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The present invention relates to semiconductor device fabrication and integrated circuits and, more specifically, to structures for a vertical-transport field-effect transistor and methods for forming a structure for a vertical-transport field-effect transistor.
Traditional complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) structures for a field-effect transistor include a source, a drain, a channel situated between the source and drain, and a gate electrode configured to respond to a gate voltage by selectively connecting the source and drain to each other through the channel. Field-effect transistor structures can be broadly categorized based upon the orientation of the channel relative to a surface of a semiconductor substrate associated with their formation.
Planar field-effect transistors and fin-type field-effect transistors constitute a category of transistor structures in which the flow of gated current in the channel is oriented in a horizontal direction parallel to the substrate surface. In a vertical-transport field-effect transistor, the source/drain regions are arranged at the top and bottom of a semiconductor fin or pillar. The direction of the gated current in the channel between the source region and the drain region is oriented generally perpendicular (i.e., vertical) to the substrate surface and parallel to the height of the semiconductor fin or pillar.
The bottom source/drain region of a vertical-transport field-effect transistor is contacted by a contact that extends vertically from above the top source/drain region. The gate electrode must remain isolated from the contact. As the distance between the gate electrode and the contact is downwardly scaled, the ability to reliably maintain the electrical isolation becomes more difficult due to, for example, shifts in the lithography overlay forming the contact opening for the contact. The result of compromised electrical isolation may be an electrical short between the gate electrode and the contact to the bottom source/drain region. | {
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A turbine engine generally has several compressor stages, in particular a low-pressure (LP) compressor and a high-pressure (HP) compressor which belong to the main body of the engine. Upstream of the low-pressure compressor is arranged a movable-blade wheel of large dimensions, or fan, which feeds both the primary flow which passes through the LP and HP compressors and the cold flow, or secondary flow, which is directed directly towards a cold flow nozzle, referred to as a secondary nozzle. The fan is driven by the rotary shaft of the LP body and generally turns at the same speed as the shaft. However, it may be advantageous to make the fan turn at a rotational speed of less than that of the drive shaft or LP shaft, in particular when the fan has very large dimensions, for the purpose of adapting it better aerodynamically. For this purpose, a reduction gear is arranged between the LP shaft and a fan shaft which carries the fan.
Among the types of reduction gears used there are reduction gears having an epicyclic gear train, which have the advantage of offering considerable rates of reduction of the rotational speed, in a reduced space. These reduction gears are characterized by satellite type planet pinions which roll on an external ring gear and rotate about satellite axes borne by a planet carrier. For reasons of space required and weight, it is advantageous to make the satellites rotate on their shafts by means of hydrodynamic plain bearings. These bearings necessitate continuous lubrication, otherwise they deteriorate quickly, with all the consequences that this may have on the operation of the engine and the safety of the aircraft. Thus difficulties arise in terms of operational safety, and therefore it is necessary for precautionary measures to be taken against breakdown, such as for example locking of the reduction gear or autorotation of the fan wheel (commonly referred to as windmilling). In fact as the HP body and the LP body are decoupled, it is possible for the LP body and the fan to turn while the rotational speed of the HP body is uncertain.
In the current technology, the reduction gear is lubricated by a lubrication unit actuated by an accessory gear box (AGB) which is generally mounted in the nacelle compartment of the propulsion assembly. This accessory gear box comprises power take-off means on the engine of the turbine engine, by means of a radial shaft which is coupled to the HP body. In the event of windmilling, the HP body does not turn and the lubrication unit is not active whilst the plain bearings of the reduction gear must always be lubricated.
Therefore, there is a need for pumping the oil for lubrication of the reduction gear, in particular when the engine is stopped. In order to meet this need, it has already been proposed to equip the turbine engine with a standby pump for lubricating the reduction gear in such a way that the reduction gear can still be lubricated, even when the HP body is stopped. In this case, it is necessary to add a power take-off on the fan or a power supply circuit in order to actuate this pump. It can also raise problems of overall size, of mass and of service life. Thus the introduction of this pump has the drawback that it complicates the architecture of the engine and contradicts the desired objective of compactness and weight reduction.
The present disclosure provides a simple, effective and economical solution to at least some of the problems of the prior art. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to a circuit for generating a direct current voltage and method thereof, and particularly to a circuit for generating a direct current voltage and method thereof that can utilize a limiting direct current voltage generator to limit the direct current voltage.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Please refer to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an electromagnetic coupling charging circuit 100 according to the prior art. The electromagnetic coupling charging circuit 100 includes an inductor 102, an antenna capacitor 104, a diode 106, and a charging capacitor 108, where the antenna capacitor 104 is used for adjusting a resonant frequency between the antenna capacitor 104 and the inductor 102 to match a frequency of an electric wave RW transmitted by a reader 110, and the inductor 102 is used for coupling the electric wave RW transmitted by the reader 110. When an electric wave coupled by the inductor 102 provides a forward bias for the diode 106, the electric wave coupled by the inductor 102 can charge the charging capacitor 108.
However, charging efficiency of the electromagnetic coupling charging circuit 100 is poor due to an influence of a voltage drop of the diode 106. In addition, an amplitude of the electric wave coupled by the inductor 102 varies with a distance between the electromagnetic coupling charging circuit 100 and the reader 110, so a voltage of node A may damage another circuit 112. | {
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Various developments in the area of wireless communication have proven that cooperative communication enhances performance in wireless environments. The idea of cooperative transmission emerged from the realization that spatial diversity may counteract the effects of fading, shadowing, attenuation and interference of wireless communication channels. For example, as presented in G. Foschini and M. Gans, “On limits of wireless communications in a fading environment when using multiple antennas,” Wireless Pers. Commun., pp. 311-335, 1998; and I. Telatar, “Capacity of multi-antenna Gaussian channels,” Eur. Trans. Telecommun., vol. 10, no. 6, pp. 585-595k November/December 1999, spatial diversity was achieved in single communication links via the use of multiple antennas.
However, in wireless networks, the effect of multiple antennas may be realized through the combined use of antenna resources of different nodes. This observation lead to the notion of message relaying presented, for example, in A. Sendonaris, E. Erkip, and B. Aazhang, “User cooperation diversity—Part I: system description,” IEEE Trans. Commun., vol. 51, pp. 1927-1938. November 2003; A. Sendonaris, E. Erkip, and B. Aazhang. “User cooperation diversity—Part II: implementation aspects and performance analysis,” IEEE Trans. Commun., vol. 51, pp. 1939-1948. November 2003; J. N. Laneman, D. N. C. Tse, and G. W. Wornell, “Cooperative diversity in wireless networks: efficient protocols and outage behavior,” IEEE Trans. Inform. Theory, vol. 50, pp. 3062-3080, December 2004; G. Kramer, M. Gastpar, and P. Gupta, “Cooperative strategies and capacity theorems for relay networks,” IEEE Trans. Inform. Theory, vol. 51, no. 9 pp. 3037-3063, September 2005; G. Kramer, I. Marie, and R. D. Yates, Cooperative Communications, vol. 1, no. 3-4. “Foundations and Trends in Networking”, Flanover, Mass.: NOW Publishers Inc., 2006; A. Host-Madsen, “Capacity bounds for cooperative diversity,” IEEE Trans. Inform. Theory, fol. 52, no, 4, pp. 1522-1544. April 2006; and A. S. Avestirnehr and D. N. C. Tse. “Outage capacity of the fading relay channel in the low-SNR regime,” IEEE Trans. Inform. Theory, vol. 53, no. 4, pp. 1401-1415. April 2007.
The message relaying concept recently has received a great deal of attention. Most of the work on cooperative relaying has been focused on the Physical Layer, which is an actual hardware layer (lowest layer) in the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) reference model. This model is a seven layer architecture arranged from the lower levels starting with the Physical Layer to the higher levels, including in order a Data Link Layer (which includes the Logical Linc Control (LLC) and Media Access Control (MAC) sub-layers), a Network Layer, a Transport Layer, a Session Layer, a Presentation Layer, and an Application Layer.
A. K. Sadek, et al. in the publication “Cognitive multiple access via cooperation: protocol design and performance analysis,” IEEE Trans. Inform. Theory, vol. 53, no. 10, pp. 3677-3697, October 2007, have provided the evidence that performance gains may be achieved even when the cooperation scheme is implemented at the Network Protocol Layer level. The Network Protocol Layer is the IP (Internet Protocol) supporting layer which routes messages (packets) across the network boundaries using the best path available between the source host to the destination host based on their addresses.
In Sadek, et al., a relay node is placed in between the source nodes and the destination node to relay packets from the source nodes. The system thus introduces extra relay nodes which merely perform a relaying function for the source nodes, thereby burdening the system with pure relays.
The extra pure relay node may not always be available. Moreover, in order for Sadek, et al.'s relaying method to attain performance improvement for all source nodes, the relay node must have a better channel to the destination than all the source nodes. This has never been suggested in Sadek, et al.
A concept was studied in S. Biswas, et al., “Opportunistic routing in multi-hop wireless networks”, ACM SIGCOMM, vol. 34, no. 1, pp. 69-74, January 2004, which selects the best user among network users to relay the packet. However, the publication focuses on characterizing the total number of transmissions required to deliver a single packet between a pair of nodes, and therefore does not address the scheduling problem within a wireless network, since there is only a single packet at any one time in the network. No suggestion or analysis has been presented in S. Biswas, et al. for the case where the intermediate relay nodes would also have their own packets to deliver. In addition, the results of the analysis are based solely on simulation.
It is therefore would be highly desirable to provide a cooperative transmission technique in a more realistic environment where all source nodes are active participants transmitting their own packets and relaying packets of other source nodes with a lesser quality of the channels, and where multiple packets coexist is the system. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a tape cutter which is capable of cutting tapes of various widths into a shape corresponding to the width.
2. Description of the Prior Art
For the purpose of lessening the possibilities of defoliation of a tape strip from a surface to which the tape is bonded, there has been introduced tape cutters which are arranged to cut an end portion of a tape strip into an arcuate shape by the use of a cutter blade having arcuate portions formed at the opposite ends thereof according to the tape width. The tape cutters of this sort are usually provided with a guide groove on a tape support member according to the width of the tape, along with means for restricting sideward movements of the tape strip as it is inserted into the guide groove. Accordingly, the tape strip is guided into a center position relative to the cutter blade and cut exactly into a predetermined shape by the cutter blade.
Such a tape cutting apparatus, however, has a problem that there have to be provided a plural number of cutter units having guide grooves of different widths and cutter blades of different lengths in order to cut tapes of different widths into a desired shape.
It follows that, in a case where the tape cutter is to be provided on a tape printing apparatus, a number of cutter units need to be provided on the printer to cope with the variations in width of the tapes to be handled by the printer. This will be reflected by an unduly large increase in size of the tape printing apparatus and also by an increased number of component parts which will naturally lead to a high manufacturing cost. | {
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The closest prior art known are U.S. Pat. No. 2,781,343; 02/12/57 to K. W. Swain for CURRENT-LIMITING FUSE COMPRISING FUSE LINKS OF SILVER AND COPPER, and U.S. Pat. No. 2,809,257 to K. W. Swain for COMPOSITE FUSE LINKS OF SILVER AND COPPER. These two patents solve the problem of reducing the fusing and vaporization I.sup.2 .multidot.t value of the fusible element in terms of (Amps.multidot./cm.sup.2).sup.2 .multidot.sec. without resorting to a fusible element which is all of silver. The present invention provides a fusible element having a greater current-carrying capacity than the fusible elements disclosed in the above referred-to patents to Swain on account of more effective cooling means than those disclosed by Swain.
According to the present invention, the composite fusible element comprises a strip of silver having a predetermined thickness and a strip of copper having a thickness in excess of said predetermined thickness. The strip of copper has a groove and the strip of silver is placed into said groove and forms an inlay in said strip of copper. In other words, the strip of copper is wrapped around the strip of silver, such greatly increasing the interface between both metals in comparison to Swain.
As in Swain, a pair of juxtaposed incisions sever entirely said strip of copper and reduce the cross-section of said strip of silver at the point where said pair of incisions is located.
An interface is, however, formed where said strip of silver and said strip of copper meet. The cross-section of said interface has a length larger than twice the thickness of said strip of silver. Both in Swain and in applicant's structure the copper parts of the fusible element form cooling fins for cooling a strip of silver. The inlay of a strip of silver in a base of copper results, however, in a much larger interface between silver and copper than in Swain because in Swain the area of the two interfaces between silver and copper is roughly only equal to the narrow edges where the two metals meet, while in the structure according to the present invention the interface between silver and copper also includes the relatively wide bottom surface of the strip of silver and the relatively large bottom surface of the groove in the strip of copper.
Thus there will be a large heat-flow from the silver insert to the copper base, and from there to the pulverulent arc-extinguishing filler normally surrounding the copper base. | {
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Alarm systems, such as fire detection systems are generally known. Such systems are typically based upon the use of a number of peripheral devices, zo such as fire detectors or proximity detectors, dispersed throughout a building, and at least one warning device that alerts occupants of the building to the presence of a fire. While each fire detector could be connected to its own warning device, fire detectors are typically connected to a common monitoring panel. This is useful because of the need to send notice of any detected fire to a central monitoring station. The often referred to as a control panel, may be linked to higher level systems such as to a fire department computer or central monitoring station.
The use of a common monitoring panel requires that a connection be established and maintained between the panel and each fire detector and each warning device. In the past, the connection was established by installing at least two wires between each fire detector and the monitoring panel and between each warning device and the monitoring panel. This provided a direct physical connection for each device to the common monitoring panel.
More recent systems have relied upon physical bus systems to connect devices to the central monitoring panel and/or radio systems where data signals rather than specific wires are used to identify peripheral devices when commissioning a system.
Whichever type of central monitoring panel system is employed there remains a fundamental and time-consuming issue on installation and commissioning, this is the need to give the signals from peripheral devices feeding into a control system an identified meaning. Commissioning is the activity of converting installed hardware into a functioning system to perform a given task, such as fire detection and reporting or intruder detection and reporting.
To illustrate the commissioning issue an incoming peripheral device signal in an installed system may be on, say, inputs 1 of 16 in the control panel but the relevance of the signal on this basis alone is limited. This is made more complex with bus systems where devices may each report on a common bus using a multidigit identification code. As such an incoming signal may indicate, for example, that smoke has been detected, but where is another matter. Methods of overcoming this can be to visit each peripheral and manually record its complex identifier so that it can be recognised and the given a meaning in the central monitoring panel such as by means of allocating a system address, alternatively meanings can be assigned at the central monitoring panel level and each peripheral can be re-assigned an identifier. The larger the installation the more significant is the requirement to identify which device may be providing a signal to a central monitoring panel or may require reception of a signal from a central monitoring panel.
Whatever the activation process by which a peripheral is integrated in a way that gives its communications meaning in an alarm system, the activation is complex and hence with current methods time consuming and error prone. Common errors are the assigning of more than one identifier or address to a given peripheral and/or assigning the same address to multiple peripherals. These errors can be hard to detect and time consuming to rectify. What is needed is, to an end user, a less complex system, apparatus and method for activating peripherals in an alarm system. An end user in this context is a commissioning engineer who transforms an installed set of hardware into a functioning alarm system. | {
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The increasing demand for lightweight construction concepts in the automotive industry confers prominence on the use of sandwich panels which have a thermoplastic plastics-material layer between two thin metallic cover layers, so as to further increase the potential for weight saving in automotive construction while using sandwich panels. Sandwich panels are manufactured, for example, in the form of strips by laminating a metallic strip with a continuous thermoplastic plastics-material layer and with a further metallic strip, and said sandwich panels are trimmed to form panels. Sandwich panels may provide various mutually exclusive properties which open up new potentials for weight saving. In this way, by virtue of the plastics-material layer, sandwich panels are significantly lighter than solid metallic panels, while at the same time making available high strength values. Moreover, the sandwich panels are sound-damping and offer high rigidity. However, it is disadvantageous in the case of sandwich panels that they have an electrically isolating plastics-material layer which in the case of fusion welding methods causes problems in relation to the configuration of a flawless welded connection. By virtue of lacking suitability for welding, for example for resistance welding to other metallic components, sandwich panels are therefore often adhesively bonded or are joined together by mechanical means.
A method for joining a sandwich panel to a further metallic component is disclosed in the German publication DE 10 2011 109 708 A1, in which the intermediate layer in the connection region is melted and is displaced from the connection region such that a welded connection may be subsequently produced by establishing electrical contact between the component and the cover layers of the sandwich panel. It is proposed that heating of the joint regions is carried out by temperature-controllable electrodes or pressing elements. To this end the welding electrodes or the pressing elements are provided with heating elements, for example. The construction of the welding electrodes thus becomes relatively complex. Moreover, the speed of heating the thermoplastic plastic-material layer may be further increased such that shorter cycle times may be achieved.
Moreover, a method for resistance welding two composite panels using two welding electrodes is disclosed in patent document U.S. Pat. No. 4,650,951, said two welding electrodes being heated and thus heating and displacing the plastics-material layer interposed between the cover layers before actual welding commences.
Moreover, a method in which two current circuits are used in order to connect a sandwich panel to a further metallic component by resistance welding is disclosed in German patent application DE 10 2013 108 563 A1. The method here is divided into two steps, that is to say, on the one hand, into a preheating step in which the region to be welded is heated by way of a preheating current, the thermoplastic plastics-material being displaced from that region of the sandwich panel that is to be welded and, on the other hand, after preheating the sandwich panel is welded to the metallic component by applying a welding current. However, it has been established that in the course of this procedure short circuit may arise during contact between the cover layers while the preheating current is still being applied, on account of which spillings may arise in the sandwich panel which may lead to the formation of blisters or to delamination, respectively. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the field of sterilizing and cleaning tubular structures including long, narrow, tubular structures. In particular, it relates to a device and method for cleaning and sterilizing medical devices with lumens.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many tubular structures, in particular flexible fiber endoscopes, define long tortuous lumens. These lumens are typically from about 1 m to about 4 m long with inside diameters from about 0.5 mm to about 6 mm and frequently contain crevices, bends, connections, restrictions, and irregularities. These instruments are frequently used in diagnostic medicine, requiring penetration into the human body or other contact with the human bloodstream. It is, therefore, desirable that they are cleaned, rinsed, sterilized, disinfected, or otherwise treated with fluid chemical disinfectants or sterilants to prevent the cross contamination and transmission of pathogenic organisms from patient to patient. In order for fluid chemical sterilization to be effective, the chemical must reach all internal and external surfaces. Efficaciousness, therefore, is severely limited by the inherent irregularities present in the long, narrow, lumens of flexible fiber endoscopes making effective cleaning and sterilization difficult.
Consistently and quickly cleaning, disinfecting, and sterilizing medical devices is an important part of providing quality healthcare. Failure to consistently clean and sterilize medical instruments leads to unwanted transmission of bacteria, viruses, and other organisms to and from patients. Improper handling of medical instruments allows unwanted organisms access inside the body where they may cause infection and disease.
Although the terms xe2x80x9csterilizationxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cdisinfectionxe2x80x9d are sometimes used imprecisely, the medical industry and regulatory agencies have more precisely defined the following terms including subdividing disinfection into high, intermediate, and low level disinfection.
Sterilization is generally defined as the destruction or elimination of all microbial life forms. Operationally, a sterilizing process is one that destroys all microbes on a device that has been contaminated with 106 bacterial endospores.
High level disinfection is generally defined as the destruction or elimination of all microbial life forms except microbial spores. High level disinfectants however, must show a capability of destroying bacterial spores over an extended period of time.
Intermediate disinfection is generally defined as the destruction of all microbial life forms except bacterial spores and some viruses. However, intermediate disinfection requires the destruction or elimination of Mycobacterium tuberculosis var. bovis, which is a relatively difficult bacterium to destroy.
Low level disinfection is generally defined as the destruction of vegetative forms of bacteria (such as salmonellae and staphylococci), most fungi, medium sized or lipid containing viruses (such as Herpes simplex virus, hepatitis B virus, and HIV), but not bacterial endospores, mycobacteria, or small or non-lipid viruses (such as poliovirus and rhinovirus).
The level of disinfection or sterilization desired for a particular piece of equipment generally depends on the degree of exposure the equipment poses to the patient. For example, sterilization is generally necessary for equipment that is introduced directly into the human body, either in contact with the blood stream, or in contact with normally sterile areas of the body. High level disinfection is generally required for equipment that contacts mucus membranes, but does not penetrate bodily surfaces. Low and intermediate disinfection is generally required for equipment that contacts unbroken skin.
Endoscopes, which are used to probe internal passages of the body, are an exception to the general rule of sterilizing equipment that is introduced directly into the human body. Ideally, all endoscopes should be cleaned and sterilized between uses. However, due to their delicate optical equipment, endoscopes remain an exception to the sterilization rule. The delicate optical equipment and lenses in these devices do not allow conventional methods of sterilization such as autoclaving, ethylene oxide gassing, or soaking for several hours in liquid sterilants. Autoclaving requires high temperatures for sterilization, which damages the optical lenses of the endoscopes. Ethylene oxide gas equipment is expensive and requires several hours to complete the sterilization and degassing process. Repeated soaking in liquid sterilants may also damage some endoscopes. In addition, the high cost of these specialized pieces of equipment demands efficient utilization of the instruments, requiring use of the same endoscope on as many patients in as little time as feasible. Therefore, soaking in liquid sterilants or sterilization by ethylene oxide gas is not economically feasible because of the long time period required. The demand for rapid reuse results in pressure to shorten or eliminate cleaning, disinfection, and sterilization practices. As a compromise to all of these considerations, high level disinfection for endoscopes is conventionally accepted in lieu of sterilization.
Although high level disinfection has been conventionally acceptable, it does not provide the level of safety of sterilization. The conventional rationale for accepting the reduced level of safety is that endoscopes contact mucus membrane and do not provide access to the blood stream. However, endoscopes are routinely used to find lesions in mucus membrane areas that may provide access to the blood stream. In addition, many endoscopes provide biopsy forceps that are miniature scalpels used to cut biopsy samples from the mucus membrane tissue. These common practices provide access to the bloodstream and a potential pathway for unwanted organisms to access all parts of the body. In addition to providing a direct path to the bloodstream, many endoscopes such as duodenoscopes are used in normally sterile parts of the body. Introducing contaminated equipment into these areas has been shown to cause infection.
The lumens of medical devices have conventionally been difficult to clean, disinfect, and sterilize. Some larger lumens may be cleaned with brushes. However, lumens that are too small for brushes are generally limited to cleaning by flushing with fluids such as water or air. As noted previously, the lumens also contain crevices, bends, connections, restrictions, and irregularities that restrict flow and hold residual material making cleaning difficult. Before a piece of equipment is disinfected or sterilized, it is preferably first cleaned. Failure to completely clean residual material from the equipment potentially leaves microorganisms within and beneath the residual material not easily accessible to the disinfectant or sterilant.
Some conventional devices have used special attachments or caps to direct flow into different passages of endoscopes. However, these attachments create additional attachment points. The unexposed surfaces between the attachment and the medical device may not receive complete cleaning or sterilization.
Typically, conventional devices and methods of cleaning have used uni-directional flow to clean long narrow devices with lumens. It is believed that irregularities and restrictions in the passages create air pockets or sheltered areas along the passages. For example, as the fluid flows around corners, the fluid tends to flow to the outside of the corner, leaving an air pocket or undisturbed liquid or material on the inside edge. Fluid flow is also reduced on the downstream side of any restriction.
Some devices, such as those disclosed in Ishii 4,526,623, use suction from a syringe to draw residual fluid in the lumens or to draw fluid from an additional fluid container. However, the use of suction may collapse lumens, introduce additional air pockets in the lumen, and create the need for additional attachments. Suction may also require the use of check valves to properly control the removal of fluid and reduce the amount of air introduced into the medical device. Check valves may also reduce or eliminate complete removal of the fluid. Cleaning by suction only removes liquid from multiple lumens until one lumen contains air. Once a single lumen contains air, only air is drawn through the device because air flows more easily than liquid. The relative differences in the size of the lumens would also cause certain lumens to drain more quickly, leaving liquid in the remaining lumens. Lastly, the syringe method and device of Ishii is not easily automated.
Sterilization methods have also included immersion or soaking of medical devices in liquid sterilant. Sterilization by soaking typically requires several hours and air bubbles may become trapped inside the lumens, causing inconsistent results.
A new and useful device and method is needed that overcomes the problems associated with conventional methods of cleaning and sterilizing tubular structures, including long, narrow, tubular structures, particularly medical devices with lumens, by providing a device and method that provides a reverse flow through the tubular structures.
It is an object of the reverse flow cleaning and sterilizing device and method in accordance with the present invention to solve the problems outlined above that have heretofore inhibited the successful cleaning and sterilization of tubular structures, in particular, long, narrow, tubular structures.
More particularly, the apparatus and method of the reverse flow cleaning and sterilizing device in accordance with the present invention provides for the cleaning and sterilization of medical devices with lumens, particularly endoscope lumens.
The unique sterilization and cleaning device in accordance with the present invention broadly includes a first valve and a second valve. The first and second valves are each in fluid communication with a fluid supply at a positive pressure. The first valve is in fluid communication with a first tubular structure having a proximal end and a distal end with the first valve in fluid communication with the proximal end. The second valve is in fluid communication with a second tubular structure having a proximal and a distal end with the second valve in fluid communication with the proximal end. The first tubular structure is in fluid communication with the second tubular structure. The first and second valves selectively switch between a first position and a second position. The first position causes a first fluid flow path and the second position causes a second fluid flow path. At least part of the second fluid flow path is opposite the first fluid flow path. In the first position the first valve is open to the fluid supply and the second valve is closed to the fluid supply. In the second position the second valve is open to the fluid supply and the first valve is closed to the fluid supply.
The device may also provide that either both fluid flow paths start at one end of a medical device or one fluid flow path may start in a control head or center of the medical device.
The device may also provide that the distal end of at least one of the tubular structures is open to a drain at about atmospheric pressure.
The device may also provide that in the first position the second valve is open to a drain line and in the second position the first valve is open to a drain line.
The device may also provide that the fluid supply has a flow volume from about 100 ml/min to about 1400 ml/min and a flow velocity from about 50 cm/sec to about 500 cm/sec and a pressure below about 20 psi for about 1 minute to about 20 minutes.
The device may also provide a third and a fourth valve, a third and a fourth tubular structure, and a third and a fourth position.
The device may also be used in an automatic reprocessing device so that a central processor controls positioning of the valves.
The apparatus and method in accordance with the present invention provides both a method of sterilization of tubular structures and a method of cleaning the lumens of a medical device.
The sterilization method broadly includes the sterilization of the interior of a tubular structure comprising: a) providing a tubular structure, b) providing a sterilizing fluid c) causing the sterilizing fluid to flow at a positive pressure through the tubular structure in a first fluid flow path, and d) causing the sterilizing fluid to reverse flow at a positive pressure through the tubular structure in a second fluid flow path, so that at least part of the second fluid flow path is opposite the first fluid flow path.
The sterilization method may also include providing the sterilizing fluid at a temperature from about 20 degrees C. to about 50 degrees C. and from about 1 minute to about 20 minutes.
The sterilization method may also include providing a tubular structure having a diameter equal to or less than about 6 mm and the flowing and the reverse flowing have a flow velocity from about 50 cm/second to about 500 cm/second, a flow volume from about 100 ml/min to about 1400 ml/min, and a pressure below about 20 psi.
The sterilization method may also include starting the first fluid flow path and starting the second fluid flow path in one end of a medical device.
The device may also provide that one fluid flow path may start in a control head or other attachment point of the medical device.
The sterilization method may also include providing the device of the present invention.
The sterilization method may also include controlling the flowing and the reverse flowing by a central processor.
The present invention may also include a method of cleaning a medical device with lumens. The cleaning method broadly includes a method of cleaning the lumens of a medical device including a) providing a medical device with a first lumen and a second lumen, each lumen having a proximal end and a distal end, the first lumen in fluid communication with the second lumen, and the second end of at least one of the lumens open to a drain at about atmospheric pressure; b) providing a cleaning fluid; c) causing the cleaning fluid to flow at a positive pressure through the lumens in a first fluid flow path starting at the proximal end of the first lumen; and d) causing the cleaning fluid to reverse flow at a positive pressure through the lumens in a second fluid flow path starting at the proximal end of the second lumen, such that at least part of the second fluid flow path is opposite the first fluid flow path.
The cleaning method may also include providing a medical device with the first end of each lumen located in the same end of the medical device.
The cleaning method may also provide that either both fluid flow paths start at one end of a medical device or one fluid flow path may start in a control head or other attachment point of the medical device.
The cleaning method may also include draining the first fluid flow path through the proximal end of the second lumen and draining the second fluid flow path through the proximal end of the first lumen.
The cleaning method may also include providing the flowing and the reverse flowing at a flow velocity of from about 50 cm/sec to about 500 cm/sec, a flow volume from about 100 ml/min to about 1400 ml/min, and a pressure below about 20 psi.
The cleaning method may also include providing the device of the present invention.
The cleaning method may also provide controlling the flowing and the reverse flowing by a central processor.
One advantage of the present invention is improved sterilization. The present invention provides better application of the fluid to all parts of the interior of tubular structures. Improved application of the fluid to the interior of the tubular structure results in faster and more consistent sterilization.
Another advantage is that air pockets are consistently removed. The present invention improves sterilization and cleaning by providing better application of fluid by consistently removing air pockets from the interior of the tubular structures. Flowing and reverse flowing at a positive pressure provides consistent removal of air pockets. Soaking or holding fluid in the tubular structures does not consistently remove air pockets resulting in inconsistent cleaning and sterilization.
Another advantage is that the fluid obtains improved access to cracks, crevices, and restrictions. Flowing and reverse flowing at a positive pressure forces fluid into cracks, crevices, and restrictions from more than one direction. Flowing from one direction or flowing at a negative pressure does not force fluid into the cracks and crevices, especially downstream of a restriction, causing inconsistent sterilization and cleaning.
Another advantage is that residual liquids and materials remaining in the lumens are more adequately displaced with fluid. Liquid, such as left over rinse water may not be completely displaced using an unidirectional flow pattern. As a result, the chemicals (active ingredients) in the fluid must diffuse into the rinse water before sterilization may occur. The present invention provides better displacement of residual materials and liquids providing faster and more consistent sterilization and cleaning.
Another advantage is that soaking is not required. The present invention is not limited by the use of large volumes of sterilizing fluid needed to immerse the entire tubular structure, saving sterilization fluid.
Another advantage is that sterilization can be accomplished more quickly. Long soaking times of hours required for immersion sterilization may be reduced to about minutes for the present invention. Quicker sterilization results in better utilization of medical equipment.
Another advantage is that sterilization can be accomplished more consistently. Flowing sterilizing fluid from more than one direction and forcing the sterilizing fluid into cracks and crevices with positive pressure reaches the interior surfaces of tubular structures more consistently. More consistent application of the sterilizing fluid to the interior surfaces provides more consistent sterilization.
Another advantage is that the present invention can be attached to the supply ports of the endoscope. The present invention may be attached to one end of a medical device such as an endoscope without any attachments to the distal end or insertion section of the medical device. Other methods using suction pressure require the attachment of a fluid source in addition to the suction source requiring additional attachments. A device that connects to one end of the medical device provides an easier and more centralized attachment and eliminates the need for additional attachments.
Another advantage is that the present invention provides an alternative method of attachment to the air/water channel, particularly if the device does not have a gas or CO2 channel. The present invention may provide for attachment to the air/water channel at the air/water control cylinder.
Another advantage is that the present invention reduces the number of attachments that cause additional contamination points. Each additional attachment creates an area between the attachment and the medical device that is difficult to reach with fluid. The more attachments the greater the inconsistency of cleaning and sterilization.
Another advantage is that the present invention uses positive pressure flow. In addition to the improved penetration capabilities previously described, positive pressure flow is easier to provide. Positive pressure provides a greater range of pressures and can be more easily provided through a greater variety of positive pressure pumps. Positive pressure flow provides both the pressure source and the fluid source at one location, simplifying connections and automation. Positive pressure is also safer because contaminates cannot be drawn into the device through leaks in the system.
Another advantage of the present invention is that it may be operated at temperatures less than 50 degrees C. Operating at temperatures below 50 degrees C. prolongs the life of medical devices and reduces burn hazards.
Another advantage is that the present invention may be easily automated. The use of valves controlled by a central processor may be easily automated, particularly in an automatic reprocessing device. The elimination of manually operated equipment and methods such as syringes provides for automation.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent during the course of the following detailed description and appended claims. The invention may best be understood with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein an illustrative embodiment is shown. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Conventionally, a variety of skin care cosmetics intended for the face, hands, and the like have been widely used to prevent skin dryness or roughness. In recent years, however, skin care cosmetics for the whole body have been used, because skin dryness or roughness occurs not only on faces but also on extensive parts of a body such as hands, arms and legs. Such skin care cosmetics are required to have non-stickiness and ease of application to the whole body, in addition to excellent moisturizing effects. Usually, as skin care agents or skin conditioners for use after bathing or for use in a daily routine, body lotions or milks on dry skin and the like are used. And for use in a bathing, shower agents and the like are also used. From this point of view, body rinse compositions used by applying to wetted skin after bathing and lightly rinsing off (JP-A-02-202809), rinsable skin conditioning compositions (JP-A-2005-526118), shower agents (JP-A-2004-231518), and the like have been developed. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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The background description provided herein is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Work of the presently named inventors, to the extent that it is described in this background section, as well as aspects of the description that may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither expressly nor impliedly admitted as prior art against the present disclosure.
Exhaust brakes may be used for vehicle braking in diesel engines. When an exhaust brake is activated, an exhaust path downstream of an engine is closed or reduced to cause the exhaust gas to be compressed in the exhaust manifold to generate back pressure. With the increased back pressure in the exhaust manifold, load on the engine is increased, thereby slowing down the vehicle. The back pressure in the exhaust manifold and consequently the braking torque applied to the engine are generally proportional to an engine speed.
A variable geometry turbocharger (VGT) may regulate exhaust gas flow that passes through the VGT to control the back pressure in the exhaust manifold. Vanes of the VGT are generally set at a fixed position to accommodate a situation where the engine runs at a maximum speed. At the maximum engine speed, a maximum braking force is required for effective engine braking and the exhaust flow through the VGT is also at its maximum. The fixed flow passage defined by the VGT is larger than necessary to generate a desired back pressure at low engine speeds. As a result, the exhaust brake is less effective at lower engine speeds. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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A new series of natural cephalosporins have recently been reported and given the class name of cephamycin. The distinguishing feature of this class of cephalosporins is the 7.alpha.-methoxy group. Two naturally-occurring cephamycins have been reported by Nagarajan et al., J. Amer. Chem. Soc., 93, 2308 (1971). These compounds have the cephalosporin C acyl group at position 7 and acetoxymethyl or carbamoyloxymethyl at position 3. These compounds and others which have been modified at position 3 are disclosed in Belgian Pat. No. 764,160 (Farmdoc 61445S) and Netherlands Pat. No. 7103135 (Farmdoc 62434S).
Compounds with other acyl groups have been disclosed. For example, 7-methoxycephalothin is reported in Netherlands patent No. 7304755 (Farmdoc 66543U) and J. Amer. Chem. Soc., 94, 1408 (1972). The same patent also discloses 7.alpha.-methoxy-7.beta.-thienylacetamido-3-carbamoyloxy-3-cephem-4-carbox ylic acid. South African Pat. No. 71 3229 discloses compounds and process for preparing them with various acyl groups. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
In a power system, a surge arrester is provided to protect facilities from abnormal voltage (surge) due to thunderbolt. The surge arrester has a nonlinear resistor, for example, containing zinc oxide as a main component. The nonlinear resistor is insulative when normal voltage acts, and becomes conductive by decreasing in resistance value when abnormal voltage acts.
Among surge arresters, a polymer surge arrester is configured such that an electrode is placed at each of an upper end and a lower end of a stack made by stacking a plurality of nonlinear resistors and a plurality of insulating rods are arranged side by side around the outer peripheral surface of the nonlinear resistors. Further, in the polymer surge arrester, an outer skin made of insulating resin covers the outer peripheral surface of the stack of the nonlinear resistors around which the insulating rods are arranged. The insulating rod is formed using, for example, FRP (Fiber Reinforced Plastics), and the outer skin is formed using, for example, silicone rubber.
Since the polymer surge arrester is lower in mechanical strength than an insulator surge arrester housing the nonlinear resistors in a porcelain container and therefore needs to be improved in mechanical strength.
The polymer surge arrester has the outer skin formed of an insulating resin with low mechanical strength. Therefore, the polymer surge arrester needs to secure the mechanical strength of the whole polymer surge arrester by the insulating rods and the nonlinear resistors higher in mechanical strength than the outer skin.
However, it is sometimes not easy to sufficiently improve the mechanical strength in the polymer surge arrester. For example, when fastening is realized by attaching a male screw part provided at the insulating rod to a female screw part of the electrode, the male screw part provided at the insulating rod may break when a bending stress is applied to the polymer surge arrester. Further, the fastening may be loosened because thermal processing is performed when forming the outer skin is formed by molding the insulating resin. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a defensive system used in military aircraft and, more particularly, to an air bomb dispenser device that releases time-delayed fragmentation bombs that explode in the path of an attacking aircraft.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A well known system of protecting an aircraft from a rear attack is the use of a tail gunner system. An early means of control was a person stationed in the tail section of the aircraft. With ever increasing speeds of attacking aircraft, the person was replaced by a radar directed fire control system able to track multiple targets and quickly and accurately fire a gatling gun at the rearward approaching targets. This system is well adapted to heavy bombers wherein there is sufficient space, but modern economy sized bombers or even fighter aircraft have no space for a rearward directed gatling gun.
One system available for such aircrafts is a rearward-looking radar warning system such as an AN/ALQ-153 Tail Warning Set used in such aircraft as the FB-111. This system provides the pilot with a warning of rearward approaching aircraft or missiles and thus allows the pilot to take the necessary evasive actions which may or may not be effective where the attacking aircraft or missile is more maneuverable and quicker.
