comprising: (i) an outer catheter with an removable inner, coaxial, rigid catheter, and, (ii) a radially compactable member that is substantially porous on expansion to its non-stressed state. 2. A prosthesis according to claim 1, wherein the linear members attached to the tubular member extend beyond the leading edge, or the trailing edge, or both of the tubular member. 3. A prosthesis according to claim 1, wherein the trailing end of the tubular member is bifurcated into two limbs. 4. A prosthesis according to claim 3, wherein the tubular member has only one limb. 5. A prosthesis according to claim 4, wherein the distal end of the tubular member has only one orifice. 6. A prosthesis according to claim 1, wherein the tubular member is provided with a one or more circumferential slits. 7. A prosthesis according to claim 1, wherein the inner surface of the tubular member is provided with one or more reversibly deformable, helically configured linear members characterized by the leading ends of said helically configured members being attached to the tubular member and the diameter of the described helix being equal to more than the diameter of the tubular member. 8. A prosthesis according to claim 7, wherein the linear longitudinal supporting members are made of a resorbable material. 9. A prosthesis according to claim 7, including one or more reversibly deformable helically configured linear members that are not attached to the tubular member. 10. A method for transluminally treating a disease of a hollow organ, characterized by, (a) Introduction of the prosthesis and the porous linear member into the organ in a compacted state. (b) Expansion of the liner porous member such that the prosthesis expands to its nominal diameter and is temporarily secured to the inner surface of the organ. (c) Implantation of one or more stents in the prosthesis to permanently secure it to the inner surface of the organ. (d) Advancement of the linear porous member, and implantation of a stent overlapping the leading edge of the prosthesis, or the leading ends of the longitudinal supporting struts. (d) Removal of the linear porous member. (e) Deployment of more stents if deemed warranted. 11. The method of claim 9, characterised by the coaxial implantation of multiple prostheses. 12. The method of claim 9, characterized by, (a) Introduction of the prosthesis and the porous linear member into the organ in a compacted state. (b) Expansion of the liner porous member such that the prosthesis expands to its nominal diameter and is temporarily secured to the inner surface of the organ. (c) Release of the trailing end of the helically configured member allowing said member to regain its helical configuration, thereby providing circumferential support to the prosthesis. (d) Implantation of a first stent in the organ such that it overlaps the trailing edge of the prosthesis, or the trailing ends of the longitudinal supporting struts. (e) Advancement of the linear porous member, and implantation of a second stent overlapping the leading edge of the prosthesis, or the leading ends of the longitudinal supporting struts. (d) Removal of the linear porous member. (e) Implantation of more stents in the prosthesis if deemed warranted. 13. The method of claim 9, characterized by the deployment of a helically configured reversibly deformable linear member in the organ prior to implantation of the prosthesis. |
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