Another method of protecting the defending aircraft from a rearward attack is the release of a gas either being opaque for use as a screen or offensive in nature to disable the attacking aircraft or the crew inside. A screening gas can be effective if the attacking aircraft is required to have a visual contact before the release of its weapons. Unfortunately, however, radar directed fire or a missile can penetrate the screening gas rendering it less than effective. Furthermore, offensive gas would most likely not affect the attacking aircraft crew because of an internal air system having safe guards against either deadly or incapacitating gases. It is also unlikely that a sufficient concentration of the gas could reach the attacking aircraft to disable it on contact because of the high speed slipstream and the distances involved. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a casing attachment structure.
2. Description of the Related Art
Structures for attaching a casing for an electronic device for a vehicle include, for example, a structure in which an attachment fitting is fixed to an instrument panel in a vehicle interior and a casing for a type of electronic device is attached to the attachment fitting without screws. The attachment fitting includes slide rails. While the slide rails are fitted into guide grooves provided for the casing, the casing is inserted into the attachment fitting along the slide rails. When a lock projection of a lock lever provided for the attachment fitting is fitted into a lock recess provided for one of the guide grooves, the lock lever is swung, so that the casing is received and secured to the attachment fitting while the lock lever is spring-urged (see, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2002-316594). | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Traditional luggage and baggage solutions lack the flexibility that is important for a modern traveler. In particular, traditional luggage and baggage designs have a fixed size that cannot be adapted to fit the needs of a traveler for a given trip or activity, and in many cases they require a traveler to check a bag rather than keep the bag as carry-on item. Additionally, traditional luggage typically requires a traveler to use one hand to carry, push, or pull the bag, which can be a detriment to the modern traveler that needs both hands free for tasks such as eating, drinking, reading, or using a mobile electronic device. Furthermore, currently available luggage and baggage solutions do not effectively incorporate features that are important to the modern traveler, most notably a battery charger, GPS, speakers or similar electrical or power sources, which have become essential with the ever increasing reliance on mobile electronics.
Also, the traditional designs of certain types of luggage do not effectively achieve the intended function of the bag. For example, traditional garment bags require that the clothing placed within the bag to be folded which results in wrinkles. Moreover the shape of the traditional garment bag is such that it is bulky and awkward to carry. In particular, the thin, flat shape of traditional garment bags makes them unstable to wind forces and difficult to carry in crowds, which further exacerbates the garment bag discomfort. Additionally, the bulk of traditional garmet bags often mean that a traveler cannot keep the garment bag as a carry-on item, thereby defeating the purpose of keeping the garment bag with the traveler to help ensure the secure and wrinkle-free transport of the garments therein. Although there are certain rolling garment bag solutions available, those solutions also suffer from similar limitations due to the large diameter and bulk, which make such bags uncomfortable to carry, especially on the back. Additionally, the flexible nature of many currently available garment bags limits the ability for such garment bags to provide protection to the items being carried. Finally, currently available rolled garment bags do not provide a rolling device with a means to firmly secure a garment in order to start the rolling of the garment.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for a multipurpose modular bag or container that can be taken as carry-on bag, is adapted to fit the specific needs of a traveler on a given trip, provides different levels of protection to items retained within the bag, avoids wrinkles and creases in the garments, allows for hands free carrying and can also be used as a packaging for suits, jackets and blazer while selling such garments. These and other features and advantages of the present invention will be explained and will become obvious to one skilled in the art through the summary of the invention that follows. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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The invention relates to power-driven conveyors and, more particularly, to modular conveyor belts constructed of rows of belt modules hingedly interlinked end-to-end by hinge pins.
Conventional modular conveyor belts and chains are made up of modular links, or belt modules, arranged in rows. Spaced apart link ends extending from each end of the modules include aligned apertures. The link ends along one end of a row of modules are interleaved with the link ends of an adjacent row. A pivot rod, or hinge pin, journalled in the aligned apertures of the end-to-end-connected rows, connects adjacent rows together to form an endless conveyor belt capable of articulating about a drive sprocket.
In many industrial applications, articles are allowed to accumulate on a continuously moving conveyor belt before being off-loaded. Friction between the conveying surface of the moving belt and the accumulated articles causes the articles to push against each other increasing backline pressure. Backline pressure can cause damage to the articles, excessively load the conveyor belt and its drive components, and accelerate belt wear. Rotatable elements, such as rollers, in rolling contact with the undersides of conveyed articles have been used to reduce friction and lower backline pressure.
In other conveyor applications, articles must be pushed off the side of a constantly moving or stop-and-go conveyor belt. Rollers oriented with their axes of rotation in the direction of belt travel have been used to provide low friction rolling contact with the undersides of conveyed articles being pushed off the side of a conveyor.
Arscott U.S. Pat. No. 4,231,469, issued Nov. 4, 1980, discloses a conveyor comprising a plurality of interconnected cradles and a rotatable member mounted in each cradle. The rotatable members extend above the respective cradle for rolling contact with an object placed on the conveyor to allow the objects to move relative to the conveyor. The Arscott patent discloses rotatable members with axes of rotation in the direction of belt travel for side off-loading and perpendicular to the direction of belt travel for low backline pressure.
One shortcoming of the Arscott conveyor and other roller-top belts is that they are difficult to clean owing to the many surfaces and nooks and crannies associated with the rollers. Cleanability is especially important in some industries, such as meat-handling, where bacteria can form in and spread from difficult-to-clean areas.
Another shortcoming of many low backline pressure conveyors is the placement of a roller on the pivot rod. Such a placement requires fewer or thinner link ends resulting in less belt pull strength or narrow rollers resulting in high contact pressure on conveyed articles. Thus, there is a need for a modular conveyor belt that features low backline pressure or low-friction side transfer and that is easy to clean.
In yet other applications, it is desirable to justify conveyed articles along one side of the conveyor belt where they can be appropriately processed. Examples include applying labels, reading bar codes, and singulating. Pusher bars, slat conveyors with side-to-side moving shoes, and other even more complex mechanisms are used for these purposes. What is needed is a modular conveyor belt that can be used to justify articles in a simple manner.
These needs and others are satisfied by the invention, which provides a modular roller-top conveyor belt. The belt is constructed of a series of rows of belt modules having hinge elements at opposite ends of each row. The hinge elements of one row are interleaved with the hinge elements of an adjacent row. Hinge pins interlink the interleaved hinge elements of adjacent rows to form an endless conveyor belt with pivotable joints between each row. Each row is constructed of one or more belt modules. Each module includes a body section extending between first and second ends in the direction of belt travel. The body section includes a bottom surface and an opposite upper deck that forms an upper surface. At least one cavity is formed in the body section of one or more of the modules. The cavity opens onto the upper surface. A roller residing in the cavity engages conveyed articles in rolling, low-friction contact.
In various versions of the belt of the invention, the rollers are cylinders for rotation about axes parallel to, perpendicular to, or oblique to the direction of belt travel or balls for omnidirectional rotation.
In one version of the belt of the invention, the cavity extends from the upper surface completely through the body section to an opening in the bottom surface to allow debris to fall through. In another version, the belt has a transverse drive element extending from the bottom surface and the cavity does not extend through the drive element to allow for placement of drive sprockets across the entire width of the belt row.
In versions with a cylindrical roller, the belt includes an axle that fits through a central bore in the roller. Opposite walls of the cavity have collinear holes to support the ends of the axle. In a version having more than one cavity in the body section, the collinear holes can be extended to join the cavities and form a passageway along a transverse axis to admit a single axle on which all the rollers ride. The roller can be made of a rubber material with its bore lined by a bushing to receive the axle. In a version designed for side transfer of articles, at least one of the collinear holes opens into a gap between consecutive hinge elements for easy insertion of the axle during module construction. As the belt is put together, the axle is retained in the holes by an interleaved hinge element of an adjacent belt row disposed in the gap. To guide articles that drop onto the conveyor on an edge or otherwise skewed orientation, another version of the belt of the invention features an upwardly sloping, for example, convex, upper surface. The upper surface rises from the first and second ends of the belt rows toward the roller. This construction tends to guide the skewed article into a conveying position atop the roller. A version with a pivotable support mounted in the cavity and a roller and axle rotatably supported in the support provides a caster-like action that gives the rollers the versatility to roll in all directions.
In a version of the belt of the invention used for justifying articles along one side of the belt, the cavities are formed to admit cylindrical rollers arranged to rotate on an oblique axis. The cavities extend completely through the module body section. The diameter of the rollers is preferably greater than the thickness of the body section. In this way, the roller protrudes above the upper conveying surface of the module to engage conveyed articles in rolling contact and below the bottom driving surface to engage a roller bearing surface in the belt conveyor support frame that causes the rollers to rotate, thereby guiding the conveyed articles toward one side of the belt justified along a side edge.
In one version of the belt of the invention for use with roller balls, the cavity includes a recessed surface that supports bearing elements, which provide low-friction bearing surfaces for the ball. The bearings elements are ridges rising from the recessed surface of the cavity. In another version, the bearing elements include a plurality of ball bearings in a ball bearing holder. A cover has a circular aperture with a diameter less than the diameter of the ball to retain it in the cavity with just a portion of the ball protruding above the surface of the cover into rolling contact with conveyed articles. The cover can be integrally molded with the upper deck to engage retention structure on the upper deck in snap-fit retention. In one integrally molded version, the cover includes a lip defining the circular aperture whose diameter is adjustable by deformation, for example, from a first diameter to a second diameter. The first diameter is greater than the diameter of the ball to allow the ball to be installed in the cavity. The second diameter is less than the diameter of the ball to retain the ball in the cavity with a portion of the ball protruding through the cover into rolling contact with conveyed articles. In another version, the cover has sloping sides to guide askew articles into position atop the roller balls. | {
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This invention relates generally to silicon (Si) semiconductor devices having xcex4-doped layers and, more particularly, to integrated circuits incorporating such devices.
In semiconductor devices grown by techniques that allow for a high degree of control of layer thickness and dopant concentration (e.g., molecular beam epitaxy or MBE) it is known to form extremely thin layers that have very high levels of dopant concentration (e.g., concentrations in excess of 1020 cmxe2x88x923). Thin highly doped layers of this type are known as delta-doped or xcex4-doped layers. Their thickness is so small, relative to a characteristic length of the material (e.g., a Debye length), that these layers are also referred to as two-dimensional (2D) layers, as contrasted with much thicker layers that are known as three-dimensional (3D) layers.
The dopant concentration and the free-carrier concentration (or density), however, are typically not the same. As the dopant concentration increases, it is well known that the free-carrier concentration will eventually saturate. This behavior in Si has been attributed to the formation of electrically inactive precipitates and/or deactivating dopant centers containing vacancies. Recently, a new class of deactivating defects in Si without vacancies, called donor pairs (DP), has been proposed to explain the observed electrical saturation. See, D. J. Chadi et al., Phys. Rev. Lett., Vol. 79, No. 24, p. 4834 (1997), which is co-authored by two of us (P. H. Citrin and H-J. Gossmann) and is incorporated herein by reference. Formation of DP defects depends only on dopant concentration rather than on sample preparation conditions, so even if preparation is adjusted to avoid precipitates or vacancy-containing centers, electrical saturation will still occur. Chadi et al. at page 4837, col. 1, reported that the free-carrier concentration saturated at a maximum of about 6.5xc3x971020 cmxe2x88x923 and concluded that DP defects represent an inherent limitation to electron activity of Si doped with group V donors.
Such a barrier to achieving full electrical activity in highly doped Si should be particularly severe for 2D xcex4-doped layers, where even higher dopant densities can, in principle, be obtained. See, S. J. Bass, J. Cryst. Growth, Vol. 47, p.613 (1979), which is incorporated herein by reference. Free-carrier areal concentrations (ne) of up to about 3xc3x971014 cmxe2x88x922 have been reported in 2D layers (See, H.-J. Gossmann et al., Phys. Rev., Vol. 47, No. 19, p. 12618 (1993), which is incorporated herein by reference.), but because the xcex4-doped layer thicknesses in those samples were not determined, the effective volume concentration of dopants was not known. Conversely, samples from which reliably measured xcex4-doped layer thicknesses were reported had no corresponding measurements of electrical activity. See, W. F. J. Slijkerman et al., J. Appl. Phys., Vol. 68, No. 10, p. 5105 (1990) and A. R. Powell et al., J. Cryst. Growth, Vol. 111, p. 907 (1991), which are incorporated herein by reference. Consequently, the importance of DP defects in 2D xcex4-doped Si layers, and thus the inherent limitations on free-carrier densities, in general, has heretofore not been possible to assess accurately.
We have discovered that, contrary to conventional wisdom about forming DP defects, electrical saturation in highly doped 2D layers of Si does not occur. In accordance with one aspect of our invention, free-carrier concentrations in excess of about 7xc3x971020 cmxe2x88x923 can be attained in single crystal Si layers xcex4-doped with a Group V element. In one embodiment, free-carrier concentrations in excess of about 2xc3x971021 cmxe2x88x923 are realized in single crystal Si that is xcex4-doped with Sb. In another embodiment, the xcex4-doped layer is an integral part of an FET; e.g., it may be located under the spacers, near the top of the source drain regions, and/or near the top of the gate stack. In accordance with another aspect of our invention, an integrated circuit is fabricated by the steps of providing a single crystal silicon body and forming a doped layer in the body, characterized in that the processing steps form neither a significant amount of electrically inactive precipitates nor a significant number of deactivating dopant centers containing vacancies, and the layer is fabricated as a xcex4-doped layer that is doped with a Group V element, so that the free-carrier density in the layer is in excess of about 7xc3x971020 cmxe2x88x923, preferably in excess of about 2xc3x971021 cmxe2x88x923. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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This background description is set forth below for the purpose of providing context only. Therefore, any aspect of this background description, to the extent that it does not otherwise qualify as prior art, is neither expressly nor impliedly admitted as prior art against the instant disclosure.
With some electrical units, any change in functionality may require significant modification, approvals, and/or verification.
There is a desire for solutions/options that minimize or eliminate one or more challenges or shortcomings of electrical units. The foregoing discussion is intended only to illustrate examples of the present field and should not be taken as a disavowal of scope. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to graphical user interfaces and more particularly to a graphical user interface for a portable electronic device.
2. Description of the Related Art
This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art that may be related to various aspects of the present invention, which are described and/or claimed below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present invention. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.
The graphical user interface (“GUI”) of an electronic device may accomplish a variety of tasks and present a variety of information to a user. The user sees and interacts with the GUI, so it is beneficial if the GUI presents information and choices to a user in a way that is not only pleasing and natural to the eye but conducive to efficient use of the underlying application and hardware. For example, a user may expect a certain amount of performance and responsiveness, in addition to a pleasing and natural interface.
One particular area that may greatly affect how a user perceives the interface is special effects, such as transitions, that may be used between different screens. A transition that is too jarring or abrupt may result in an unpleasant interface. Alternatively, a transition that is inefficient or poorly designed may be interpreted by the user as a slow or unresponsive user interface. Many special effects may be used as transitions to avoid these problems, such as fading screens in and out (changing opacity), sliding or moving screens in and out, scaling or resizing screens, etc.
However, as the demand for smaller portable electronic devices with a wide range of functionality increases, processing and memory resources may not be available and may constrain the ability of a device to provide these special effects. In addition, providing these special effects should not result in an accompanying decrease in speed or responsiveness of the user interface. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Projection display devices that use zoom lenses, are known. Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application H10-268193, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application 2000-292701, and Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application 2001-004919 disclose five group zoom lenses in which three lens groups move to control zooming.
In general, zoom lenses for projection display devices need to provide a bright image based on the use of a liquid crystal image source of limited brightness. Additionally, the zoom lens needs to be compact to achieve the desired small size of the projection display device. In recent years, there has been a demand to be able to project the image from a short distance to a large screen by using a wider wide-angle projection lens in the projection display device. Furthermore, a larger zooming ratio is being demanded.
In addition, for use in a projection display device with a liquid crystal image source, a prerequisite for the projection zoom lens is that it be telecentric or nearly telecentric on the reducing side, that is, the side where the liquid crystal image source is present. Furthermore, it is necessary to provide an adequate back focus distance in order to insert an optical system for color synthesis in projection display devices (or for color separation in color separation imaging systems) between the lens system and the imaging plane.
Also, higher definition images have been increasingly demanded in the projection display device, as well as further improvement in various aberrations in the middle range of zooming with three lens groups moving for zooming, as described above.
Improvements have been sought by the use of six-group zoom lenses with four moving lens groups as disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application 2001-350094, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application 2001-235679, and Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application 2001-350096. However, none of these three published Japanese applications suggest improvements to the various aberrations in the middle range of zooming. Additionally, the zoom lenses of these three published Japanese applications are unsatisfactory for at least the following reasons. In Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application 2001-350094 and Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application 2001-235679, a maximum angle of view of approximately 52xc2x0 is achieved, but the correction of chromatic aberration is unsatisfactory. In Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application 2001-350096, a maximum angle of view of about 51xc2x0 is achieved, but the overall size of the projection optical system is too large. In addition, the fifth lens group from the enlarging side moves nearer the reducing side during zooming toward the telephoto end. That requires more space for moving the fifth lens group, which, in turn, makes it difficult to increase the zoom ratio while maintaining compactness of the projection display device.
The present invention relates to a zoom lens that includes six lens groups, four of which move for zooming, and in which various aberrations are favorably corrected. The required space for lens group movements during zooming is small, the zoom lens is compact, and has a large zoom ratio with a wide-angle of view and a bright image. The present invention further relates to a projection display device, such as a projection television, that uses such a zoom lens with, for example, a liquid crystal image source. Additionally, the present invention relates to cameras that use such a zoom lens for imaging onto an image detector such as a CCD, a camera tube element, photographic film, or similar devices. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Base station antennas used in wireless telecommunication systems have the capability to transmit and receive electromagnetic signals. Received signals are processed by a receiver at the base station and fed into a communications network. Transmitted signals are transmitted at different frequencies than the received signals.
Due to the increasing number of base station antennas, manufacturers are attempting to minimize the size of each antenna and reduce manufacturing costs. Moreover, the visual impact of base station antenna towers on communities has become a societal concern. Thus, it is desirable to reduce the size of these towers and thereby lessen the visual impact of the towers on the community. The size of the towers can be reduced by using smaller base station antennas.
There is also a need for an antenna with wide impedance bandwidth which displays a stable far-field pattern across that bandwidth. There is also a need for increasing the bandwidth of existing single-polarization antennas so they can operate in the cellular, Global System for Mobile (GSM), Personal Communication System (PCS), Personal Communication Network (PCN), and Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) frequency bands.
The present invention addresses the problems associated with prior antennas by providing a novel folded dipole antenna including a conductor forming one or more integral radiating sections. This design exhibits wide impedance bandwidth, is inexpensive to manufacture, and can be incorporated into existing single-polarization antenna designs. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
Aromatic sulfide polymers, ranging in consistency from viscous liquids to crystalline solids, are known in the art. While such polymers exhibit desirable properties, for many commercial applications, such as molding compositions, the unmodified (i.e., virgin) polymers normally possess a relatively high melt flow, e.g., above about 4,000 grams/10 minutes, which inhibits their use in many applications. For example, when exposed to processing temperatures above their melting point, the virgin polymers require extensive processing times or special apparatus for thin film processing. The high melt flow (low viscosity) of the virgin arylene sulfide polymers makes it difficult to handle these virgin resins by conventional molding practices. Since aromatic sulfide polymers possess many desirable properties which make them extremely useful, it would be advantageous to improve the processability of the polymers without materially affecting any of their desirable properties.
One technique for achieving the improvement in processability is demonstrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,793,256, henceforth Patent '256. Specifically, Patent '256 discloses, among other things, a method to improve processabilty of a polymeric resin by oxidatively curing the virgin polymer. Since this oxidative curing process comprises exposing of the virgin resin, preferably in particulate form, to an oxidizing atmosphere, while being heated to a temperature below the resin's melting, this process is often referred to as "solid state" curing. Patent '256 further discloses that the oxygen content in air, (i.e., approximately 20 volume %) is preferred to achieve the desirable results of the oxidative curing process disclosed therein. Therefore, since the publication of Patent '256, air has generally been used as the oxidizing atmosphere to cure a virgin poly(arylene sulfide) resin. Conversely, if such a polymeric resin is to be employed for the purposes of, for example, encapsulations and/or coatings, the resin must have its melt flow value increased.
It should be noted that the term "curing", with respect to poly(arylene sulfide) polymers, is not necessarily synonymous with the meaning of that term when applied to other polymers, such as in the "curing" of natural or synthetic rubber with sulfur as the vulcanizing agent, or the curing of unsaturated polyester compositions with styrene as the crosslinking agent. The complete curing of such rubber or unsaturated polyester compositions results in an irreversible conversion from the thermoplastic state to the thermal set state. The curing of poly(arylene sulfide) resins, on the other hand, differs in that these resins are thermoplastic, both before and after such curing, although not necessarily to the same degree. Thus, the curing of PAS resins, and objects formed therefrom, produces changes in extrudability, toughness, and other important properties.
While, for certain commercial applications, it is desirable to decrease the melt flow (increase melt viscosity) of a virgin poly(arylene sulfide) resin, it is equally desirable to have a resin which is thermally stable when in the melted phase. In other words, it is desirable to have a polymeric resin whose melt viscosity does not substantially change while the resin is held at a temperature above its melting point for a given period of time. The reason thermal stability is such an important factor is that in many commercial applications, cured polymeric resins often undergo at least one melt processing step. A typical example of a commercial processing procedure is when a cured resin is first made into a polymer composition by adding to the melted resin various fillers such as glass, fibers, and/or fiberglass. The polymer composition is then often sent to be processed into a final and/or intermediate molded product. This latter processing step often requires that the polymer composition also be heated to a temperature above the melting point of the resin used in its preparation.
Due to inherent physical restraints of commercial processing equipment, it is generally necessary to feed, into the processing equipment, resinous material having a melt viscosity within a specifically narrow range. As illustrated above, the resinous material was exposed to temperatures above its melting point at two different occurrences. Therefore, in that example, if the thermal stability of the cured resin was low (i.e., melt viscosity changed greatly as the resin was maintained in a melted phase), it would be difficult, if not impossible, to determine what its initial melt viscosity should be in order for its final melt viscosity to ultimately fall within the specified range. If, on the other hand, the cured resin is thermally stable in the melt, it will be exceedingly easier to synthesize a resin which will retain the desired flow properties. Accordingly, one object of this invention is to provide a process for preparing thermally stable cured arylene sulfide polymeric resins.
Another object of this invention is to produce polymeric compositions from arylene sulfide resins treated by the novel process of this invention.
Yet a further object of this invention is to make a molded article made from either an arylene sulfide resin, cured by the process of this invention, or a polymeric composition made by using the novely cured resin.
Other objects, aspects, and advantages of this invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the specification and appended claims which follow. | {
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Piping systems exist to facilitate the flow of fluids (e.g., liquid, gas (such as air) or plasma), contain contents internally and provide other functions. For example, piping systems can include conduits that maintain electrical wiring, effectively bundling and containing wiring within a confined and protected area, so that the inserted wires can be collectively transported, shielded and joined from one point to another. In many instances, one of the end points for the conduit is an electrical box. For purposes of the present disclosure, the term “tube”, “pipe”, “piping”, “conduit”, “conduit element” or “piping element” will be understood to encompass one or more pipes, tubes, conduits, piping elements and/or tubing elements, and may be used interchangeably.
Electrical boxes, which can be referred to as utility boxes, can come in a variety of shapes and sizes, and generally operate to enclose wire connections for indoor electrical applications such as light switches, electrical outlets, fan switches and similar applications. Electrical boxes can be designed for use indoors, outdoors, in an exposed fashion outside of a wall, and in a hidden fashion within a wall, for example. Invariably, electrical boxes include openings to facilitate wiring connections and mounting in desired locations. Various conduits can be employed for collecting and facilitating connection wires through interfacing with one of the electrical box openings, thereby making it safer and easier to connect wires entering from the outside of the box to power sources and ground lines inside of the box, for example. As a specific example, an indoor electrical box for a light switch may have wiring entering the box from a central home power source, and may separately have wiring entering the box from the lighting fixture to be controlled by the light switch. The home power source wiring is connected to the light switch, and the lighting fixture wiring is also connected to the light switch, after which the lighting fixture can be controlled from the electrical box housing the described connections. If the wiring is not securely maintained, or the box improperly positioned or secured, problems can result.
The conduits or piping connections for managing loose wires are generally tube-shaped elements with a hollow interior for permitting wiring to pass through. Such conduits are useful in properly protecting the wires and cables contained therein. If unprotected, the loose wires and/or cables can be damaged, cut (such as against a metal edge of the electrical box opening) and can potentially cause a short circuit, shock, or fire. While code regulations exist to help prevent these problems, various installations may not meet code requirements. When traditional conduits are positioned within an electrical box opening, they may be unsecured, or possibly secured through a basic form of attachment such as a threaded engagement.
In recent years, push-fit technology has been employed with piping systems, and particularly with plumbing systems, to reduce the dangers and time involved in soldering joints and other connection methods. Push-fit methods require minimal knowledge of pipe fittings and involve far fewer materials than soldering. For example, one may only need the pipes, quick-connect fittings, a chamfer/de-burring tool and tubing cutter in order to connect pipes using push-fit technology. The steps involved in connecting piping systems using push-fit technology can be outlined as follows. First, the pipe is cut to the appropriate length and the end of the pipe is cleaned with the de-burring tool. Then the pipe and fitting are pushed together for connection. The fitting is provided with a fastening ring (also called a collet, grip ring or grab ring) having teeth that grip the pipe as it is inserted. The fastening ring device is employed to provide opposing energy, preventing the device from disconnection while creating a positive seal. Accordingly, no wrenches, clamping, gluing or soldering is involved. Push-fit and/or quick-connect technology for piping systems can be obtained, for example, through Quick Fitting, Inc. of Warwick, R.I., USA, suppliers of the CoPro® line of push fittings and related products. Also, such technology is described, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,862,089, 8,205,915, 8,210,576, 8,398,122, and 8,480,134, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a circuit board device with a multilayer chip capacitor mounted thereon and an integrated circuit device, and more particularly, to a circuit board device and an integrated circuit device capable of effectively removing high frequency noise while retaining high rated-current characteristics and simplifying a power circuit configuration.
2. Description of the Related Art
A multilayer chip capacitor (MLCC) is favorably used as a bypass capacitor disposed within a power circuit of LSI (Large Scale Integration). To serve as the bypass capacitor, the MLCC needs to effectively remove high frequency noise. Such a need is increasing in line with the trend toward high frequencies in electronic devices.
A general MLCC used as the bypass capacitor has a two-terminal structure as shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B. The two-terminal structure refers to a structure in which an MLCC 10 is mounted in a configuration in which two outer electrodes are connected to a circuit board. The related art two-terminal MLCC 10 includes a capacitor body 11 having a laminated structure of dielectric layers 14, and first and second outer electrodes 12a and 12b each formed with a different polarity on an external surface of the capacitor body 11. First and second inner electrodes 13a and 13b are laminated within the capacitor body 11, alternated with the dielectric layers 14, and are connected with the first and second outer electrodes 12a and 12b, respectively.
FIG. 2 is an equivalent circuit diagram schematically showing noise bypassed via the MLCC. The MLCC used as a bypass capacitor may be electrically connected to a pad mounted on the circuit board through soldering, and the mounted pad may be connected to an external circuit via a wiring pattern or a conductive via of the substrate. In detail, as shown in FIG. 2, the MLCC is connected to a power line and a ground line. In particular, the MLCC is vertically connected to the power line.
In this case, however, the MLCC has both equivalent series resistance (ESR) and equivalent series inductance (ESL) components in addition to a capacitance component, and such ESR and ESL components degrade the function of the bypass capacitor. In particular, the ESL components increase the impedance of the capacitor at high frequencies to degrade high frequency noise removing characteristics. The inductance (L) of the bypass capacitor may differ depending on how the MLCC is mounted and structured, and these differences in the inductance of the bypass capacitor significantly affect noise removing characteristics.
In order to effectively remove high frequency noise, a method for using a plurality of MLCCs as shown in FIG. 3 may be taken into consideration. However in this method, the increase in the number of capacitors makes the power circuit configuration complicated.
Thus, a power circuit is required, which employs a smaller number of bypass capacitors to realize a simplified circuit configuration and effectively remove noise. | {
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It is well known to use a hand-engageable mouse with a computer keyboard for moving a pointer or cursor on the CRT display of a computer into various positions on the display for one or more purposes. It has also been known to substitute for the mouse a control mechanism which is used adjacent to the keyboard of the computer for effecting changes in cursor positions by manipulation of movable parts by the fingers or palm of the hand while the fingers of the hand remain on the keys of the computer keyboard.
In such a control mechanism, control over vertical and horizontal movements of the cursor on a computer display is achieved by the use of a rotatable shaft and a freely slidable member on the shaft. The member is coupled to the shaft so that the member rotates with the shaft yet the member can be shifted longitudinally of the shaft while the shaft is stationary or while the shaft is being rotated.
A first analog value is adjusted by rotation of the shaft and the member together in either of a pair of opposed directions. A second analog value is adjusted by moving the member along the shaft in either direction. Also, the mechanism can be constructed so that, with a slight downward pressure on the shaft or the member, an electrical switch can be actuated for enabling a circuit of the apparatus with which the mechanism is associated. Such a control mechanism of the type described above is disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 677,703, filed Dec. 4, 1984.
While the control mechanism described above is suitable for a number of applications, such a mechanism can be simplified so that a control mechanism can be constructed with fewer moving parts yet the simplified control mechanism can provide precision control of a pair of analog values, such as the X-Y position of the cursor of a computer display. The present invention provides such a simplified mechanism. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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This invention relates generally to the continuous, high speed transfer of material from a carrier to a substrate, such as the hot stamping of foil in printing machines, and more particularly to high speed rotary printing machines, such as but not limited to flexographic, letterpress and rotary screen printing machines.
One form of hot stamping foil comprises a carrier or backing film and a decorative layer thereon. The decorative layer may comprise at least one layer of lacquer and optionally a layer of adhesive and other layers. For example a separation or partition layer may be provided between the backing film and the layer of lacquer, to promote separation of the decorative layer from the backing film. A metal or color layer may be disposed between the lacquer and adhesive layer.
The layers of lacquer, metal and adhesive are transferred to a substrate with heat and pressure, using a rotary brass die. The backing film may be formed of one of a number of plastic or other materials including but not limited to a polyester such as polyethylenephthalate, oriented polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, styrene, acetate, coated and uncoated paper, cardboard, hard plastics such as polyolefins (high and low density polyethylene), polystyrene and related plastics or halogenated polyolefin polymers such as polyvinyl chloride.
Normally, rotary hot stamping is carried out using (1) a metal, usually brass, application or impression roller with raised areas configured to the shape of the desired area to be hot stamped, with the surface of such roller being heated to between 250 and 400 degrees Fahrenheit, and (2) an adjacent base or anvil roller. During the rotary hot stamping process, the layers of lacquer, metal and sometimes adhesive are separated from the carrier or backing film of the foil. In conventional rotary hot stamping, an adhesive is used and the hot stamping foil is nipped between the two rollers. In the case where an adhesive is not present on the foil, it is usually applied to the substrate in selected areas. The supporting base or anvil roller is made from vulcanized silicone rubber having a hardness of between 80 to 100 durometer, or an ebonite roller having a hardness of approximately 100 durometer. As the substrate of plastic film, paper or other sheet material to which the decoration is to be applied passes over the anvil roller, it contacts the surface of the hot stamping foil opposite the backing film. The substrate and the foil are carried together between the heated brass impression roller and the anvil roller, with the backing film facing the heated brass impression roller surface and the layers to be hot stamped or transferred facing the substrate.
An object of the present invention is to provide method and apparatus for economical, high speed continuous rotary application of material such as stamping foil to a substrate, and more particularly to the application of hot stamping foil to a substrate.
Another object of the present invention is to improve the utilization of the material, such as hot stamp foil, that is being transferred, thus to reduce the waste of such material that occurs with present machines and processes.
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a method of continuous rotary transfer of material from a carrier to a substrate, such as hot-stamping, in which the material, such as hot stamp foil, is utilized much more efficiently than prior techniques. A method is provided whereby a carrier of the foil is both unwound from its supply roll and rewound onto a waste roll at a speed proportional to and substantially less than the speed of the substrate, while at the same time the portions of the carrier and foil in the vicinity of the nip transfer point undergo changes in velocity such that the foil is synchronous with the substrate during the actual transfer of foil from the carrier to the substrate. The apparatus and method of the present invention are extremely efficient in that they permit the continuous high speed rotary application of hot stamping foil while utilizing as much as 95% of the surface area of such foil, thereby minimizing the amount of scrap foil.
In a specific implementation, the changes in velocity are accomplished by means of a microprocessor-controlled shuttle mechanism receiving input signals from a position-sensing device indicating substrate motion, and one or more position sensors indicating the position of the raised stamping areas. A typical implementation consists of an attachment to a printing press having a continuous substrate, typically paper or plastic. The anvil and impression rollers are typically gear-driven from the press itself. The attachment is self powered independent from the press.
It is a goal of the invention, according to a specific aspect, that the process of rotary hot-stamping take place at high speeds compatible with the rate at which flexographic and similar printing presses are used, namely 100 feet/minute to 400 feet/minute. In order to effect these speeds it is desirable to keep to a minimum those portions of the foil drive which undergo velocity changes, several methods of achieving this will be described herein.
Additional objects, advantages and features of the present invention are described below with respect to its preferred embodiments, which description should be taken with the accompanying drawings. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a two-way communication system and, more particularly, to a means which permits binary signals to be exchanged between devices through a single communication port, or pin.
2. Description of the Prior Art
When a pair of devices (e.g. such as a sensor and a programmable logic controller (PLC), two microprocessors, two sensors, or any two devices with input and output capability) need to communicate with each other, the standard method for permitting this two-way communication is to connect an output pin of the first device with an input pin of the second device and connect an output pin of the second device within an input pin of the first device. Binary information is then transmitted from the first device to the second device through one pair of communication ports, or pins, and binary information is transmitted from the second device to the first device through a separate pair of communication ports, or pins. Another method which permits two-way communication between devices utilizes time division multiplexing, wherein one device occupies each pin half of the time and the other device occupies each pin during the remaining time period. This multiplexing method does not permit either of the devices to provide a continuously valid output. This method and other known methods require additional input pins and circuitry to synchronize the output disable timing of one circuit with the input signal coming in from the other circuit. An input circuit that accepts the output from a bi-directional pin also requires a dedicated timing control function in order to read the desired output only when it is valid.
It would therefore be beneficial if a means is provided to permit two devices to communicate with each other through a single pin, or communication port, simultaneously without the signals from one device interfering with the signals from the other. This would be an improvement over known devices in which the output signal from a first device would corrupt the input signal coming from a second device to the first device. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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The present invention is directed to an improved light fixture and in particular to an improved light fixture adapted to receive a wedge base automotive bulb.
Various types of light fixtures have been proposed for receipt of wedge base automotive bulbs such as the "194" automotive bulb. These fixtures have typically included a separate base plate member which receives a socket member. The socket member is typically secured to the base plate member through a bayonette type attachment arrangement. The socket member is typically provided with connector pins to receive the base portion of the bulb and for connection to appropriate lead wires. Accordingly, the assembly of these light fixtures requires the separate steps of assembling the socket member to the base plate member and the attachment of the connector pins to the socket member.
It is desirable to provlde a light fixture which can receive a wedge base light bulb which does not require the separate assembly of the base plate member to the socket member. It is further desirable that the socket member cooperates with the connector pins to facilitate the assembly and retention of the connector pins within the socket member. | {
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The telecommunications and data transmission industries are increasingly dependent on optical fibers to relay data being transmitted to our homes and businesses. Optical fibers will certainly play an important role in carrying the vast amounts of voice and digital data on the Information Superhighway.
Optical fibers typically have an 8 to 100 .mu.m central glass core surrounded by a glass cladding with a diameter of up to 250 .mu.m. The cable is protected by a plastic outer shield. Unlike electric shielded cables, the optical fibers must not be kinked or wound about a radius less than the recommended minimum bending radius to avoid damage to the optical fiber cable or interfere with its performance.
When optical cables are installed in or terminated at a telecommunications or data transmission equipment, excess lengths of the optic cables may remain loose or unsecured. In telecommunication equipment that cross-connect many channels of voice and data signals, the large number of loose optical cables connected to the equipment may become an unmanageable, tangled mass. The mass of loose cables not only are unsightly but also may hinder equipment maintenance and servicing. The loose optic cables are also more prone to damage since they are unprotected and may be easily mishandled.
Accordingly, there is a need for apparatus for ordered arrangement and accommodation of excess lengths of a plurality of optic cables which ensures a minimum bending radius of the cables and protect the optic cables from mishandling. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Field of the Invention
The specification generally relates to generating a planogram for representing a structured positioning of items on a shelving unit. In particular, the specification relates to a system and method for generating a planogram based on identifying patterns relating to the positioning of items on shelving units in retail stores.
Description of the Background Art
A planogram is a data or visual representation of products in a retail environment. For example, a planogram may describe where in the retail environment and in what quantity products should be located. Such planograms are tools designed for increasing sales, managing inventory and otherwise ensuring that the desired quantity and sizes of an item are placed to optimize, for example, profits. However, such planograms may not easily be available or used in some retail situations. Some retail stores may present and maintain adequate levels of stock on shelves, racks and display stands without enforcing a planogram and be highly successful in moving more items than average without knowing why. While the location and quantity of products in the retail stores can be manually tracked by a user, attempts are being made to automatically recognize the products and automatically or semi-automatically obtain information about the state of products in order to generate an optimized planogram that can be put to use.
Previous attempts at generating planograms have deficiencies. For example, one method is to place cameras in stores and watch customer behavior to develop customer driven planograms. In another example, one method is to send representatives into retail stores to create planograms manually with pen and paper. Unfortunately, planograms developed through such methods can be time consuming, unreliable, and impact the sales performance negatively. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to bags which may be used for a number of different uses and which are provided with straps which perform at least two functions.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A common problem with known type bags is that they can generally be only used for one primary purpose. That is, they generally are not arranged or designed so that they can serve a multiple number of uses or purposes. Thereby, a number of individual bags must normally be obtained to serve the many uses for which people desire such bags.
Another common problem of known type bags is that they are not designed so that the carrying handles or straps can be used for other purposes than just carrying the bag.
Existing prior patents which may be pertinent to this invention are as follows:
______________________________________ INVENTOR PATENT NUMBER DATE GRANTED ______________________________________ Dwyer 1,468,711 September 25, 1923 Bailey 1,524,077 January 27, 1925 Gomi 1,883,702 October 18, 1932 Oechsle 3,346,155 October 10, 1967 Sewitch 3,565,277 February 23, 1971 Alley 3,786,972 January 22, 1974 ______________________________________ | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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This invention relates to small, portable liquid holding apparatuses used for the insertion of a test device into a test liquid. Small portable liquid holding apparatuses are used for a variety of applications.
In typical applications, liquid holding apparatuses are used in urinalysis (also called a routine urine test) to check for abnormalities in urine. Urine is liquid waste that is made by the kidney's and stored in the bladder until it is eliminated by the body through urination. A number of diseases and conditions can result in abnormalities in the urine. These abnormalities may be detected through physical, chemical, and microscopic examination. Urinalysis may be performed as part of a regular physical examination to screen for early signs of disease.
Urinalysis was the very first laboratory test developed—the value of urine testing to diagnose medical conditions was established over 6000 years ago. There is evidence of visual testing of urine in the earliest civilizations. As advances in medicine are proved visual testing to be unreliable, chemical evaluation of the urine replaced this method as a more accurate means of diagnosis.
Further understanding of the structure of the body (anatomy) and of the physical and chemical processes involved in organ function (physiology), as well as the invention and development of the microscope, led to additional advances in urine testing as a diagnostic tool. Urinalysis was first introduced as part of the routine physical examination in 1827, and this test remains a valuable method of diagnosis.
Dipstick tests involve placing papers that contain small pads of chemicals into the urine sample. These papers, referred to as urine dipsticks and urine reagent strips, change color when exposed to various substances in the urine. This type of urine testing can result in false-positive or false-negative results. Therefore, most laboratories use urine dipstick controls to determine whether the dipsticks are performing properly.
Urine dipstick controls mimic patient samples and are fortified to target levels with compounds that produce the desired reaction when tested by the dipsticks. This is an accurate means of determining the performance of the dipsticks to insure accurate results from patient specimens. If a dipstick is found to provide inaccurate results, the dipsticks are discarded and a new package is tested. If the dipsticks in the new package perform within specifications, then the dipsticks are used to test actual patient samples. Medical technologists run controls on a daily basis in order to be compliant with state and federal regulations governing quality control in the clinical setting. The controls can be urine or synthetic urine.
Hospital and reference laboratories have used controls for urinalysis dipstick testing for many years. These laboratories typically have large refrigeration units located in close proximity to the actual location where testing is performed. This means that a medical technologist working in the lab would simply remove the control material from the refrigerator as needed. All liquid, ready-to-use, quality control material requires refrigeration in order to achieve maximum stability.
In recent years, a trend towards point-of-care urine dipstick testing has occurred. This means that more testing is being performed by nurses at the point-of-care. Nurses have different needs from medical technologists. One of the most important needs is that they may not have refrigeration suitable to store in-vitro diagnostic products, such as urine dipstick controls. The refrigeration that is available to them is usually dedicated for the storage of items such as medication and food. Therefore, nurses require controls that feature extended room temperature stability. Additionally, nurses require controls that are portable so that they can easily be transported to the point-of-care (bedside, nurses' station, etc.).
There is a need for a liquid holding apparatus which is easier to use, less expensive to manufacture and less prone to spilling accidents than liquid holding apparatuses of the prior art. | {
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The present invention relates to mobile radio telecommunication systems. More particularly, and not by way of limitation, the present invention is directed to a system and method for improving broadcast, paging, and synchronization performance for a cellular communication system by exploiting the benefits of macro-diversity.
Cellular systems send broadcast signals that are received by mobile stations to obtain important information that is used for proper system operation. Some of this information is system-specific, such as the system ID, the operator name, the services supported, and so on. Some of the information is cell-specific, such as the maximum power to be used by mobile stations to access the cell, and so on. In general, all broadcast information is sent independently on each cell in the entire cellular network belonging to that operator. In GSM, this information is sent on the Broadcast Control Channel (BCCH) or the Packet Broadcast Control Channel (PBCCH). Similar common channels exist for CDMA and WCDMA systems. System-specific as well as cell-specific information is sent on every cell, and bandwidth resources are separately allocated in each cell for the purpose of broadcast.
Conventional cellular systems are designed mainly for unicast services, wherein point-to-point communication is the primary goal, and is typically handled within a single cell where the mobile station is present. All other functionalities are built to support the primary objective, and are thus designed within the purview of a single cell. For example, in GSM, CDMA2000, and WCDMA, in order to support voice and data calls, means are provided in each cell for the mobile to synchronize to a suitable cell it has selected, and to obtain the broadcast information sent by the base station in that cell. Following such synchronization and reading of broadcast-information, the mobile station can access the system and set up communication links.
In GSM, each cell has a Frequency Correction Channel (FCH), which enables coarse frequency and time synchronization to the cell and provides a pointer to the Synchronization Channel (SCH), which enables finer synchronization to the cell. The SCH allows identification of the cell and a pointer to the BCCH. The BCCH contains all the broadcast information relevant to the system and the cell, and directs further point-to-point communication in the cell. Each of these logical channels is present in each individual cell. The FCH is the same signal in all cells, but a terminal can only synchronize to the FCH of one particular cell. Thus, the benefit of having the same FCH in every cell is essentially helpful only in lowering the search space of the terminal.
In CDMA2000, a common pilot channel is used for initial synchronization. The same common pilot channel is used in all cells, but a variable offset (n*64 chips) distinguishes cells. A terminal attempting to synchronize to the common pilot channel gets connected to a cell with a particular offset. Even a 64-chip offset, leave alone a multiple of 64, is too large for typical path search windows, and it is unlikely that it can be exploited for path combining from different base stations. A synchronization channel that provides further information is closely associated with the common pilot channel and provides a pointer to the broadcast control channel that provides additional information to the mobile station for further communication.
In WCDMA, synchronization is achieved by means of a Primary Synchronization code that is common to all base stations. Since base stations are typically asynchronous, it is most likely that a terminal synchronizes to one particular cell. Further, a secondary synchronization code provides information on frame boundaries, and indicates a group of scrambling codes. By searching the group of scrambling codes, the terminal identifies the cell and is in a position to receive the system broadcast information.
Macro-diversity is defined as the reception of similar information from a variety of radio links that are separated by a significant spatial distance between transmission sources. The receiver can improve the quality of the received signal by suitably combining the signals from these links. The term “similar information” is to be understood to refer to the ability to embed the same information, encoded optionally in differing ways, as all or part of two or more radio transmissions. A significant spatial distance, as applied to the qualifier, “macro,” is meant to denote cases where the transmitting radio sources are separated by distances including large fractions of the cell size, as well as capable of encompassing several base station sites. Encoding information in this regard pertains to operations such as scrambling, interleaving, or channel encoding and combinations thereof.
A common way of performing macro-diversity is to transmit the exact same information from multiple transmitters at substantially the same time. The receiver receives a sum of signals that have passed through different radio links, and uses appropriate demodulation methods to obtain a performance benefit. One benefit of this way of performing macro-diversity is that the receiver is not substantially different from a receiver that is designed to receive a signal from only one transmitter.
In the GSM, CDMA2000, and WCDMA systems discussed earlier, it is clear that even if a synchronization signal that is essentially similar is present across multiple cells, the systems are not configured to permit the use of macro-diversity to enhance system synchronization. The uniformity of the signals is present just as a means to simplify initial synchronization.
More recently, there has been significant interest in offering broadcast services over the cellular network, wherein the same signal is broadcast to many users across multiple cells. This has lead to services such as Multimedia Broadcast/Multicast Service (MBMS) for WCDMA and broadcast TV services, such as Digital Video Broadcast-Handheld (DVB-H), to handheld terminals. Since these services are broadcasting information that is possibly common to all users, these services use methods such as macro-diversity to help improve the performance of information delivery to users in the system. To date, these broadcast techniques have been used for broadcasting services. Indeed, the design imperatives that have been used for such services may be extended in a novel direction for the purpose of broadcasting system information as well, even in a system whose primary purpose is point-to-point communication.
Solutions in use for broadcasting system information in conventional cellular systems cannot exploit any of the advantages provided by macro-diversity because the information is different from cell to cell. The current art needs an improved system and method for delivering all the relevant broadcast information to mobile stations operating in a cellular communication system, while at the same time allowing the use of point-to-point services to deliver data to particular users. The present invention provides such a system and method. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to switch sensors, and more particularly, a transmission range switch with an internal shear pin design.
2. Background and Summary of the Invention
Transmission range switches contain switching circuits that are arranged to open and close in response to the driver's shift lever selection. The switching circuits perform independent electrical interlocking functions for starting, back-up lamps and various vehicle accessories. In addition, other circuits are independently arranged to open and close in unique combinations for each transmission gear range and provide a coded output to the vehicle. The transmission range switch references the manual shaft angular position with respect to the transmission case. The neutral/start switch portion of the sensor inhibits vehicle start in all selector ranges except neutral and park, and provides continuity to illuminate the back-up lamps in reverse only. The sensing portion of the sensor provides a signal to the vehicle identifying the transmission manual lever position.
It is necessary to maintain the transmission range switch in a predetermined position (for example neutral) during installation onto the transmission. Current methods of assuring that the range switch is maintained in a predetermined position during installation include the use of an external shear pin, a disposable alignment bracket or an alignment tool.
With the external shear pin, a shear pin is inserted through a hole in the outside of the switch and pressed into a hole in the carrier. The hole in the outside of the switch is sealed either with an O-ring or an adhesive. Retention of the shear pin is accomplished by heatstaking the housing and shear pin or by the adhesive.
With the disposable alignment bracket, a stamped metal part aligns features on the housing and carrier to hold the switch in neutral. Once the switch is installed on the transmission, the bracket is removed and discarded.
With the alignment tool, a tool or fixture at the assembly plant aligns features on the housing and carrier and maintains them in position until the installation is completed.
It is important that these switches are sealed against environmental moisture, dust and dirt for reliability and durability. The external shear pin method for aligning the carrier has potential leak paths through which external contamination could enter the switch. Further, the disposable alignment bracket method creates disposal problems with respect to the disposable bracket. In addition, the tool alignment method requires further assembly steps during installation.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a transmission switch sensor which supports the carrier in a predetermined position for installation and which eliminates potential leak paths for external contamination. The internal shear pin technique is self-contained with no additional assembly steps required during installation and nothing needs to be discarded.
These, and other objects of the present invention are obtained by providing a switch sensor including a housing having a switch circuitry disposed within the housing. An electrical contactor carrier is movably mounted within the housing. The electrical contactor carrier includes an opening therein and the housing includes a corresponding recess portion for receiving a shear pin therein wherein the shear pin is completely internal with respect to the switch sensor housing.
Further areas of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. It should be understood however that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are intended for purposes of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The field of invention relates to tailgate apparatus, and more particularly pertains to a new and improved tailgate guard apparatus wherein the same is arranged for affording protection covering to tailgate linkage and bracketry exposed during removal of conventional tailgates within a pickup truck bed.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Pickup truck tailgates are typically removed for convenience of access into a pickup truck bed and for removal of the wind resistance typically presented by the orientation of a pickup truck tailgate within the opening defined between the side walls of a conventional pickup truck. Prior art tailgate replacement structure is illustrated for example in U.S. Pat. No. 4,353,589 to Hartberg setting forth a tailgate type construction utilizing a mesh member to permit free-flow of air passage therethrough to minimize air resistance during traverse of a pickup truck bed.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,763,944 to Fry, et al. sets forth a tailgate covering utilizing upper and lower straps for securement to plate members by upper and lower loops.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,136,905 to Morgan sets forth a tailgate providing air permeability therethrough to minimize wind resistance.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,930,834 to Moore sets forth a fabric tailgate providing a mesh-type construction for covering a tailgate opening in a pickup truck bed.
Accordingly, it may be appreciated that there continues to be a need for a new and improved tailgate guard apparatus as set forth by the instant invention which addresses both the problems of ease of use as well as effectiveness in construction arranged to provide covering of the cover housings within a tailgate to effect covering of the tailgate linkage. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of treatment of neoplastic disease. More specifically, the present invention relates to novel immunoconjugates and their use in the treatment of neoplastic disease. Even more particularly, the present invention relates to novel immunoconjugates cytotoxic to leukemia cells characterized by expression of the CD33 antigen.
2. Description of the Related Art
Neoplastic disease is one of the leading causes of mortality and morbidity in the Western World. All neoplastic diseases or xe2x80x9ccancersxe2x80x9d share at least one characteristic, i.e., the involvement of defects in the cellular growth regulatory process. Antigens located on the surface of cancer cells have been useful in distinguishing lymphoid from non-lymphoid leukemias, subtyping of acute myelogenous leukemia, predicting therapeutic outcome and in therapy in vivo or via a bone marrow purging ex vivo. Antigens defining acute non-lymphocytic cells also identify normal hematopoietic cells during early stages of their development.
CD33 provides a useful target antigen for therapy of myelogenous leukemias, as it is expressed in the cell-surface of more than 80% of leukemic isolates from patients with myeloid leukemia with an average density of 10,000 sites/cell. In addition, rapid internalization occurs upon binding of mAb to CD33 both in vitro and in vivo. CD33 antigen is a 67 kilodalton glycoprotein found on normal colony forming unit granulocyte-monocyte (CFU-GM), on a fraction of burst-forming unit-erythroid (BFU-E and CFU-granulocyte, erythroid, monocyte, megakaryocyte) CFU-GEMM, and absent from normal pluripotent stem cells.
Antibodies are proteins normally produced by the immune system of an animal in response to antigenic determinants. Antibodies bind to the specific antigen to which they are directed. The development of specific monoclonal antibodies has provided investigators with a possible means of selectively targeting chemotherapeutic agents to cells which overexpress tumor associated antigens.
Immunotoxins are hybrid molecules consisting of a monoclonal antibody covalently linked or genetically fused to a toxin molecule and are thus able to direct potent cytotoxicity to particular cells. Immunotoxins have several possible advantages over conventional anti-neoplastic agents including selectivity for tumor cells and potential delivery of extremely potent toxins. However, obstacles to effective therapeutic use of immunotoxins for cancer include (a) lack of suitable tumor-specific targets that are not also found on other vital non-tumor cells; (b) loss of toxin potency or mAb activity after conjugation; (c) unwanted cytotoxicity to nontarget cells and tissues resulting from nonspecific internalization of the immunotoxin; (d) immunogenicity of the immunotoxin; and (e) pharmacological inability to target tumor sites adequately.
Currently, no immunotoxin exists that meet the above-mentioned criteria for an effective immunotoxin to treat acute non-lymphoid leukemic cells and acute myelogenous leukemic cells. Thus, there continues to exist a great need and desire in this art for compounds and methods of selectively killing leukemia cells. The present invention fulfills this long-standing need and desire in the art.
The present invention provides a composition comprising a conjugate of an antigen binding region exhibiting binding specificity for the CD33 protein and gelonin, a cell growth modulator derived from plants. Such a composition acts as an immunotoxin to specifically kill tumor cells characterized by the expression of the CD33 protein.
Thus, in one embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a composition comprising a conjugate of an antigen binding region exhibiting binding specificity for the CD33 protein and gelonin or recombinant gelonin or fragments thereof.
In another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a method of treating neoplastic disease comprising the administration of a cytocidally effective dose of an immunotoxin of the present invention to an individual in need of such treatment.
And yet another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a method of killing tumor cells in bone marrow comprising removing bone marrow from an individual having a neoplastic disease, treating the bone marrow with a composition of the present invention and infusing the treated bone marrow back into the individual. In another embodiment of the present invention there is provided a method of preventing recurrence of neoplastic disease where the disease is characterized by an expression of CD33 protein. The recurrence is prevented by administration of a cytocidally effective treatment of immunotoxins of the present invention.
In still another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a new composition of matter comprising a fusion protein formed by the fusion of the CD33 antigen binding region and gelonin or recombinant gelonin or fragments thereof.
In further embodiments of the present invention there are provided methods of extending the survival time of a mammal bearing tumor by administration of the immunotoxin of the present invention to this mammal. In yet further embodiments, there are provided a method of retarding the rate of growth of tumors by administering the immunotoxin of the present invention. Still further, there is provided a pharmaceutical composition comprising an immunotoxin of the present invention. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for manufacturing a preform for optical fibres. More specifically, the invention relates to a device for manufacturing one or more preforms for optical fibres through a chemical deposition process.
2. Description of the Related Art
As known, the methods for manufacturing optical fibre basically comprise a first process of manufacturing a preform from glass and a successive process of drawing the optical fibre from the preform.
The most common processes of manufacturing preforms comprise one or more chemical deposition steps, through one or more burners, of suitable chemical substances on a cylindrical support; the chemical deposition substances typically comprise silicon and germanium, which are deposited in the form of oxides (SiO2 e GeO2).
The processes of manufacturing preforms through chemical deposition known in the art comprise processes of the VAD (Vapor Axial Deposition) type and processes of the OVD (Outside Vapor Deposition) type.
Typically, in VAD type processes the cylindrical support is held in a vertical position by a gripping member which operates on an upper end of the cylindrical support; the cylindrical support is made to turn upon itself so as to expose its entire surface to one or more burners which are housed near to the lower end of the support and in such a position as to emit a flow of reactants along a direction which is inclined at a predetermined angle, typically lying between 30° and 50° with respect to the longitudinal axis of the support. The support is then moved upwards, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,012,305, so as to allow a substantially axial growth of the preform.
In processes of the OVD type, on the other hand, the cylindrical support is held in a horizontal or vertical position by a pair of gripping members which operate on the opposite ends of the support; the support is made to turn upon itself so as to expose its entire surface to one or more burners mounted on a side of the support and in such a position as to emit the flow of reactants along a direction which is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the support. The burner, in particular, is mounted on a support structure equipped with a motorised driving member which allows the repeated movement of the burner parallel to the cylindrical support, so as to allow a substantially radial growth of the preform along all the sections of the support.
A typical process of the OVD type comprises the following steps. In a first step a substantially cylindrical glass preform, called “core preform”, is manufactured through deposition of the chemical substances on the cylindrical support: such a preform is named in such a way since it will create the core and a more internal portion of the optical fibre's cladding.
In a second step, the cylindrical support is taken out of the core preform, freeing up a central hole in the preform.
In a third step, the core preform undergoes a process of desiccation and compacting in a furnace, during which suitable gases (comprising, for example, Cl2) are made to flow inside the central hole in order to eliminate the hydroxide ions (—OH) and the atoms of water present in the preform, thus obtaining a vitrified core preform which exhibits a central hole having a smaller diameter than that of the initial preform.
In a fourth step, after having created the vacuum inside the hole, the vitrified core preform is placed in a vertical furnace in which the melting of a lower end of the preform itself is carried out. Such a melting causes the walls of the hole to collapse due to the vacuum created inside of it; the glass material cools down to form an elongated cylindrical element of a predetermined diameter, which is pulled downwards by a suitable traction device. Such an elongated cylindrical element is then cooled down further and cut transversally at many equidistant points so as to form a plurality of elongated elements, also known as “core rods”, typically having a length greater than 1 m and a diameter of between 10 and 20 mm.
In a fifth step, each core rod is used as a substrate for a further chemical deposition process (known as “overcladding”) similar to that of the first step discussed earlier. In particular, on each core rod and through at least one burner, a plurality of chemical substances are deposited (amongst which, typically, there is silicon oxide) which will then constitute the outer portion of the optical fibre's cladding. At the end of the process a low-density final preform is obtained, from which the optical fibre will then be drawn. Before the drawing, the low-density final preform is desiccated and consolidated with the same procedures seen in the third step. In this way a vitrified final preform which is ready for the drawing process is obtained.
Various devices for manufacturing a glass (core or final) preform for optical fibres through processes of the OVD type are known. Such devices typically comprise a chemical deposition chamber inside which are housed the gripping members of the cylindrical support constituting the chemical deposition substrate for the formation of the preform, a burner which is mobile parallel to the longitudinal axis of the cylindrical support, and a suction hood positioned on the Opposite side to the burner with respect to the cylindrical support and adapted to collect and remove the particulate and the exhaust chemical substances produced inside the chamber during the chemical deposition.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,211,732 discloses a device for manufacturing a preform for optical fibres, wherein the gripping members hold the cylindrical support for preform formation in a vertical position and the chemical deposition takes place through an array of burners substantially extending along the whole length of the cylindrical support and which is made to oscillate parallel to the longitudinal axis of the support in such a way that each burner acts on only one predetermined portion of the support. The device comprises, moreover, a plurality of air suction members formed on the rear wall with respect to the burners and a honeycomb structure suitable for uniformly distributing, in the deposition area, the air which enters the chamber through the aforementioned air suction members, so as to optimise the process of chemical deposition. In particular, the honeycomb structure generates a plurality of air flows which are controlled so as to have substantially laminar flows uniformly distributed along the whole length of the cylindrical support and substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the support itself. In the case of deposition on vertically arranged supports, it is suggested that the horizontal air flow rates be changed (increased) to minimise the irregularities in the preform caused by the convective air flows which exist along the whole length of the preform. | {
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Field of the invention
The present invention relates, in general, to a dielectric ceramic composition for high frequencies and, more particularly, to a dielectric ceramic composition of a system, ZrO.sub.2 --TiO.sub.2 --SnO.sub.2, which exhibits superior electrical quality factor Q, dielectric constant k, and temperature coefficient of resonant frequency T.sub.f in high frequency regions. Also, the present invention concerns a method for preparing the dielectric ceramic composition. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The ubiquitous beach umbrella has long been an essential part of a day's stay at the beach. This is even more true with the current worries about the deleterious effects of exposure to ultraviolet light. Traditionally, the umbrella was anchored by simply driving the shaft into the sand. For this purpose, the shaft might be equipped with a sharp tip to make insertion easier, but a sharply pointed shaft represents something of a safety hazard. Furthermore, if the substrate is soft, like dry sand, a shaft that is merely pushed into the ground will probably not be inserted deeply enough to withstand the force of prevailing wind on the attached umbrella. On the other hand, if the substrate is more resistant, like wet sand or gravel, it will be very difficult to drive the shaft no a sufficient depth to give adequate support.
2. Description of Related Art
The prior art has attempted to solve this problem by providing a number of different screw-type devices that are attached to the umbrella shaft.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,103,948 to Jones shows a tubular, pointed socket for receiving the end of the umbrella shaft. Around this is a shallow, helical thread. Such a shallow thread provides neither adequate driving force nor sufficient anchoring ability while still having a dangerous point.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,441,109 to Carlson shows a shaft socket which has a pointed "corkscrew" at its lower end and handles to help screw the device into the ground. This unit appears to have the same drawbacks of the prior art, plus the additional complexity of handles.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,832,304 to Morgulis is similar, but the handles are pivotable and form part of the clamping arrangement.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,046,699 to Perreault et al. has fixed handles and a dangerously pointed screw member.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,628,797 uses an eccentric crank, rather like a brace and bit, to drive a twisted screw in a form similar to a wood drill bit.
These inventions all suffer from screw structures that have insufficient surface area on the screw threads to produce adequate force to draw the device deeply into the sand. U.S. Pat. No. 5,122,014 to Genfan attempts to remedy these shortcomings by providing larger driving blades which provide more pull and better anchoring. The device can penetrate the sand despite the large size of the blades because sand is scooped into the hollow shaft. However, such a device is ineffective in gravel or other resistant materials because excessive torque is required to turn the shaft. U.S. Pat. No. 5,088,681 to Procaccianti et al. approaches the problem by providing a broad helical flight attached to a sharply pointed elongate member. The flight would provide sufficient driving force and, area for anchoring, but would require excessive torque in a hard substrate as the broad helical flight must be forced through the resistant material.
Apparently the prior art is not fully effective. Sharply pointed stakes present a hazard to the user. Most of the prior art devices lack spiral threads of sufficient lateral extent to draw the device into a resistant substrate and to provide sufficient anchoring against prevailing winds. Those devices that do have threads of sufficient lateral extent are extremely hard to turn in resistant substrates, even with the additional complexity of special handles for the application of force. | {
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1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to the musical sciences and particularly to an accessory useful for the purposes of teaching or transposing music.
2. State of Prior Art
As a general proposition, artists, composers and students of music have encountered the need to relate a musical score to a different key, chord or similar transposition. Heretofore, the only known way to achieve this relationship was by years of formal musical education, performance and practice. Artists, composers and students who possessed the ability to transpose from one key, chord or tonic relationship to another have been in great demand and achieved widespread reknown. | {
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In general liquid crystal display devices, polarity inversion drive is performed in order to suppress liquid crystal deterioration and maintain display quality. However, inactive liquid crystal display devices, switching elements, such as TFTs (Thin-Film Transistors), which are provided for respective pixels, are characteristically insufficient to make the transmittance of the liquid crystal layer completely symmetrical with respect to positive and negative data voltages even if the polarities of video signals outputted by a video signal line driver circuit (also referred to as a “column electrode driver circuit” or a “data driver circuit”), which applies voltages to video signal lines (column electrodes) on the liquid crystal panel, are symmetrical, i.e., even if the polarities of applied voltages relative to the potential of a common electrode are symmetrical. Accordingly, in a polarity inversion drive scheme in which the polarity of a voltage applied to the liquid crystal is inverted (with respective to the potential of the common electrode) every frame (frame inversion drive scheme), flicker occurs in a displayed image on the liquid crystal panel (such flicker will be also referred to below as “flicker due to peak-to-peak asymmetry”). Recently, in particular, mobile information devices, such as cell phones, are required to have a high-quality display capability because of improvements to their processing performance and sophistication of their use, and therefore, such flicker due to peak-to-peak asymmetry becomes a problem. Accordingly, in a polarity inversion drive scheme employed for a liquid crystal module used in such a mobile information device, the polarity of an applied voltage is inverted every horizontal scanning signal line and also every frame (such a scheme is called a “line inversion drive scheme”). Moreover, in another polarity inversion drive scheme to be employed similarly, the polarity of an applied voltage is inverted every two vertically/horizontally adjacent pixels and also every frame (such a scheme is called a “dot inversion drive scheme”).
However, in the case where the line inversion drive scheme is employed, while high-quality display can be achieved, the frequency of polarity inversion of a video signal to be applied to the liquid crystal panel increases (the inversion frequency becomes higher), and the frequency at which to change the potential of the common electrode also becomes higher in order to reduce the voltage a driver IC (Integrated Circuit) is required to withstand. This results in increased power consumption. In addition, in the case where the dot inversion drive scheme is employed, inversion drive of the common electrode is not possible, so that the driver IC is required to withstand a higher voltage. This leads to increased device production cost and increased power consumption.
Therefore, in some drive schemes employed in recent years, the overall inversion frequency is reduced by providing scan stop periods in order not to change applied voltages for predetermined periods (see, for example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2006-178435). By inserting such scan stop periods (hold off periods), it is rendered possible to meet the requirements for low power consumption in cell phones and suchlike.
The longer the scan stop period is set, the more power consumption is reduced, but during the scan stop period, current leakage occurs in capacitive elements, which are provided in pixel forming portions on the liquid crystal panel in order to hold applied voltages, so that the voltages to be held are reduced. As a result, the luminance of pixels to be displayed in accordance with the next voltages to be applied changes conspicuously (although the luminance should remain the same). Consequently, such luminance changes are visually recognized as flicker (such flicker will also be called “flicker due to current leakage” below).
Furthermore, during a scanning period, the pixel forming portions on the liquid crystal panel are sequentially selected row-by-row, and pixel voltages are applied thereto. At this time, a predetermined period of time (within a selected period) is taken until the pixel voltage of each pixel forming portion reaches the level of the voltage applied thereto, i.e., until data writing is completed, and if the voltage changes during that period by virtue of parasitic capacitance, the luminance of the displayed pixel changes as well. If such amounts of luminance change vary, for example, between frames, flicker might be visually recognized (such flicker will also be called “flicker due to data writing” below).
Furthermore, during the scanning period, data is written to selected pixel forming portions, and thereafter, scanning signal lines and video signal lines coupled to adjacent or neighboring pixel forming portions might change in potential, so that the applied and held voltage might change by virtue of parasitic capacitance created between (pixel electrodes at one end of) capacitive elements in the pixel forming portions and the signal lines (this phenomenon will also be called “drawing due to parasitic capacitance”). As a result, the luminance of pixels to be displayed in accordance with the next voltages to be applied changes conspicuously. Consequently, such luminance changes are visually recognized as flicker (such flicker will also be called “flicker due to drawing” below).
Note that the flicker due to data writing and the flicker due to drawing occur conspicuously in actuality because of differences in pixel voltages between two adjacent frames, which are caused when polarity inversion drive is performed, but they are described herein as being different from the aforementioned flicker due to peak-to-peak asymmetry.
In this regard, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2006-178435 discloses the configuration of a liquid crystal display device in which a backlight device is caused to blink on and off so fast as not to be visually detectable during both scanning periods and scan stop periods, and the duration for which the backlight device is kept off during the scanning period is set longer than the duration for which the device is kept on, thereby reducing flicker. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical modulation method wherein, in an optical transmission path using an optical fiber, intensity modulation of light propagating in the optical fiber can be externally performed in proportion to an input electrical signal without cutting the optical fiber. The present invention further relates to an optical modulator using the optical modulation method, and an optical telephone using the optical modulator.
2. Description of the Related Art
Optical fiber cables are installed in main trunk routes nationwide as transmission media suitable for a long-distance, large-capacity transmission system. For this reason, installation works of optical fiber cables and cable conversion works are increasing in number year by year. In works associated with optical fiber cables, workers at separate places, e.g., a repeater station and a manhole, do their work concurrently in many cases. In order to smoothly do their work, talking between the workers must be easily performed.
A metallic pair for communication in an optical fiber cable has been used for talking between the workers. However, as the length of an optical transmission path is increased, talking through a metallic pair cannot be performed. In addition, since a non-metallic optical fiber cable has been introduced to realize a non-inductive, lightweight optical fiber cable, talking through an optical fiber is required. In a conventional scheme, talking through an optical fiber is performed as follows. An optical fiber 1 is cut at cutting points 23 located at intermediate points, as shown in FIG. 1, and O/E converters (optical/electrical converters) 18, and E/O converters (electrical/optical converters) 17 are connected between the cut fibers through fusion splice points 24, as shown in FIG. 2. In each electrical section, demodulation and modulation are respectively performed by a demodulation circuit 20 and a modulation circuit 19. In this method, however, cutting of optical fibers, fusing of cords having optical connectors, mounting of optical connectors, and the like require a long period of time, resulting in poor operational efficiency. In addition, since an optical fiber is cut and an end-face treatment is performed every time talking is performed, the optical fiber is gradually shortened. As a result, the designed slack in the optical fiber in a closure may become too short. Therefore, demand has arisen for a talking method which allows talking at an arbitrary place without cutting an optical fiber. As conventional talking methods allowing talking at an arbitrary place without cutting an optical fiber, methods of using local injection for transmission are known, e.g., methods disclosed in (1) Published Unexamined Japanese Patent Application No. 2-21735 (corresponding to an optical output section in FIG. 3) and (2) Electron. Lett. vol. 20, no. 3, pp. 109-110 (1984). In addition, methods of using local detection for reception are known, e.g., methods disclosed in (1) IWCS (International Wire & Cable Symposium Proceedings) 1989, and (2) J. Lightwave Technol., LT-5, 12, pp. 1663-1665 (1987).
In the local injection method, as shown in FIG. 3, a modulation signal is transmitted from an input signal source 6 to a light-source 21 to radiate modulated light 22 from the outside of an optical fiber 1 onto its bending region, thus forcibly injecting the light into the core of the optical fiber 1. The local detection method is a method of receiving light radiated from an optical fiber bending region.
In the local injection method, however, since the coupling efficiency of light radiated from the outside of the optical fiber into the optical fiber core is low, a signal can only be transmitted several kilometers at most. In addition, it is difficult to stably supply high radiation power. For these reasons, the local injection method is not very practical as a transmission method, and hence another transmission method is required.
Furthermore, a method of performing intensity modulation of light propagating in an optical fiber by applying/removing a bending force to/from the optical fiber has been proposed (see Published Unexamined Japanese Patent Application No. 64-35504). In this method, light propagating in an optical fiber is subjected to only intensity modulation in a digital manner. However, a method capable of analog modulation for, e.g., a voice signal is preferable.
In an apparatus capable of a talking operation without cutting an optical fiber, as disclosed in, e.g., 1990 Spring Natl. Conv. Rec. IEICE, B-904, vibrations are applied to an intermediate point of an optical fiber from its side surface by using a piezo-electric ceramic to cause fluctuations in polarization state of linearly polarized light propagating in the optical fiber. When the fluctuations in polarization are detected by a polarizer at a center, changes in intensity of the light can be obtained, and a signal can be obtained. This method allows modulation without cutting an optical fiber. However, talking between intermediate points must be performed as follows. Signal light transmitted from one intermediate point is demodulated at the center. Intensity modulation of a light-source is performed by using the resulting electrical signal. The resulting light is transmitted on a different optical fiber. The signal light is then detected at the other intermediate point by the local detection method, thus performing a talking operation. That is, the method is not very practicable, requiring two optical fibers for a talk, and allowing only a short-distance talk. Moreover, according to a method disclosed in Published Unexamined Japanese Patent Application No. 2-291517, a coil-like bending region is formed, and light propagating in an optical fiber is modulated by changing the coil bending radius. In this method, however, since the bending radius is changed by applying a tension to the optical fiber in the longitudinal direction, a frictional resistance is produced between a fiber support portion and the optical fiber. As a result, the optical fiber is distorted to cause a deterioration in modulation characteristics. The absence of a mechanism for adjusting the bending radius is another factor contributing to the deterioration in modulation characteristics. | {
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The present invention relates to a semiconductor circuit device, and more specifically to a semiconductor circuit device whose substrate impedance is adjustable according to supply voltage fluctuations.
In semiconductor memory devices, a substrate bias voltage is often applied to a semiconductor substrate, in order to prevent a parasitic pn junction from being biased in the forward direction due to the undershoot of an external signal or to increase the circuit operation speed by increasing the depletion layer width of a junction for reduction of a parasitic capacitance.
FIG. 4B shows a so-called charge-pump circuit which can generate a substrate bias voltage. In this charge-pump circuit, when a pulsed input signal as shown in FIG. 4A is inputted to a node N40, an N-channel transistor TR2 pumps up electric charge from a semiconductor substrate and further accumulates it into a capacitor C2. Further, after an N-channel transistor TP1 has accumulated this accumulated charge into a capacitor C1, the N-channel transistor TR1 discharges it to a ground potential V.sub.SS, so that a substrate voltage V.sub.SUB can be outputted from a node N41.
FIG. 5 shows the substrate voltage characteristics generated by the charge-pump circuit as shown in FIG. 4B. In FIG. 5, when the supply voltage V.sub.CC decreases from the ordinary voltage V.sub.CC1 to another voltage V.sub.CC2, the substrate voltage V.sub.SUB changes from V.sub.SUB1 to V.sub.SUB2 in the negative direction. That is, when the supply voltage V.sub.CC drops abruptly from V.sub.CC1 to V.sub.CC2 as shown in FIG. 6, the substrate voltage once drops down to voltage V.sub.SUB1D lower than the voltage V.sub.SUB1 and then returns to the voltage V.sub.SUB2 into a stable condition after a time T represented by a time constant T=C.multidot.R has elapsed, where C denotes a substrate capacitance and R denotes a substrate impedance.
In this case, the relationship between the substrate voltage V.sub.SUB and the substrate current I.sub.SUB, that is, the load characteristics of the substrate bias voltage generating circuit can be represented as shown in FIG. 7, in which almost no current flows through the substrate when the substrate voltage changes from V.sub.SUB1D to V.sub.SUB2. Therefore, although the substrate impedance is substantially decided by only leakage current flowing through PN junctions formed in the substrate, since the leakage current is extremely small, the substrate impedance R is extremely high. Consequently, the time T required when the substrate voltage returns from V.sub.SUB1D to V.sub.SUB2 becomes long due to this high substrate impedance R. This causes the following problems:
When the supply voltage drops abruptly, since the substrate voltage V.sub.SUB once drops and then increases as shown in FIG. 8A, the threshold voltage V.sub.thn of each transistor formed on the same substrate changes as shown in FIG. 8B. This is caused by a back-gate bias effect such that the threshold voltage V.sub.thn increases with decreasing substrate voltage V.sub.SUB in the negative direction as shown in FIG. 9. Therefore, the limit voltage V.sub.CC-min at which each element formed on the substrate operates normally is largely dependent upon the threshold voltage V.sub.thn, as shown in FIG. 10. Accordingly, the limit voltage V.sub.cc-min changes when the threshold voltage V.sub.thn changes, and becomes stable when the threshold voltage V.sub.thn becomes stable, as shown in FIG. 8C.
In other words, when the supply voltage V.sub.CC fluctuates, a long time T required until the substrate voltage V.sub.SUB becomes stable, causes an unstable operation of the respective elements formed on the substrate. In particular, where data stored in memory devices are backed up by a battery and therefore the supply voltage drops momentarily, there exists a serious problem in that the data stored in the memory devices are not kept stored.
As described above, in the prior-art semiconductor circuit device, since it takes a long time until the substrate voltage becomes stable whenever the supply voltage fluctuates, there exists a problem in that the operation of the circuit formed on the substrate is unstable. | {
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Drug delivery is a field of research focused on administrating a pharmaceutical compound to achieve a therapeutic effect in a patient. The biological target, such as a receptor or cell, must be exposed to the drug for a length of time and at a concentration that is adequate to achieve the therapeutic effect. The drug must be administered to the patient, with the common routes of administration being oral, topical, transmucosal, and inhalation routes. There are many different approaches to achieving a controlled release of a drug over time so that the drug may be delivered effectively and conveniently. | {
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Dual bit memory cells are known in the art. One such memory cell is the NROM (nitride read only memory) cell 10, shown in FIG. 1 to which reference is now made, which stores two bits 12 and 14 in a nitride based layer 16 sandwiched between a conductive layer 18 and a channel 20. NROM cells are described in many patents, for example in U.S. Pat. No. 6,649,972, assigned to the common assignees of the present invention, whose disclosure is incorporated herein.
Bits 12 and 14 are individually accessible, and thus, may be programmed (conventionally noted as a ‘0’), erased (conventionally noted as a ‘1’) or read separately. Reading a bit (12 or 14) involves determining if a threshold voltage Vt, as seen when reading the particular bit, is above (programmed) or below (erased) a read reference voltage level RD.
FIG. 2, to which reference is now made, illustrates the distribution of programmed and erased states of a memory chip (which typically has a large multiplicity of NROM cells formed into a memory array) as a function of threshold voltage Vt. An erased bit is one whose threshold voltage has been reduced below an erase threshold voltage EV. Thus, an erase distribution 30 has typically its rightmost point in the vicinity of (and preferably at or below) the erase threshold voltage EV. Similarly, a programmed bit is one whose threshold voltage has been increased above a program threshold voltage PV. Thus, a programmed distribution 32 has typically its leftmost point in the vicinity of (and preferably at or above) the program threshold voltage PV.
The difference between the two threshold voltages PV and EV is a window W0 of operation. Read reference voltage level RD is typically placed within window W0 and can be generated, as an example, from a read reference cell. The read reference cell is usually, but not necessarily, in a non-native state, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,490,204, assigned to the common assignee of the present invention, whose disclosure is incorporated herein by reference. In such case, the threshold voltage of read reference cell may be at the RD level in FIG. 2.
The signal from the bit being read is then compared with a comparison circuit (e.g. a differential sense amplifier) to the signal generated by the read reference level, and the result should determine if the array cell is in a programmed or erased state. Alternatively, instead of using a reference cell, the read reference signal can be an independently generated voltage or a current signal. Other methods to generate a read reference signal are known in the art.
Since the sensing scheme circuitry may not be perfect, and its characteristics may vary at different operating and environmental conditions, margins M0 and M1 are typically required to correctly read a ‘0’ and a ‘1’, respectively. As long as the programmed and erased distributions are beyond these margins, reliable reads may be achieved.
It will be appreciated that for simplicity and clarity of illustration, elements shown in the figures have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements may be exaggerated relative to other elements for clarity. Further, where considered appropriate, reference numerals may be repeated among the figures to indicate corresponding or analogous elements. | {
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The invention relates generally to embossing foils and more particularly to hot embossing foils.
Credit cards, cheque cards and similar items such as passes and identification documents usually have an area thereon for receiving the signature of the person holding the card. The signature area or panel is normally white or tinted and may be provided with an imprint of specific configuration. As will be readily appreciated, an important consideration in that respect is that it is possible easily to write on the signature area. In order to ensure that the signature on such a card cannot be subjected to manipulation for the purposes of forging the card with consequential improper use thereof, the signature area or the imprint frequently include substances which are added thereto and which, in the event of interference with the signature on the signature area, react by undergoing a change in colour, for example by fading out, by going to a dark colour or by experiencing colour reversal. The signature area is so designed as to reveal attempts at erasing the signature thereon, by the background of the signature panel changing colour in the event of the signature being erased. In spite of those measures which require some really complicated and expensive compositions for forming the signature panel as well as complicated methods of applying same, the degree of security against forgery and counterfeiting still leaves something to be desired. | {
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The term visual object is a convenient term for describing the visual components of a graphical user interface (GUI). Typically, each display screen may be decomposed into one or more visual objects. For example, a display screen may include a graphics image and a series of icons. Each of these entities is an example of a visual object.
In the past, numerous GUIs have been developed to present visual objects in non-interactive and interactive displays. For example, satellite television networks typically provide an interactive GUI known as a guide. The display provided by the guide is dominated by a single visual object that shows programs that are currently available within the network. The guide allows this visual object to be scrolled up or down to show this information for any of the channels included in the network. The guide may also allows the main visual object to be scrolled side-to-side to show programs that will be playing within the next several days.
In addition to the main visual object, the guide includes a number of secondary visual objects. For example, the guide allows the user to interactively select a program from the main visual object. A secondary visual object is then displayed describing the selected program in more detail. The user can also cause the guide to display secondary visual objects that are associated with system configuration and other details of system operation.
In general, the guide provided within satellite television networks is typical of interactive GUIs that allow users to navigate among a series of visual objects. There are numerous other examples of GUIs that perform similar functions. For example, navigators have been developed that allow users to browse through complex databases such as medical databases. Still other navigation systems have been developed to allow users to access online the help systems provided by many computer systems. The Web browsers that are used to access the Internet and World Wide Web are yet another example.
Satellite television guides, database and web navigators are all effective tools within their respective domains. Still, experience has proven that there is a continued need for improved navigation and display technologies. In particular, where a large number of visual objects are involved, it becomes difficult for the user to appreciated or remember the overall relationship between the visual objects. As a result, the user has difficulty finding objects and remembering where objects are located within the GUI. Thus, a need exists for systems that allow users to navigate between visual objects in an intuitive and easily remembered fashion. This is particularly true in large scale commercial applications where ease of use is often paramount. | {
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The present invention relates to a handpiece for surgical operation for crushing and removing foreign bodies within a biological histology or within a coeloma or a body cavity by ultrasonic vibration or oscillation.
As a surgical operating device for crushing or cutting and separating or amputating a biological histology by ultrasonic vibration, a surgical operating device is known whose object is soft histology or tissue for ophthalmology in which lenses hardened by a cataract are crushed, drawn or evacuated and removed, and one is known for general surgery in which a tumor and a hematoma generated in brain, spine, digestive organ and the like are crushed, drawn and removed. Further, in recent years, an ultrasonic operating device has been utilized which can cut and separate or isolate hard histology by ultrasonic vibration.
Furthermore, among various kinds of manipulations and devices developed for performing medical treatment by minimal invasion and non-invasion, an operation for extracting a gallbladder by the use of a laparoscope is now in wide use, particularly for digestive organ,surgery because recovery is fast and hospital stays are short so that rehabilitation can also be fast, pain after operation is reduced, the operative wound created in the surgery is extremely small and the like, since there is less in operational invasion as compared with ventrotomy operation.
The operation is such that a pneumoperitoneum is made to the interior of the peritoneal cavity by carbonic acid gas or the like without ventrotomy, and a trocar is used to insert an endoscope, forceps, an electrocautery or the like into the interior of the peritoneal cavity, and the gallbladder is extracted under the field of vision of the endoscope. A point thereof is that a cystic duct and a cystic artery are peeled off or ablated safely and accurately from a Calot's triangle, clipping is made to the cystic duct and the cystic artery to cut the latter, and a cystic fundus is ablated from a liver bed section to grasp or grip the gallbladder by the forceps, to thereby remove the cystic fundus out of the body.
Moreover, there are caused the following problems and the like. That is, if an attempt is made to apply the operation under the endoscope to all cases of cholelithiasis, the use of ordinary grasper causes macroapoplexy from artery and the liver bed section, and makes it difficult to fix the cystic duct and the cystic artery, and the like, depending upon conditions such as inflammatory degree of the gallbladder, a position of gallstone, configuration of the cystic duct, the cystic artery and the like, age of a patient and the like. There is a danger that switching must be made to ventrotomy operation during the operation. On the contrary, counterplan or countermeasures are taken such as an improvement in hemostatic effects due to an improvement of configuration of a forward end of the electrocautery, hemostasis by the use of a laser surgical knife, or the like. However, since a mechanical tearing force of forceps is used for the visual field disturbance due to smoke and for peeling or separation of the cystic duct and the cystic artery, this is not basic bleeding prevention.
In view of the above, trials are made such that a surgical operating device due to ultrasonic vibration, capable of selectively preserving or retaining a resilient or elastic body such as blood vessels or the like is used to carry out these operations.
However, there are fears that, since the operation is one under reduced or narrow visual field of the endoscope, it is impossible to pass the handpiece from one hand to the other to change the inserting position dissimilarly to the ventrotomy operation, and irrigation liquid jetted from a tip section at a forward end of a handpiece is applied to lenses, since a distance between an objective lens of the endoscope and a portion to be operated is short such as few cm.
For example, as shown in FIGS. 11A and 11B, in a case where a cystic duct 36 connected to a gallbladder 37 is peeled off or separated, an inserting direction of a tip 100 at a forward end of a handpiece is limited or restricted by a direction of a trocar which pierces into a laparotomy from the outside of the body. Accordingly, it is difficult to separate a fundus of the cystic duct 36. Moreover, under a condition illustrated in FIGS. 12A and 12B, irrigation liquid jetted from a clearance or gap between a tip cover 101 and a tip 100 by vibration of the tip 100 scatters over a wide range, resulting in clouding of the lenses of the endoscope.
Further, in a case of the operation under the endoscope, a vibrator section such as a tip or the like which is inserted into the body is lengthened. For this reason, it is difficult to judge as to whether or not the irrigation liquid is surely or reliably supplied up to the forward end of the tip. In a case where the tip is vibrated under a condition that the irrigation liquid is insufficient, there is a fear that the irrigation liquid of high temperature is jetted so that tissues are damaged. Thus, countermeasures are required. | {
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Omega-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid(s) (LC-PUFA) are now widely recognized as important compounds for human and animal health. These fatty acids may be obtained from dietary sources or by conversion of linoleic (LA, omega-6) or α-inolenic (ALA, omega-3) fatty acids, both of which are regarded as essential fatty acids in the human diet. While humans and many other vertebrate animals are able to convert LA or ALA, obtained from plant sources, to LC-PUFA, they carry out this conversion at a very low rate. Moreover, most modern societies have imbalanced diets in which at least 90% of polyunsaturated fatty acid(s) (PUFA) consist of omega-6 fatty acids, instead of the 4:1 ratio or less for omega-6:omega-3 fatty acids that is regarded as ideal (Trautwein, 2001). The immediate dietary source of LC-PUFA such as eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, 20:5) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6) for humans is mostly from fish or fish oil. Health professionals have therefore recommended the regular inclusion of fish containing significant levels of LC-PUFA into the human diet. Increasingly, fish-derived LC-PUFA oils are being incorporated into food products and in infant formula. However, due to a decline in global and national fisheries, alternative sources of these beneficial health-enhancing oils are needed.
Inclusion of omega-3 LC-PUFA such as EPA and DHA in the human diet has been linked with numerous health-related benefits. These include prevention or reduction of coronary heart disease, hypertension, type-2 diabetes, renal disease, rheumatoid arthritis, ulcerative colitis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and aiding brain development and growth (Simopoulos, 2000). More recently, a number of studies have also indicated that omega-3 PUFA may be beneficial in infant nutrition and development and against various mental disorders such as schizophrenia, attention deficit hyperactive disorder and Alzheimer's disease.
Higher plants, in contrast to animals, lack the capacity to synthesise polyunsaturated fatty acids with chain lengths longer than 18 carbons. In particular, crop and horticultural plants along with other angiosperms do not have the enzymes needed to synthesize the longer chain omega-3 fatty acids such as EPA, DPA and DHA that are derived from ALA. An important goal in plant biotechnology is therefore the engineering of crop plants, particularly oilseed crops, that produce substantial quantities of LC-PUFA, thus providing an alternative source of these compounds.
Pathways of LC-PUFA Synthesis
Biosynthesis of LC-PUFA from linoleic and α-linolenic fatty acids in organisms such as microalgae, mosses and fungi may occur by a series of alternating oxygen-dependent desaturations and elongation reactions as shown schematically in FIG. 1. In one pathway (FIG. 1, II), the desaturation reactions are catalysed by Δ6, Δ5, and Δ4 desaturases, each of which adds an additional double bond into the fatty acid carbon chain, while each of a Δ6 and a Δ5 elongase reaction adds a two-carbon unit to lengthen the chain. The conversion of ALA to DHA in these organisms therefore requires three desaturations and two elongations. Genes encoding the enzymes required for the production of DHA in this aerobic pathway have been cloned from various microorganisms and lower plants including microalgae, mosses, fungi. Genes encoding some of the enzymes including one that catalyses the fifth step, the Δ5 elongase, have been isolated from vertebrate animals including mammals (reviewed in Sayanova and Napier, 2004). However, the Δ5 elongase isolated from human cells is not specific for the EPA to DPA reaction, having a wide specificity for fatty acid substrates (Leonard et al., 2002).
Alternative routes have been shown to exist for two sections of the ALA to DHA pathway in some groups of organisms. The conversion of ALA to ETA may be carried out by a combination of a Δ9 elongase and a Δ8 desaturase (the so-called Δ8 desaturation route, see FIG. 1, IV) in certain protists and thraustochytrids, as evidenced by the isolated of genes encoding such enzymes (Wallis and Browse, 1999; Qi et al., 2002). In mammals, the so-called “Sprecher” pathway converts DPA to DHA by three reactions, independent of a Δ4 desaturase (Sprecher et al., 1995).
Besides these desaturase/elongase systems, EPA and DHA can also be synthesized through an anaerobic pathway in a number of organisms such as Shewanella, Mortiella and Schizhochytrium (Abbadi et al., 2001). The operons encoding these polyketide synthase (PKS) enzyme complexes have been cloned from some bacteria (Morita et al., 2000; Metz et al., 2001; Tanaka et al., 1999; Yazawa, 1996; Yu et al., 2000; WO 00/42195). The EPA PKS operon isolated from Shewanella spp has been expressed in Synechococcus allowing it to synthesize EPA (Takeyama et al., 1997). The genes encoding these enzymes are arranged in relatively large operons, and their expression in transgenic plants has not been reported. Therefore it remains to be seen if the anaerobic PKS-like system is a possible alternative to the more classic aerobic desaturase/elongase for the transgenic synthesis of LC-PUFA.
Desaturases
The desaturase enzymes that have been shown to participate in LC-PUFA biosynthesis all belong to the group of so-called “front-end” desaturases which are characterised by the presence of a cytochrome b5 domain at the N-terminus of each protein. The cyt b5 domain presumably acts as a receptor of electrons required for desaturation (Napier et al., 1999; Sperling and Heinz, 2001).
The enzyme Δ5 desaturase catalyses the further desaturation of C20 LC-PUFA leading to arachidonic acid (ARA, 20:4ω6) and EPA (20:5ω3). Genes encoding this enzyme have been isolated from a number of organisms, including algae (Thraustochytrium sp. Qiu et al., 2001), fungi (M. alpine, Pythium irregulare, Michaelson et al., 1998; Hong et al., 2002), Caenorhabditis elegans and mammals. A gene encoding a bifunctional Δ5-/Δ6-desaturase has also been identified from zebrafish (Hasting et al., 2001). The gene encoding this enzyme might represent an ancestral form of the “front-end desaturase” which later duplicated and evolved distinct functions. The last desaturation step to produce DHA is catalysed by a Δ4 desaturase and a gene encoding this enzyme has been isolated from the freshwater protist species Euglena gracilis and the marine species Thraustochytrium sp. (Qiu et al., 2001; Meyer et al., 2003).
Elongases
Several genes encoding PUFA-elongation enzymes have also been isolated (Sayanova and Napier, 2004). The members of this gene family were unrelated to the elongase genes present in higher plants, such as FAE1 of Arabidopsis, that are involved in the extension of saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids. An example of the latter is erucic acid (22:1) in Brassicas. In some protist species, LC-PUFA are synthesized by elongation of linoleic or α-linolenic acid with a C2 unit, before desaturation with Δ8 desaturase (FIG. 1 part IV; “Δ8-desaturation” pathway). Δ6 desaturase and Δ6 elongase activities were not detected in these species. Instead, a Δ9-elongase activity would be expected in such organisms, and in support of this, a C18 Δ9-elongase gene has recently been isolated from Isochrysis galbana (Qi et al., 2002).
Engineered Production of LC-PUFA
Transgenic oilseed crops that are engineered to produce major LC-PUFA by the insertion of these genes have been suggested as a sustainable source of nutritionally important fatty acids. However, the requirement for coordinate expression and activity of five new enzymes encoded by genes from possibly diverse sources has made this goal difficult to achieve and the proposal remained speculative until now.
The LC-PUFA oxygen-dependent biosynthetic pathway to form EPA (FIG. 1) has been successfully constituted in yeast by the co-expression of a Δ6-elongase with Δ6-Δ5 fatty acid desaturases, resulting in small but significant accumulation of ARA and EPA from exogenously supplied linoleic and α-linolenic acids (Beaudoin et al., 2000; Zank et al., 2000). This demonstrated the ability of the genes belonging to the LC-PUFA synthesis pathway to function in heterologous organisms. However, the efficiency of producing EPA was very low. For example, three genes obtained from C. elegans, Borago officinalis and Mortierella alpina were expressed in yeast (Beaudoin et al., 2000). When the transformed yeast were supplied with 18:2ω-3 (LA) or 18:3ω-3 (ALA), there was slight production of 20:4ω-6 or 20:5ω-3, at conversion efficiencies of 0.65% and 0.3%, respectively. Other workers similarly obtained very low efficiency production of EPA by using genes expressing two desaturases and one elongase in yeast (Domergue et al., 2003a; Zank et al., 2002). There remains, therefore, a need to improve the efficiency of production of EPA in organisms such as yeast, let alone the production of the C22 PUFA which requires the provision of additional enzymatic steps.
Some progress has been made in the quest for introducing the aerobic LC-PUFA biosynthetic pathway into higher plants including oilseed crops (reviewed by Sayanova and Napier, 2004; Drexler et al., 2003; Abbadi et al., 2001). A gene encoding a Δ6-fatty acid desaturase isolated from borage (Borago officinalis) was expressed in transgenic tobacco and Arabidopsis, resulting in the production of GLA (18:3ω6) and SDA (18:4ω3), the direct precursors for LC-PUFA, in the transgenic plants (Sayanova et al., 1997; 1999). However, this provides only a single, first step.
Domergue et al. (2003a) used a combination of three genes, encoding Δ6- and Δ5 fatty acid desaturases and a Δ6-elongase in both yeast and transgenic linseed. The desaturase genes were obtained from the diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum and the elongase gene from the moss Physcomitrella patens. Low elongation yields were obtained for endogenously produced Δ6-fatty acids in yeast cells (i.e. combining the first and second enzymatic steps), and the main C20 PUFA product formed was 20:2Δ11,14, representing an unwanted side reaction. Domergue et al. (2003a) also state, without presenting data, that the combination of the three genes were expressed in transgenic linseed which consequently produced ARA and EPA, but that production was inefficient. They commented that the same problem as had been observed in yeast existed in the seeds of higher plants and that the “bottleneck” needed to be circumvented for production of LC-PUFA in oil seed crops.
WO 2004/071467 (DuPont) reported the expression of various desaturases and elongases in soybean cells but did not show the synthesis of DHA in regenerated plants or in seeds.
Abbadi et al. (2004) described attempts to express combinations of desaturases and elongases in transgenic linseed, but achieved only low levels of synthesis of EPA. Abbadi et al. (2004) indicated that their low levels of EPA production were also due to an unknown “bottleneck”.
Qi et al. (2004) achieved synthesis in leaves but did not report results in seeds. This is an important issue as the nature of LC-PUFA synthesis can vary between leaves and seeds. In particular, oilseeds store lipid in seeds mostly as TAG while leaves synthesize the lipid mostly as phosphatidyl lipids. Furthermore, Qi et al. (2004) only produced AA and EPA.
As a result, there is a need for further methods of producing long-chain polyunsaturated, particularly EPA, DPA and DHA, in recombinant cells. | {
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Advances in polymerization and catalysis have resulted in the ability to produce many new polymers having improved physical and chemical properties useful in a wide variety of superior products and applications. With the development of new catalysts the choice of polymerization process (solution, slurry, high pressure or gas phase) for producing a particular polymer have been greatly expanded. Also, advances in polymerization technology has provided more efficient, highly productive and economically enhanced processes. Especially illustrative of these advances is the development of the technology field utilizing metallocene catalyst systems.
As with a new technology field, particularly in the polyolefins industry, a small savings in cost often determines whether a commercial endeavor is even feasible. This aspect in the metallocene technology field is evident by the number of participants in the industry looking for new ways to reduce cost. In particular, there has been tremendous focus in the industry on developing new and improved metallocene catalyst systems. Some have focused on designing the catalyst systems to produce new polymers, others on improved operability, and many more on improving catalyst productivity. The productivity of a catalyst, that is the amount of polymer produced per gram of the catalyst, usually is the key economic factor that can make or break a new commercial development in the polyolefin industry. Reactor operability—lack of fouling and sheeting, etc.—of the polymerization reactor is also a major concern for polyolefin producers. Reducing the occurrence of reactor fouling has commercial benefits in reduced down time for the reactor and improved output of polyolefin resin, as well as higher quality resin.
From the early stages in the metallocene technology field, beginning with the discovery of the utility of alumoxane as a cocatalyst in the early 1980's, to the discovery of substitutions on the bulky ligands of the metallocene compounds, through the development of non-coordinating anions, and today with the ever increasing number of new metallocene bulky ligand compounds, catalyst productivity has been a primary focus.
Evidence of this can be seen in this subset of the art discussing various metallocene catalyst compounds and catalyst systems described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,530,914, 4,542,199, 4,769,510, 4,871,705, 4,937,299, 5,017,714, 5,055,438, 5,096,867, 5,130,030, 5,120,867, 5,124,418, 5,198,401, 5,210,352, 5,229,478, 5,264,405, 5,278,264, 5,278,119, 5,304,614, 5,324,800, 5,347,025, 5,350,723, 5,384,299, 5,391,790, 5,391,789, 5,399,636, 5,408,017, 5,491,207, 5,455,366, 5,534,473, 5,539,124, 5,554,775, 5,621,126, 5,684,098, 5,693,730, 5,698,634, 5,710,297, 5,712,354, 5,714,427, 5,714,555, 5,728,641, 5,728,839, 5,753,577, 5,767,209, 5,770,753, 5,770,664 and 5,814,574, European Patent Nos. EP-A-0 591 756, EP-A-0 520 732, EP-A-0 420 436, EP-B1 0 485 822, EP-B1 0 485 823, EP-A2-0 743 324 and EP-B1 0 518 092 and PCT Publication Nos. WO 91/04257, WO 92/00333, WO 93/08221, WO 93/08199, WO 94/01471, WO 96/20233, WO 97/15582, WO 97/19959, WO 97/46567, WO 98/01455, WO 98/06759 and WO 98/011144.
There are many more examples in the metallocene art. However, there is a small subset that discuss the importance of the leaving group, the ligand capable of being abstracted and rendering the metallocene catalyst system capable of polymerizing olefins. Some in art discuss using chloride or methyl leaving groups, for example U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,542,199 and 4,404,344 respectively.
Much of the metallocene art discuss the use generally of halogens as leaving groups. For example, EP-A2 0 200 351 mentions in a laundry list of possibilities, a few compounds having fluoride leaving groups, as does EP-A1 0 705 849. However, although halogens are typically discussed in much of the art, the predominant focus has been on chlorine as a leaving group.
There are some disclosures and exemplifications of metallocene compounds having fluoride groups in the art, for example:
E. F. Murphy, et al., “Synthesis and spectroscopic characterization of a series of substituted cyclopentadienyl Group 4 fluorides; crystal structure of the acetlacetonato complex [(acac)2(η5-C5Me5)Zr(μ-F)SnMe3Cl]”, DALTON 1983 (1996), describes the synthesis of some mono- and di-substituted cyclopentadienyl Group 4 fluoride compounds.
Herzog, et al., “Reactions of (η5-C5Me5)ZrF3, (η5-C5Me4Et)ZrF3, (η5-C5M45)2ZrF2, (η5-C5Me5)HfF3, and (η5-C5Me5)TaF4 with AlMe3. Structure of the First Hafnium-Aluminum-Carbon Cluster”, 15 ORGANOMETALLICS 909–917 (1996), describes the reactions of various compounds having fluoride leaving groups with an aluminum compound.
F. Garbassi, et al., JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR CATALYSIS A: CHEMICAL 101 199–209 (1995) illustrates the binding energy of various leaving groups on zirconium compounds. In particular this article shows that a catalyst system of bis(cyclopentadienyl) zirconium dichloride in the polymerization of ethylene is more active than the di-fluoride analog.
PCT publication WO 97/07141 describes a number of metallocene compounds with fluoride leaving groups. This publication exemplifies their use with methylalumoxane in the polymerization of styrene and shows a single bis(cyclopentadienyl) titanium mono-fluoride having a very low productivity. Also, Kaminsky, et al., “Fluorinated Half-Sandwich Complexes as Catalysts in Syndiospecific Styrene Polymerization”, 30(25) MACROMOLECULES 1997 describes that unbridged mono-cyclopentadienyl titanium trifluoride catalysts have a higher activity than the chlorinated compounds in the polymerization of styrene in the temperature range of from 10° C. to 70° C.
German publication DE 43 32 009 A1 describes a process for making organometallic fluorides by reacting an organometallic halide with tin fluoride. This publication appears to show that an unsupported catalyst system of methylalumoxane and a bis(pentamethylcyclopentadienyl) zirconium dichloride has a lower homopolyethylene productivity compared with double the amount of the difluoride at 70° C.
Considering the discussion above there is still a need for higher productivity catalyst systems capable of providing the efficiencies necessary for implementing commercial polyolefin process. Further, it has been found, especially in gas phase fluidized bed processes, that reactor performance (presence or absence of reactor fouling, sheeting, etc.) is an issue when using supported metallocene catalysts. Secondary additives or support “surface modifiers” are often used to reduce fouling and hence improve commercial performance of the reactor. Addition of these surface modifiers, however, adds cost and complexity to the polymerization process. Thus, it would be highly advantageous to have a polymerization process and catalyst system capable of producing polyolefins with improved catalyst productivities and reactor performance. | {
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In a Long Term Evolved (Long Term Evolved, abbreviated as LTE) system put forward by the Third Generation Partnership Project (Third Generation Partnership Project, abbreviated as 3GPP) organization, downlink transmission channels mainly include: physical downlink control channel (Physical downlink control channel, abbreviated as PDCCH) and physical downlink shared channel (Physical downlink shared channel, abbreviated as PDSCH), which are used to transmit downlink control information (Downlink control information, abbreviated as DCI) and downlink data respectively. In an LTE Rel.8 system, the downlink data may be transmitted by using different transmission modes. Each transmission mode may include two DCI formats (Format). In the DCI format, each control bit may indicate control information required by a PDSCH data transmission scheme under a specific transmission mode. A network side configures a specific data transmission mode for each terminal in a semi-static manner. Under a specific transmission mode, each control bit of the DCI format is configured dynamically so that the control information required by the PDSCH data transmission scheme is indicated to a user. The terminal blindly detects each control bit of the two DCI formats and obtains the control information required by the PDSCH data transmission scheme of the terminal.
In the DCI format defined by the LTE Rel.8 system, the DCI format 2 and DCI format 2A support a transmission control indication of two codewords (Codeword, abbreviated as CW). Control bits in the transmission control indication include: a transmission control bit of a transmission block (Transmission Block, abbreviated as TB), and a control bit of indication information indicating whether to swap a corresponding relationship between the transmission block and the codeword (namely a “TB to CW swap flag” control bit), and so on. Transmission control bits of each transmission block includes: a modulation and coding scheme (Modulation and Coding Scheme, abbreviated as MCS) indication bit, a new data indicator (New data indicator, NDI) bit, and a redundancy version (Redundancy version, abbreviated as RV) indication bit. The network side correspondingly indicates the control information of the two transmission blocks in the foregoing control bits. The terminal detects each control bit in the DCI format to determine the control information of the current PDSCH data transmission.
In the process of implementing embodiments of the present invention, the inventor finds that in the prior art: Efficiency of using the control bits is improper in a frame structure that supports transmission of two codewords, therefore a technical defect that efficiency of using an overhead required for transmitting control information is low exists. | {
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The present invention relates to a process for the production of flexible polyurethane foams and the foams produced by that process.
Flexible polyurethane foams may be produced from known flexible foam polyethers. Generally, bi- to trifunctional polyethers in which the polyether chains are made up of ethylene oxide and propylene oxide or of propylene oxide alone and which have propylene oxide and, hence, secondary OH groups are reacted in known manner with TDI-80 (tolylene diisocyanate containing 80% 2,4- and 20% 2,6-isomer).
The hardness of these foams is largely determined by their gross density (foam density). Hardness can only be increased for the same foam density by increasing the TDI index (stoichiometric amount, of TDI to that of the other reaction components with a stoichiometric reaction being 100). Narrow limits are however imposed by such a process.
Since increased foam hardness is a desirable property, attempts to achieve that property by selection of appropriate reactants have been made. Foams of increased hardness are generally produced by one of two methods. In the first of these known methods, active polyethers, i.e. polyethers which contain ethylene oxide residues at the end of the chain and which therefore contain a high proportion of primary OH groups, are used. In the foaming of these active polyethers, TDI-65 (tolylene diisocyanate containing 65% 2,4- and 25% 2,6-isomer) must be used in addition to TDI-80 to avoid the formation of closed cells and shrinkage. However, the stability during foaming (i.e. susceptibility to the disturbances typically affecting foam production) of these systems is basically inferior to systems based on standard ethers and TDI-80.
In the second method, mixtures of standard ethers with filled polyols (polyethers containing an organic filler in finely dispersed phase) are used. In this process, foaming with TDI-80 is possible. This process is also comparable in terms of foaming stability to the processes in which standard polyols are used. However, this second alternative has economic disadvantages with respect to the mixing component used in comparison with the foaming of standard ethers and, generally, in comparison with the processing of active systems using TDI-65.
Not one of the processes aimed at obviating the described disadvantages by using short-chain, polyfunctional crosslinking agents in admixture with standard polyethers to increase compression hardness (including those which afford economic advantages) has acquired any significance for one or more of the following reasons:
(1) The addition of monomeric OH-functional compounds such as glycerol, trimethylolpropane and triethanolamine, even in small quantities (less than 2 percent by weight), leads to shrinkage. Consequently no property improvements can be obtained. PA0 (2) The addition of alkoxylated polyamines or polyfunctional alcohols, possible in quantities of up to 5 percent by weight, significantly impairs the open-cell character, tensile strength and breaking elongation without appreciably increasing compression hardness. PA0 (3) The addition of alkoxylated polyhydric alcohols PA0 (4) The addition of crystalline, polyhydric alcohols such as sorbitol, finely dispersed in the polyether (disclosed in DE-OS No. 2,507,161) requires melting of the polyfuactional alcohol component during the foaming process to achieve the described effect of increasing compression hardness. PA0 n=2-4, preferably 2, and PA0 Q represents an aliphatic hydrocarbon radical containing from 2 to 18 (preferably from 6 to 10) C-atoms, a cycloaliphatic hydrocarbon radical containing from 4 to 15 (preferably from 5 to 10) C-atoms, an aromatic hydrocarbon radical containing from 6 to 15 (preferably from 6 to 13) C-atoms or an araliphatic hydrocarbon radical containing from 8 to 15 (preferably from 8 to 13) C-atoms.
having OH numbers of up to 120 does lead to open-cell foams, but the increase in hardness is minimal and the tensile strength and, above all, breaking elongation of the resulting foams are adversely affected due to the large quantities which have to be added.
As described in GB-PS No. 1,396,105, propoxylation products of polyhydric alcohols, such as trimethylolpropane and pentaerythritol, having OH numbers around 175 may be co-foamed in 9 parts without any problems. However, no increase in compression hardness is obtained.
According to GB-PS No. 1,396,105 and DE-OS No. 3,323,872, foams combining increased compression hardness with other favorable mechanical properties are obtained by using adducts of alkylene oxides (ethylene oxide and/or propylene oxide) and monomeric, polyfunctional alcohols having a functionality of .gtoreq.6 and OH numbers of from 120 to 200 which are compatible with standard polyethers in admixture with standard polyethers. The disclosed alkylene oxide adduct may be used in quantities of up to 20 wt. % using standard flexible-foam formulations, preferably formulations based on TDI-80. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a retiming circuit, for example, a retiming circuit provided in an optical receiving unit in an optical data transmission system.
For example, when a logic "1" or "0" of an optical data signal transmitted from an optical transmitting unit at one end of the optical data transmission system is discriminated at the optical receiving unit placed at the other end thereof, desirably the discrimination is carried out at the center portion of each pulse corresponding to the logic "1" and "0". This is because, generally, there is a lot of noise in the vicinity of the rising edge of each pulse and in the vicinity of the falling edge of each pulse, and therefore it is most correct to judge the logic "1" or "0" at the center portion where there is the least noise. For this reason, the phase between the input data and clock is adjusted so that each optical data signal received at the optical receiving unit, that is, the center portion of each input data, and the timing for the discrimination substantially coincide. This is done by the retiming circuit.
2. Description of the Related Art
As will be explained in more detail later by using the drawings, if the retiming circuit of the related art is adopted, the following two problems arise.
First, there is the problem that, according to the retiming circuit of the related art, the optimum phase clock (CLK) is selected by just the rising changing point of the input data (Din), therefore when there is a fluctuation in the duty, explained later, it is no longer possible to sample the center portion of a pulse. This is because the true center portion of the pulse must be determined by taking not only the rising changing point of the input data (Din), but also its falling changing point into account.
Second, there is the problem that, according to the retiming circuit of the related art, it is difficult to sample the center portion of each pulse with an extremely high precision for all of various input data (Din) from a large number of subscriber side equipment. This is because, in the retiming circuit of the related art, it is necessary to select one optimum phase clock from among limited number of types of clocks. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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This disclosure relates generally to online systems, and more specifically to recommending content to a user of an online system.
Online systems, such as social networking systems, allow users to connect to and communicate with other users of the online system. Users create profiles on an online system that are tied to their identities and include information about the users, such as interests and demographic information. The users may be individuals or entities such as corporations or charities. Because of the increasing popularity of online systems, and the significant amount of user-specific information maintained by online systems, an online system allows users to easily communicate information about themselves to other users and share content with other users.
Many online systems maintain pages of content associated with different users, allowing a user to view content provided by an additional user or associated with the additional user by accessing the page maintained for the additional user. For example, businesses or users maintain pages on an online system and provide content items to the page for presentation to online system users. An online system may allow a user to establish a connection to a page maintained for another user and subsequently notify the user when content is provided to the page maintained for the other user. This allows a user to more easily distribute content to other users who are connected to a page maintained by the online system for the user.
An online system may maintain a large number of pages associated with various users. While this allows the online system to provide its users with a variety of content, maintaining a large number of pages makes it more difficult for users to identify pages including content of interest to the user. Difficulty identifying pages including content of interest to the user may decrease the amount of interaction with the online system. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a surgical apparatus for instrument insertion. More particularly, the invention relates to an attachment apparatus for readily securing an endoscopic surgical instrument to an endoscope for insertion within a body cavity.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Endoscopic procedures have been rapidly developing over the past decade. These procedures often allow for the performance of surgical procedures with minimal trauma when compared to prior techniques requiring a large external opening to expose the internal organ or tissue requiring repair. In many instances, an endoscopic instrument is secured to the distal end of an endoscope for guiding the endoscopic instrument to the particular treatment site.
Minimally invasive procedures are desirable because such procedures can reduce pain and provide relatively quick recovery times as compared with conventional open medical procedures. Many minimally invasive procedures are performed with an endoscope (including without limitation laparoscopes). Such procedures permit a physician to position, manipulate, and view medical instruments and accessories inside the patient through a small access opening in the patient's body. Laparoscopy is a term used to describe such an “endosurgical” procedure employing an endoscope (often a rigid laparoscope). Laparoscopic procedures also commonly employ accessory devices that are inserted into a patient through trocars placed through the body wall.
Still less invasive treatments include those that are performed through insertion of an endoscope through a natural body orifice to a treatment site. Examples of this approach include, but are not limited to, cystoscopy, hysteroscopy, esophagogastroduodenoscopy, and colonoscopy. Many of these procedures employ the use of a flexible endoscope during the procedure. Flexible endoscopes often have a flexible, steerable section near the distal end that can be controlled by the user when utilizing controls at the proximal end.
Some flexible endoscopes are relatively small (1 mm to 3 mm in diameter), and may have no integral accessory channel (also called biopsy channels or working channels). Other flexible endoscopes, including gastroscopes and colonoscopes, have integral working channels having a diameter of about 2.0 mm to 3.5 mm for the purpose of introducing and removing medical devices and other accessory devices to perform diagnosis or therapy within the patient. As a result, the accessory devices used by a physician can be limited in size by the diameter of the accessory channel of the scope used. Additionally, the physician may be limited to a single accessory device when using the standard endoscope having one working channel.
While certain specialized endoscopes having large working channel are known and other specialized endoscopes having two working channels are known, these large diameter/multiple working channel endoscopes can be relatively expensive and can have an outer diameter that makes the endoscope relatively stiff, or otherwise difficult to intubate. As such, systems have been developed whereby the endoscopic instrument is secured to the exterior of the endoscope, minimizing the need for endoscopes with large passageways.
These endoscopic instruments are currently secured to an endoscope through utilization of surgical tape or sutures wrapped about both the instrument and the endoscope in a manner holding them together. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,080,663, 6,869,395 and 6,997,931, as well as WO 0166018, disclose prior attachment structures.
As those skilled in the art will certainly appreciate, these structures are less than desirable. The tape is generally not sterile and is difficult to cut and apply in a sterile field. The tape is also difficult to remove and/or reapply in a different orientation. As to the use of sutures, they are also difficult to use in securing an endoscopic instrument to an endoscope.
Another attachment structure is disclosed in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2004/0230095 to Stefanchik. In accordance with this commonly owned patent application, a track structure is utilized in attaching an endoscopic instrument to an endoscope. Some other devices rely on a friction fit between the device and the endoscope. These may be difficult to remove after the procedure. Some of these friction fit devices are tight when applied to the endoscope and SURGILUBE, a lubricant made specifically for surgical procedures, is applied as a lubricant to ease assembly of the attachment means. However, as the device is used the SURGILUBE dries out and becomes like glue making the removal even more difficult.
With this in mind, a need exists for an improved mechanism for securing an endoscopic instrument to an endoscope. The present invention provides such an apparatus. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, a molding device for a semiconductor device, and a semiconductor device.
A semiconductor device manufactured by securing a semiconductor chip to a die pad provided in a lead frame with an adhesive, connecting leads of the lead frame to electrodes of the semiconductor chip using gold wires to form a semiconductor assembly, placing the semiconductor assembly in a cavity, and curing a resin injected into the cavity so as to cover the semiconductor assembly has been known. FIG. 9 is a plan view showing part of such a semiconductor assembly.
In a semiconductor assembly 10 shown in FIG. 9, a semiconductor chip 12 is secured to a die pad 14 which has a square or rectangular shape. Suspension leads 16 are provided to connect four corners of the die pad 14 to a lead frame 18 and support the die pad 14. The lead frame 18 comprises a plurality of leads 20 between the suspension leads 16, and the leads 20 are connected to the terminals of the semiconductor chip 12 by wires (gold wires) 22.
This semiconductor assembly 10 is placed in a cavity with the leads 20 sandwiched between upper and lower molds and sealed with a resin injected into the cavity from a resin injection port of the mold which is provided at one corner of the die pad 14.
However, since the lead frame 18 supports the die pad 14 through the thin, narrow suspension leads 16, when the resin is injected into the cavity in which the semiconductor assembly 10 is placed, the semiconductor assembly 10 may tilt in a direction of the resin injection (in a direction along the axis of the resin injection port) or move up and down due to the flow of the injected resin in the cavity 24, as shown in FIG. 10. When manufacturing a semiconductor device having a total thickness xe2x80x9ctxe2x80x9d of 1 mm, 1.4 mm, or the like, the slight tilting or movement of the semiconductor assembly 10 may cause the die pad 14 or wires 22 to be in contact with the mold when the semiconductor assembly 10 is sealed, resulting in defective products in which the die pad 14 or wires 22 is exposed from the surface of the cured resin.
Therefore, conventional methods of eliminating such defects include a method of adjusting the height of the wires 22 in a wire bonding step in which the semiconductor chip 12 is connected to the leads 20 with the wires 22, or a method of changing molding conditions in the injection of the resin into the cavity 24. However, defective products with the die pad 14 or wires 22 exposed on the surface could not be eliminated due to fluctuation in processing or the like. Because the molding conditions have been adjusted based on the results of previous molding, countermeasures to a change in materials tend to delay and the degree of adjustment of the molding conditions tends to be too small to adequately remove the above defect.
The present invention has been achieved to solve the above problems of the prior art and has an objective of eliminating the defects in the molding step of resin sealing.
In order to achieve the above-described objective, a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device according to the present invention comprises a step of placing a semiconductor assembly in which a semiconductor chip is secured to a die pad of a lead frame in a cavity of a mold and sealing the semiconductor assembly with a resin injected into the cavity, wherein at least one support pin positioned substantially on the axis of a resin injection port of the mold is caused to come in contact with the semiconductor assembly, and wherein the resin injected into the cavity from the resin injection port is cured after the support pin has been pulled into the mold.
According to the present invention, the semiconductor assembly does not tilt or move due to the flow of the resin because the resin is injected while the semiconductor assembly is supported by the support pin. Therefore, the die pad or wires are not in contact with the mold, thereby eliminating defects such as exposure of the die pad or wires from the semiconductor assembly sealed with the resin. Moreover, since the support pins are pulled out of the mold cavity before the injected resin is cured, the semiconductor assembly is not exposed from holes which are formed in the points where the support pins have existed.
The semiconductor chip is not damaged if the support pin comes in contact with the die pad. The semiconductor assembly is supported more securely by arranging a plurality of support pins substantially on the axis of the resin injection port, thereby further reducing the tilting of the semiconductor assembly and the like. If pressure is applied to the semiconductor assembly by the support pins to move the assembly in a direction away from the previous position of the contact portion of the support pins, the support pins are pushed toward the mold by the semiconductor assembly due to the elasticity of the wires connecting the leads of the lead frame to the semiconductor chip and the suspension leads. Therefore, the semiconductor assembly is not lifted up by the resin even if the resin flows into the cavity under high pressure.
The semiconductor assembly may be placed in the cavity with the die pad either in the upper side or the lower side, depending on the client""s request. If the semiconductor assembly is placed with the die pad in the lower side, the support pin is preferably provided on the lower mold. If the semiconductor assembly is placed with the die pad in the upper side, the support pin is preferably provided on the upper mold. If the support pins are in contact with both the top and the bottom of the semiconductor assembly so as to sandwich the semiconductor assembly, the mispositioning of the semiconductor assembly can be more reliably prevented when injecting the resin. If a pair of support pins come in contact with the suspension leads which connect the die pad to the lead frame, the interval between the support pins becomes longer, whereby the semiconductor assembly can be securely supported.
In the method of manufacturing a semiconductor device according to the present invention, a heat radiator placed in a cavity of a mold is supported by at least one support pin provided substantially on the axis of a resin injection port; the mold is closed after a die pad of a lead frame to which a semiconductor chip is secured is placed on the heat radiator; and after the support pin is pulled into the mold, a resin injected into the cavity from the resin injection port is cured. According to the present invention, the heat radiator can be provided to the semiconductor assembly at the time of molding with the resin (sealing with the resin), thereby simplifying the manufacturing process.
If the heat radiator is supported by the support pin that is held by a recess formed on a lower surface of the heat radiator for preventing the heat radiator from moving, displacement of the heat radiator at the time of placing the semiconductor assembly on the heat radiator can be prevented, whereby the position of the semiconductor assembly on the heat radiator can be precisely determined. In this case, a plurality of support pins may be provided substantially on the axis of the resin injection port.
The molding device for carrying out the method of manufacturing the semiconductor device comprises: a mold which is capable of being opened or closed and is provided with a cavity for placing a semiconductor assembly which comprises a semiconductor chip secured to a die pad of a lead frame; a resin injection port provided to the mold for injecting a resin into the cavity; at least one support pin provided in the cavity substantially on the axis of the resin injection port such that the support pin is able to enter into or be pulled out of the cavity to come in contact with the semiconductor assembly in the cavity; and an actuator which moves the support pin in a direction of the axis of the support pin. Therefore, the semiconductor assembly does not tilt or move up and down, thereby eliminating defects such as exposure of the die pad or wires.
The semiconductor assembly can be securely prevented from tilting by providing a plurality of support pins substantially on the axis of the resin injection port. The support pins may be provided in either the upper mold or the lower mold as required. The support pins may be provided in both the upper and lower mold to sandwich the semiconductor assembly. Alternatively, the support pin may be provided at a position corresponding to the die pad so as to support the die pad. Instead, a pair of support pins may be provided substantially on the axis of the resin injection port, and the support pins may be placed at positions corresponding to suspension leads which connect the die pad of the semiconductor assembly placed in the cavity to the lead frame to support the suspension leads. If a servomotor is used as the actuator which moves the support pins in and out of the cavity, the vertical position of the support pin, the speed of pulling the support pin into the mold, operation mode, and the like can be optionally set. This ensures use of various types of molds with ease and prevents the formation of bubbles and the like in the resin at the time of pulling the support pin. A semiconductor device according to the present invention can be manufactured by the method of any one of Claims 1 to 11. Therefore, defective products such as one with an exposed die pad or wires can be eliminated. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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The present invention relates generally to hydraulic lash adjusters, and more particularly, to a hydraulic lash adjuster (HLA) of the type in which there is both a high pressure chamber and a low pressure (reservoir) chamber.
Hydraulic lash adjusters (also sometimes referred to as “lifters” or “lash compensation devices”) for internal combustion engines have been in use for many years, and serve to eliminate the clearance (or lash) between engine valve train components under varying operating conditions, in order to maintain efficiency and to reduce noise and wear in the valve train. An HLA operates on the principal of transmitting the energy of the valve actuating cam through hydraulic fluid, trapped in a high pressure chamber under a plunger. During each operating cycle of the cam, as the length of the valve actuating components varies, as a result of temperature changes and wear, small quantities of hydraulic fluid are permitted to enter the pressure chamber, or escape therefrom, thus effecting an adjustment of the position of the plunger, and consequently adjusting the effective total length of the valve train.
The typical, prior art HLA comprises a generally cylindrical, cup-shaped body member which is disposed within a cylindrical bore defined by the engine cylinder head. Disposed within the body is a plunger assembly which is slidingly received within a blind bore defined by the body member. The lower end of the plunger assembly cooperates with the blind bore to define the high pressure chamber. In the conventional HLA, when a load is applied to the plunger assembly (from the cam profile, by means of a rocker arm), the load increases the pressure of the hydraulic fluid within the high pressure chamber, and fluid escapes the high pressure chamber through a cylindrical clearance defined between the blind bore and the outer cylindrical surface of the plunger. An HLA of the type described is referred to as a “conventional leakdown” lash adjuster. Although the present invention could be utilized in conjunction with various other types of HLA, it is especially adapted for use in an HLA of the conventional leak-down type, and will be described in connection therewith.
In a conventional leakdown HLA, in which the leakdown clearance is defined between the body bore and the plunger outer surface, it is understood by those skilled in the art that the diameter of the blind bore defined by the body must be maintained within a very tight tolerance range. Typically, the final step in machining/sizing the body bore is a grinding operation which, as is well known to those skilled in the art, tends to be a fairly expensive operation, in part because of the cup-shape of the body. Even after such an expensive grinding operation on the body bore, it is typical in the HLA art that the bodies and plungers are “sized and sorted” with regard to the body bore inner diameter and the plunger outer diameter, in order that, after assembly, each body-and-plunger pair has a leakdown clearance within the desire tolerance range. Even after the size and sort operation, and the match fitting of the plunger and body, it is fairly common to have leakdown performance outside of the tolerance range. When such unacceptable performance is identified, subsequent to assembly, it is then necessary to dis-assemble the HLA, and re-assemble the body and plunger from that HLA with other components, in an attempt to achieve HLA performance within the tolerance range. All of that type of “re-work” is time consuming and expensive, and should be avoided to the extent possible.
Those skilled in the art of hydraulic lash adjusters understand that, even though the rocker arm imposes a generally axial load on the plunger of an HLA, there is typically also a side load component applied to the plunger. As is also now well known, any such side load imposed on the plunger will effectively change the leakdown clearance between the body and the plunger, thus resulting in undesirable variations in the leakdown performance of the HLA. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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This patent discloses an integrated system for demodulating the output of a quartz MEMS magnetometer of the type disclosed by U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/628,182 filed Feb. 20, 2015 noted above. The disclosed quartz MEMS magnetometer utilizes the fact that frequency modulation (FM) of the quartz thickness shear mode oscillator is proportional to the strength of an external magnetic field. As such, a system can provide information regarding the strength of an external magnetic field, and several embodiments of such a system are disclosed herein.
The object of this invention is to detect or sense magnetic fields (which is known as magnetometry), especially magnetic fields sensed by a magnetometer of the types disclosed by U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/628,182 filed Feb. 20, 2015 and entitled “A Micro-scale Piezoelectric Resonating Magnetometer” and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/997,160 filed on the same date as this application and entitled “Quartz Magnetometer having a Quartz Resonant Plate with a Broaden Distal End for Enhanced Magnetic Sensitivity”.
One application of magnetometry is electronic compassing (measuring Earth's magnetic field direction for use in a compass). The advantage of the current invention is that it describes a system which can be implemented using miniature components, preferably manufactured utilizing MEMS technology and ultimately miniaturized into a single compact system integrating a MEMS die and and application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) die containing the system electronics. This disclosed system is inherently portable with resolution limits around 50 nanoTesla (nT). Embodiments of the system utilizing closed-loop operation and/or phase-sensitive detection enable even higher detection accuracy, improving the resolution to far below 50 nT are also described herein. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (Lou Gehrig's or Charcot's disease) is a progressive, incurable and fatal disease wherein the motor neurons degenerate at the spinal, bulbar and motor cortex level. In the case of Spain, incidence of the disease is 2/100,000 with a prevalence of 1/10,000, indicating that approximately 40,000 Spaniards will develop the disease in the course of their life (source: Spanish Association of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis—ADELA—).
Despite having been recognized as a disease a long time ago, its causes are still unknown. Although there are genetic forms of the disease, there are also known cases where there does not appear to be a hereditary origin. Thus, it is estimated that 10% of cases, known as family forms, are of genetic origin, of which 15-20% correspond to mutations in the Super Oxide Dismutase enzyme (SOD-1). Mutations of this enzyme have also even been observed in sporadic forms of the disease (Brown, 1997). Mutations in the Neuro Filament Heavy-chain gene (NFH), have also been found unfrequently in some patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Consequently, research into the genetic inheritance of this disease is of great interest.
In recent years, the creation of animal models of the disease has become one of the most relevant tools in experimental treatment studies, serving to clarify some questions about its causes, although these causes are still largely unknown. Neither knockout mice for the SOD-1 enzyme, nor transgenic animals for the different mutations in the human SOD-1 enzyme have managed to reproduce similar clinical symptoms to the disease in humans. The animal that best approaches the progress of the disease in humans is a transgenic mouse, known as SOD1G93A, that presents various copies of mutant Super Oxide Dismutase with a Glycine to Alanine point mutation in amino acid 93, (Tu et al, 1996) which is supplied by The Jackson Laboratory,
Despite numerous studies carried out to understand the cause and mechanism of the disease, at this point, there are no classic effective treatments. Currently, three lines of research are under development based on the application of glutamate antagonists, neurotrophic factors, and antioxidants, even though to date none of them has lead to an efficient treatment.
For several years it has been known that neurotrophic factors are capable of rescuing motor neurons from degeneration. The experiences with gene therapy using adenoviral vectors that express various neurotrophic factors (e.g., GDNF, CNTF, NI-4, IGF-1) carried out on animal models have been of great interest, and have offered promising results. However, adenoviral injections present the disadvantage of having to be applied to neonatal animals due to the great immunity response that they elicit. Therefore, although these results have been promising, developing novel but less immunogenic vectors is imperative in order to provide an effective treatment for ALS.
In regard to the clinical tests carried out to date, those initiated in 1996 by Dr. Schuelp did not achieve satisfactory results (http://www.wiley.co.uk/genetherapy). Possible causes of this failure were the nature of the neurotrophic factor used in the tests (Ciliary Neurotrophic Factor; CNTF) and/or its lack of accessibility to the Central Nervous System. In 1999, Dr. Axel Kahn's group proved in model animals that the administration route of CNTF is an important factor for its therapeutic effect (Haase et al., 1999). This lack of specificity has also been proposed as the probable cause for the failure of the subcutaneous administration of BDNF (Bovine-Derived Neurotrophic Factor) to humans.
Moreover, when the neurotrophic factors are administered systemically they present toxicity problems by acting upon other tissues. Despite all of these disadvantages, the therapeutic possibilities of neurotrophic factors continue to be researched due to their promising pre-clinical results. Specifically, the latest clinical trial taking place in the Medical Center of Rochester (Minnesota) is based again on the administration of a neurotrophic factor, IGF-1 (Insulin-like Growth Factor 1)(Sakowshi et al., 2009). | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a solid-state image pickup device, a driving method for a solid-state image pickup device and an image pickup apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, solid-state image pickup devices such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) type image sensor and a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) type image sensor are used widely as an image inputting device or image pickup device for an image pickup apparatus incorporated in various portable terminal equipments such as a portable telephone set or image pickup apparatus such as a digital still camera or a digital video camera.
FIG. 10 is a circuit diagram showing an example of a configuration of a unit pixel of a general solid-state image pickup device. Referring to FIG. 10, the unit pixel 100 shown has a circuit configuration wherein it includes four transistors in addition to a photoelectric conversion element such as, for example, a photodiode 101. The four transistors include, for example, a transfer transistor 102, a reset transistor 103, an amplification transistor 104 and a selection transistor 105. In the circuit configuration shown in FIG. 10, for example, an n-channel MOS transistor is used for the transistors 102 to 105.
The transfer transistor 102 is connected between the cathode electrode of the photodiode 101 and a floating diffusion (FD) portion 106 and has a gate electrode connected to a transfer control line 111 to which a transfer gate pulse TG is applied. The reset transistor 103 is connected at the drain electrode thereof to a power supply Vdd, at the source electrode thereof to the FD portion 106, and at the gate electrode thereof to a reset control line 112 to which a reset pulse RS is applied.
The amplification transistor 104 has a source follower circuit configuration with the gate electrode thereof connected to the FD portion 106 and with the source electrode thereof connected to a signal line 123. The signal line 123 is connected at one end thereof to a constant current source 124. The selection transistor 105 is connected at the drain electrode thereof to the power supply Vdd, at the source electrode thereof to the drain electrode of the amplification transistor 104, and at the gate electrode thereof to a selection control line 113 to which a selection pulse SEL is applied.
FIG. 11 is a sectional view showing a cross sectional structure of the unit pixel except the amplification transistor 104 and the selection transistor 105.
Referring to FIG. 11, n-type diffusion regions 132, 133 and 134 are formed on a surface layer portion of a p-type substrate 131. A gate electrode 135 is formed at a portion of the p-type substrate 131 between the n-type diffusion region 132 and the n-type diffusion region 133 with a gate oxide film (SiO2) not shown interposed therebetween. Another gate electrode 136 is formed at another portion of the p-type substrate 131 between the n-type diffusion region 133 and the n-type diffusion region 134 with the gate oxide film interposed therebetween.
In a corresponding relationship to FIG. 10, the photodiode 101 is formed by a pn junction between the p-type substrate 131 and the n-type diffusion region 132. The transfer transistor 102 is formed from the n-type diffusion region 132, the n-type diffusion region 133 and the gate electrode 135 between the n-type diffusion region 132 and the n-type diffusion region 133. The reset transistor 103 is formed from the n-type diffusion region 133, the n-type diffusion region 134 and the gate electrode 136 between the n-type diffusion region 133 and the n-type diffusion region 134.
The n-type diffusion region 133 forms the FD portion 106 and is electrically connected to the gate electrode of the amplification transistor 104. The power supply Vdd is applied to the n-type diffusion region 134 which forms a drain region of the reset transistor 103. The upper face of the p-type substrate 131 is covered with a light intercepting layer 137 except the photodiode 101.
Now, circuit action of the unit pixel 100 is described with reference to the sectional view of FIG. 11 and a waveform diagram of FIG. 12.
If light is irradiated on the photodiode 101 as seen in FIG. 11, then pairs of an electron (−) and a hole (+) are induced in response to the intensity of the light, in other words, photo-electric conversion is performed. Further, a selection pulse SEL is applied to the gate electrode of the selection transistor 105 at time T1 in FIG. 12, and a reset pulse RS is applied to the gate electrode of the reset transistor 103 at the same time. As a result, the reset transistor 103 is placed into a conducting state, and the FD portion 106 is reset to the power supply Vdd at time T2.
When the FD portion 106 is reset, the potential of the FD portion 106 upon such resetting is outputted as a reset level Vn to the signal line 123 through the amplification transistor 104. This reset level Vn corresponds to a noise component unique to the unit pixel 100. The reset pulse RS keeps an active state of the “H” level within a predetermined period from time T1 to time T3. The FD portion 106 keeps its reset state also after the reset pulse RS changes over from the active state into an inactive state of the “L” level. The period within which the FD portion 106 remains in the reset state is a reset period.
Thereafter, while the selection pulse SEL remains in the active state, a transfer gate pulse TG is applied to the gate electrode of the transfer transistor 102 at time T4. Consequently, the transfer transistor 102 is placed into a conducting state, and signal charge produced by photoelectric conversion by the photodiode 101 and accumulated till then is transferred to the FD portion 106. As a result, the potential of the FD portion 106 varies in response to the amount of the signal charge in a period from time T4 to time T5. The potential of the FD portion 106 at this time is outputted as a signal level Vs to the signal line 123 through the amplification transistor 104 (signal readout period). Then, a difference RSI1 between the signal level Vs and the reset level Vn presents a pure pixel signal level free from any noise component.
Usually, when an image of a bright object is picked up, the amount of charge accumulated in the photodiode 101 within the reset period becomes greater than that when an image of a dark object is picked up, and therefore, the difference RSI1 on the signal line 123 is greater.
(Mechanism in Occurrence of a Black Sun Phenomenon)
Incidentally, it is known that a black sun phenomenon occurs with a solid-state image pickup device. The black sun phenomenon is a phenomenon that, when very intense light such as the sunlight enters the pixel 100, the brightest portion is depressed dark.
A mechanism in occurrence of a black sun phenomenon is described with reference to FIGS. 13 and 14. FIG. 13 is a schematic view illustrating a mechanism in occurrence of a black sun phenomenon and shows a structure substantially similar to that shown in FIG. 11. FIG. 14 is a waveform diagram of the unit pixel shown in FIG. 13 when a black sun phenomenon occurs.
Within a reset period, a selection pulse SEL is applied to the gate electrode of the selection transistor 105 at time T1′ and a reset pulse RS is applied to the gate electrode of the reset transistor 103 at the same time in a similar manner as in the unit pixel shown in FIG. 11. As a result, the reset transistor 103 is placed into a conducting state, and the FD portion 106 is reset to the power supply Vdd at time T2′. The potential of the FD portion 106 upon such resetting is outputted as a reset level Vn to the signal line 123 through the amplification transistor 104.
However, if very intense light such as the sunlight is irradiated upon the photodiode 101 as seen in FIG. 13, then a large number of pairs of an electron (−) and a hole (+) when compared with those in the unit pixel of FIG. 11 are induced in a pn junction portion formed by the p-type substrate 131 and the n-type diffusion region 132. As a result, surplus electrons produced by the photoelectric conversion overflow from the photodiode 101. As a result, although the transfer gate pulse TG is in an inactive state, the surplus electrons arrive at the FD portion 106 across the transfer transistor 102. Therefore, the potential of the FD portion 106 drops, and as a result, the potential of the signal line 123 drops in a period from time T2′ to time T4′.
Similarly, if a transfer gate pulse TG is applied to the gate electrode of the transfer transistor 102 at time T4′ while the selection pulse SEL remains in an active state within a signal readout period, then the transfer transistor 102 is placed into a conducting state. Consequently, signal charge produced by photoelectric conversion by the photodiode 101 and accumulated is transferred to the FD portion 106. As a result, the potential of the FD portion 106 varies in response to the amount of the signal charge in a period from time T4′ to time T5′. The potential of the FD portion 106 at this time is outputted as a signal level Vs to the signal line 123 through the amplification transistor 104.
At this time, as a result of the overflowing of surplus electrons within the reset period as described above, the potential of the signal line 123 exhibits a drop when compared with that upon application of the reset pulse RS as seen apparently from FIG. 14. As a result, the potential difference RS12 within the signal readout period drops although the intense light is irradiated.
FIG. 15 is a diagrammatic view illustrating a mechanism in occurrence of a black sun phenomenon. Referring to FIG. 15, the axis of abscissa indicates the incident light amount to the pixel 100 and the axis of ordinate indicates the pixel signal amount obtained from the pixel 100.
In a usual state, the difference Vsig-Vres between the signal level Vsig within a signal readout period and the reset level Vres within a reset period is outputted as a pixel signal level. If the incident light amount exceeds a fixed light amount B, then the signal level Vsig is saturated and a fixed pixel signal level is outputted.
Then, the light leak noise Vn becomes a gradually increasing signal at a predetermined light amount C which is greater than the light amount B. Then, if a differencing process is performed within a region within which the light amount C is exceeded, then the difference Vsig-Vres exhibits a reduced value although the intense light is irradiated. Therefore, although the image pickup object is very bright, a black sun phenomenon wherein it looks dark occurs.
Here, the light leak noise Vn is described. When intense excessively high light comes in, charge accumulated in the photodiode 101 which has a function of converting light into electrons may overflow, and the overflowing charge makes noise. Or, when light leaks into the FD portion 106 which has a function of converting charge read out from the photodiode 101 into an electric signal, the leaking-in component makes noise.
In order to prevent a black sun phenomenon, in the past, it is decided whether or not the incident light is very intense by detecting whether the signal level Vsig is within a saturation region wherein the light amount B is exceeded and whether the reset level Vres is within a region within which it varies, that is, within a region wherein the light amount C is exceeded. Then, the differencing process Vsig-Vres is corrected based on a result of the decision. This method is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-248304.
In particular, such a countermeasure as shown in FIG. 16 is taken. Referring to FIG. 16, a switch 206 is interposed in a signal line for a reset level Vres between an amplifier 204 and a differential amplifier 205. The amplifier 204 amplifies a reset level Vres and a signal level Vsig outputted from a pixel array section 201 through an N memory 202 and an S memory 203, respectively. The differential amplifier 205 differentially amplifies the signal level Vsig and the reset level Vres from the N memory 202 and the S memory 203, respectively. Then, if a light level detection circuit 207 detects that the signal level Vsig is equal to or higher than a predetermined level Va or the reset level Vres is equal to a predetermined level Vb, then the switch 206 is switched off to stop the differential amplification process of the differential amplifier 205 to prevent a black sun phenomenon.
Or, such another countermeasure as shown in FIG. 17 is taken. Referring to FIG. 17, also when the light level detection circuit 207 detects that the signal level Vsig is equal to or higher than the predetermined level Va or the reset level Vres is equal to the predetermined level Vb, the differential amplifier 205 performs a differential amplification action. Then, a resulting difference by the differential amplifier 205 is converted into a digital signal by an A/D conversion circuit 208 and stored into a memory 209. On the other hand, upon detection of the state described hereinabove by the light level detection circuit 207, when the difference signal is read out from the memory 209, the difference signal is converted into a signal of a predetermined level, that is, the level Va, by a conversion circuit 210 or digital data of the A/D conversion circuit 208 are converted into saturation data in response to a saturation detection signal of the light level detection circuit 207 to prevent a black sun phenomenon. | {
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The need to effectively see a target and aim a weapon in the direction of the target is well recognized. Auxiliary devices to facilitate illuminating a target or aiming a weapon are known. Examples of known auxiliary devices include scopes, visible and infrared illuminators, laser pointers, combined illuminator/laser pointer devices, night vision devices and infrared imagers. For convenience, these (and other) devices are generally referred to herein as auxiliary devices. These auxiliary devices are often mounted to weapons having rail mounting systems with a certain profile, for example a rail profile consistent with MIL-STD-1913. Although these rail profiles have tolerances, these tolerances can vary enough to cause auxiliary devices to not fit properly and therefore not maintain boresight after continued use. | {
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Currently, mesoporous materials are gaining importance for catalytic applications due to facile diffusion of molecules in their pores and for transformation of large, bulky molecules through catalysis. The immobilization of homogeneous catalyst on to the mesoporous solid surface is one of the vital applications of the mesoporous materials as the composite catalyst can give higher acidity while eliminating the complications involved in handling and separation of liquid acids that generally occur in multiple steps and which are time consuming. Particularly, the mesoporous silica obtained is finding variety of applications such as gas adsorption and for incorporation of metal to prepare bi-functional catalysts for various catalytic applications.
However, the art of synthesis requires specific preparation procedures that necessarily involve use of high cost ionic surfactants and block co-polymers as templating agents to drive the reactants towards the structure specific mesopores. Moreover, such template materials are also harmful and needs additional synthesis steps performed at high temperatures for template removal before using them for catalytic applications. The art of catalyst design lies in obtaining the well dispersed active sites in a high surface area porous material. Further, art of synthesis requires multiple step procedure following carbonization followed by sulfonation steps that limits the amount of acid bearing carbon sites (sulfonyl groups) which are required for the catalytic activity.
References may be made to U.S. Pat. No. 7,014,799 and U.S. Pat. No. 7,763,665 that describe the synthesis of mesoporous oxides where amphiphilic block copolymer is used as templating agent. However, the said process uses costly amphiphilic block copolymer and also involves lengthy procedure.
Reference may be made to US patent publication number 20050063890 that describes formation of mesoporous mixed oxide such as porous silica using amphiphilic surfactant as template. However, the drawback of this process lies in obtaining good connectivity between the macro pores and mesopores and exhibits broad distribution of pores.
References may be made to U.S. Pat. No. 6,696,258 that describes synthesis of various mesoporous oxides such as silica, alumina using glucose and other monosaccharides. But the process involves lengthy reaction time and procedures with steps such as pH adjustment with base and solvent extraction of the inner material to obtain the porous solids.
Reference may be made to S. Van de Vyver, L. Peng, J. Geboers, H. Schepers, F. de clippel, C. J. Gommes, B. Goderis, P. A. Jacobs and B. F. Sels, Green Chem., 2010, 12, 1560, where expensive block copolymer is used as a carbon source with two separated multiple steps procedure involving carbonization followed by sulfonation to obtain the acid functionality in the catalyst. The limitation of this process involves the use of expensive material and the two separated step procedure, one involving carbonization and the other involving sulfonation, limits the amount of acid sites that are required for the catalytic applications.
Reference may be made to P. Gupta and S. Paul, Green Chem., 2011, 13, 2365 where variety of mono and disaccharides are used as carbon source. But the method follows two separated step procedure, one involving carbonization and the other involving sulfonation that limits the formation high number of acid sties on the already carbonized material.
Further, the alkylation of phenol and the conversion of Glycerol into solketal (ketal of glycerol) are of great industrial importance. Some 450,000 tonnes of alkylated products like tertiary butyl phenols are used in the industry per year. Mono-alkyl phenols and di-alkylphenols are used in the manufacture of antioxidants, UV absorbers and for the production of phenolic resins. Literature review reveals that these alkylation reactions are mostly carried out in the gas phase with high conversion of phenol. However, gas phase reactions usually involve high temperature and pressure leading to high cost. Very few studies on the solvent state alkylation of phenol with tertiary butyl alcohol (TBA) have been published. These solvent state reactions however, usually show very low conversions, i.e., less than 50%. It will therefore be advantageous to find new environmental friendly catalysts and milder experimental conditions to increase output or to reduce cost or to satisfy the environmental needs.
Reference may be made to K. R. Sunajadevi and S. Sugunan, Catalysis Letters, 2005, 99, 3 where sulfated titania is used as catalyst for the tertiary butylation of phenol in vapour phase from temperature 453 K. However, the catalyst is not effective as it gives limited phenol conversion only up to 36% (wt. %).
Reference may be made to L. Li, T. I. Korányi, B. F. Sels and P. P. Pescarmona, Green Chem., 2012, 10.1039/c2gc16619d where heterogeneous Lewis acid catalysts such as Zr-TUD-1, Hf-TUD-1, Al-TUD-1,Sn-MCM-41 and USY were used for the production of solketal by facilitating reaction between glycerol and acetone at 353 K. However, these catalysts are not very effective due to limited glycerol conversions and time taken for this reaction is very high (6 h).
Reference may be made to G. Vicente, J. A. Melero, G. Morales, M. Paniagua and E. Martin, Green Chem., 2010, 12, 899 where sulfonic acid modified silca samples were used for the production of solketal from glycerol at 343 K. Though the catalysts exhibited higher glycerol conversions 85% (mol %), the cost involved in the synthesis of catalyst is high with lengthy synthesis procedures.
Based on the prior art details and drawback mentioned above, the object of the present invention is to provide a novel sulfonated carbon silica (SCS) composite material and a process for the preparation of such SCS composite material. Another object of the present invention is to provide at least one industrial application of the novel SCS composite material thus developed. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
This invention concerns a method of preparing a cellulose carbamate spinning solution by dissolving cellulose carbamate in sodium hydroxide solution, where the solution is prepared by a controlled two-step process.
2. Summary of the Related Art
Cellulose carbamate solutions are needed to prepare regenerated cellulose fibers and other structures. Regenerated cellulose fibers are produced in several steps. The first step consists of reacting cellulose with urea at elevated temperatures to form cellulose carbamate. The cellulose carbamate prepared in this way is then dissolved in sodium hydroxide solution and the resulting solution spun. The cellulose carbamate that is in the form of fibers or other structures can be broken down to cellulose by another process step.
Preparation of the cellulose carbamate solution plays an important role in the process described above. It is known from the literature that cellulose carbamate solutions can coagulate relatively easily and quickly and are more sensitive in this regard than viscose and must be taken into account in designing the spinning operation. The cellulose carbamate solution""s quality and stability, which are important for the processing operation and for the quality of the fibers and other structures, depend on the quality and the average degree of polymerization (DP) of the cellulose carbamate and the conditions of preparation of the solution (e.g., the sodium hydroxide concentration, the dissolving temperature, the shearing forces in effect in dissolving, plus any zincate or urea additives in the solution).
Thus, for example, it is known from German Patent No. 3,343,156 that the dissolubility can be influenced by adding urea as a solubilizer. Zincate is another solubilizer (O. T. Turunen et al., Lenzinger Berichte 59, 111-177 (1985)). The DP of cellulose carbamate may be adjusted by exposure to high energy radiation prior to or during dissolution of, for example, 5.4 wt. % cellulose carbamate in 10 or 20 wt. % sodium hydroxide at xe2x88x925xc2x0 C. (German Patent Application 34 39 714). It is also known that the weight ratio of cellulose carbamate to sodium hydroxide should usually be selected to be less than 1 for the cellulose carbamate solution, for example, 6.8 wt. % cellulose carbamate in 9 wt. % sodium hydroxide, wherein the sodium hydroxide may be recycled from the further spinning process and its concentration adjusted prior to the dissolving step by addition or evaporation of water (German Patent Applications 35 34 357 and 35 34 371 corresponding to U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,639,514 and 4,639,515).
To make fiber production economical, however, it is necessary to process spinning solutions having the highest possible cellulose carbamate content and the lowest possible sodium hydroxide content, as is conventional for the viscose process. At the same time, the undissolved particle content in these solutions should be minimal. However, better dissolution of the cellulose carbamate and better solution quality obtained by employing a high sodium hydroxide concentration and/or additional additives to the dissolving bath are not consistent with these economic requirements.
The present invention provides a method of preparing cellulose carbamate solutions that enables preparation of acceptable cellulose carbamate spinning solutions without any other additives, and the ratio of cellulose carbamate concentration to sodium hydroxide concentration is greater than 1. The cellulose carbamate solutions of the invention do not have any premature coagulation either.
The process comprises dissolving cellulose carbamate in an sodium hydroxide solution at temperatures below about 10xc2x0 C. following by dilution of the resulting solution with additional sodium hydroxide solution and/or water. It has been unexpectedly found that this process obviates the aforementioned disadvantages inherent in the prior art processes.
The foregoing merely summarizes the present invention and is not intended nor should it be construed as limiting the invention in any manner.
The present invention provides for the first time a two-step process for preparing a cellulose carbamate solution. In the first step, an 8-15% cellulose carbamate solution is prepared with a concentration of sodium hydroxide solution of about 7-12% (which is higher than in the second step). It is preferable for the cellulose carbamate concentration to be in the range of 9-12% and the sodium hydroxide concentration to be in the range of 8-10% (all % by weight).
Subsequently, this solution is diluted by adding a dilute sodium hydroxide solution and/or water so that the final sodium hydroxide concentration in the cellulose carbamate solution is less than 9% (preferably xe2x89xa68%). The cellulose carbamate concentration may be in the range of approximately 6-9%. The weight ratio of cellulose carbamate to alkali should be greater than 1 in both steps, i.e., the concentration of the cellulose carbamate solution is higher than that of the sodium hydroxide solution.
More specifically, the invention provides a process for preparing a cellulose carbamate solution, the process comprising
a) preparing an 8% to 15% cellulose carbamate solution with a sodium hydroxide concentration of 7% to 12% by dissolving cellulose carbamate in a sodium hydroxide solution at a temperature of less than 10xc2x0 C., and
b) adjusting the sodium hydroxide concentration of the cellulose carbamate solution to less than 9% by adding to the cellulose carbamate solution either
i) a single diluent comprising a dilute sodium hydroxide solution or water, or
ii) a first diluent followed by a second diluent, wherein if the first diluent is one of water or a dilute sodium hydroxide solution and the second diluent is the other of water or a dilute sodium hydroxide solution,
provided that the weight ratio of cellulose carbamate to sodium hydroxide in both (a) and (b) is xe2x89xa71.
A cellulose carbamate solution with such a high cellulose carbamate content relative to the sodium hydroxide content at a sodium hydroxide concentration of less than 9% was previously unknown. It should be noted in particular that the improved dissolubility with the present method is independent of the DP of the cellulose carbamate used. The two-step process yields much better results in all cases with a cuprammonium DP of 200-400 as compared to the one-step prior art method (see Comparative Example).
Dilution from the first step to the second is performed with a sodium hydroxide solution diluent with a concentration of at least 2 percentage points less than in the first step, preferably with a concentration sodium hydroxide of xe2x89xa64%. As an alternative to this, it is also possible to initially use a diluted sodium hydroxide solution with a concentration of about 2 percentage points less than in the first step as the diluent and then to add water until reaching the desired final concentration. With the present method it is also advantageous to use vigorous stirring during the two-step dissolving process. Preferably, the forced circulation and the shearing forces should be as high as possible, but at the same time the heat development as low as possible. It has also proven advantageous if the diluent is added more slowly at the start of dilution in relation to the end point of dilution. Thus, in this case, the rate of addition of diluent is increased until ultimately the sodium hydroxide solution can be replaced by water. When the diluent is added very slowly and mixed thoroughly, it is also possible to use water as the diluent from the very beginning. The diluent can be added more quickly the higher its sodium hydroxide concentration is. Preferably the diluent is added in such a way that at no time does the dissolved cellulose carbamate precipitate.
Instead of pure solutions of sodium hydroxide in water, technical or recycled sodium hydroxide solutions or sodium hydroxide solutions containing additives like urea or zincate may be used.
In both steps, the dissolving process is carried out at temperatures of less than 10xc2x0 C., preferably less than 5xc2x0 C.
It has surprisingly been found that the cellulose carbamate solution does not coagulate in the present method (see also Table 1). | {
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When light passes through a transparent medium, the light may be scattered in all directions. Two common light scattering phenomena are Rayleigh scattering and Raman scattering. In Rayleigh scattering, the light is scattered by molecules whose dimensions are smaller than the wavelength of radiation. The blueness of the sky, which results from the increased scattering of shorter wavelengths of the visible spectrum, is an example of Rayleigh scattering.
In Raman scattering, the wavelength of the scattered light is shifted from the wavelength of the incident light. The exact shifts in wavelength depend on the chemical structure of the medium or sample scattering the light. Raman lines having wavelengths higher than the incident wavelength are referred to as Stokes lines and those having wavelengths lower than the incident wavelengths are referred to as anti-Stokes lines. The intensities of Raman lines can be 0.001% or less when compared to the intensity of the incident light. Thus, detection of Raman scattering remains difficult. | {
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For many years, electromechanical relays have found wide and varied application in the telephone and related arts. Although recently solid state devices have replaced relays in many electronic and communications systems, relays still offer many advantages in terms of cost, reliability, and versatility, for example, in circuit applications where the highest operative speed is not a requirement. Relays have assumed a number of structural forms; conventionally, a relay construction contemplated here comprises an electromagnet, an armature, and a contact spring assembly, the armature being actuated to control the closing and/or opening of the contacts when the electromagnet is energized. The contact spring or springs are normally fixed at one end and are operated by an armature actuated card acting perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of the springs at the other ends to deflect the ends into or out of electrical engagement with the opposing contacts.
Where relays are operated in conjunction with electronic devices, the reduction in physical size of the latter components has also dictated a miniaturization of the relays and a number of miniature relay forms are also known in the art. When relays are to be employed with printed circuit boards, for example, high packaging density requires that the relay present a minimum profile and mounting area. Other factors also significantly bear on the optimum design of a relay. Thus, problems of increasing operative speed, reducing power requirements, and simplifying its manufacture and adjustment to reduce cost, to name a few, are faced in the design of a relay construction intended for particular system applications and it is to these and other problems that the relay construction of the present invention is chiefly directed. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Level metering is used in a vast number of applications to monitor the level of liquid, gas or other material in a container. In the gas industry, for example, a widely used level measuring device is float level meter. This type of meter requires the installation of a float inside the tank. The float is connected to the body of the meter by a metal arm. The arm allows the position of the interface between liquified gas and gas which is in a gaseous state to be monitored. The movement of the float is translated to a rotational displacement by the arm. The displacement of the arm requires quite a bit of space, making it difficult to use this type of level meter in small tanks (e.g., gas grill and portable tanks). Float level meters are also not effective in portable applications because of the sensitivity of the sensors to movement. Furthermore, with regard to vertical portable LP gas tanks, the small diameter of the containers makes it difficult or impossible to use float level meters. | {
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In recent years, a multiband/multisystem advances for radio communication equipment represented by a mobile phone terminal has been made, and a plurality of communication devices are mounted in one terminal. However, the mobile phone terminal itself is continuously required to achieve a reduction in size and thickness, and reduction in size and thickness of a communication device mounted therein is eagerly demanded. Under such a background, a reduction in size and thickness of a component used for the communication device becomes essential, and a reduction in size and thickness of principal parts such as high-frequency filters or duplexers are eagerly desired.
As another method for achieving a reduction in size of the communication device, there is a tendency to simplify the communication device and decrease the number of components used therein. For example, FIG. 12 shows a configuration of a high-frequency block in a conventional mobile phone terminal. In the high-frequency block shown in FIG. 12, a reception path is connected with an inter-stage reception filter 104, and a transmission path is connected with an inter-stage transmission filter 114. On the other hand, a high-frequency block shown in FIG. 13 is configured such that the inter-stage transmission filter and the inter-stage reception filter are omitted for the purpose of simplifying the communication device. The high-frequency block shown in FIG. 12 is provided with an antenna 101, a duplexer 102, a low noise amplifier (LNA) 103, an inter-stage reception filter 104, an LNA 105, mixers 106 and 109, low-pass filters (LPFs) 107 and 110, variable gain amplifiers (VGAs) 108 and 111, a phase control circuit 112, a transmitter 113, an inter-stage transmission filter 114 and a power amplifier (PA) 115. On the other hand, on the high-frequency block shown in FIG. 13, in the reception side, the inter-stage reception filter 104 is omitted, and an LNA 202 is provided to replace the LNAs 103 and 105. Also, on the transmission side, the inter-stage transmission filter 114 is omitted.
In this manner, in the high-frequency block shown in FIG. 13, since the number of the filter elements is reduced, the remaining filter element (duplexer 201) is required to have performances of the two conventional filter elements (inter-stage reception filter 104 and inter-stage transmission filter 114). Specifically, a great enhancement of out-of-band suppression, of the filter characteristic is required. Also, in addition to the above, a great enhancement of isolation between transmission and reception is demanded in the duplexer 201.
In this manner, in the high-frequency filter and duplexer used for a mobile phone terminal and the like, there was a problem that great enhancements in characteristics such as suppression level outside the pass-band and the isolation is required while continuously reducing the size and thickness.
One of the factors that hinder the high suppression and high isolation of the filter and duplexer is unnecessary electromagnetic coupling generated in a substrate on which a filter element is mounted. To solve this problem, for example, in a configuration disclosed in Patent Document 1, a mounted package on which a filter element is mounted disposes a ground pattern (partitioning ground pattern) for partitioning a plurality of wirings present in one wiring layer between the wirings, thereby suppressing unnecessary electromagnetic coupling between the wirings to improve the suppression level of the filter.
Here, for the purpose of suppressing the unnecessary electromagnetic coupling between the wirings, in the case of disposing a ground pattern on the same wiring layer as those wirings, it would be better to make the ground pattern as close as possible to the wirings. This is because electromagnetic fields radiated from the respective wirings will be induced into the partitioning ground pattern for certain, whereby the electromagnetic coupling between the respective wirings will be reduced. Patent Document 1: JP-A-2006-180192 (Published Application) | {
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Locking assemblies commonly include an outer handle on the unsecured or outer side of a door, and an inner handle on the secured or inner side of the door. In many such assemblies, the inner handle remains unlocked at all times such that the door can always be opened from the secured side, for example to allow for emergency egress. In certain assemblies of this type, operating the inner handle while the assembly is locked does not unlock the assembly. As such, if the user exits the secured area and closes the door, the user will be unable to reopen the door without having the proper key. While such a feature is desirable in certain applications such as office buildings and schools, it may be less desirable in other applications. For example, a residential user may prefer that the door remains unlocked after being opened from the inside, in order to prevent the user from being inadvertently locked out of their home. Therefore, a need remains for further improvements in this technological field. | {
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The embodiments of the invention disclosed herein generally relate to a medical device and medical procedure using that device, and more particularly, to a joint fusion assembly for arthroplastic convergence of opposing ends of bones.
Joint disorders, such as arthritis in the joints of digits, can be extremely painful. A common procedure to alleviate pain in such patients is to fixate the joint for fusion by arthrodesis. There are a number of arthrodesis techniques that promote fusion of adjacent bones of a digit (e.g., finger or toe). Historically, these techniques utilize a bone screw that draws the adjacent bones together at a 180 degree, or straight, angle. The digit then fuses at the joint in a fully-extended orientation. This fully-extended orientation of the digit in conventional arthrodesis techniques weakens grip strength and is often not esthetically pleasing to the patient. For example, the grip strength of the hand increases when the fingers can oppose each other as the hand grasps an object. If a finger is extended, it cannot properly oppose the other fingers to grasp the object, stabilize the object in the hand, or exert force on the object. Moreover, the digits of a human hand rest in a flexed position; therefore, a digit that is fused in an extended position looks abnormal and is not esthetically pleasing. Similarly, straight toe joints are unnatural and do not grip or fit properly within normal shoes.
One complication arising from the arthrodesis surgery is misalignment, or crooked, fusion at the joint. This can arise from imperfect alignment of the bone ends during surgery, subsequent misalignments caused by lateral impact during the healing process, or in the case of arthrodesis utilizing an implanted bone screw having a flexible joint, lateral rotation about the joint during healing. All three situations result in a digit that may heal in a different than desired orientation.
Accordingly, it would be an advantage to provide a joint assembly that overcomes the disadvantages of previous technology. | {
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The accurate and consistent diagnosis of patient health parameters is essential for the proper staging and treatment of the patient. Consistency in measurement results over time for a single patient is vital to ensure that the actual progress or degradation of the health of the patient is being properly determined. Consistency in measurement results across patients is also vital to ensure that treatment protocols and their underlying data are applied consistently from patient to patient.
Many types of patient health criteria may be classified along a sliding scale depending upon the severity of the affliction. For example, burns have a classification scale of severity ranging from first degree (least severe) up to third degree (most severe). Other classification scales exist for other types of afflictions, such as the Wagner's Scale for foot ulcers, the Payne Martin Classification for skin tears, and the National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel (NPUAP) Pressure Ulcer Staging System. Each of these classification scales has a known and accepted classification system that permits a practitioner to assess an affliction against certain predefined standards and assign to the affliction a classification value corresponding to one of a plurality of ranks along the severity scale. Changes of this value in time thus correspond to improving or deteriorating conditions of the affliction and permit the rapid assessment of patient health and progress. It is therefore critical for staging and treatment purposes that clinicians be able to accurately and consistently assess an affliction and classify it into its proper rank along a known scale for that affliction. | {
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Semiconductor packages or encapsulations are typically formed of one or more of metal, plastic, glass, or ceramic materials which are arranged to house one or more semiconductor dies. Such packages may provide protection against impact and corrosion and dissipate heat produced in the die.
In the field of Radio Frequency (RF) electronic devices, such as for example RF power amplifier devices, RF isolation is necessary to reduce the cross-talk of signals from between channels and also RF return currents which may be induced in metal device features. RF isolation also maintains the integrity of amplified signal, and reduces system measurement uncertainties.
RF technologies device packages such as ceramic brazed package constructions or Liquid Crystal Polymer package constructions are known to provide good RF isolation and EM conduction. However these package constructions are expensive to produce.
In general it is known that plastic compound cavity moulded packages provide more cost effective alternatives to ceramics and LCP packages. However, there are a number of challenges in applying plastic mould compound encapsulations to semiconductor devices, most notably minimising and controlling so-called mould flashing (also known as mould creep or bleeding) to keep metallic floating leads, where additional electrical connections such as wire bond will be made free from mould compound. In addition RF semiconductor devices and high voltage MOSFET devices, for example, are known to be high heat dissipating devices which may therefore limit the type of plastic mould compound encapsulations and moulding techniques available. This is due to the potential for damage caused to the encapsulation caused by melting.
With reference to FIG. 1, the leads 10 of the lead frame are said to be floating. The term “floating lead” refers to the situation where prior to moulding the lead 10 is held (or floats) over a base 12 of the device package. The lead is said to “float” because it is not in direct contact with, nor supported by the base 12. During the moulding process the lead will be held at one end by clamping in the moulding machine at a dambar (not illustrated) end of the lead. Following the moulding process it will be mechanically supported by the cured mould compound, as discussed below.
The base 12 of the package is typically formed of a metallic material which functions to mount the semiconductor die (not illustrated in FIG. 1) thereon. The base 12 may also function as a heat sink for the semiconductor device die and may also allow for additional electrical connections by way of appropriate conductive contacts to the semiconductor die, such as for example back contacts on the device die connecting to the base.
As illustrated in FIG. 2, following encapsulation injected mould compound 16 separates the base 12 from the lead 10, and as mentioned above when cured provides mechanical support for the lead 10 on the base 12. As also mentioned moulding techniques may result is some mould flashing occurring. Minimising mould flashing may keep a section of the leads (shown by 13) free from mould compound 16 and as such may allow the leads 10 to be wire bonded by appropriate wire bonding techniques to the semiconductor dies 14 mounted on the base 10, at a later stage of the device packaging process.
A known technique for moulding or encapsulating devices is known as Film (or Foil) Assisted Moulding (FAM). FAM is a so-called transfer moulding technique which uses plastic films in the mould in an attempt prevent liquefied mould compound from reaching certain areas of the device, such as portions of the leads to be wire bonded, during the moulding process. Other known methods for moulding include thermo-compression techniques but they do not involve the use of a film to protect against liquefied mould compound from reaching certain areas of the device.
FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate, in general terms, a known exemplary arrangement for FAM, where the films 34, 36 is placed over the leads 10, base 12 and one or more semiconductor dies 14 which may be mounted on the base 12. In this example, two films are illustrated, a first film 34 for a top portion of the mould 30, and second film 36 for a bottom portion of the mould 32. During the FAM process the top 30 and bottom 32 portions of the mould are closed around the base 12, leads 10 and device dies 14. Pressure and heat are then applied to the films so that they are sealed around the base 12, leads 10 and device dies 14.
By sealing the films in this way a first void 38 (or cavity) is created around the device dies 14 and by the application of pressure and heat the film is sealed to the base 12 such that the dies 14 are protected from moulding compound which will be introduced later in the moulding process. In FIG. 3, for the purposes clearer illustration the relative size of the first cavity 38, compared to the other features shown has been exaggerated. A second set of cavities (also known as mould cavities) 37 are created at the top and bottom of the leads 10, where the leads overlap the base, and between the leads and the base 12. Later in the moulding process, moulding compound will be injected into the mold cavities 37, thus electrically isolating the leads 10 from the base 12. Once the mould compound has cured, it mechanically supports the leads 10 on the base 12, and the device can be released from the moulding machine.
Once the film is in place the transfer molding process takes place. Generally speaking the moulding process involves liquefied moulding material being forced into closed mould cavities 37 and held under heat and pressure by the top and bottom heat sink clamps 35, 39, as shown in FIG. 4, until the mould material is solidified and cured. The mould is then opened and the encapsulated devices are unloaded, for further device processing, such as mould flash removal and wire bonding.
Film-Assisted Molding offers a number of advantages over other transfer molding techniques and known thermo-compression techniques. These advantages include the easy release of the encapsulated products from the mold, and protection or isolation of surfaces (such as the semiconductor device die and/or leads for later wire bonding) from moulding compound.
However, for this process to be effective the film must be compressed such that it seals to prevent mould flashing of the compound escaping from the mould cavity, especially onto floating leads. Sealing is typically achieved by pressing the film onto the surfaces to be protected by the heat sink clamps 35, 39 from the top and bottom of the device as shown in FIG. 4. Also during the moulding process with the dies already in place it is necessary to keep the device dies isolated from the moulding process and the moulding compound such that the die does not get encapsulated thereby allowing the die to be wire bonded to the leads post-molding.
Due to the nature of the floating leads it can difficult to apply sufficient sealing pressure using heat sink clamps during the moulding process because the leads are floating and not supported by the base 12. The leads are not supported by the base because it is necessary that the leads are electrically isolated from the base. During FAM it is desirable to apply pressure to the film to prevent compound from bleeding. However, if the pressure applied is too great this will deform the lead downwards, resulting in an downward angled (towards the base 12) lead frame surface. The downward deformation makes it difficult to wirebond the lead frame to the device die after the moulding process is complete.
Mould flashing (or polymer bleeds) on semiconductor device leads are a major problem for device manufacturers because they significantly degrade the solderability of the leads and specifically for surface mount devices bleeds can cause misalignments between the printed circuit board (PCB) and can result in the device being tilted on the PCB. Furthermore, the flashes may fall-off during the process of mounting devices on to PCBs due to vibrations occurring during the device mounting process. The loose flash material can fall onto the solderable area of the PCB also causing the device to be partially or not to be soldered which can also result to package tilting on the PCB.
A known solution to the problem of mould flashing (or polymer bleeds) is simply to remove the unwanted polymer material from the leads after the moulding process has been completed. Removal method for polymer bleeds from the leads can be chemical such as a chemical etch, or by mechanically etching. However, such removal methods introduce a further processing step which can in turn add to the time and cost of producing devices. | {
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1. Field of the Disclosure
The disclosure relates generally to methods and compounds for Vitamin D therapy. More particularly, the disclosure relates to compositions comprising 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D2 and methods of administration thereof in the treatment and prevention of disease.
2. Brief Description of Related Technology
Secondary hyperparathyroidism is a disorder which develops primarily because of Vitamin D deficiency. It is characterized by abnormally elevated blood levels of parathyroid hormone (PTH) and, in the absence of early detection and treatment, it becomes associated with parathyroid gland hyperplasia and a constellation of metabolic bone diseases. It is a common complication of chronic kidney disease (CKD), with rising incidence as CKD progresses. Secondary hyperparathyroidism can also develop in individuals with healthy kidneys, due to environmental, cultural or dietary factors which prevent adequate Vitamin D supply.
As to secondary hyperparathyroidism and its occurrence in CKD, there is a progressive loss of cells of the proximal nephrons, the primary site for the synthesis of the vitamin D hormones (collectively “1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D”) from 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 and 25-hydroxyvitamin D2. In addition, the loss of functioning nephrons leads to retention of excess phosphorus which combined reduces the activity of the renal 25-hydroxyvitamin D-1α-hydroxylase, the enzyme which catalyzes the reaction to produce the D hormones. These two events account for the low serum levels of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D commonly found in patients with moderate to severe CKD when vitamin D supply is adequate.
Reduced serum levels of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D cause increased, and ultimately excessive, secretion of PTH by direct and indirect mechanisms. The resulting hyperparathyroidism leads to markedly increased bone turnover and its sequela of renal osteodystrophy, which may include a variety of other diseases, such as, osteitis fibrosa cystica, osteomalacia, osteoporosis, extraskeletal calcification and related disorders, e.g., bone pain, periarticular inflammation and Mockerberg's sclerosis. Reduced serum levels of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D can also cause muscle weakness and growth retardation with skeletal deformities (most often seen in pediatric patients).
“Vitamin D” is a term that refers broadly to the organic substances named Vitamin D2, Vitamin D3, Vitamin D4, etc., and is sometimes used loosely to refer to their metabolites and hormonal forms that influence calcium and phosphorus homeostasis. “Vitamin D deficiency” is a term that broadly refers to reduced or low blood levels of Vitamin D, as defined immediately above.
The most widely recognized forms of Vitamin D are Vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol) and Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol). Vitamin D2 is produced in plants from ergosterol during sunlight exposure and is present, to a limited extent, in the human diet. Vitamin D3 is generated from 7-dehydrocholesterol in human skin during exposure to sunlight and also is found, to a greater extent than Vitamin D2, in the human diet, principally in dairy products (milk and butter), certain fish and fish oils, and egg yolk. Vitamin D supplements for human use consist of either Vitamin D2 or Vitamin D3.
Both Vitamin D2 and Vitamin D3 are metabolized into prohormones by one or more enzymes located in the liver. The involved enzymes are mitochondrial and microsomal cytochrome P450 (CYP) isoforms, including CYP27A1, CYP2R1. CYP3A4, CYP2J3 and possibly others. These enzymes metabolize Vitamin D2 into two prohormones known as 25-hydroxyvitamin D2 and 24(S)-hydroxyvitamin D2, and Vitamin D3 into a prohormone known as 25-hydroxyvitamin D3. The two 25-hydroxylated prohormones are more prominent in the blood, and can be collectively referred to as “25-hydroxyvitamin D.” Vitamin D2 and Vitamin D3 can be metabolized into their respective prohormones outside of the liver in certain epithelial cells, such as enterocytes, which contain the same (or similar) enzymes, but extrahepatic prohormone production probably contributes little to blood levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D.
The rates of hepatic and extrahepatic production of the Vitamin D prohormones are not tightly regulated, and they vary mainly with intracellular concentrations of the precursors (Vitamin D2 and Vitamin D3). Higher concentrations of either precursor increase prohormone production, while lower concentrations decrease production. Hepatic production of prohormones is inhibited by high levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D via a poorly understood mechanism apparently directed to prevention of excessive blood prohormone levels.
The Vitamin D prohormones are further metabolized in the kidneys into potent hormones by an enzyme known as CYP27B1 (or 25-hydroxyvitamin D3-1α-hydroxylase) located in the proximal kidney tubule. The prohormones 25-hydroxyvitamin D2 and 24(S)-hydroxyvitamin D2 are metabolized into hormones known as 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D2 and 1α,24(S)-dihydroxyvitamin D2. Likewise, 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 is metabolized into a hormone known as 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (or calcitriol). These hormones are released by the kidneys into the blood for systemic delivery. The two 1α,25-dihydroxylated hormones, usually far more prominent in the blood than 1α,24(S)-dihydroxyvitamin D2, can be collectively referred to as “1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D.” Vitamin D prohormones can be metabolized into hormones outside of the kidneys in keratinocytes, lung epithelial cells, enterocytes, cells of the immune system (e.g., macrophages) and certain other cells containing CYP27B1 or similar enzymes, but such extrarenal hormone production is incapable of sustaining normal blood levels of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D in advanced CKD.
Blood levels of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D are precisely regulated by a feedback mechanism which involves PTH. The renal 1α-hydroxylase (or CYP27B1) is stimulated by PTH and inhibited by 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D. When blood levels of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D fall, the parathyroid glands sense this change via intracellular Vitamin D receptors (VDR) and secrete PTH. The secreted PTH stimulates expression of renal CYP27B1 and, thereby, increases production of Vitamin D hormones. As blood concentrations of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D rise again, the parathyroid glands attenuate further PTH secretion. As blood PTH levels fall, renal production of Vitamin D hormones decreases. Rising blood levels of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D also directly inhibit further Vitamin D hormone production by CYP27B1.
PTH secretion can be abnormally suppressed in situations where blood 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D concentrations become excessively elevated, as can occur in certain disorders such as sarcoidosis or as a result of bolus doses of Vitamin D hormone replacement therapies. Oversuppression of PTH secretion can cause or exacerbate disturbances in calcium homeostasis. The parathyroid glands and the renal CYP27B1 are exquisitely sensitive to changes in blood concentrations of Vitamin D hormones so that serum 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D is tightly controlled, fluctuating up or down by less than 20% during any 24-hour period. In contrast to renal production of Vitamin D hormones, extrarenal production is not under precise feedback control.
Blood levels of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D and substrate 25-hydroxyvitamin D prohormone, and regulation thereof, can also be affected by vitamin D hormone analogs, such as 1α-hydroxyvitamin D2 and 19-nor-1,25 dihydroxyvitamin D2.
The Vitamin D hormones have essential roles in human health which are mediated by the intracellular VDR. In particular, the Vitamin D hormones regulate blood calcium levels by controlling intestinal absorption of dietary calcium and reabsorption of calcium by the kidneys. The Vitamin D hormones also participate in the regulation of cellular differentiation and growth and normal bone formation and metabolism. Further, Vitamin D hormones are required for the normal functioning of the musculoskeletal, immune and renin-angiotensin systems. Numerous other roles for Vitamin D hormones are being postulated and elucidated, based on the documented presence of intracellular VDR in nearly every human tissue. For example, vitamin D has been postulated to play a role in cellular differentiation and cancer, in regulation of the immune system (immune enhancing or immune suppressing effects, depending on the situation), and atherosclerosis. Vitamin D deficiency increases the risk of many common cancers, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, hypertension, cardiovascular heart disease, and type I diabetes.
The actions of Vitamin D hormones on specific tissues depend on the degree to which they bind to (or occupy) the intracellular VDR in those tissues. VDR binding increases as the intracellular concentrations of the hormones rise, and decreases as the intracellular concentrations fall. In all cells, intracellular concentrations of the Vitamin D hormones change in direct proportion to changes in blood hormone concentrations. In cells containing CYP27B1 (or similar enzymes), intracellular concentrations of the Vitamin D hormones also change in direct proportion to changes in blood and/or intracellular prohormone concentrations, as discussed above.
Vitamin D2, Vitamin D3 and their prohormonal forms have affinities for the VDR which are estimated to be at least 100-fold lower than those of the Vitamin D hormones and do not effectively activate the receptor. As a consequence, physiological concentrations of these hormone precursors exert little, if any, biological actions without prior metabolism to Vitamin D hormones. However, supraphysiological levels of these hormone precursors, especially the prohormones, in the range of 10 to 1,000 fold higher than normal, can sufficiently occupy the VDR and exert actions like the Vitamin D hormones.
Blood levels of Vitamin D2 and Vitamin D3 are normally present at stable concentrations in human blood, given a sustained, adequate supply of Vitamin D from sunlight exposure and an unsupplemented diet. Slight, if any, increases in blood Vitamin D levels occur after meals since unsupplemented diets have low Vitamin D content, even those containing foods fortified with Vitamin D. The Vitamin D content of the human diet is so low that the National Institutes of Health (NIH) cautions “it can be difficult to obtain enough Vitamin D from natural food sources” [NIH, Office of Dietary Supplements, Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet: Vitamin D (2005)]. Almost all human Vitamin D supply comes from fortified foods, exposure to sunlight or from dietary supplements, with the last source becoming increasingly important. Blood Vitamin D levels rise only gradually, if at all, after sunlight exposure since cutaneous 7-dehydrocholesterol is modified by UV radiation to pre-Vitamin D3 which undergoes thermal conversion in the skin to Vitamin D3 over a period of several days before circulating in the blood.
Blood Vitamin D hormone concentrations also remain generally constant through the day in healthy individuals, but can vary significantly over longer periods of time in response to seasonal changes in sunlight exposure or sustained alterations in Vitamin D intake. Marked differences in normal Vitamin D hormone levels are commonly observed between healthy individuals, with some individuals having stable concentrations as low as approximately 20 pg/mL and others as high as approximately 70 pg/mL. Due to this wide normal range, medical professionals have difficulty interpreting isolated laboratory determinations of serum total 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D; a value of 25 pg/mL may represent a normal value for one individual or a relative deficiency in another.
Transiently low blood levels of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D stimulate the parathyroid glands to secrete PTH for brief periods ending when normal blood Vitamin D hormone levels are restored. In contrast, chronically low blood levels of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D continuously stimulate the parathyroid glands to secrete PTH, resulting in a disorder known as secondary hyperparathyroidism. Chronically low hormone levels also decrease intestinal calcium absorption, leading to reduced blood calcium concentrations (hypocalcemia) which further stimulate PTH secretion. Continuously stimulated parathyroid glands become increasingly hyperplastic and eventually develop resistance to regulation by vitamin D hormones. Without early detection and treatment, secondary hyperparathyroidism progressively increases in severity, causing debilitating metabolic bone diseases, including osteoporosis and renal osteodystrophy.
Chronically low blood levels of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D develop when there is insufficient renal CYP27B1 to produce the required supply of Vitamin D hormones, a situation which commonly arises in CKD. The activity of renal CYP27B1 declines as the Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR) falls below approximately 60 ml/min/1.73 m2 due to the loss of functioning nephrons. In end-stage renal disease (ESRD), when the kidneys fail completely and hemodialysis is required for survival, renal CYP27B1 often becomes altogether absent. Any remaining CYP27B1 is greatly inhibited by elevated serum phosphorous (hyperphosphatemia) caused by inadequate renal excretion of dietary phosphorous.
Chronically low blood levels of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D also develop because of a deficiency of Vitamin D prohormones, since renal hormone production cannot proceed without the required precursors. Prohormone production declines markedly when cholecalciferol and ergocalciferol are in short supply, a condition often described by terms such as “Vitamin D insufficiency,” “Vitamin D deficiency,” or “hypovitaminosis D.” Therefore, measurement of 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels in blood has become the accepted method among healthcare professionals to monitor Vitamin D status. Recent studies have documented that the great majority of CKD patients have low blood levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D, and that the prevalence of Vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency increases as CKD progresses.
It follows that individuals most vulnerable to developing chronically low blood levels of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D are those with CKD. Most CKD patients typically have decreased levels of renal CYP27B1 and a shortage of 25-hydroxyvitamin D prohormones. Not surprisingly, most CKD patients develop secondary hyperparathyroidism. Unfortunately, early detection and treatment of secondary hyperparathyroidism in CKD is rare, let alone prevention.
The National Kidney Foundation (NKF) has recently focused the medical community's attention on the need for early detection and treatment of secondary hyperparathyroidism by publishing Kidney Disease Outcomes Quality Initiative (K/DOQI) Clinical Practice Guidelines for Bone Metabolism and Disease in Chronic Kidney Disease [Am. J. Kidney Dis. 42:S1-S202, 2003)]. The K/DOQI Guidelines identified the primary etiology of secondary hyperparathyroidism as chronically low blood levels of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin and recommended regular screening in CKD Stages 3 through 5 for elevated blood PTH levels relative to Stage-specific PTH target ranges. CKD Stage 3 was defined as moderately decreased kidney function (GFR of 30-59 mL/min/1.73 m2) with an intact PTH (iPTH) target range of 35-70 pg/mL; Stage 4 was defined as severely decreased kidney function (GFR of 15-29 mL/min/1.73 m2), with an iPTH target range of 70-110 pg/mL; and Stage 5 was defined as kidney failure (GFR of <15 mL/min/1.73 m2 or dialysis) with an iPTH target range of 150-300 pg/mL. In the event that screening revealed an iPTH value to be above the ranges targeted for CKD Stages 3 and 4, the Guidelines recommended a follow-up evaluation of serum total 25-hydroxyvitamin D to detect possible Vitamin D insufficiency or deficiency. If 25-hydroxyvitamin D below 30 ng/mL was observed, the recommended intervention was Vitamin D repletion therapy using orally administered ergocalciferol. If 25-hydroxyvitamin D above 30 ng/mL was observed, the recommended intervention was Vitamin D hormone replacement therapy using known oral or intravenous Vitamin D hormones or analogs. The Guidelines did not recommend the concurrent application of Vitamin D repletion and Vitamin D hormone replacement therapies, consistent with warnings mandated by the Food and Drug Administration in package inserts for Vitamin D hormone replacement products.
The NKF K/DOQI Guidelines defined Vitamin D sufficiency as serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels ≧30 ng/mL. Recommended Vitamin D repletion therapy for patients with “Vitamin D insufficiency,” defined as serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D of 16-30 ng/mL, was 50,000 IU per month of oral Vitamin D2 for 6 months, given either in single monthly doses or in divided doses of approximately 1,600 IU per day. Recommended repletion therapy for patients with “Vitamin D deficiency” was more aggressive: for “mild” deficiency, defined as serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D of 5-15 ng/mL, the Guidelines recommended 50,000 IU per week of oral Vitamin D2 for 4 weeks, followed by 50,000 IU per month for another 5 months; for “severe” deficiency, defined as serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D below 5 ng/mL, the Guidelines recommended 50,000 IU/week of oral Vitamin D2 for 12 weeks, followed by 50,000 IU/month for another 3 months. Doses of 50,000 IU per week are approximately equivalent to 7,000 IU per day.
Most concepts of vitamin D metabolism and function have been developed with the rat and/or chick as experimental models. Studying vitamin D metabolism is hampered by the paucity of data on the normal circulating levels of vitamin D metabolites in mammals under normal conditions. Most recent research has focused on the analysis of 25-hydroxyvitamin D and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D as indicators of vitamin D status or aberrant physiological states.
Shortly after the discovery of vitamin D2 it seemed apparent that Vitamins D2 and D3 had similar biological activities in most mammals. More recent research, fostered by the discovery of sensitive analytical techniques and the availability of high specific activity 3H-labeled vitamin D species, indicated that differences in the metabolism of Vitamins D2 and D3 in mammals are perhaps widespread. Most notable were the apparent discrimination against Vitamin D2 by pigs [Biochem J. 204:185-189], cows [J Nutr 113:2595-2600], and humans [Gene Regulation, Structure-Function Analysis and Clinical Application, Walter de Gruyter. Berlin, pp. 765-766] and the apparent preference of Vitamin D2 by rats [Biochem J 204:185-189, J Bone Miner Res 5(Supplement 2):S265].
Vitamin D and its metabolites are transported in the blood of vertebrates attached to Vitamin D binding protein (DBP). Baird et al [Recent Prog Horm Res. 25:611-664] have shown that protein binding increases the solubility of steroids and that the metabolic clearance rate of steroids is in part dependent on their binding to specific plasma proteins.
Hay and Watson [Comp Biochem Physiol 56B:375-380] studied the affinities of DBP for 25-hydroxyvitamin D2 and 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 in 63 vertebrate species. They found that many of the studied species discriminated against 25-hydroxyvitamin D2 in favor of 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 [Biochem J 204:185-189]. However, in rats the discrimination is against Vitamin D3 in favor of Vitamin D2. The rat DBP is known to have equal affinity for 25-hydroxyvitamin D2 and 25-hydroxyvitamin D3, but a lower affinity for Vitamin D2 relative to Vitamin D3 [Steroids 37:581-592]. Reddy et al., [Calci Tissue Int 36:524] suggested that the lower affinity for Vitamin D2 resulted in its enhanced availability for liver 25-hydroxylation. Hence, in the presence of DBP, more 25-hydroxyvitamin D2 was made relative to 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 when equal amounts of Vitamin D2 or Vitamin D3 substrate were perfused into rat livers. In the experiments conducted by Reddy et al., if binding protein was eliminated from the perfusion media, equal amounts of 25-hydroxyvitamin D2 and 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 were synthesized. Collectively, these data suggest that discrimination against the different forms of Vitamin D could likely result from variations in the affinity of DBP for the parent compound and/or one or more of their metabolites. Regardless of the mechanism for discrimination, it appears that these differences are present to afford the species the most efficient utilization of the most abundant Vitamin D metabolites available in their environment.
Critical questions remain unanswered regarding complete elucidation of the Vitamin D2 metabolic pathway, and species differences between Vitamin D2 and D3 metabolism are still virtually unexplored. The introduction of Vitamin D as a pharmacological intervention has resulted in a totally different set of issues regarding their metabolism, tissue kinetics, mechanism of action, and potential therapeutic uses.
Vitamin D receptors are present throughout the human body in a wide variety of cells, and there have been reports that vitamin D hormone has diverse “non-classical” biologic effects on cellular proliferation, the immune system and the cardiovascular system, beyond its “classical” effects on the PTH system. It has also been reported that 25-hydroxyvitamin D2 has direct effects on parathyroid cells in suppressing PTH [Kidney International, 70(4):654-659, August 2006]. There has been one report that Vitamin D2 was less than one-third as potent as Vitamin D3 and exhibited a shorter duration of action relative to Vitamin D3; administration of 50,000 IU of ergocalciferol or cholecalciferol to healthy male humans produced similar rises in serum concentration of the administered vitamin, indicating equivalent absorption, but 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 levels peaked at 14 days whereas 25-hydroxyvitamin D2 levels fell early and were not different from baseline at 14 days [J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., 89(11):5387-5391 (2004)].
Thus, the relative contribution of 25-hydroxyvitamin D compounds and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D compounds to PTH suppression, the relative potency of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D2 and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 in vivo, and the spectrum of non-classical biological effects of each of these hormones has not clearly been elucidated. There remains a need for alternative vitamin D hormone therapies that ideally provide beneficial effects on PTH levels, immune status and/or cardiovascular health, with reduced toxicity. | {
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In advanced microelectronic chips, structures referred to as back-end-of-line (BEOL) metallization employ several layers of metal interconnections each separated by a dielectric layer. At the present time, the dielectric typically employed is made of sputtered quartz which has a dielectric constant of about 3.9. However, in order to reduce signal delays in chips for the future, it will be necessary to reduce the dielectric constant so that the capacitance of the metallic layers will be reduced. Much work is presently being done in attempts to replace the quartz with various polyimides. The polyimides typically have a dielectric constant that is at least about 2.8. The polyimides are generally provided onto a chip by wet spin-on techniques followed by subsequent drying at elevated temperatures. However, wet-processing, spin-on and drying processing are not especially desirable since such techniques are difficult to control and tend to employ organic solvents that are undesirable from an environmental viewpoint.
Fluorinated polymeric materials such as poly(tetrafluoroethylene)(PTFE) are attractive candidates for advanced electronic packaging applications because of their relatively low dielectric constants, excellent chemical stability, low solvents/moisture absorption and excellent thermal stability. However, because of their relative chemical inertness and hydrophobic nature, these halogenated polymeric materials are difficult to process into electronic packaging structures. The lack of effective processing techniques has inhibited the exploitation of these materials by the electronics industry.
Although there have been various suggestions to produce films of polymeric fluorocarbon by plasma polymerization, the films formed would not be suitable as an insulating layer in integrated circuits since such prior films lack at least one characteristic necessary for providing a suitable dielectric or insulating layer. For instance, many of the prior suggested films inherently include metallic particles deposited during the plasma processing. | {
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This invention relates to flow cytometers which are designed for repetitive processing of substances. Specifically, the invention relates to systems which repetitively introduce samples without contamination for high speed processing. It is particularly suited to sorting and analysis applications in both the clinical and research fields.
Flow cytometers have been in clinical and research use for many years. Basically, the systems act to position small amounts of a substance within a sheath fluid. This sheath fluid may either form droplets or may exist within a transparent channel for optical analysis. Through hydrodynamic focusing and laminar flow, the substance is split into individual cells and the like and is surrounded by a sheath fluid. Since individual cells and the like are often processed, the speed at which substance material can be processed is somewhat limited.
In many applications the substance involves a liquid which is frequently changed. This may include processing a sample from one patient to another. These changes further limit the speed at which processing may occur. Further samples tested can also involve biologically active materials such as viruses and the like. This can intensify the need to thoroughly clean and decontaminate the system when changing samples.
In use, it is typical to receive sample substances as liquids contained within test tubes. These test tubes are attached or inserted into a flow cytometer system which pressurizes the test tube and thus forces the substance through tubing and into a nozzle container of the flow cytometer. For convenience, the test tubes are often attached by inserting a stopper into the test tube top. These stoppers often had two tubes positioned through them: a tube for supplying pressure to the test tube and a tube for allowing the substance to flow out of the test tube. As indicated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,182,617, a variety of designs have been proposed to facilitate more rapid processing. These designs have, however, not totally met the needs of those involved in the actual processing of samples.
One of the problems faced has been the stresses placed upon the test tube or other container as it is pressurized for use. Because of the relationship between the speed of processing and the pressure applied to the sample container, this problem is intensified as higher processing speeds are pursued. While naturally other containers other than a test tube could be used, the time required to transfer substance to some more appropriate container and the additional decontamination potentially required has made such solutions generally undesirable. In some applications, those involved have simply utilized the conventional components closer to their inherent limitations and may have even limited the performance of the flow cytometer to accommodate such limitations. Obviously, such an approach, although practical, is undesirable.
Yet another problem faced by those skilled in the art is the fact that the proper combination of features and performance for practical use of a flow cytometer for repetitive sampling of substances has not yet been achieved. Apart from the actual analysis capability of the flow cytometer, it is necessary to provide a system which those involved in the actual usage of the system find convenient. For some applications, this involves providing a system which can be easily cleaned or decontaminated between sample runs. In others an easily manipulatable and inexpensive system may be desired. The present invention combines features to achieve a practicably implementable system which meets each of these needs (and other needs more appropriately).
As mentioned, when biologically active materials are used, the problem of contamination is of greater concern. Not only has this mandated more thorough cleaning of the system between uses, but it also has made the problem of aerosols more acute. As pressure is applied to the sample container, this pressure--and the air flows associated with it--can result in the creation of aerosols which may contain a biologically active substance. Naturally, this must be avoided. Through potentially independent features, the present invention acts to minimize the creation of the aerosols in the first place.
As explained, a number of the foregoing problems have long been recognized by those having ordinary skill in the art. Solutions, however, have not been achieved in a practical and efficient manner even though the implementing arts have long been available. To some extent, this may be due to the fact that those having ordinary skill in the art may not have fully appreciated the nature of the problems or may have simply failed to consider designs which could be practically adapted to traditional components. Indeed, the directions taken by those skilled in the art have to some degree been directed away from the directions taken in the present invention. Until the present invention a system which simultaneously met the needs for high speed processing for changing samples, for cleaning the system, and for avoiding contamination was not practically available for many applications. | {
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The invention relates generally to thermal devices. In particular, the invention relates to infant warming mattresses using chemically induced thermal reactions.
Various forms of thermal therapy have been used to provide either heating or cooling application temperatures to specific parts of the patient""s body. For example, heat has been used to increase blood flow and speed the healing process to an injured area of the body. Similarly, cooling has been used to prevent swelling and reduce pain in an injured area of the body.
Hot and cold packs are well-known to be useful in a variety of applications. Representative thermal packs are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,856,651 to Francis, Jr., for example. Of particular interest is the use of a warming pad to maintain proper body temperatures for neonatal, pediatric and geriatric patients. Infants, for example, are thermally treated by placing them on a heated mattress. Several types of such mattresses are currently available. One such mattress, the Porta-Warm(trademark) mattress (available from Allegiance Healthcare Corp. McGaw Park, Ill.), is made using a single sheet of film with non-woven material folded over itself to create a rectangular shape which is sealed around the edges. Within the pouch are a series of seals which extend across the pouch to form a plurality of rectangular compartments. Within each compartment is at least one bubble containing a thermal chemical solution of sodium thiosulfate, dextrose and water. When the thermal solution is activated, heat is released in a controlled manner for a period of approximately two hours.
Other currently available thermal mattresses include those made of a single pouch without subdivisions and having a thermal solution contained in a pouch which releases heat upon activation. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,951,127 to Watson et al. discloses a thermal infant mattress wherein two sealed sheets are maintained in a contiguous relationship at a plurality of points. Another type of mattress, which is currently available from Infant Advantage Inc. (San Ramone, Calif.), has a flat, rectangular shape and has additional padding on top of the mattress to create a conformable structure. However, neither the padding nor the mattress contain chemical reactants to provide heat.
There is a need for thermal devices having improved functions and configurations and which afford enhanced therapeutic or comfort benefit for the user.
The invention disclosed herein is a device for applying thermal therapy, treatment or comfort to a patient or user which includes a containment having an upper side and lower side with a space therebetween containing a chemical composition adapted to provide a thermal effect (either exothermic or endothermic), and a plurality of discrete attachment areas which generally define a central location in the container. The device has a nest configuration and automatically conforms to the user""s geometry upon application of weight thereon. The discrete attachment areas are positioned to define an inner peripheral base portion and outer peripheral portion in the device which collectively form the nest configuration. The device is particularly useful in providing thermal therapy, treatment or comfort for infants.
Accordingly, there is disclosed a device for providing thermal therapy comprising:
a) a containment having upper and lower sides and space therebetween;
b) a chemical composition adapted to provide a thermal effect contained within said space;
c) a plurality of discrete attachment areas connecting the upper and lower sides within the perimeter of the device, said attachment areas being centrally located so as to define an inner peripheral base portion and outer peripheral portion of the device; and
wherein the device has a nest configuration and is adapted to conform to a body upon application of weight thereon.
The chemical composition adapted to provide a thermal effect used in the device can be any composition or combination of ingredients adapted to create a thermal effect in a controllable manner and provide an amount of fluid within the containment sufficient to afford conformability of the device to the body. In one embodiment, the ingredients of the chemical composition are physically separated until use of the device, at which time the ingredients are combined and reacted to produce the thermal effect. Preferably, the chemical composition used in the invention is exothermic and thereby produce a warming effect.
One advantage of the device of the invention is that it permits the application of thermal therapy in conformance with the patient""s own physical geometry by accommodating the application of weight without adversely affecting the effectiveness or function of the device during its use. Accordingly, the device provides an improved thermal therapy to the patient. Another advantage of the device is that in addition to the geometrical accommodation of the device to the patient, the internal flow of fluid within the device is unrestricted by the discrete attachment areas, thereby enabling rapid conformation of the device to the patient""s body. Yet another advantage is that the nest configuration provides a relatively comfortable place for an infant to rest and can assist in maintaining the infant in a generally constant position. | {
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LNG (liquefied natural gas) generally refers to colorless, transparent cryogenic liquid converted from natural gas (predominantly methane) that is cooled to approximately −162□ and condensed to 1/600th the volume.
As LNG emerges as an energy source, efficient transportation means have been sought in order to transport LNG from a supply site to a demand site in a large scale so as to utilize LNG as energy. Resulted in a part of this effort is LNG carriers, which can transport a large quantity of LNG by sea.
LNG carriers need to be furnished with a cargo that can keep and store cryogenically liquefied LNG, but such carriers require intricate and difficult conditions.
That is, since LNG has vapor pressure that is higher than atmospheric pressure and boiling point of approximately −162□, the cargo that stores LNG needs to be constructed with materials that can withstand very low temperature, for example, aluminum steel, stainless steel and 33% nickel steel, and designed in a unique insulation structure that can withstand thermal stress and thermal contraction and can be protected from heat leakage, in order to keep and store LNG safely.
Described below with reference to the accompanying drawings is the insulation structure of a conventional LNG carrier cargo.
FIG. 1 is a sectional view illustrating a conventional insulation structure of an LNG carrier cargo. As illustrated, a bottom insulation panel 10 is adhered and fixed by way of a fixing plate 10a to an internal face of a hull 1 of an LNG carrier by epoxy mastic 13 and a stud bolt 14.
Here, interposed and adhered in between the bottom insulation panel 10 and a top insulation panel 20 is a rigid triplex 22. When the bottom insulation panel 10 is adhered to a cargo wall, the bottom insulation panel 10 is formed with a gap 40 so that a flat joint 18 made of a glass wool material can be inserted in the gap 40 formed between bottom insulation panels 10.
Then, a top bridge panel 28 is attached in between the top insulation panels 20 by adhering a supple triplex 26 over the rigid triplex 22, which is already attached, with epoxy glue 24 and then adhering the top bridge panel 28 over the supple triplex 26 with epoxy glue 24.
The top insulation panel 20 and an upper part of the top bridge panel 28 have a same planar surface, on which a corrugated membrane 30 is attached by way of an anchor strip 32 to complete the cargo wall.
Looking at how the internal face of the hull 1 and the bottom insulation panel 10 of an LNG carrier are assembled in further detail, the stud bolt 14 is adhered to an inner wall of the hull 1 by resistance welding, and a hole, through which the stud bolt 14 can be inserted, is pre-formed in the bottom insulation panel 10. Accordingly, assembly is completed by engaging a nut 14a with the stud bolt 14 and inserting a cylinder-shaped foam plug 15 in the hole formed in the bottom insulation panel 10.
As corner areas of the cargo of the conventional LNG carrier need to be made more rigid than other flat areas, the structure of a corner of the cargo of the LNG carrier will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 2 is a sectional view illustrating a structure of a cargo insulation corner of an LNG carrier in accordance with a conventional embodiment of U.S. Pat. No. 6,035,795.
As illustrated, two sheets 51 of insulating material intersect each other to form the corner of the cargo, and installed on an internal side toward the inside of the cargo at a region where these sheets 51 intersect is an insulating sheet 52, which is attached in between two wooden boards 53. In order to prevent a secondary barrier from cracking due to deformation of the hull and thermal deformation caused by the cryogenic LNG, the wooden boards 53 are used for the corner area, unlike the flat areas.
FIG. 3 is a sectional view illustrating a structure of a cargo insulation corner of an LNG carrier in accordance with another conventional embodiment of U.S. Pat. No. 6,378,722.
As illustrated, a flexible gasket 62 is installed at an intersecting region of insulation layers 61 that corresponds to a corner area of the cargo, and corrugations (not shown) are formed in a primary barrier (not shown) in order to prevent stress caused by thermal contraction from converging at the corner area, thereby reducing the stress applied to the corner area.
Referring back to FIG. 1, the corrugated membrane 30, which is the primary barrier, is directly contacted with LNG. In a large capacity cargo, the LNG inside the cargo may slosh, thereby applying pressure to the cargo, if the LNG carrier is rolled or pitched due to the waves or winds.
The pressure caused by sloshing affects the corrugated membrane 30, which is in direct contact with LNG, and the top insulation panel 20, which is in contact with the corrugated membrane 30. Here, if the impact load and stress caused by the pressure exceed the rigidity of the corrugated membrane 30 and the top insulation panel 20, plastic deformation and crack may occur, lowering the safety of the LNG cargo.
Particularly, a joint area of the corrugated membrane 30, which is the primary barrier, and the top insulation panel 20, which is the insulator, is more vulnerable to the impact load and stress caused by the deformation and sloshing of the hull.
As described above, the structure of the corner area of the cargo of the LNG carrier in accordance with the conventional art has been constructed rigidly by use of thick plywood, called hard-wood key, or has been corrugated to reduce the stress. However, as the structure is non-continuous, the stress generated due to the sloshing, the deformation of the hull and the change in temperature converges at the corner area. Moreover, it is difficult to undertake the construction of the secondary barrier since the corner area forms an acute angle, and the weight is greatly increased since a material such as plywood is used. | {
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This invention addresses the problem of intuitively representing and managing large data stores of information relating to network configuration, connectivity, resource utilization, connection management and service availability. Although this problem is particularly relevant in computer controlled communications networks, it is also prevalent in other types of networks which require specified interconnectivity of a large multiplicity of network elements. Network administrators lack intuitive tools to retrieve and view status of network elements organized in a number of different formats, such as by user, by host, by connection type etc. The administrators also need simple means of querying, adding and deleting information from the store.
Broadly speaking, there are two general methods of configuring, administering, monitoring modeling networks: graphical and non-graphical. This invention defines a method of using a non-graphical intuitive method for organizing information using “catalogs” (or lists), methods for creation and manipulation of elements within catalogs, methods for presentation of catalogs, manipulation of catalogs and linking of tasks to catalog elements.
In networks with more than a few connections between network elements, graphical methods that show connections among network elements as visible lines are hampered by the size of display area required to show the connections in a useful way. This method is also limited in the amount and type of information about the connection and network elements that can be shown. Practically, with more than a few 10s of connections, the number of lines becomes so large that a graphical display (either on screen or on paper) becomes too cluttered to be useful. FIG. 1 shows an example of a network 100 having ten elements, 101-110, which are mesh connected. No additional information (such as type of link, link status, traffic load, configuration options, etc.) beyond connectivity among elements is shown in the figure. Even with only this one piece of information, the graphical image is beginning to become unusable. Thus a better method of representing connections between network elements is needed.
The following are definitions of terms as used herein: Network Element—the start or end point of a connection. Sub-element—element that is a member of a catalog that is itself an element in a catalog. Catalog—a named set of elements. The catalog elements can be atomic or can themselves be a catalog, thus enabling catalogs of catalogs of catalogs and so on. Sub-catalog—A catalog included in another catalog. | {
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Various air vents are known from the prior art. DE 10 2006 032587 A1, for example, discloses an air outlet device for vehicles, which comprises—as viewed in a longitudinal or vertical section—an air duct having a first, upper wall region and, facing this, a second, lower wall region, and which is fluidically connected via an air outlet opening to a passenger compartment of the vehicle. Air can be directed into the passenger compartment via the air duct and the air outlet opening. At least one louver-type air guide element is disposed between the two wall regions in the region or the vicinity of the air outlet opening. | {
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The concept of fishing tackle such as fishing bobbers that can be used either as a slip bobber or a fixed line bobber is known in the art. Typically, in the slip bobber mode the fishing line extends freely through a tube in the fishing float. A string stop in the form of a knot is tied onto the fishing line. Usually a bead, which can slide along the fishing line, is placed on the fishing line with the knot forming a stop for the bead and the bead having a larger outside diameter than the tube to form a stop for the fishing bobber. The knot being small can pass through the eyes of the fishing rod and the fishing reel to allow the line with the knot to be wound up on the fishing reel. As one casts the line with the slip bobber and the bead the hook with the bait sinks allowing the fishing line to slide through the slip bobber until the bead engages the knot, which prevents further sliding of the bead along the fishing line. In addition, since the bead cannot pass through the tube in the fishing float it also stops the fishing float from sliding past the knot thus limiting the depth of the hook.
The slip bobbers, which are well known in the art, are also often used to fish in a fixed line mode, that is, the bobber is temporarily attached to the fishing line with a spring clamp that slides over a fishing line that extends through a saw cut on the hollow stem in the fishing float. Unfortunately, the fishing float stems with saw cuts in the hollow stem have sharp edges which can weaken and cut the soft flexible fishing lines. In addition to harshness to the fishing line by the saw cut in the stem of a fishing float the placement of a saw cut in the stem of the fishing bobber weakens the stem, which can cause the stem to break during use. One such fishing float with a spring and saw cut hollow stem is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 7,082,711. Another such fishing float with a saw cut stem is sold by Carlson Tackle Company Inc. of Cortland Ohio under the trademark Wing-it™.
An improved line stop is found in a fishing bobber sold under the name Lucky Jack™ by ROD-N-BOBB'S of Eau Claire Wis. The improved line stop includes a compression spring located around a hollow stem, which is an integral portion of the fixed/slip bobber. The line guide shoulders in the stem of the bobber include rounded or radiused corners to protect the fishing line from nicks and cuts that would weaken the fishing line thus causing the line to break unexpectedly. While the improved line stop is useful as part of a slip bobber it has limited application to slip bobbers.
Although the improved line stop can protect the fishing line from abrasion the spring forms a moving part that can become stuck. In order to avoid a spring that can stick it would be desired to have a line stop for use on fishing tackle that has no moving parts and can be used on slip bobbers as well as other types of fishing tackle.
Oftentimes a fisher person may want to create his or her own tackle, such as a line light or a scent stick that can be quickly attached or detached from a fishing line. Unfortunately, devices for attaching a fishing line to a piece of tackle include extraneous items that render it impractical to use the device, consequently, people who use line lights or scent sticks attach the devices to a fishing line using a rubber band or the like.
It is known in the art to adjust a bobber during fishing if the bobber configuration is not suitable for the fishing conditions. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,079,147 describes a foam rubber buoyant member, or float, that is mounted in a hook member and can be adjusted by the angler. The float of the '147 patent is adjusted not by replacing the float in the hook member with a different float but by instead using a knife to cut the float to have a different length. This is different from removing and replacing the float.
Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 6,655,073 describes an adjustable buoyant member, or float, that is made of a plastic foam attached to a hook member. The plastic foam can be cut to adjust the length of the float and thereby make an adjustable bobber system with adjustable buoyancy. The bobber system also includes a weight that encircles the float and can be adjusted along the length of the float. This weight appears to be similar to the known plastic bands that are movable along the length of the float to allow the angler to better visualize the position and movement of the float in the water. Again, like the '147 patent, the '073 patent appears to adjust the buoyancy of the float by cutting the float to a shorter length rather than removing and replacing the float in the hook member. For example, the '073 patent describes the float as being secured in a cavity by use of glue, adhesive or other mechanical securing means. This does not disclose or teach that the float can be removed and replaced or removed and used again. Instead, the examples given for securing in the cavity demonstrate that the float and hook member would likely be damaged in its removal and unsuitable for use again.
Further, with respect to the mounting of the buoyant member to the stem guide, in general the stem guides are rigid while the buoyant member is flexible. Therefore a mounting of the buoyant member to the stem guide involves a temporary deformation of the buoyant member rather than a permanent or temporary deformation of the stem guide. As a result, the buoyant member is retained to the stem guide on the basis of the compressive tendency of the buoyant member against the stem guide rather than any force imparted by the stem guide against the buoyant member. As an analogy, the floats herein may be stretch over the prong to mount to the prong and therefore be in a slightly expanded state around the prong and exerting a compressive force against the prong. Similarly, when inserted into a cavity in the stem guide, the buoyant member is compressed and then one released within the cavity, the buoyant member exerts an expansive force against the cavity to retain the buoyant member in the cavity.
The stem guides disclosed herein permit the angler to attach and remove the stem guide from the line without cutting the line. The stem guide may have a float, scent stick or light stick temporarily attached to the stem guide such that the float, scent stick or light stick may be easily attached and removed from the fishing line without cutting the line or damaging the stem guide and potentially not damaging the float, scent stick or light stick. | {
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The present invention relates to gauging systems, and more particularly, it relates to a precision pin gauging system. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Large-scale services allow transactions across vast volumes of data and often maintain multiple replicas of data. The underlying resources have finite limits that restrict the amount of data that can be handled in any single transaction. As a result, large-scale services are typically designed with fixed scale units. When the load on a service exceeds the scale unit, additional scale units may be added and the data may be partitioned across multiple scale units. While this allows the service to accommodate increasing volumes of data, transactions can longer be performed across the data that has been partitioned.
Often the same data is replicated to more than one partition, for example, to allow that data to be viewed in different ways (e.g., by first name or by last name). Depending upon the design of the synchronization mechanisms used to reconcile the data, the changes may take some time to replicate to other partitions. This presents a particular problem in an eventually consistent large-scale service when a user edits data in one partition, saves the edited data, and receives confirmation that the data has been saved. While the data in each partition will eventually reflect the user's changes (i.e., eventual consistency), propagation delays present an undesirable situation where the changes may not appear to be present if the user subsequently pulls data from a replica before the partition has been updated with the changes. The apparent loss of the changes can be quite disconcerting to a user after receiving confirmation that the changes had been saved.
Conventional solutions to this problem include using load balancing schemes that direct the user to the same partition; however, load balancing becomes difficult when the partition experiences an outage or when partition roles require the user to access replicas on different partitions, which leads to load balancing becoming a scalability bottleneck.
It is with respect to these and other considerations that the present invention has been made. Although relatively specific problems have been discussed, it should be understood that the embodiments disclosed herein should not be limited to solving the specific problems identified in the background. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a wheel supporting apparatus capable of a smooth and small turn at a large steering angle and having a large rigidity against a bending moment at a wheel supporting part.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In general, four wheels are required to have a same turning center for a smooth turn of a four-wheeled vehicle. For this purpose, conventional steering mechanisms have employed steering link mechanisms provided with, for instance, knuckle arms and tie rods.
In this steering link mechanism, as shown in FIG. 3, tie rods 01 are rotatably connected at tie rod ends 01a to ends of knuckle arms 02, of which other ends are connected to king pins 03 of right and left wheels, respectively. Each tie rod 01 in this steering mechanism is adapted to be moved laterally or in right and left directions by a steering torque applied from a steering wheel through, for instance, a rack-and-pinion gear, a worm gear or a hydraulic cylinder so as to turn the knuckle arm 02. In this manner, the right and left wheels are laterally steered.
In many conventional automobiles, as shown in FIG. 4, each front wheel 04 is supported by a suspension 05 of a strut type. In this arrangement, a knuckle arm 6 which forms a part of a steering mechanism for the front wheel 4 is formed integrally with a strut 05a, so that the strut 05a is turned together with it when the wheel 4 is steered for turning the vehicle,
However, in such steering mechanism, the tie rod 01 and the knuckle arm 02 may be rectilinearly aligned to each other, as shown in FIG. 3, in which case further steering operation for the wheels cannot be carried out. This condition is a limit of allowable wheel steering operation and a limit value of a steering angle .alpha. is generally about 45 degrees. The limit in the wheel steering will restrict the steering operation for small turns.
Further, if the apparatus were designed to set the steering angle .alpha. of the wheels to a value exceeding the limit, e.g., 90 degrees, such a problem would be caused that the wheels could not be driven by a driving power from a driving source provided on a vehicle body at the steering angle .alpha. of 90 degrees.
In view of the above, the applicant has already filed the Japanese Patent Application No. 63-165498 for a steering mechanism and a vehicle provided with the same, in which the above problems are resolved.
In the steering mechanism and the vehicle provided with the same disclosed in this patent application, the steering angle of the steering wheel is mechanically transmitted to the wheels through a link mechanism in such a manner that the velocity of the steering angle is increased by a velocity increasing gear provided at the vehicle frame, and driving motors are individually associated with the respective wheels.
Further, in the wheel supporting structures in this patent application, a steering shaft is fixed to a casing of a wheel driving motor associated with each wheel, and the steering shaft is supported by the vehicle frame to be rotatable around a center axis of the steering shaft.
Usage of the velocity increasing gear for each wheel enables steering operation of the wheel over 90 degrees around the steering shaft as well as rotational driving by the driving motors at a steering angle of 90 degrees.
The steering mechanism thus employing the velocity increasing gear may be used for each of the front and rear wheels, in which case the front wheels as well as the rear wheels may be steered at 90 degrees, which enables a small turn and a parallel movement in a lateral direction.
In this wheel supporting structure, there is a considerably long distance between a wheel grounding point and a point at which the steering shaft is supported by the vehicle frame. Therefore, when the wheel receives forces in the lateral and longitudinal directions during the steering operation and others, a large moment is generated, and a bending force caused by this bending moment is concentrated in the supporting part of the vehicle frame and the steering shaft. For this reason, the supporting part of the vehicle frame and the steering shaft may not have sufficient rigidity against this bending force.
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a wheel supporting apparatus, overcoming the above-noted problems, in which a large steering angle can be set, a small turn and a parallel movement can be smoothly and surely achieved, and further a sufficient rigidity can be obtained against bending forces which is caused by a bending force in a longitudinal direction, i.e., forward and backward directions, applied to the wheels. | {
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A pendulum clock of the type described above is known from German Auslegeschrift No. 2,353,200 as well as from the journal "Uhren-Journal" 3/76. In that pendulum clock, so-called two-step action control takes place, i.e. the control begins when the necessary correction has exceeded or fallen below a limit value of, for example, 0.7 seconds. A certain amount of inaccuracy thus has to be tolerated.
The comparator functions in analog fashion and comprises two control coils arranged on opposite sides of the pendulum. | {
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(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to digital audio technology for converting an analog signal to a digital signal and recording and reproducing the digital signal, and particularly relates to bit extension technology for recreating amplitude information lost due to quantization during digitalization of an analog signal.
(2) Description of the Related Art
Digital audio technology for digitalizing an analog music signal and recoding and reproducing the digital signal is the current is predominant audio technology because digital audio technology provides extremely high signal recreatability, digital signal processing facilitates LSI-implementation, and implementation through small-sized and power-saving configurations is possible at an inexpensive price.
However, since quantization and sampling processes are performed with predetermined values for the quantization bit number and the sampling frequency in the conversion of analog signals to digital signals, it is not possible to recreate minute signals that are below the resolution capability. Furthermore, it is likewise not possible to accurately quantize a low-frequency signal, even when it is a signal having large amplitude, because the change in amplitude is small in terms of sampling interval. As such, recreatability of minute signals deteriorates. Furthermore, there are disadvantages in terms of sound quality, such as the gradation of low frequency signals becoming unclear.
Consequently, there has been conventionally proposed a bit extension technique of performing prediction and filtering processes on an audio signal having a quantization error, converting such audio signal into a signal having a larger quantization bit number than the original digital audio signal, and thus reducing quantization noise.
For example, a technique of extending the bit count of an input signal by N bits by multiplying the value representing the input signal by 2N, then applying a low-pass filter to the bit-extended signal is commonly performed. With this, the values of the bit-extended input signal are smoothly interpolated. However, there is the problem that the high-frequency component of a signal is lost due to low-pass computation.
FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a conventional quantization distortion reducing apparatus.
Hereinafter, an operation of the conventional quantization distortion reducing apparatus shall be described with reference to FIG. 13.
In FIG. 13, digital low-pass filters 103 to 105 extract low-frequency components equal to or lower than a predetermined cut-off frequency from an input digital signal D0 while extending the bit length in the lowest-bit direction. Meanwhile, a counter 102 counts, for each point of the input digital signal D0, the number of points in which the same value continues before and after such point. Subsequently, based on the counting result from the counter 102, a selection unit 106 (i) selects and outputs, for a section having a count value lower than a predetermined value, a digital signal D1 which has been time-adjusted and has had its bit length extended in the lowest-bit direction by a delayer 108 and a bit extension circuit 109, respectively, out of the input digital signal D0, and (ii) selects and outputs, for a section having a count value equal to or greater than the predetermined value, a signal that is selectively passed through a filter having a lower cut-off frequency among the digital low-pass filters 103 to 105 as the count value is larger, thereby extending the quantization bit number. With this, it is possible to select a filter having a low cut-off frequency when there are many points where the same value continues before and after, that is, when the frequency is low, and select a filter having a high cut-off frequency when there are few points where the same value continues before and after, that is, when the frequency is high (see Patent Reference 1). | {
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The present disclosure relates to the technical field of a disc conveying device, and particularly relates to the technical field wherein positioning of a disc-shaped recording medium is performed by route adjusters which are pressed by the conveyed disc-shaped recording medium and turned, thereby improving positional accuracy at time of conveying the disc-shaped recording medium while ensuring simplicity of the mechanism thereof.
There are disc conveying devices that convey disc-shaped recording medium on which image data and audio data are recorded.
There is such a disc conveying device to which is attached a pair of arm portions, and engaging claws formed of resin material respectively formed at tip portions of the arm portions, the arm portions being operated so as to sandwich the disc-shaped recording medium from peripheral sides by the pair of the engaging claws, thereby conveying the disc-shaped recording medium to a predetermined direction. (e.g., Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication 2011-108315).
The disc conveying device according to Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication 2011-108315 sandwiches and holds the disc-shaped recording medium from the peripheral sides by engaging claws attached to a pair of arm portions, wherein arm portions operate, and for example, stores the disc-shaped recording medium in the disc cartridge. | {
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1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to high aspect ratio microstructures, and field emission devices using such microstructures as spacers. More particularly, this invention relates to processes for creating support structures that provide support for a flat panel display against the atmospheric pressure on the display screen without impairing the resolution of the display's image.
2. Description of the Related Art
Cathode ray tube (CRT) displays, as used in desk top computer screens, function as a result of a scanning electron beam from an electron gun impinging on a pixel's phosphors of a display screen. The electrons from the beam thus increase the energy level of the pixel's phosphors. When the phosphors return to their normal energy level, the phosphors release photons through the glass screen of the display to the viewer. Flat panel displays (e.g., as seen in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,410,218, 5,391,259, 5,387,844, 5,374,868, 5,372,901, 5,372,973, 5,358,908, 5,358,601, 5,359,256, 5,357,172, 5,342,477, 5,329,207, 5,259,799, 5,186,670, 5,151,061, 5,070,282, improve on CRTs by combining the cathodoluminescent-phosphor technology of CRTs with integrated circuit technology to create a thin, high resolution display where each pixel has its own electron beam (or emitter). This type of display technology is becoming increasingly important in today's computer industry.
A relatively high voltage differential (e.g., generally above 200 volts) exists between the cathode surface (also known as base electrode, baseplate, emitter surface, cathode electron emitting surface) and the display screen (also known as an anode, cathodoluminescent screen, faceplate, or display electrode). Electrical breakdown between the cathode surface and the display screen must be prevented to maintain operation of the display. At the same time, the narrow spacing between the two is necessary to maintain the desired structural thinness and to obtain high image resolution. Further, the spacing must be uniform for consistent image resolution and brightness to avoid display distortion. Uneven spacing is much more likely to occur, however, due to the high pressure differential that exists between the external atmospheric pressure and the pressure within the evacuated chamber between the cathode surface and the display screen.
Support structures (or spacers) placed between the cathode surface and the display screen prevent uneven spacing by maintaining the required constant spacing. To be effective, the support structures must meet the following requirements: (1) be sufficiently non-conductive to prevent electrical breakdown between the cathode surface and the display screen, in spite of the close spacing (on the order of 100 microns) and relatively high voltage differential (200V or more), (2) exhibit mechanical strength such that they exhibit only slow deformation over time, providing the flat panel display with an appreciable useful life, (3) exhibit stability under electron bombardment, since electrons will be generated at each of the pixels, (4) be capable of withstanding "bakeout" temperatures of around 400.degree. C., necessary to create the high vacuum between the cathode surface and backplate of the display screen, and (5) be small enough in size so as to not to visibly interfere with display operation.
There exist various processes for avoiding the pressure problems mentioned above, such as, for example the following U.S. patents, all of which are incorporated herein by reference:
U.S. Pat. No. 5,247,133 entitled "High-Vacuum Substrate Enclosure" PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 5,205,790 entitled "Method to Form High Aspect Ratio Supports (Spacers) for Field Emission Display Using Micro-Saw Technology" PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 5,342,737 entitled "High Aspect Ratio Metal Microstructures and Method for Preparing the Same" PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 5,232,549 entitled "Spacers for Field Emission Display Fabricated via Self-Aligned High Energy Ablation" PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,923,421, entitled "Method for Providing Polyamide Spacers In a Field Emission Panel Display"
There are several drawbacks to the spacers and methods described in the above cited patents. One disadvantage is that the cost of manufacturing is relatively high when compared to using a photolithographic process as in the present invention. | {
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As is known to those of skill in the art, Motor Control Centers (MCC) can include cabinets or enclosures that hold multiple, typically modular, bucket assemblies of various sizes. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 4,024,441, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference as if recited in full herein. Eaton Corporation has recently introduced a MCC product line with compact bucket assemblies that conveniently plug into a slot or space in an MCC cabinet. The product is sold under the product name, Freedom 2100 MCC. See also, U.S. Patent Application Publication Serial Number US2013/0077210, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference as if recited in full herein.
Motor control centers are used, for example, in some commercial and industrial applications to distribute electrical power to a variety of loads (e.g., without limitation, relatively high power electrical motors, pumps, and other loads).
The bucket assemblies (also known as “buckets” or “units”) can include handles that are disposed on the front door. The handle can be a rotary handle configured to convert the rotary motion of the rotary handle to the linear or translational motion of a circuit breaker linear action lever. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,194,983 and 7,186,933, the contents of which are incorporated by reference as if recited in full herein. The handle is typically mounted parallel with the plane of the faceplate of the molded case circuit breaker, but spaced outwardly from it by the depth of the handle mechanism. Usually, a series of linkages are utilized to interconnect the rotary motion of the rotary handle to the linear motion of the circuit breaker handle or lever.
FIG. 1, for example, shows a portion of a prior art motor control center 100. The motor control center 100 includes a multi-compartment enclosure 12 for receiving a plurality of motor control units 10. Typically, each bucket 10 is a removable, pull-out unit that has a respective door 22 (which may be under a front panel). The door 22 is typically coupled to the housing 12 by hinges 28 (shown in phantom line drawing in FIG. 1) to permit access to motor control components of the bucket 10 while it is installed in the enclosure 12. For example and without limitation, the door 22 permits access to a circuit breaker assembly 30, a stab indicator 32, a shutter indicator 34, and a line contact actuator 36. When the bucket 10 is fully installed and electrically connected, a user-operator may operate a disconnect handle 20h. In a de-energized state of the motor control center 100, the user-operator may operate an isolation feature by moving a slide 140 and inserting crank 42 through an access portal or hole 43 in the door 22 to access the line contact actuator 36 to move a number of line contacts (see, for example, stab contacts 46,48,50 of the prior art bucket 10 of FIG. 2) to an isolated position out of (see FIG. 2) electrical contact with power lines or buses of the motor control center 100. Motor control centers and units therefore (also sometimes called “subunits”) are described in greater detail, for example, in commonly assigned U.S. Patent Application Publications 2009/0086414, 2008/0258667, 2008/0023211 and 2008/0022673, which are hereby incorporated herein by reference.
Despite the above, there remains a need for alternate bucket configurations. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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The subject matter disclosed herein generally relates to a motors and motor control and, more particularly, to a new architecture for a variable frequency variable voltage multilevel drive.
Aircraft systems commonly include a variety of motor controlled systems. For example, motor controlled systems can include actuation systems for control surfaces, aircraft components environmental control systems, and the like. In some systems, such as actuation systems for control surfaces, power quality can impact control systems limit their capability to achieve higher speeds, maintain loads, and design criteria.
Conventional motor drive systems, particularly in an airborne environments, are expected to operate under a variety of input power conditions that commonly exceed specifications. For example, in some instances aircraft power systems can exhibit Total Harmonic Distortions (THD) 30% higher than specified and power factors as low as 0.75. Commonly, these conditions worsen as power loads increase.
Aircraft power generation systems are often configured to regulate the bus voltage and current over a relatively small range of loads. As a result, and especially with very small or very large loads, it is common for aircraft generator systems to not be able to meet the bus regulation as expected. Moreover, in simple passive motor drives, the DC bus formulated from a given AC input varies widely with any variation in the input AC input voltage from an aircraft power generation system. One solution for these issues is to employ motor drives that are oversized/overdesigned and conservatively configured to ensure operations at a variety of input voltage and current ranges. However, oversizing components can be inefficient, and expensive. Similarly, overdesigning or conservatively designing motor drive components usually requires larger and heavier components. Moreover, as power levels increase, passive solutions for motor drives become very bulky and heavy and not well suited to airborne applications, primarily a result of the larger size and weight of magnetics, and the direct current (DC) Link capacitor typically employed in motor drives.
Therefore what is needs is a motor drive capable of providing for increasing speed and torque requirements while operating from power sources that exhibit limited power quality. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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These inventions relate to methods, an apparatus for their implementation, of unique player participation games, and for improved methods of play for games of chance. More particularly, these inventions relate to new and improved games involving player participation in a broadcast medium, such as television, and in other communication media, such as over the Internet or other communications network.
Player participation games fall broadly under the categories of games of chance and games of skill. One of the main forms of games of chance is lotteries, which by definition, involve the three elements of: 1) prize, 2) chance and 3) consideration. If these three elements are present, then the game is considered to be a lottery, and is typically then run by a governmental entity. In the United States, lotteries are typically run by the individual states, or collectively by a group of states. In other countries, it is typically the national government that runs the lottery. Countries and states attempt to strictly limit the game play to their geographic boundaries. For example, in Austria, while electronic access to the game may be available over the Internet, or in order to play, the person must have a bank account in Austria, and be able to navigate the non-english menu.
Games have been conducted in any of a number of formats. Certainly, live, in person games have been performed. Yet other games have been played and broadcast over a broadcast medium, such as radio or television. Yet other games have been played through active communication media, such as the telephone, or over a communication network such as the Internet.
Various attempts have been made to provide game play over the Internet. By way of example, the game show Jeopardy has been placed on the web at http://www.sony.com.
Various other attempts have been made to extend the general concept of gambling to broad communication media, such as the Internet. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,800,268 entitled, xe2x80x9cMethod of Participating in a Live Casino Game from a Remote Locationxe2x80x9d has been asserted in a litigation in against an off shore corporation. The ""268 patent discloses a system in which a player may participate in a live casino game from a location remote from the casino. A player interface station, such as a computer terminal or other special input device, is connected by a communication line to the casino. A second communication line is established from the casino to the player""s financial institution. The player is presented with an image of an actual xe2x80x9clivexe2x80x9d game. The player then participates directly as if they were physically present at the casino. A wager is cleared with the player""s financial institution to insure adequate resources to cover the bet.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,845,739 to Ronald A. Katz is entitled, xe2x80x9cTelephonic-Interface Statistical Analysis Systemxe2x80x9d. The patent describes various operating formats, including a format the to be performed in association with television media. Specifically, in one embodiment, a real-time format is provided in which television viewers participate on a real-time basis in a game show for prizes. Expanded audience participation is achieved. Various levels of qualification are provided, such as for a child""s television game format is utilized, parental clearance may be required. The use of personal identification numbers (pin numbers) is disclosed. In one implementation, the caller is prompted to identify which of the actual studio of audience participants the caller will be aligned with. Additionally, the caller may be instructed to indicate the extent of a wager. As the game progresses, the individual player""s accounts are credited or debited, thereby providing on-going accounting data. In yet another implementation, a non real-time operation is provided. Such a show might involve a quiz for callers based on their ability to perceive and remember occurrences within the show. Pre-registration is optionally utilized. In this implementation, a sequence or time clock would be utilized in order to limit or control individual interfaces to a specific time or geographic xe2x80x9cwindowxe2x80x9d. In this way, the caller questions may be utilized across various time zones without the caller having obtained the question earlier than other callers within a given time zone.
Berman, U.S. Pat. No. 5,108,115 discloses a game show and method entitled xe2x80x9cInteractive Game Show and Method for Achieving Interactive Communication Therewithxe2x80x9d. An interactive communication system is provided which permits individuals to electronically select at least one possible outcome of a plurality of outcomes of a future event. Successful contestants possibly share in a prize aware associated with the event. A home audience of a televised game show may electronically communicate a series of random numbers using their touch tone telephone to participate in the show.
Recently, various governmental entities and trade organization have addressed the issue of game play over the Internet. Congressman Kye has introduced a bill which would preclude the offering of Internet based gaming, though permitting states to offer Internet gambling. Consideration has been given to requiring that the states sponsored gaming be limited to an intranet, in an effort to limit those participating to persons physically resident within the states boundaries. Various international lottery organizations have promoted similar restrictions, namely, precluding the individuals offering of games of chance, and reserving that option exclusively to the state.
Various lottery formats are known to the art. In one classic format, a pre-determined number of tickets are provided with certain printed matter, such as numbers or other indicia, where the information is then obscured by a scratch off layer. By removing the layer and revealing the underlying information, the ticket holder may determine whether they have won or not. Various extensions have been made to a xe2x80x9cvirtualxe2x80x9d scratch off ticket where no physical is provided.
A conventional lottery proceeds as follows. First, a series of numbers are selected, either by the player or by some automated selection system, such as by computer. Upon the occurrence of a pre-determined event, such as on a set date and time, numbers are randomly chosen. Both mechanical methods, such as selection of ping-pong balls bearing numeric designations, or electronic means such as through a random number generator, may be utilized. The selected numbers are then provided to the participants, such as through a broadcast medium like newspapers, radio and television. Finally, the holder or holders of winning the tickets then present their ticket for payment.
In yet another aspect of game play, a typical television presented game show lasts on the order of one half hour. Various shorter format games or shows have been utilized, for example, a football based advertisement or game has been presented by IBM during televised football games under the name xe2x80x9cyou make the callxe2x80x9d. Yet other shorter version games have been presented over web TV or on the game show network.
The television game show xe2x80x9cWho Wants to be a Millionairexe2x80x9d is believed to have originated in Britain, and has become extremely popular in the United States. The game is a trivia game. While being principally a game of skill, the nature of the questions, or the contestants knowledge of the potential answers, makes the game at times a guessing game or game of chance. The format consists of one contestant and one host. The contestant is presented with a question and four possible answers. If the contestant answers the question correctly, they advance to a next level, each level being associated with a higher monetary prize amount, which is roughly twice the amount of the preceding level. A contestant is given three xe2x80x9clife linesxe2x80x9d: a xe2x80x9c50/50xe2x80x9d where in two incorrect answers are removed, thereby leaving the correct answer and one incorrect answer, the xe2x80x9cphone a friendxe2x80x9d, wherein the contestant may call a friend by telephone and solicit their response to the question, subject to a 30 second time limit, and an xe2x80x9cask the audiencexe2x80x9d option where the audience is polled regarding their view of the correct answer to the question. Various safe levels are established, such as at $1,000.00 such that the contestant would be awarded that amount of money in the even that they fail to correctly answer a question. Finally, after a question is posed, the contestant may elect to discontinue play, and to receive that amount of money won at the preceding level.
Despite the wide spread participation in various forms of game play, as well as the suggestions for implementing those games on a mass communication network, such as through the telephone or Internet, the possibility for new games, or improved game play exists. In particular, there is a need for improved games of chance, which provide excitement for the player, and optionally a viewer audience.
This invention relates to methods and associated apparatus for novel game play. In the preferred embodiment, the game is a game of chance.
In the preferred embodiment, the game is played at a multiple number of levels. At each level, the contestant is presented with multiple, options, such as a depiction of four uniquely labeled boxes, amongst which the contestant may choose. The options would include at least one positive outcome and at least one negative outcome. In the case of four boxes, e.g., one could include a strike, two could include a monetary amount, which may be either the same or different and optionally, the fourth box could comprise a mystery box, described below. The contestant selects, at random, one of the options. If the option selected is one of the positive options, such as a monetary amount, they proceed to the next level and the winnings are added to the prior winnings total. If a negative option is selected, such as a strike, in the preferred embodiment, the level is reset and play continues at that level. Preferably, the player is allowed a predetermined number of negative events, such as three strikes, prior to discontinuing play.
The xe2x80x98mystery boxxe2x80x99 consists of a decision within a decision. A first decision was to select that option, which then was revealed as comprising a mystery box. The player is then given the option of whether to reveal that option. The option within the mystery box would include at least one positive result and at least one negative result. In the preferred embodiment, there would be three results possible with a mystery box, a positive result such as a multiplier for the money, such as a doubler of the contestant"" prior winnings, an updating of the safe level for the player or an additional monetary amount. Alternatively, other positive results such as a free play or a reduction in the number of negative events is possible. Preferably, the probability of a negative result from the opening of the mystery box should be equal to the probability of a negative event if the mystery box were not selected.
The prizes at the various levels may be set as desired to result in a predetermined pay out for the game. Optionally, guaranteed low end prize structures (GLEPS) may require payment of predetermined prize amounts, and possibly payment of a minimum amount of a prize e.g., $500.00. The monetary spacing between various levels may be set as desired, either as an arithmetic progression or as a multiplicative progression, e.g., a substantial doubling of the prize amount at every level. Optionally, when a maximum game level is reached a jackpot or other proportionally large prize may be awarded. If the jackpot is not won in a given game, it may then roll over to a subsequent game. Alternative forms of progressive play may be utilized.
In another aspect of this invention, game play in a first game may require progression through a plurality of levels, leading to game play on a second game for those who have reached the maximum level on the first game. In one implementation, the maximum prize level in the first game may be equal to the minimum prize level in the second game.
Various modes of play are contemplated. In studio game play may be utilized with a broadcast, either live or for taped replay. Yet another mode of game play involves playing at a gaming venue, such as where other games of chance, e.g., slot machines, are played. Yet another venue may consist of game play by the player from their hotel room in a venue which allows gambling. In yet another mode of game play, a network, such as the internet, may be utilized to permit game play, whether for a monetary amount or to provide other points or indications of score. The game may be played in any venue where not prohibited, whether on land or in an airplane or ship, and may be played in any form of wired or wireless environment, such as via hand-held web enabled communication devices.
The game may be played by a single individual, or may be played with multiple players. The multiple players may play against one another, for scoring, or may merely play in parallel without further interaction.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved game of chance having a higher level of audience interest and potential participation.
It is yet another object of this invention to provide for an improved Internet game of chance.
It is yet a further object of this invention to provide for enhanced modes of game play in association with existing forms of game play. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Computer networks allow multiple processors to communicate with each other. A computer network may link various types of computers and memory devices. Data is typically transferred between components on a network in packets. Packets are usually groups of data words each of a certain length. As networks become larger and more complex, it becomes increasingly important to be able to route and store packets efficiently. Packets are often temporarily stored during the process of routing from one network component to another network component. This is partially due to the random nature of the input and output port traffic distribution, as well as rate adaptation between ports that transfer data at different rates. Thus, packet storage, or buffering, is an integral part of the switching function. Buffering may occur in a memory that is part of a switch circuit (on the same die as the switch circuit) or on a memory that is separate from the switch circuit. A buffer memory may be associated with one port or shared between several ports.
When data packets are stored during routing it is important to provide fast and efficient access to the storage device, or memory, so that memory access does not become a source of delay and, therefore, of network performance degradation. Network switches are devices that handle routing and storage of packets between network components. Network switches include input ports and output ports for connection to multiple network components transmitting data to and receiving data from the switch. The network components using the switch are known as clients of the switch. A single switch may use a single memory device to store data from multiple clients that transmit data at different rates. It is important for a network switch to handle memory access by multiple clients of different data rate capabilities in such a way as to maximize memory bandwidth. The need to maximize memory bandwidth, however, must compete with other concerns when a network switch architecture is designed. For example, providing a wider data path from clients to the buffer memory would improve memory bandwidth, but only at the cost of extra hardware and additional interconnect. Trade-offs, therefore, must be made in designing a switch architecture so that it functions efficiently, economically, and flexibly. | {
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The introduction of extremely concentrated detergents (hyper concentrates) into the vehicle washing, part washing and commercial laundry industries has resulted in the need to meter these high cost-per-ounce chemicals with great precision.
The practice in the past has been to draw products directly from shipping containers. This practice prevented the user from determining the level of product remaining and resulted in unused (therefore wasted) product being left in the shipping container after the substitution of a new container.
Injection pumps with precise injection capabilities are in use but no accurate measuring system is available for measuring low volume dosing. Attempts to use laboratory-style measuring cylinders produced grossly inaccurate results.
Previous approaches involved cumbersome use of laboratory measuring cylinders, requiring the removal and replacement of chemical feed lines and the loss of prime in feed lines. Loss of prime in the feed line prevents the injection pump from delivering product and is time-intensive to remediate.
Previous systems also forced the technician to come into physical contact with the material. The previous systems required the pouring of product into the measuring device in order to charge the system prior to measurement. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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The present invention relates to the attachment of flexible coverings to a support surface, such as a wall and the like. Specifically, the present invention is directed toward a molding strip assembly which has a decorative reveal between two sheets of material so that the decorative reveal enhances the appearance of the wall covering system. The molding strips according to the present invention are particularly adapted to be interior material support strips which are attached to the support surface within a perimeter of an area to be covered. These molding strip pieces can, however, be used as perimeter defining support strips for the flexible covering. As such, the present invention is particularly adapted to be used in conjunction with my currently pending application entitled ASSEMBLY OF MOLDING STRIPS ADAPTED TO MOUNT FLEXIBLE COVERINGS ON SUPPORT SURFACES, Ser. No. 841,593, filed Mar. 20, 1986.
Flexible wall coverings, such as fabric coverings, have been showing increasing popularity in recent times even though flexible coverings have been used for many years. The use of flexible coverings for support surfaces, such as walls and the like, has become even more desirable since thermal and accoustical materials can be incorporated into the covering system. As was noted in my earlier application, above-referenced, designers desire increasing flexibility in presenting asthetic coverings so that they may achieve different "looks" in their wall coverings. The present invention is adapted to allow a designer increased variation in the look that can be obtained by a flexible wall covering. At the same time, the present invention contemplates incorporating shelving systems onto a flexible wall covering system.
In the prior art, there are basically two techniques used to mount flexible coverings over support surfaces. One technique utilizes an adhesive that relatively permanently adheres the flexible covering to the support surface such in the manner of wallpaper. The second technique is a framework mounting strip where moldings extend around and across the area to be covered.
Most modern improvements to flexible wall coverings are directed toward this second technique and, it is the second of these techniques to which the present invention is directed. In addition to the above-referenced application, other framework systems for mounting have been disclosed. One such example is shown in the pending application entitled MOLDING STRIPS AND ASSEMBLY THEREOF FOR MOUNTING A FLEXIBLE COVERING ONTO A SUPPORT SURFACE, Ser. No. 705,796, filed Feb. 26, 1985 by the inventor of the present application. The following patents also show framework systems for mounting a flexible covering to a support surface, such as a wall:
______________________________________ Patent No. Inventor Country Issue Date ______________________________________ 1,772,780 Milone U.S. Aug. 12, 1930 3,657,850 Billarant U.S. Apr. 25, 1972 3,783,931 Assael U.S. Jan. 08, 1974 4,018,260 Baslow U.S. Apr. 19, 1977 4,053,008 Baslow U.S. Oct. 11, 1977 4,197,686 Baslow U.S. Apr. 15, 1980 964,830 Tombu Canada Mar. 25, 1975 2,339,501 Benbaron France Aug. 26, 1977 134,429 Boeing Air- Australia Sep. 26, 1949 craft Co. 2,231,824 Tombu Germany Jan. 18, 1973 ______________________________________
With the exception of my co-pending application, Ser. No. 705,796, none of the above systems disclose molding strip assemblies having a decorative reveal structure which permits design flexibility. Furthermore, none of these issued patents or pending applications disclose a system allowing the attachment of shelving systems directly to the molding strip assembly that supports the flexible wall covering.
Although these prior art structures accomplish the broad objective of mounting a flexible fabric or covering to a wall, there remains a need for a molding strip assembly that it is easy to install yet which permits a designer even greater flexibility in selecting the appearance to be achieved. There is a further need for such a system that is easy to install which can readily compete with existing systems but which incorporates additional functional features not heretofor available. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Since the very early invention of coins at the dawn of civilization (e.g., clay and early metal coins), it has been a burden for many to count, carry, save and reuse coins. Consequently many inventions have been developed over the years to overcome most of these problems related to coins. Two of the most commonly used inventions relating to coin counting, sorting, and carrying, are coin wrapping papers and coins counting machines.
Coin wrapping papers are probably the most commonly used method of grouping and storing coins today. These wrappers have remained largely unchanged for decades, with exception of pre-formed paper coin “tubes” which have recently come into use. However, this primitive method of coin storage suffers from a number of fundamental problems, regardless of whether flat papers or pre-formed tubes are used.
Coin papers require that the user first form the paper into a tube and then insert a standard amount coinage (e.g., 50 pennies, 40 nickels, or the like). There is no way for the user to determine how many coins are in the tube, other than to count the coins, weigh the tube, or somehow measure the tube height. All three of these techniques are inaccurate.
Moreover, there is no way for a bank or subsequent user to know whether there are in fact the stated number of coins in a coin roll once it has been filled. Unscrupulous persons may fill a coin roll with slugs or other worthless items, and put coins on each end. Unless the subsequent user breaks open the roll, they have no way of checking the contents of the coin roll. For a $10 roll of quarters, the potential loss for the subsequent user could be large. For this reason, many banks no longer accept rolled coins, except from account holders, and even then only if the account holder initials each roll. Retail merchants may accept such rolls only if they are broken open, necessitating counting of individual coins.
While consumers can utilize newer technology such as the retail coin counting machines found in Supermarkets and the like to dispose of their excess change, retail merchants still rely upon coin tubes to obtain a supply of change or tokens for use in their businesses. Thus, a need still exists for some form of coin storage container to handle counted amounts of coins in an easy-to handle format.
Pre-rolled paper tubes are somewhat better in that they are easier to load with coins, but they still suffer from the same problems as the flat paper coin rolls as noted above. In addition to these problems, pre-rolled coin tubes are bulky and difficult to store. In addition, both flat and pre-rolled tubes cannot be used for partial amounts of coinage, only for their stated full amounts. Moreover, paper coin wrappers cannot be re-used and thus are expensive and wasteful.
As a result of the problems with paper coin rolls, many in the Prior Art have tried to come up with improved ways for counting, storing, and handling coins.
Coins counting machines are complicated in design and production. Recalibration and maintenance of the device is necessary on a regular basis. Retail coin counting machines charge the user a fee, usually based on a percentage of coins counted (e.g., 5%) and thus can be expensive to use. A less complicated method of counting, sorting, and storing coins is needed.
There are many patents describing containers for coins counting. Hall, U.S. Pat. No. 4,339,071 issued Jul. 13, 1982, and incorporated herein by reference, discloses a Coin Bank. This coin bank provides a series of clear plastic half-tubes which may be used to stack coins and load paper coin rolls. The height of each tube is calibrated with an inner member so that a full stack of coins will provide the appropriate amount of coinage for a standard paper coin roll. There are a number of disadvantages to this design. To begin with, it is only a aid to filling paper coin rolls, not a coin holder per se. As it is calibrated only for full rolls, one cannot use the device to count coins. The size and weight of the device make it somewhat expensive and impractical for portable use. Its open design, intended for filling coin paper rolls, would allow coins to fall out if it were carried by a consumer on their person.
Hayden, U.S. Pat. No. 519,948 issued May 1, 1884, and incorporated herein by reference, discloses a coin tray. This coin tray appears to be formed by making a number of half-round grooves in a piece of wood or the like, each groove corresponding to a different denomination of coin. The apparatus is provided with indicia for indicating the amount of each denomination, and thus may be useful for counting less than roll-size amounts of coins. However, as coin counter, the apparatus is not suitable for portable storage, as it is too large, heavy, bulky, expensive, and would allow the coins to fall out once moved.
Chang, U.S. Pat. No. 4,545,394, issued Oct. 8, 1985, and incorporated herein by reference, discloses a coin counter trough. This trough is designed to be used with multiple coin sizes, but is little more than coin counter. Purifoy, U.S. Pat. No. D,303,863, issued Oct. 3, 1989, and incorporated herein by reference, discloses another variation on a slot type coin counter.
Duran, U.S. Pat. No. 3,346,109 issued Oct. 10, 1967, and incorporated herein by reference, discloses a clear view coin pack. The tube, made of plastic or glass, is provided with indicia and a snap-on or screw-off top. The Duran apparatus is too heavy and expensive to be thrown away or given away to consumers. Moreover, it requires a separate tube for each denomination of currency. In addition, the cap must be removed as additional coins are inserted.
Kelley, U.S. Pat. No. 4,036,358, issued Jul. 19, 1977, and incorporated herein by reference, discloses a clear view coin wrap. This coin wrap actually appears to be a hard plastic tube with indicia on the side for indicating the number of coins inserted. A removable funnel-top may be replaced with a snap-in lid to prevent the coins from falling out. While an interesting design and concept, the Kelley coin tube suffers from a number of disadvantages. To begin with, a fairly rigid and thick plastic casing would be needed (as shown) to hold the snap in funnel and lid. Thus the weight and cost of the apparatus would be significant. Such an apparatus would not likely be given away with a roll of coins due to its high cost. In addition, there does not appear to be any means of organizing and holding multiple numbers of such tubes together for storage.
Barnhart et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,240,544, issued Dec. 30, 1980, and incorporated herein by reference, discloses a coin holder. A compliant plastic with a number of inner facing ribs is provided to grip and hold coins in a roll. The apparatus is provided in two halves which hinge together. Curiously, the Patent does not appear to disclose any means for maintaining the apparatus in a close position. One disadvantage of this apparatus is that it requires that the device be opened in order to insert additional coins. Each opening may wear on a plastic hinge, reducing the life of the product.
Wallace, U.S. Pat. No. 4,290,523, issued Sep. 22, 1981, and incorporated herein by reference, discloses a coin holder. Like the Barnhart Patent listed above, the Wallace Patent discloses a design with a plastic hinge and two halves which may be separated. Wallace, however, appears to make his apparatus out of a thick (e.g., injection-molded) plastic and illustrates a plastic tab mechanism for closing the device. Openings and indicia allow a lesser number of coins than a full stack to be counted. However, given the heavy plastic in this design, it does not lend itself to give-away or disposable use. Moreover, the apparatus requires opening and closing whenever additional coins are inserted, which would tend to wear out the plastic hinge and plastic tab.
Lemaire, U.S. Pat. No. 4,183,432, issued Jan. 15, 1980, and incorporated herein by reference, discloses a reusable container for coins and tokens. Lemaire also discloses a folding plastic coin container with a plastic hinge, but with multiple snap closures. No indicia are provided in the apparatus, and opening and closing of the hinge are require to insert additional coins.
Lemaire, U.S. Pat. No. 5,957,275, issued Sep. 28, 1999, and incorporated herein by reference, discloses another variation on the plastic holder. This design uses two interlocking lids for closure. Again, no indicia are provided and the apparatus must be opened and closed to add additional coins.
Rhodin, U.S. Pat. No. 3,776,375, issued Dec. 4, 1973 and incorporated herein by reference, discloses a blister package. This patent is not directed toward a coin holder, but rather generic blister packaging, which is generally designed to be sealed for one-time use.
A requirement thus remains in the art for an apparatus which is inexpensive enough to be disposable or given away by banks and the like, while still being strong enough for multiple uses. In addition, there is still a need in the art for an apparatus which can be used for various coin amounts less than a full roll size. Moreover, there is still a need in the art for a coin holder than can be easily loaded. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Technical Field
The present disclosure is directed to electrosurgical systems, and, in particular, to a circuit and method for achieving gain compensation across varying operating conditions in an electrosurgical generator utilizing a full bridge topology.
2. Description of the Related Art
An electrosurgical generator is used in surgical procedures to deliver electrical energy to the tissue of a patient. When an electrode is connected to the generator, the electrode can be used for cutting, coagulating or sealing the tissue of a patient with high frequency electrical energy. During normal operation, alternating electrical current from the generator flows between an active electrode and a return electrode by passing through the tissue and bodily fluids of a patient.
The electrical energy usually has its waveform shaped to enhance its ability to cut, coagulate or seal tissue. Different waveforms correspond to different modes of operation of the generator, and each mode gives the surgeon various operating advantages. Modes may include cut, coagulate, a blend thereof, desiccate, seal, or spray. A surgeon can easily select and change the different modes of operation as the surgical procedure progresses.
In each mode of operation, it is important to regulate the electrosurgical energy delivered to the patient to achieve the desired surgical effect. Applying more than the correct dosage may result in tissue destruction, and may prolong healing. Applying less than the desired dosage of energy power inhibits the surgical procedure. Thus, it is desirable to control the output energy from the electrosurgical generator for the type of tissue being treated.
Different types of tissues will be encountered as the surgical procedure progresses and each unique tissue requires more or less power as a function of frequently changing tissue impedance. As different types of tissue and bodily fluids are encountered, the impedance changes and the response time of the electrosurgical control of output power must be rapid enough to seamlessly permit the surgeon to treat the tissue. Moreover, the same tissue type can be desiccated during electrosurgical treatment and thus its impedance will change dramatically in the space of a very brief time. The electrosurgical output power control has to respond to such impedance changes as well.
Three standard modes of control are commonly used during electrosurgical generation. At low tissue impedances, the generator controls to a current limit. At mid-range tissue impedances, the generator controls to a power limit. At highest tissue impedances, the generator controls to a voltage limit. Generally, the voltage, current, and power limits describe the electrosurgical mode. The generator must employ a stable control loop over the full impedance range whether controlling to voltage, current, or power.
In prior-art electrosurgical generator designs, voltage from the AC mains is rectified to provide a DC voltage. An inverter stage converts the DC voltage back to AC voltages at frequencies appropriate for the desired tissue effect. The output of this stage is an AC waveform that can be controlled to voltage, current, or power, to deliver the correct energy to tissue.
A common technique for configuring a variable DC power supply utilizes Phase Shifted Full Bridge topology wherein output power is controlled via changes in the duty cycle of a pulse-width modulated input signal. At any single operating point, the gain of a phase shifted full-wave bridge inverter is linear. However, the operating points may vary over a wide range due to a setpoint change, a load change, an impedance change, and changes in other parameters. Consequently, the overall gain of the inverter stage can vary significantly. This can have an impact on the controlled delivery of energy to tissue. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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1. Technical Field
This invention relates generally to the field of semiconductors, and more particularly, to manufacturing approaches used in forming openings during interconnect processing of integrated circuits and other devices.
2. Related Art
The semiconductor manufacturing process typically includes two major components, namely the Front-End-of-Line (FEOL), which includes the multilayer process of forming semiconductor devices (transistors, etc.) on a semiconductor substrate, and the Back-End-Of-Line (BEOL), which includes the metallization after the semiconductor devices have been formed. Like all electronic devices, semiconductor devices in a microchip, such as an integrated circuit (IC), need to be electronically connected through wiring. In an integrated circuit, such wiring is done through multilayer metallization on top of the multilayered semiconductor devices formed on the semiconductor substrate. The complexity of this wiring becomes appreciable as there may be hundreds of millions or more semiconductor devices (e.g., transistors in particular) formed on a single IC. Proper connection of these devices is accomplished by multilayer metallization. Each metallization layer consists of a grid of metal lines sandwiched between one or more dielectric layers for electrical integrity. Modern semiconductor manufacturing processes can involve multiple metallization layers.
As scaling of microelectronic devices approaches sub 30 nm nodes, many material and module process challenges in BEOL plasma patterning have been reported. One of the methods that has gained traction over recent years for enabling sub 20 nm feature patterning is the Trench First Metal Hard Mask (TFMHM) scheme. While this scheme solves or mitigates many challenges that are inherent with the Via First Trench Last (VFTL) Scheme, it introduced other dielectric reactive ion etching (RIE) process and hardware challenges. One of the root causes of the former is the fact that all patterns and materials are exposed to plasma at the same time. As such, the simultaneous control of via, trench and chamfer profiles (i.e. Critical Dimensions, depth, taper profile, etc), the need to control selectivity between multiple patterning layer (Titanium Nitride (TiN), tetra-ethyl-ortho-silane (TEOS), ultra low k (ULK), Barrier cap, etc), and ULK damage control has become more pertinent in the dielectric etch. As a direct result of such tight process guidelines, the hardware challenges arise and new dimensions in process controls are needed. The prolonged exposure of the TiN to the plasma created the need for more robust production worthy hardware. The required selectivity of the materials necessitate temperature controllable chucks. The more complex patterning techniques require ULK preservation and other uniformity controls.
A TFMHM Self-Alignment Via (SAV) process is used to improve the via to trench alignment margin in order to maximizes the Vx/Mx+1 spacing. Merged vias can help further reduce the via-to-via distance and thus improve the device density. Selectivity to the hardmask layer of an etch process, which is essential to enable the self-alignment, is challenging. The hardmask margin becomes worse when the merged via design is used since the hardmask is exposed to the etch process twice. The prior art device 10 of FIGS. 1-2 show this challenge. FIG. 1A (cross-sectional view) and FIG. 1B (top view) demonstrate a prior art device 10 including a substrate 2, a capping layer 4 (e.g., nitrogen-doped silicon carbide or SiNxCyHz(NBLoK)) formed over substrate 2, an interdielectric layer 6 formed over capping layer 4, a hard mask layer 8 (e.g., a TEOS hard mask layer), and a hard mask 14 formed over hard mask layer 8. Device 10 further comprises a plurality of vias 12 in a merged via region ‘R1’ following a via etch and strip process. As shown, ‘R2’ represents a non-merged region of device 10. FIGS. 2A-B represent device 10 of FIGS. 1A-B, respectively, following a trench etch. In this prior art approach, hard mask 14 (e.g. TiN) is exposed to the via etch and the subsequent trench etch, which forms vias 12 and a plurality of trenches 16. However, as demonstrated, an insufficient margin for hardmask 14 causes the hard mask 14 to break (highlighted by reference numeral 18 in FIG. 2A) during the merged via etch and the subsequent trench etch. This may result in a metal line to metal line short following metal chemical-mechanical polishing (CMP) in subsequent fabrication.
The hardmask loss in current art approaches occurs in two directions, vertically and horizontally. It is known the more robust the hardmask, the better protection for the material underneath the hardmask. On the other hand, process selectivity to the hardmask material can be improved by adjusting process parameters such as process chemistry and process temperature, etc. In order to improve the hardmask selectivity, the amount of polymering gas such as C4F8 is increased and the lower process temperature is used. However, the polymer residue risk becomes higher with increasing the C4F8 flow and lowering the process temperature. Physically increasing the hardmask thickness can provide better hardmask protection. However, it would result in too big an aspect ratio, which may cause a subsequent metal filling defect (e.g. void). Reducing the SAV etch time may help reduce the hardmask loss. However, the reduced SAV etch time causes the via open issue as a result of the under etch of dielectric material. As such, current art approaches are inadequate for at least one of the reasons described above. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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The use of aircraft for crop dusting and seeding is over a century old. Flying aircraft low over farmland to distribute liquids or solids suspended in an aqueous solution, generally consisting of pesticides, is commonly used worldwide. Within the last few decades, some countries like Japan have increasingly used unmanned aerial vehicles (“UAV”), for spray and seed applications of crops such as rice (www.gizmag.com/uav-crop-dusting/27974, Apr. 15, 2015). Currently, the use of UAVs for pollination of plants or delivery of powdered substances is unknown. According to the Harvard professors involved in the “Robobee” research program, the use of robots for pollination is at least twenty years in the future (robobees.seas.harvard.edu/robobees-project-and-colony-collapse-disorder-ccd, Apr. 15, 2015). Manned, full-sized helicopters have been used in attempts to catalyze anemophily, otherwise known as wind-pollination (U.S. Pat. No. 4,644,683, Jones et al). For example, Jones et. al discloses pollination using a helicopter piloted by a pilot flying over fields and the wind generated by the helicopter propeller causes the pollen to become airborne and reach the desired target, thereby hopefully pollinating wind-pollinated crops, such as corn. However, manned helicopters are very expensive to operate, making helicopter catalyzed anemophily very expensive without a guarantee of successful pollination rate for the high cost. Further, these manned helicopters do not drop pollen but rather they only disperse pollen by hovering over the plants and dispersing the pollen that is already available from the plants it is hovering over. In addition, flying close to the ground is dangerous for not only helicopters but aircraft as well. Full-sized helicopters and aircraft are well suited to large, flat fields free of obstacles; helicopters and aircraft are not well suited for flying close to the ground in areas that contain obstacles or are within close proximity to urban, populated or otherwise sensitive areas. Finally, both helicopters and airplanes are not well suited for distribution of small particulates, such as pollen and powders.
Therefore, current mechanical pollinators are controlled by human operators and are generally hand-held (for example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,962,821, Sharp et al.) or ground-based systems (for example, Copes, D. L., O'Rourke, D., and Randall, W. K., 1995. Field Testing a Modified Duster for Supplemental Mass Pollination in Douglas-fir Seed Orchards. Tree Planters' Notes. 46(4):118-125). However, hand-held pollinators of a billow type can be labor intensive. Further, if pollination is required at significant heights, using a hand-held pollinator can be risky due to the potential for sustaining injuries from falling.
Conversely, ground-based pollination systems, such as mechanical blowers and air compressors, are sometimes employed for pollinating crops, and are generally either pulled by a motor vehicle, such as a tractor (Copes, et al., 1995), or by hand-pulled cart (Ibrahim, A. A., AI-Shaikhly, K. J., and Yousif, Y. G., Development of a New Ground Level Pollinator for Date Palm, Publication of the Dept. Palms and Dates, Agric. Water Reso. Res. Center, Sci. Res. Council, P.O. Box 2416. Baghdad, Iraq, (date of publication unknown)). Limitations of pollination height of such ground-based systems are inherent, as a height limitation of the pollen dispersion is limited and therefore this method may not be an option. Lifting the machinery up, suspending it and then moving it for pollination purposes is a possibility, but a new set of challenges arise with this method. Specifically, heavy machinery that is suspended in the air to pollinate trees would likely require moving the machinery over uneven or unstable field and orchard ground, thereby risking an unintended and sudden release of the machinery, thereby damaging the machinery and possibly even causing injury to the operator. Further, and similar to the methods involving manned aircraft, these land-based methods may be limited in accessibility to target areas and crops due to rough terrain or terrain with many obstacles making ground based navigation difficult if not impossible.
What is needed is an effective and safe method and apparatus to deliver pollen or other dry powdered materials remotely from an unmanned airborne vehicle, this would save labor costs and could increase usable farm and crop yield. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
1. Field of the Invention
The invention pertains to protective dressings, and more particularly to adhesive protective dressings that may be used with animal or human tissue to promote healing, particularly of an oral cavity wound or surgical site.
2. Description of Related Art
It is generally desirable to protect wounded human or animal tissues, particularly oral tissue after gingival surgery, e.g., after tooth extraction. A recent surgical site or wound, in addition to being uncomfortable or painful, is susceptible to infection. Further, lingual and masticatory action, saliva and fluid flow, and food and debris entering an oral wound can delay clotting or dislodge a clot and interfere with healing.
Typically, after oral surgery the surgical incision is often sutured and a cotton dressing (gauze) or a periodontal pack is placed on the surgical site. The dressing""s primary purposes are to apply pressure to the wound to help stop bleeding, provide some protection against contaminants, and act as temporary physical barrier to the oral environment. However, a dressing that is made of an absorbent material, such as cotton or the like, has limited ability to prevent moisture and saliva from reaching the surgical site and itself may become saturated, rendering it useless. Moreover, the dressing is held in place by either compression by the patient, e.g., biting down, or by wedging the pack between adjacent teeth. These methods do not reliably hold the dressing in place and it may be dislodged by lingual and masticatory action, and in any event, does not provide an adequate seal to prevent particles and/or moisture, e.g., saliva, from reaching the site. Such a dressing is only effectively used for perhaps a few hours after surgery.
It would be desirable to use a dressing that would prevent moisture from reaching a surgical site or wound, adequately seal the site from the environment, be pliable and imporous, and be sufficiently adhesive to the site to be reliably retained to it for sufficient time to allow healing to begin without interference from the oral environment. In cases where the wound or surgical site has been sutured, the patient also may need to return to the surgeon""s office at a later date to have them removed.
Numerous materials are known that are both moisture proof, imporous and biocompatible, so as not to not cause physical or chemical damage to the tissues. Such materials include, for example, metals, plastics, vinyls, and hydrogels. These materials are also available in pliable form, e.g., metal foil, such as tin or aluminum. Biocompatible adhesives are also known and include waxes, powders, gums, polymers (such as acrylics) and other materials.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,550,425 to Burlew, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety, describes an adhesive covering for protecting dental fillings in teeth from moisture. The covering consists of a thin metal foil upon which is deposited a film or layer of paraffin that is united to the foil by heat so as to resist separation. On the outer surface of the paraffin there is rolled or pressed a coating of finely ground gum tragacanth. Jelenko Company of Armonk, N.Y. sells such a covering as Burlew(trademark) Dryfoil(trademark) and Burlew(trademark) Orthofoil(trademark). In particular, the Jelenko product is 99.8% tin foil. The Dryfoil(trademark) has a thickness of about 0.00075 inches, while the Orthofoil(trademark) has a thickness of about 0.0013 inches. The slightly adhesive wax/powder surface allows the foil to adhere to dried teeth.
However, the Burlew covering possesses insufficient adhesiveness to adhere to gingival tissue, which is moist, and its limited thickness provides only minimal physical protection. In addition, it is not sterile, and thus not suitable for post-surgery wound protection.
Thus, it would be desirable for such a covering to have increased capability to seal protected tissues from the oral environment and increased adhesiveness for retention. It would also be desirable to provide the tissue with increased physical protection of the tissue. It would further be desirable that such a covering would be sterile. In addition, it would be desirable to reduce or eliminate the need for suturing a wound or surgical site.
The present invention is directed to providing an adhesive dressing, particularly a gingival protectant having the aforementioned desirable properties.
The invention is a biocompatible adhesive protectant covering or bandage for use with human or animal tissues, and methods of producing the same. The invention comprises a flexible, pliable, ductile, imporous, moisture-proof, i.e., impervious to moisture, dressing with an adhesive for adhering the covering to tissues for temporary retention and protection from moisture. The adhesive is suitable for both hard and soft tissues, including moist gingival tissues in the mouth, as opposed to merely hard tissues. The protective covering is preferably easily applied to the tissues and occupies minimal space, which is beneficial in the mouth, allowing it to be opened and closed with ease while effectively preventing contact of the tongue or lips with the tissue. The dressing may be configured so as to be placed upon a surgical site or wound.
The adhesive may comprise a gamma radiation sensitive adhesive. When the adhesive is gamma irradiated or otherwise exposed to gamma radiation, i.e., above normal background radiation levels, it undergoes physical and chemical changes. These changes include an increase in volume and adhesiveness. The degree of increased volume and adhesiveness, or tackiness, increases with increased irradiation. The amount of irradiation of the adhesive protective covering may be varied depending upon the amount of volume increase and adhesiveness desired. The irradiated adhesive may then be applied to tissue and adhere to it, and when utilized with a protective covering or xe2x80x9coral bandage,xe2x80x9d adhere the covering to the tissue. The increased volume and tackiness may assist the covering in preventing undesirable environmental elements, e.g., in the mouth, from reaching the tissue, and cushioning and/or protecting the tissue from physical impact and contaminants.
The adhesive may be irradiated to a degree so that it will adhere to the tissue for a sufficient time for the tissue to significantly heal. This includes moist tissues that are subject to mechanical forces. Thus, the adhesive, alone or in combination with a protective covering, protects the tissue to promote healing and to minimize the possibility of blood clot breakdown, infection, or contamination, all of which may result in pain and discomfort.
Gamma radiation may also sterilize the adhesive and protective covering, thereby further decreasing the possibility of infection. When sterilized in sealed packaging, the sterility may be maintained until use, which may be years later. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
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Most live plants are fragile and require special attention in shipment, storage, and marketing. Live plants must be treated with extreme care, watered regularly, and protected from insects, fungus, and bacteria. The plant must also be protected from handling by potential customers, but at the same time be subject to customer inspection prior to purchase. Because of these requirements, the sale of plants has usually been accomplished through special outlets in which experienced personnel are at hand to care for the plants and to exercise personal control while the plant is being displayed to the customer.
It would be desirable to market live plants directly through super markets and other self-service retail establishments in which special personnel are not available. However, the packages for live plants known heretofore have not been adapted for adequately protecting and displaying the plant under these circumstances. For example, in an early package design shown in U.S. Pat. No. 1,988,886, the package wraps around the plant and the roots to provide a moisture-proof seal, thereby eliminating the need for watering, but it does not provide an effective protection for the plant during handling nor is it suitable for display when marketing since it is not upstanding and since it does not provide for inspection of the plant prior to purchase.
In U.S. Pat. No. 2,664,670, a rigid package is shown which provides better protection for the plant. However, this package is not designed to be moisture-proof. Holes have to be put in the wrapper for watering the plant. Furthermore, the plant is potted in a heavy pot which is not suitable for plant shipment because it adds weight and cost to the package and because it must be secured within the package to prevent damage to the plant if the package is tipped over. The pot may also be unwanted by the potential purchaser who intends to transplant his purchase. The rigid design is also less desirable than a flexible design which is better adapted to packing during shipment and storage and which affords better protection to the plant.
In U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,774,187 and 2,994,424 packages have been designed for the shipment and storage of cut flowers. Both of these patents employ sealed transparent containers which maintain the cut flowers in a moisture controlled environment. These containers, however, are intended to be used when the flowers are given special fragile treatment and are not designed to protect the flowers against rough handling normally experienced during shipment. These packages are also not adaptable for use with live plants since no provision is made for the plant roots and soil. Furthermore, these packages have an irregular baggy shapes, making packing difficult.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,320,697 a similar bag-like wrapping is used around a potted plant. This design is also not adapted for packing and shipment because it has an irregular shape which does not facilitate the placement of plurality of such containers in a shipping container and because there is no protection to the plant or to the soil and roots if the package is knocked over during shipment and handling. This design has a heavy expensive pot which is unsuitable for shipment. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
This invention relates to electroactive organic polymeric materials. More specifically, this invention relates to associating electroactivating agents known in the art as dopants with an organic polymer.
Recently, research has been conducted into organic polymeric materials in order to modify their room temperature electrical conductivity by reacting them with electron donor or acceptor molecules. The electron donor or acceptor molecules, generally known in the art as n-type and p-type dopants respectively, can transform the organic polymeric materials so that these modified organic polymeric materials exhibit semiconducting and metallic room temperature electrical conductivity. Polyacetylene is an example of an organic polymeric material whose room temperature electrical conductivity can be modified over several orders of magnitude above its insulator state, by the incorporation of dopant molecules, A. J. Heeger et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,222,903, said patent incorporated herein by reference. Other examples of organic polymeric materials whose room temperature electrical conductivity can be enhanced by several orders of magnitude over their insulator state by means of incorporation of dopant molecules are poly-p-phenylene, polypyrrole, poly-1,6 heptadiyne, and polyphenylene vinylene. However, all of the above recited examples are of organic polymeric materials which are completely insoluble or infusible and hence are completely intractable.
Other examples of organic polymers whose room temperature electrical conductivity can be modified with the aid of dopants are polyphenylene sulfide and poly-m-phenylene. However, the above recited materials though being tractable in their original virgin state, undergo irreversible chemistry when reacted with dopants which modify their room temperature electrical conductivity. This irreversible chemistry imparts upon these dopant modified organic polymeric materials a state of intractability. Upon removal of the doping agents, these materials do not revert to the chemical structure which they originally exhibited prior to being modified by the dopants. The inorganic material polysulfur nitride is also considered a polymeric conductor. As with the previously recited polymeric materials, polysulfur nitride is also completely intractable.
For use in a wide variety of electronic device applications, it is highly desirable to have available organic polymeric electrically conducting materials having a preselected room temperature conductivity which can be varied over a broad range. This range should preferably extend from the insulator state of the unmodified organic polymeric material through the semiconducting regime and extending into the highly conducting metallic state. It is also desirable that these organic polymeric electrically conducting materials should be tractable and hence processable so that useful articles of any desired shape and size can be fabricated. Tractable organic polymers are those which can be readily shaped, formed, molded, pressed, cast, etc., into desired articles from the organic polymeric material or from solution after completion of the polymerization reaction of the liquid state, i.e. either from the melt, fluid glassy state or from solution. | {
"pile_set_name": "USPTO Backgrounds"
} |
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